The Ultimate World Cruise

Table Of Content

• Around-the-world Cruises for the Trip of a Lifetime
• Enjoy all your ship has to offer
• Mediterranean cruises
• Food tours are a great way to see a city, taste local dishes, and learn some history.
• Travel, Airfare, & Hotels: Let Princess Get You There
• Special event and theme cruises
• Time to explore beyond the surface

Silversea's world cruises are known for showcasing exceptional special-access events, and this sailing is no different. On this cruise, applause goes to a private tour of Cairo's 500-room Abdeen Palace and an inimitable evening at Versailles in lavish Marie Antoinette style (pre-guillotine, of course). For all its around-the-world cruises, Regent piles on primo inclusions — first-class flights, unlimited shore excursions, luggage service, an open bar and a visa package are among countless amenities.

Around-the-world Cruises for the Trip of a Lifetime

The thrills continue with an exploration of New Zealand, before a deep-dive into Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – the only living thing on the planet that’s visible from space. Pristine natural beauty in Bali, Indonesia, is soon followed by two of the most iconic manmade world wonders, the Great Wall of China and India’s Taj Mahal, and gems of the South Pacific – from Vietnam to Malaysia. Rounding out the expedition are endless possibilities in Japan, with unparalleled culture in Tokyo, street food in Osaka and the tropical beaches of Okinawa. Each year, our Exclusive Shoreside Events on our Around the World journey are meticulously designed by our passionate Destination Specialists to tell the unique story of fascinating locations around the globe. These one-of-a-kind events bring the local culture and history to life through jubilant and immersive experiences that are simultaneously a celebration of the global nature of this exceptional journey. Likewise, these private events are reserved only for the select cadre of world cruise guests choosing to join us for the complete world journey.

Enjoy all your ship has to offer

Highlights include stops in stunning French Polynesia, Indonesia, Thailand, Egypt, Spain, France, and Iceland. My biggest tip for any cruise — but especially for Americans traveling to Europe for a Mediterranean cruise — is to arrive at your embarkation city at least a day before your sailing starts. Guests will venture miles from the ordinary in Oceania, Asia and beyond on the cruise’s next showstopping leg.

Mediterranean cruises

World cruisers can visit 26 countries with 51 destinations across six continents; the exciting port of call include Lisbon; Bali; Naples, Italy; Milan; and Haifa, Israel. With late-night stays in 11 ports of call and a Dubai overnight, you can relish multiple opportunities to wine, dine and enjoy the nightlife ashore. Never mind the moniker, a world cruise may visit several continents but not circumnavigate the globe.

Book a year in advance if you are looking for a cruise tied to a once-a-year event; these cruises are hot tickets. Examples include cherry blossom season in Japan, the Monaco Grand Prix, the Cannes Film Festival and Carnival in Rio. Alaska is another market where it pays to check itineraries as soon as they are announced, especially if you want to explore more remote ports on a small ship or want to stay in a suite. It might sound unbelievable that you'll be able to spread your arms out under Argentina's Christ the Redeemer statue and sip cocktails beneath the Sydney Opera House on the same sailing, but on this epic journey around the world, you can. The key to making the most of each port is to pace yourself — this is a long trip, in the best way possible.

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Note that for the poshest lines, "entry-level" may mean a spacious, elegant suite with a veranda. A world cruise is a safe, easy and exhilarating way to score a global adventure beyond compare. If you are planning a cruise around the world, make sure you stop in Mumbai and Cochin, Indian and explore and experience the unique culture. Elizabeth Rhodes is a special projects editor at Travel + Leisure, covering everything from luxury hotels to theme parks to must-pack travel products.

Travel, Airfare, & Hotels: Let Princess Get You There

So you can complement back-to-back discoveries onshore with all your favorite comforts onboard, plus thoughtful touches to elevate every moment. A long duration cruise holiday means additional time for you to discover authentic charm. That said, in general newer ships like the Horizon are more expensive to sail aboard. While you can't pinpoint exactly what you'll spend, you can get a good estimate. As a public company, Carnival Corporation (the parent of Carnival Cruise Line) publishes detailed numbers about their business. For instance, in 2022 the company took in $7 billion in ticket revenue and $5.1 billion in onboard spending.

Special event and theme cruises

If you are targeting a vacation in a destination that does not have a year-round cruising season, such as Antarctica or the Arctic, you will want to make your reservation a year in advance. New expedition ships are sailing in both markets, but they carry no more than 500 passengers. (Ships with more passengers are not allowed to make landings in Antarctica.) Well-established operators such as Abercrombie & Kent, which charters ships from Ponant, sell out Antarctica cruises a year or more in advance. This 136-day voyage sails from Tokyo to New York and explores 59 ports in 30 countries. Count on visiting enchanting cities, including Istanbul, Naples and Stockholm. Wonderfully remote ports, like Cochin, India; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; and Nuuk, Greenland, tempt travelers to come aboard for the long haul.

Time to explore beyond the surface

There's a host of entertainment to dive in to, including cinema screenings, live music and comedy, spectacular stage shows, casino gaming, quizzes, sports, and so much more. Of course, when it comes to cruising for twelve months, you have an amazing number of options. From different cruise lines to routes, departure ports, ships, and even cabin types, there are a number of things that will have a big impact on what you spend. The final leg of the Ultimate World Cruise is an immersive, cultural experience that begins in the Mediterranean and heads north. Museums, theatres and galleries line the streets of St. Petersburg, Russia, while larger-than-life fjords await in Norway.

The world cruises then journey to the Mediterranean and disembark in London. Cruisers will stay overnight in Sydney, Haifa, and Istanbul, with two nights in Auckland, Bali, Ho Chi Minh, Yangon, and Mumbai. Silver Dawn is a wowser with a game-changer spa, all-suite accommodations, tux-clad butlers for all passengers and complimentary caviar service anytime, anywhere. Expect many fare inclusions, such as business-class flights, shore excursions and private transfers. For 2025, Princess offers two 116-day world cruise itinerary options on Island Princess, one round-trip from Fort Lauderdale and the other round-trip from Los Angeles.

From there, the ship will visit destinations in Mexico and the continental United States, continuing on to Hawaii, French Polynesia, New Zealand, and Australia. Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, and India are among the ports in Asia, then it's on to the Middle East before traveling to Europe, where final destinations include Italy, Spain, and Portugal en route to London. Want to island hop around French Polynesia, visit Africa's incredible cities, and cruise through Asia without ever switching hotels or repacking your bags? The ship also has other practical amenities, including a 24-hour hospital, which offers guests free medical visits, learning experiences for guests like lectures and classes, and volunteer opportunities at various ports.

Ultimate World Cruise journey goes viral as social media users track 9-month trip - ABC News

Ultimate World Cruise journey goes viral as social media users track 9-month trip.

Posted: Tue, 02 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

We recently priced out the cost of living on a cruise ship for an entire year. Travellers will sail to 57 destinations new to the cruise line and exclusive to the cruise itself. Highlights include Casablanca, Morocco; Qaqortoq, Greenland; and Shimizu, Japan – the gateway to Mount Fuji.

However, it's likely that the figure would be drastically lower as average spending on the ship will likely be less if staying full-time versus splurging for a short vacation. To price what it costs to live aboard the ship, we took a look at sailings aboard a single ship from Carnival, which is known for being affordable. In this case, we priced a year’s worth of sailing for Carnival Horizon in 2024. Fans of specific cruise lines get very excited when a new ship comes out and will book the inaugural sailing and other early sailings a year or more in advance.

Food tours can be booked through third-party travel operators, like TripAdvisor or Viator, and offer the chance to see some of the major landmarks of a city, try local dishes, and learn some history all in one outing. You can maximise your time in beautiful places by flying straight to the heart of them or get your holiday started sooner and sail from Southampton. After all, when people cruise they are on vacation and likely willing to spend more freely than they would normally. By limiting the amount spent on board, you can cut thousands off this estimated total.

Notably, this figure is about 35-40% higher than the roughly $145,000 we calculated for the same ship when we last ran the numbers in 2023. Cruise fares in 2024 for Carnival Horizon come out about $18,000 higher (for two people) during the course of the year and onboard spending estimates increased sharply based on the latest figures provided in financial reports. Using this metric, with a total cruise fare of $99,766, the average couple would spend $72,829 onboard during the course of the year.

You won't want forget to pack bathing suits for Mexico, for example, or a coat for colder destinations. Your epic journey around the world, of course, is sure to come with plenty of new-to-you destinations. From world wonders such as the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Wall of China to sun-dappled islands from French Polynesia to Greece, the array and diversity of horizons you sail to is unparalleled. Both cruises sail across the Pacific Ocean for Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand, before heading to ports in Asia and the Middle East.