Longest world cruise ever just announced by RCL

[OnTheJourney]

Incredible itinerary...274 days from December '23 and ending in Sept. '24.  Totally exceeds, by a huge amount, any previous world cruise based on what I'm reading. 

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/ultimate-world-cruise/   

[Heidi13]

They borrowed the "Ultimate" moniker from Viking and increased the number of days by almost 30.

 

The ship is sailing R/T from Maimi, but calling it a World Cruise is really a stretch, as they are also selling it as a series of segments. Compare this to Viking's 245-day Ultimate 2019/20 WC, which was originally published with 3 options:

• Ultimate WC - R/T London
• WC 1 - London to L/A
• WC 2 - L/A to London

I'm not aware of RCCL having previous World cruises, so this might be the first.

[Jazmyn49]

We wonder what perks will be given on RCCL since Viking offers over the moon advantages when booking our World Cruise.

[OnTheJourney]

Andy...thanks. I didn't recall that Viking had a 245-day. Should have since it was all over the boards. Some quick research on "longest world cruises" makes no mention of it. I didn't come across anything over 200 days. Sorry!!!  I can see already I should not have posted this on a Viking forum. My bad...🤭  It's just that I've done most of my cruises with RCL - and was on the Serenade for  a Baltic cruise back in 15. I'll never be doing a WC anyway...but fun to look at the itineraries at least. 

Edited October 27, 2021 by OnTheJourney

[Heidi13]

2 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

Andy...thanks. I didn't recall that Viking had a 245-day. Should have since it was all over the boards. Some quick research on "longest world cruises" makes no mention of it. I didn't come across anything over 200 days. Sorry!!!  I can see already I should not have posted this on a Viking forum. My bad...🤭

 

Personally, I don't see an issue with posting this, will be interesting to compare it to Viking.

 

One possible reason the Viking Ultimate wasn't found on a Google search is that it was stopped about 40 days short in Dubai. COVID calamity

[Jim Avery]

I'm with you Andy.  Always good to see what others are offering.  Not much they could add to a Viking WC as far as included items.  We have considered a Viking WC great value for money since the Inaugural.  Hard to go back to paying for "add ons".  As to Behemoth of the Seas,  I know we could not stand the crowds for 6 months.  Especially the party hearty segments.  Age showing?  🍺

[OnTheJourney]

23 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

it was stopped about 40 days short in Dubai. COVID calamity

Gosh....how quickly I've forgotten in the wake of all that has taken place since! 

 

Jim...Somehow I don't think the cruise segments in the RCL sailing would attract much of the party crowd. LOL on the "Behemoth of the Seas". Actually, the Serenade only carries around 2500 passengers - small in comparison to something like the Oasis at nearly 5400.

 

Andy...I think breaking it up into several segments is good from the standpoint of advertising since I suspect far more people would be interested in doing one (or more) of the segments than a full 9-month journey. I, for one, would be ready to jump overboard from any ship if I'd be on it for probably even 2 months! That's why I'll never do one. Just thought it interesting to report it but probably shouldn't have bothered. It's fascinating to think about (doing a WC) but another thing I suspect is that I'd be totally brain dead after the first 20+ ports. I don't see how I'd be able to fully absorb and appreciate week after week of so many ports! I know that after I get back from even a 2-3 week trip I barely remember some of what I did the first few days. It takes a while to digest it all. 

 

My first cruise with Viking was the infamous '19 one, and so really looking forward to trying more. I LOVED the smaller ship feel but somehow it's all kind of relative. Bigger ship = also more space to move around in and so being on the Summit for a Canada / NE cruise right before covid just didn't feel any more crowded than being on the Sky. That being said, no kids onboard was really nice also!! Again, I think something like those WC segments will attract the more 'serious' traveler. Plus, kids are in school. Also...cost is an issue so that weeds out certain segments of the population who gravitate to other, cheaper itineraries. I suspect the Carnival (no offense intended) party-seeking crowd just won't be looking into these more exotic itineraries. 

 

I don't really feel loyal to any one line. We look for what the dates and itineraries are but DO like cruises that don't involve flying. 

Edited October 27, 2021 by OnTheJourney

[TayanaLorna]

1 hour ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Personally, I don't see an issue with posting this, will be interesting to compare it to Viking.

 

One possible reason the Viking Ultimate wasn't found on a Google search is that it was stopped about 40 days short in Dubai. COVID calamity

Weren't you like the last person aboard this Covid fated cruise? And with no positive cases aboard!

[Heidi13]

1 minute ago, TayanaLorna said:

Weren't you like the last person aboard this Covid fated cruise? And with no positive cases aboard!

 

Affirmative, we were 2 of the last 8 pax that disembarked in Gibraltar. No positve cases on board, as we didn't get shore leave after Bali and Viking stopped new pax boarding in Bali. 

[DaveSJ711]

The Washington Post published an article a few days ago about RC's world cruise. Interestingly, the article mentioned other WCs -- offered by Regent, Silversea, and Oceania -- but didn't say anything about Viking itineraries.

 

Be sure to read the comments to the article. Some of them are extremely funny.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2021/10/22/royal-caribbean-ultimate-world-cruise/

[OnTheJourney]

3 hours ago, DaveSJ711 said:

but didn't say anything about Viking itineraries.

That's why I completely forgot about it...and yet shouldn't have given the extensive coverage it got here on CC. 

Edited October 28, 2021 by OnTheJourney

[stretchcruz]

After well over 50 cruises, I have to say that the Serenade of the Seas is probably my least favorite ship. The decor was terrible, there were too many people, and the bed was so uncomfortable that we piled blankets from the couch, our jackets, anything that we could find, to try to sleep. The next day our room steward brought egg crates but it really didn't help. It was awful. And we were in an aft balcony cabin, our favorite. Anywhere we went on the ship there were so many people. Way crowded. We were Diamond on RCI at the time. Going to the Diamond lounge there was a cow by the elevator. By the main pool was a big guy with a life ring. That was our last RCI cruise. Imagining that ugly ship on a world cruise is just crazy to me.

[OnTheJourney]

9 hours ago, stretchcruz said:

Imagining that ugly ship on a world cruise is just crazy to me.

Wow...I seem to recall that we really enjoyed sailing on her, or at least can't recall any issues. 

[stretchcruz]

2 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

Wow...I seem to recall that we really enjoyed sailing on her, or at least can't recall any issues. 

Maybe we were in a bad mood that cruise! We enjoyed the people we were with and being off work, just not the ship!

[Heidi13]

12 hours ago, stretchcruz said:

After well over 50 cruises, I have to say that the Serenade of the Seas is probably my least favorite ship. The decor was terrible, there were too many people, and the bed was so uncomfortable that we piled blankets from the couch, our jackets, anything that we could find, to try to sleep. The next day our room steward brought egg crates but it really didn't help. It was awful. And we were in an aft balcony cabin, our favorite. Anywhere we went on the ship there were so many people. Way crowded. We were Diamond on RCI at the time. Going to the Diamond lounge there was a cow by the elevator. By the main pool was a big guy with a life ring. That was our last RCI cruise. Imagining that ugly ship on a world cruise is just crazy to me.

 

We suffered a week on Radiance OTS in Alaska, our 1 and only RCI experience and only because the Captain was a chap I had hired for the ferries a few years earlier.

 

Found it way too crowded, way too noisy (rug rats).

 

Since they published this cruise, I have been giving it some thought as to how it will appeal to your traditional RCI pax and comparing it with Viking's experience with their venture into the World Cruise Club.

 

For Viking, I believe the World Cruise option works well for their traditional pax demographic, who tend to be older, have the means/ability to book longer cruises and are interested in the destination experience.

 

The RCI pax demographic is significantly more varied than Viking, but the majority of their cruises are aimed at a younger crowd, more interested in shorter cruises (< 14 days, most probably 7 days or less), activities on the ship rather than destination and educational lectures, and glitzy production shows rather than singers/dancers, etc.

 

Basically, I suspect RCI needs to acquire a completely new pax demographic to fill this cruise, whereas Viking already had a pax demographic interested in World Cruises.

 

I am also surprised at the price point RCI have selected. An inside cabin for a little over $60K for 9 months on a ship, is very low. I can only assume they are counting on their traditional business model, where pax have a significant "Onboard Spend (OBS)", through constant nickle and diming.

 

Normally the longer the cruise, the lower the average daily OBS, as over a 40 week cruise, your average RCI pax could easily accrue a bill well in excess of $100K. If they do experience lower OBS, they may have challenges in meeting their financial objectives, as fuel costs on World Cruises are normally significant.

 

Will be watching this one with interest.

[Cienfuegos]

I want to hear more about the cow...

[OnTheJourney]

47 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

Will be watching this one with interest.

Andy, your thoughts sort of echo what I said - that the more party-oriented crowd, or even typical RCL demographics as you refer to, especially families with kids, are probably not going to be looking for even the 60+ day segments, let alone 274 days at sea.

 

As to the "means", I suspect there are plenty of younger people out there with the money, but the issue would likely be the time required. If not retired, not too many jobs allow for 9 consecutive months away!!

 

If these longer sojourns were something I felt were practical, I'd consider at least a segment - but even that is just really too long for me for several reasons. I got to thinking about it again today, and can't imagine - unless one has somebody live in their house - how one manages things like the mail, let alone 90-day medication Rx. Our local post office will only hold for 30 days. My personal feeling is that, without someone to take care of everything at your house (or at least look after periodically), these trips are for people with no pets, plants, or other things that need more constant attention. I'd never dream of putting my pet in a kennel for months at a time. 

 

 The whole WC idea is most intriguing though for sure. I'd love to talk to someone who has actually done at least one of these and find out how they manage it. 

 

As a Diamond-level customer to RCL, I've certainly been far more loyal to them than any other line. The convenience of a 2-hour drive to the Baltimore port is a big plus. Same for Cape Liberty. We'll see how far we go with Viking. Our first cruise with them was great...until it wasn't. 😉

Edited October 28, 2021 by OnTheJourney

[Cienfuegos]

My wife and I met a very nice couple on the Viking Trades Routes cruise in 2019. Their legal address was a post box in Texas. They sold their conventional home with its contents, and bought a recreational vehicle. That is used to visit their children in Arizona and Kentucky.

 

A service receives their paper mail, and scans it into e-files. Which they review.

 

Their goal is to spend 300 days each year on ships, on the road, or staying in delightful places around the world.

[stretchcruz]

Andy, the Radiance is a sister ship so your experience mirrored ours minus the cows. Too many people.

 

I couldn't find a picture of the cows, but here's an excerpt from a review:

 

Stairwells and landings throughout feature artwork in all sorts of media of flowers and portraits, including some by Andy Warhol. At some turns, art becomes whimsical. I exited the elevator on Deck 13 to colorful sculptured cows and a pile of cow dung that elicited a giggle from everyone who saw it. Other touches of whimsy include delightful oversized people sculptures: one of a plump blue man about to plunge into the pool, and another of a gigantic green woman and a small dog. The elephantine figures made me feel as though I were living in a cartoon.

[Jim Avery]

Haha, living in a cartoon is definitely not the experience we are looking for.😎🍸

[OnTheJourney]

30 minutes ago, Cienfuegos said:

They sold their conventional home with its contents, and bought a recreational vehicle.

That is surely one way of accomplishing these super-long voyages. 

[Jim Avery]

4 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

That is surely one way of accomplishing these super-long voyages. 

We were never able to consider a WC for many years.  Financial for sure but then when we were making a decent living we could only stand a week at a time away.  When we started to retire we still had pets so no longer that two weeks with them staying at wonderful neighbors.  Now that our pets are gone, the rest is easily accomplished.  The hardest is the meds.  90 days easy.....  120+ days really confuses them.  We can get a 90 day extra twice a year under our plan so we get it asap and stockpile the necessary ones.  Mail?  Who cares, nothing of worth is still set up for USPS.  Our neighbors empty the box from time to time and recycle the junk.  The only possible thing of importance might come from social security or, God forbid, the IRS.  😱

[OnTheJourney]

Most interesting in the itinerary is how they are in China for 3 days, then Japan for 2 days, followed by South Korea, but then a return to China for 2 more days and then Japan again for 6 more days. Different ports, but still...seems unusual to backtrack?  They also spend 4 days in France, then move on to Spain-Morocco-Portugal-Spain-Ireland, but then return to France for 3 more days. Might it have something to do with refueling / taking on more food?  The one 'backtrack' if it could be referred to as such crosses over into the next segment, so maybe they wanted to offer some of the same ports for people who aren't doing the previous segment. 

 

Another thing I was wondering....is only one captain (and maybe other officers as well) on duty for an entire world cruise? Are there regulations as to how many consecutive days they can work? I figure Andy and Jim can easily answer that one....

Edited October 28, 2021 by OnTheJourney

[OnTheJourney]

6 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

Our neighbors empty the box from time to time and recycle the junk.

Jim...thanks for the insight on how you manage the longer travel. Most interesting. I don't see us being pet-free for a long time, so for now I'll just look at the itineraries. I'd be intrigued to see how I do on a voyage of even half this length. I also have a pretty substantial plant addiction (and thus a huge collection - so even a 9-day trip requires someone to water (my wife's niece just did it for me while we were away for 2 weeks) and with the swimming pool - yikes - can't let a pool sit unopened during an entire summer. It'd go really hard to forego a swimming season. After we retired from teaching, I swore I'd try my best to avoid traveling during the summer months. 😆 I think the thing would be to look at experimenting with slightly longer trips and having someone care for the pets (as opposed to extended kennel time) and retrieve mail. Then work up from there! 

Edited October 28, 2021 by OnTheJourney

[DaveSJ711]

1 hour ago, Cienfuegos said:

My wife and I met a very nice couple on the Viking Trades Routes cruise in 2019. Their legal address was a post box in Texas. They sold their conventional home with its contents, and bought a recreational vehicle. That is used to visit their children in Arizona and Kentucky.

 

A service receives their paper mail, and scans it into e-files. Which they review.

 

Their goal is to spend 300 days each year on ships, on the road, or staying in delightful places around the world.

 

I'll bet they don't have pets, let alone three rambunctious cats. (Tinker, Tara, and Spike send their best!)

Edited October 28, 2021 by DaveSJ711