Around-the-World Cruise Guide: Everything You Need to Know About These Far-Reaching Voyages

Table Of Content

• Which cruise lines offer world cruises?
• How much does a Seabourn world cruise cost?
• This 3-year Cruise Visits 135 Countries on 7 Continents — and It Might Cost Less Than You Pay in Rent
• Sign-up & stay tunedFor Ultimate World Cruise Updates
• Travel, Airfare, & Hotels: Let Princess Get You There
• Around-the-World Cruise Guide: Everything You Need to Know About These Far-Reaching Voyages
• Featured Shore Excursions
• Factors Affecting Price

So how much are they exactly, and what kind of options are you looking at if you want to choose a long-term cruise as a dream holiday? These itineraries are meticulously planned to include a mix of popular destinations and hidden gems across different continents, providing an extensive exploration of the globe. Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.

Which cruise lines offer world cruises?

Choose one of four Ultimate World Cruise segments — each an unforgettable voyage of 60+ nights where you can wander and explore that corner of the globe. This is your chance to dive deeper into the world’s most remarkable destinations on 16 unique, immersive sailings ranging from 9 to 28 nights. The routes that the Horizon sails would take you all across the Caribbean, from Cozumel to Aruba, from Curacao to Grand Cayman.

How much does a Seabourn world cruise cost?

What makes this vacation unique is the luxury of time and space, which allow you to truly relax and explore many sides of yourself. You might consider yourself a total beach bum as you reach the sandy shores of Oahu but feel like a history buff as you take in the Taj Mahal. You might feel like an explorer as you explore the ruins of Chichén Itzá in Mexico on foot, then opt to take a camel when you reach the Pyramids of Giza. MSC Cruises is doing something a little different with its 2025 world cruise. It's offering a choice of four embarkation ports — Rome and Genoa in Italy; Marseille, France; and Barcelona. However, many lovely inclusions, such as white-gloved servers presenting complimentary daily tea, are available for all guests.

This 3-year Cruise Visits 135 Countries on 7 Continents — and It Might Cost Less Than You Pay in Rent

Silversea’s 2025 world cruise lasts for 136 nights and starts at $99,000 per person, meaning a per-day cost of $728. The luxury world cruise sails from Tokyo to New York via Asia, Africa and both the Mediterranean and Northern Europe before crossing the Atlantic via Iceland and the Arctic. Yes, it’s possible to disembark from a cruise ship to explore a destination for a few days and then rejoin the ship at its next port of call. This arrangement, often referred to as a “port visit” or “shore excursion,” requires careful planning and coordination with the cruise line. That includes a business center with meeting rooms, 14 offices, and a business library for all Zoom call needs. Several cruise lines already booking short (3- to 7-night sails) in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, California coast or Mexico have also entered the world-cruise market.

Sign-up & stay tunedFor Ultimate World Cruise Updates

This cruise also brings you to 50 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and some of the world's greatest cities as well as more remote locales, offering striking contrasts in architecture, fashion, music, culture and cuisine. Never mind the moniker, a world cruise may visit several continents but not circumnavigate the globe. Cruise lines usually designate one ship (a few offer two) to sail about 100 days or longer — some even sail more than 200 days — without repeating ports.

But the Regent Suite is the most expensive world cruise ever, at almost $1.7 million per couple. Hurtigruten’s world cruise starts at $42,174 per person for a 93-night itinerary, making for a per-night cost of $453 per person. This unique itinerary sails from the Arctic to the Antarctic, via both coasts of North America and the west coast of South America. The longest world cruise offered by Princess Cruises starts at $23,659 per person for 116 nights, meaning a per-night cost of $204. Departing Florida it travels the Panama Canal to West Coast USA, Australasia, Asia and the Mediterranean before crossing the Atlantic.

A world cruise is a safe, easy and exhilarating way to score a global adventure beyond compare. Finally, experience another natural marvel — the other-worldly geothermal seawater at The Blue Lagoon in Iceland before stopping in New York and Perfect Day at CocoCay on your way back to Miami. Then your journey continues to even more destinations known for their storied history — like the fortified walls of Split, Croatia and the cobblestoned streets of Barcelona, Cannes and Provence. Plus, go back in time as you wander through the Colosseum in Rome and get lost in the Venetian-style streets of Corfu. Take in the largest Art Deco sculpture in the world, Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. Behold the largest waterfall system on the planet, Iguazú Falls near Buenos Aires.

It might seem a long way away, but inside cabins and some suites are already waitlisted for the sailing. The 2,550-passenger MSC Magnifica is the home base for the 116-night journey. The itinerary features port calls at 50 destinations across 21 countries in the Mediterranean, South America, the South Pacific, Australia and Asia. Among the cities you'll explore are Puerto Madryn, Argentina; Rio de Janeiro; Casablanca, Morocco; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Phuket, Thailand; Broome, Australia; and Auckland. Holland America's 124-day Grand World Voyage on the 1,964-passenger Zuiderdam cruises round-trip from Fort Lauderdale. The enticing itinerary ventures far from Florida to must-visit cities such as Tokyo, Mumbai, Singapore and Istanbul.

The around-the-world cruise is designed to visit far-flung and more remote ports, often out of season, to avoid the touristy crowds. It's actually a world cruise, the nirvana of many ocean-going devotees. As a bonus, most of these around-the-world voyages include enviable perks, like pre-cruise hotel stays, alcohol, shipboard credit, exclusive-access shore excursions — and, yes, laundry service.

The 3-year cruise was canceled. Enter the 3.5-year cruise. - The Washington Post

The 3-year cruise was canceled. Enter the 3.5-year cruise..

Posted: Fri, 22 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Imagine the joys of traveling seamlessly from one bucket list country to another without packing and unpacking, switching hotels, boarding countless flights or even doing laundry. 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.

The ship's size provides an intimate experience and allows it to call on small towns bigger ships can't access. The final leg of the Ultimate World Cruise is an immersive cultural exploration starting in the Med heading north. Discover Barcelona’s brilliant architecture, including Gaudi’s Sagrada Família. Savor flavors across continents — like a dinner of tagine and mint tea in Morocco. These fees vary, but in general, expect about $100-$200 per person for a seven-day cruise. Just know that you’ll definitely need to open your wallet to live full-time in paradise.

Fares start at $66,000 for this 2024 sailing, which currently has waitlist availability. Royal Caribbean pulls out all the stops — and there are more than 150 of them — on this 274-night cruise to all seven continents. Travelers who don't want to commit to the entire cruise can book shorter segments.

Get ready to see the world in a whole new light — introducing the Ultimate World Cruise onboard Serenade of the Seas®. You can spend 274 nights bonding with like-minded explorers over global discoveries across all seven continents. Or pick a corner of the globe and explore every inch of it on one of four Ultimate World Cruise℠ segments — each an immersive voyage of 60+ nights. Connect with countless distinct cultures, soak up the most spectacular landscapes on Earth, and marvel at World Wonders that showcase mankind’s boundless imagination. Again, just like booking any cruise, the choice of stateroom will determine how much you have to pay.

If the time commitment isn’t an issue and you see the value for the cost, it’s worth it to you… and that’s what matters most. Since we’re on the topic, you may be wondering what’s usually included in the base fare on a world cruise. It might be a pleasant surprise to learn that pretty much all world cruises include more in the fare than you’d get taking a regular cruise with the same company. Plus, these smaller ships can also visit more remote ports of call that can not accommodate larger vessels.