WORLD CRUISE or one long cocktail hour???

[Rotterdam]

I always wanted to circumnavigate the globe and recently have been looking into the 2014 itineraries....I really am not so much interested in exotic ports as just circling the world...I would like to do a roundtrip from NYC so that sort of limits it to Cunard tho leaving out of Fort Lauderdale is another option.

Has anyone else done the full world cruise? The longest I have spent on a cruise is 18 days...I've travelled to China, South America, most of Europe, Hawaii via plane & hotel stays.

I would be interersted in hearing others experiences & whether or not other guys have a similar idea.

[Boytjie]

I like the idea of sailing around the world but I don't know if I want to be on a ship for over 3 months! After a while I just want a home cooked meal and while I could get that one one of the usual stops (South Africa), I think I would want it more frequently.

[COMBOY]

Originally Posted by Rotterdam

I always wanted to circumnavigate the globe and recently have been looking into the 2014 itineraries....I really am not so much interested in exotic ports as just circling the world...I would like to do a roundtrip from NYC so that sort of limits it to Cunard tho leaving out of Fort Lauderdale is another option.

Has anyone else done the full world cruise? The longest I have spent on a cruise is 18 days...I've travelled to China, South America, most of Europe, Hawaii via plane & hotel stays.

I would be interersted in hearing others experiences & whether or not other guys have a similar idea.

Well no, I've never done a world cruise; however, the idea certainly excites me. On my last cruise I did a cabin share with Atlantis and my cabin mate (an older gentlemen from Ft. Lauderdale) told me he and his ex-partner did two world cruises on board the Pacific Princess. The best thing to do if you want to hear about happens on board a world cruise is follow people blogging daily from the ship. I'm following 3 blogs from HAL 115-day 2013 world cruise on board the MS Amsterdam. It's excited reading their daily adventures on and off the ship. Here are the links:

http://world.kweenkaren.com/

http://www.2013worldvoyage.thestansfields.com/

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1757209

[Boytjie]

Karen's blogs are cool

[SakeDad]

If you're not interested in exotic ports why on earth would you book a World Cruise

[dad son team]

I'm following the thread on the HAL board that Bill and Maryann are doing. They write very detailed posts and really make you feel like you are sailing with them. Even did daily entries on the week leading up to the sailing detailing their preperations. Like you, the exotic ports don't excite me as much as sailing around the world. I think the key is to change your mindset to realise you don't need to do it all in a week or two. You have 115 days and you don't want to get bored of the bars, disco, and casino in the first 30.

[GRHinPorts]

Plan to do a World Cruise one day in the future. My plan though would be to change ships half way through. Opens up more itinerary options and takes away the possibility of getting cabin fever on just one ship.

Like the OP I have already looked whats on offer for 2014. Imagining what options will be available when my time comes.

[CrusingJoe]

Originally Posted by GRHinPorts

Plan to do a World Cruise one day in the future. My plan though would be to change ships half way through. Opens up more itinerary options and takes away the possibility of getting cabin fever on just one ship.

Like the OP I have already looked whats on offer for 2014. Imagining what options will be available when my time comes.

We have wanted to do a World Cruise, but don't like the idear of seeing the same shows and etc, so changing ships would be great, even changing cruise line would be even a greater experience, I would think.

[ONT-CA]

Originally Posted by SakeDad

If you're not interested in exotic ports why on earth would you book a World Cruise

Perhaps because, like we, when the temperatures in minus 30 Celsius and there is no more space to pile the snow, an escape on an extended cruise is not such a bad idea. We haven't been through the Panama Canal seven times because we love the canal nor returned up the Amazon because we may have missed a section of rain forest. Escaping winter is one reason and one reason enough.

[amusea]

We have only done 64 days on HAL but I think the atmosphere and passengers are similar to that of the longer cruises since it was classified as a Grand Voyage by HAL as is the World Cruise which is over 100 days. It started in Seattle and crossed the Pacific to Russia, China, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific and Hawaii and it ended in San Diego. You can't compare it to an ordinary cruise. Most of the passengers are very well traveled and are not as interested in most shows as they are in good lectures, conversation, reading books, playing trivia, etc. But the shows continually change and at many ports the locals come on the ship to entertain. On HAL the larger food budgets for the GRAND VOYAGES allow for a much higher quality of cuisine. There are many formal nights on HAL and dress code can be enforced quite strictly. The ports are of high interest to most of these folks even if they have been to some of them before. Some of the more exotic excursions encompass two or three days away from the ship and require air passage. Also, the age tends to be quite high on all world cruises because the passengers consist of many retirees who have the time and money for such an extravagance. The atmosphere is more sedate. Discos are all but dead and bars are not beehives of activity. Other lines such as Princess would be less formal but Princess no longer uses their small ship - Pacific Princess - which departed from the USA. Now they use a larger ship - Dawn Princess - which leaves and returns to Sydney. Except for high-end staterooms the standard cabins are on the small side on the Dawn. Other than Princess, HAL is the only mass cruise line that still does World Cruises as far as I know and they do leave from the US. All the others are more upscale - Regent, Seabourn, Crystal, Cunard, etc.
Consider it carefully before you decide this is the direction you want to take. Remember even on the longest cruises you don't hit every continent or every country. We really enjoyed our cruise but don't want to be away from our house that long again so now we try to limit cruises to about a month. When we did return to Southeast Asia two years ago we flew both ways so that we could get a more in-depth view of the countries we visited. And our trip to China next year will be by air and by ship returning to the USA.

[Rotterdam]

living here in NYC when it is Jan, Feb & Mar....the cold can get to you...since I was a boy we went on a cruise in February to the carib....in the 1970's - 1980's there were more ships sailing out of Manhattan in the winter to choose from...in 1975 we flew to Ft Lauderdale for the first time & we were the only ship sailing out of Port Everglades on Presidents weekend...so different from today.

Asfar as the world cruise..as I stated I just want to circumnavigate the globe....years ago I spent a month in China & Hong Kong only because I wanted to walk the Great Wall(it was the 1980's & the only way to go to China at the time was on a tour).

another interesting aspect of the longer cruises as Amusea states are the passengers themselves...well travelled and interested & interesting people. On one of my Transcanal cruises it was the start of the world cruise for the QE2.....I was in my early 30's & most passengers were in their 60's & up...what a wonderful, fun, fascinating group of people I met....priceless.

The idea of switching ships / or cruise lines is an interesting point for those that want to see more & just have a change of routine....

Some people want to go into space...I would like to board a Cunard ship on the westside of Manhattan in January on a cold snowy day and disembark 3 or so months later on a warm sunny spring morning at the same pier!

Oh steward please bring me a cocktail.....

Originally Posted by ONT-CA

Perhaps because, like we, when the temperatures in minus 30 Celsius and there is no more space to pile the snow, an escape on an extended cruise is not such a bad idea. We haven't been through the Panama Canal seven times because we love the canal nor returned up the Amazon because we may have missed a section of rain forest. Escaping winter is one reason and one reason enough.

[TexBear]

Originally Posted by GRHinPorts

Plan to do a World Cruise one day in the future. My plan though would be to change ships half way through. Opens up more itinerary options and takes away the possibility of getting cabin fever on just one ship.

Like the OP I have already looked whats on offer for 2014. Imagining what options will be available when my time comes.

You can always to segments on a world cruise. Either fly back home from the debarkation port or wait for another line to embark from there.

[Rotterdam]

This is an interesting post on the current HAL WC on the Amsterdam...the poster is really good at giving an idea of being onboard without going into the boring details....he & his wife have done several WC's....HAL would not be my choice but its a fun read.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1757209

[ryndam]

We are currently booked on our first World Cruise. 108 days r/t Miami on Crystal Serenity departing January 15, 2015. It will be Crystal's first full circumnavigation of the world r/t Miami, the Crystal Serenity's 10th world cruise, Crystal's 20th anniversary world cruise, as well as Crystal Cruise's 25th anniversary year. Should be all sorts of special events planned. It is a mostly southern circumnavigation, which helps the packing to mostly warm-weather clothes. After years of contemplating a world cruise on HAL, we have "jumped ship" and booked Crystal...this voyage has hit all our bucket-list buttons. And kudos to Crystal for announcing the 2015 voyage over two years in advance. Gives us plenty of time to plan (and save)!

I have been following Keith's blog on the CC Crystal forum, which is chronicling his adventures on this year's world voyage.
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1744032

[Ravbo]

We are both still working but a World Cruise is definitely on our bucket list in a few years.

Considering HAL, Crystal or Cunard. (Seabourn ships seam too small for that long of a cruise even on their larger ships like the Sojourn).

A larger ship would allow for more diversity of activities to keep from getting bored.

Our longest cruise has been 21 days on Celebrity (wonderful).

Concerned about room size for 100 days in close quarters.
I guess suites are always a possibility.
Any input from others on longer cruises ???

[Hobie]

My friend and I just booked the Queen Elizabeth World Voyage from San Francisco to New York City in 2014. 98 days (the final 7 days from Southampton to NYC is on Queen Mary 2).

We are pretty excited.

We have a whole year to do our planning (how to take care of bills, taxes, cars, the house, etc).

[Rotterdam]

Originally Posted by Hobie

My friend and I just booked the Queen Elizabeth World Voyage from San Francisco to New York City in 2014. 98 days (the final 7 days from Southampton to NYC is on Queen Mary 2).

We are pretty excited.

We have a whole year to do our planning (how to take care of bills, taxes, cars, the house, etc).

The itin looks great & the Queen Elizabeth has been getting great reviews. Brian aka BEPSF just did a transcanal NYC - LA I believe which is the start of the WC( I did a NYC _ LA on QE2 a few years back - also the start of a WC - it was very special) hopefully Brian will post about his experience......

I look forward to reading of your prep & WC experinces....BON VOYAGE!!!!

[Hobie]

@Rotterdam:
Thanks for your note. I would like to Blog or write about the World Voyage but not sure if I have the creativity! It would be great to publish an online travelogue so that my friends and family can follow our progress. Not sure of the best way? Here on Cruise critic, Facebook, blog, something else?

Really excited to finally sail around the world!

[Rotterdam]

I am not an expert on blogging etc but have you read WHITEMARSH's posting about his current cruise on QM2 = very well done w/ lots of chuckles!!!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1787763

Whatever venue you choose I do hope you will also post here on CC.....

As long as your wardrobe & hair are set all else will fall into place!!!

It wll be here before you know it!!!!

Originally Posted by Hobie

@Rotterdam:
Thanks for your note. I would like to Blog or write about the World Voyage but not sure if I have the creativity! It would be great to publish an online travelogue so that my friends and family can follow our progress. Not sure of the best way? Here on Cruise critic, Facebook, blog, something else?

Really excited to finally sail around the world!

[Kenito]

Originally Posted by amusea

We have only done 64 days on HAL but I think the atmosphere and passengers are similar to that of the longer cruises since it was classified as a Grand Voyage by HAL as is the World Cruise which is over 100 days. It started in Seattle and crossed the Pacific to Russia, China, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific and Hawaii and it ended in San Diego. You can't compare it to an ordinary cruise. Most of the passengers are very well traveled and are not as interested in most shows as they are in good lectures, conversation, reading books, playing trivia, etc. But the shows continually change and at many ports the locals come on the ship to entertain. On HAL the larger food budgets for the GRAND VOYAGES allow for a much higher quality of cuisine. There are many formal nights on HAL and dress code can be enforced quite strictly. The ports are of high interest to most of these folks even if they have been to some of them before. Some of the more exotic excursions encompass two or three days away from the ship and require air passage. Also, the age tends to be quite high on all world cruises because the passengers consist of many retirees who have the time and money for such an extravagance. The atmosphere is more sedate. Discos are all but dead and bars are not beehives of activity. Other lines such as Princess would be less formal but Princess no longer uses their small ship - Pacific Princess - which departed from the USA. Now they use a larger ship - Dawn Princess - which leaves and returns to Sydney. Except for high-end staterooms the standard cabins are on the small side on the Dawn. Other than Princess, HAL is the only mass cruise line that still does World Cruises as far as I know and they do leave from the US. All the others are more upscale - Regent, Seabourn, Crystal, Cunard, etc.
Consider it carefully before you decide this is the direction you want to take. Remember even on the longest cruises you don't hit every continent or every country. We really enjoyed our cruise but don't want to be away from our house that long again so now we try to limit cruises to about a month. When we did return to Southeast Asia two years ago we flew both ways so that we could get a more in-depth view of the countries we visited. And our trip to China next year will be by air and by ship returning to the USA.

Thanks for an excellent post!