World Cruises

Hello fellow cruises ,

We have done several cruises over the last 10 years and now considering a World cruise , but finding it a daunting task . Previous lines are Princess , HAL & Royal Caribbean.

Could anyone enlighten us the pros & cons of such a long cruise , and what to look for .

TIA Denise

I have never used a TA, but if I was going to do a world cruise, I think I would want to speak to an expert in this area. Ahhhhhh, I can only dream.

It's hard to know where to start on that question. There's a forum here on CC devoted to world cruising that might give you some starting points: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=833

Think about the cruises you've taken in the past. What did you like? What did you dislike? If you suggest some likes and dislikes, people may be able to help with how to maximize the likes and minimize the dislikes. For instance, do you get bored on sea days? There's thoughts on how to address that. Afraid you'll gain weight? There's pointers for that. Love exploring a port on your own? Many suggestions for that.

Just to get you started.

A good place to start would be to read blogs and threads posted by world cruisers along the way. Doing a casual search here on cc I found a link to Pete and Judy's blog on a HAL world cruise. They provide links to other HAL WC's blogs.

And here's a link to a blog on Jim and Ginny's recent Crystal world cruise. I'm sure there are many more if you search. Are their experiences something that you would enjoy?

The con's that come to mind are simply managed with advance planning: someone has to watch the house, collect the mail, pay the bills (usually all auto pay these days), handle the tax return, arrange for enough prescription meds, etc etc.

Absolutely find a TA with lots of experience with world cruises. There will be benefits. Can't help you here, but you can ask a blogger.

If, after research, you think of a World Cruise as a grand adventure, then it is for you.

Do you want a full round the world cruise?

You could look at Oceania 180 days they have many inclusions that some of the other lines do not have

they have several variations

here is one

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/around-the-world-cruises/miami-to-san-francisco-INS200108H/?sr=%2Fcruise-finder%2F%23destinations%3D180dayworld

It is on a small ship so cabins maybe too small for you for that length of time

Look at the World cruises forum as mentioned above

Long cruises do have their challenges but are relatively easy to book :). We are not sure why the OP calls it a daunting task. Booking the actual cruise is simply a matter of a few clicks of the mouse or a phone call. There are not too many options so the decision making is relatively clear cut with price and itinerary on most folk's minds. You would certainly want to shop around (among several reputable high volume cruise agencies) to get the best deal which can often include thousands of dollars of OBCs and other amenities.

For those not used to long trips, the logistics at home can be a challenge. One has to deal with things like mail and bills. When we started taking longer cruises (about 14 years ago) we really got into online banking and Bill Payer options. Many utilities can be set-up for auto payment which is also helpful. The Internet is a godsend for long trips as are cell phone plans that include worldwide coverage (T-Mobile includes free data/text in over 140 countries with phone calls only costing 20 cents/min).

As to packing, we have found that there is not much difference in packing for a 30 day trip or a 100 day trip. All cruise ships have laundry service and many include free laundry for their frequent cruisers.

A big challenge (for many) can be the issue of prescription drugs. Getting a 90+ supply of drugs can be difficult with some plans (but its often doable if you call your drug plans). But for those who take a narcotic for some kind of chronic condition it can be a nightmare because of dispensing restrictions. Sometimes its possible to work out a deal with a cruise line's Medical Department (this must be done far in advance) to have them stock specific drugs.

Hank

I worry when first-timers ask about a world cruise, but I suspect you know most of the downsides...........

You'll be away from home a long time so concerns about

- home security & insurance (check if any cover is invalid if the home is unoccupied for a specified period, tho there are ways round that).

- your own and family / friends' health and other problems which might curtail the cruise - bad enough if you have to cut short a 7 day cruise, 10 times worse if you have to curtail a 70 day cruise, especially if its for an uninsured reason.

- taking care of regular business at home. Direct debit arrangements to cover regular bills & credit card repayments but there's the unexpected sundries.

Visas can be a pain, more of a pain on a long cruise.

But the thing that puts me off a world cruise is so many places to see one after another after another that it takes time to take it all in and it'll become a jumble after a few weeks.That fun tuk-tuk ride in Bangkok. Or was it Cambodia? Or Malaysia? No, I think it was Saigon. Sorry, you're right, it was probably Da Nang.

A dozen vacations all rolled into one rather than the fun research & anticipation, then the experience, then the memories a dozen times over.

Problems with the ship. Slow steaming, missed ports, etc due to mechanical issues. Or hotel-side breakdowns like sewerage or aircon. Or a noro outbreak. On a short cruise they're all bad enough to put up with for a few days but then your cruise is over and its the next passengers' problem.

No opportunities to spend a few days at each embarkation & disembarkation port and really get to see those places properly - the downside of most cruises, spending just a day & not even an evening in places that are worth far longer.

The only up-side I can think of is avoiding the cost & grief of flying every time for effectively sectors of a world cruise.

But as my post started, I reckon you're experienced & savvy enough to know these things.

And you're not me. ;)

JB :)

I chose my World Cruise on the basis of itinerary and two "events". Itinerary included both Suez and Panama transits, visits to Adriatic ports, i.e. Venice, Black Sea ports, i.e. Sochi, Sevastapol, return visits to other ports that I have enjoyed with new Australian ports, a World Cruise event in Istanbul that was a memorable highlight, a visit to Bermuda followed by a visit to New York City before ending the cruise in FLL, and it was a Golden Anniversary World Cruise for HAL.

Pricing was also quite acceptable for this solo cruiser.

As an ex Cruise Specialist TA I can tell you that I would stand on my head to book someone seriously interested in a World Cruise .

Don't book Directly with the cruise line , you are paying current retail $ .

Any TA can give you that promo and price , plus more goodies ad even an upfront Discount.

There are 3 cruise lines that do World Cruises , that permit TA's to Discount the cruise lines best rates , Cunard , Princess and HAL .