World Cruise experiences

For many travelers, the ultimate trip is to outer space, which is possible these days for a pretty high price, and the trip will last only a few minutes. Perhaps more realistic dreamers think that sailing around the world would be the zenith of travel, and indeed, many cruise lines offer voyages that do just that, sometimes taking three or four months from start to finish.

            Last year, Royal Caribbean decided to do a round-the-world cruise like nobody had ever done. This one would last nine months, with passengers sailing aboard the Serenade of the Seas, one of RCL’s older vessels. The voyage would include stops in 65 countries, visit all seven continents and cost anywhere from $60,000-117,600 per passenger—but that would include unlimited food and drinks. About 650 passengers were in it for the entire haul, with others coming and going with each of the four “legs” of the cruise.

            The trip launched from Miami on December 10, 2023, and 274 nights later it ended at the same port last week. How did it go?

            Many of the passengers told news outlets it was “exhausting,” or “a blur.” One woman said, “We don’t know where we were yesterday, we don’t know where we’re going tomorrow.” Many chose to sit out some shore excursions in favor of staying on board to rest, and at-sea days were very popular.

            Social media was heavily used by the cruisers, of course, with many coming aboard as bona fide “influencers” before the cruise, others becoming prominent after setting sail, like Joe and Audrey Martucci, who were new to social media but posted often with the whimsical handle @spendingourkidsmoney. They became known to their followers as “Cruise Mom and Dad.” Joe said he didn’t even know how to spell TikTok before posting his first video. (And, he added, there’s plenty of money left for their kids.) A pair of fortysomething sisters described how to live with an adult sibling and not go stir crazy. A Gen-Z female poster, who used the name “Little Rat Brain,” became known for her chaotic, wry dispatches from sea.

            It didn’t always go well for the influencers. Amike Oosthuizen, a 26-year-old from South Africa, posted a video of the treacherous Drake Passage crossing that drew six million views on TikTok. But then the platform banned her. “They said I was selling counterfeit goods, which I was not selling at all,” she told CNN Travel. She set up another account, which never achieved the traction of her first effort.

            While many of the voyagers said they formed strong friendships with their fellow passengers, things didn’t always go smoothly. Family members experienced the usual tensions that family members do; Little Rat Brain shared an inside cabin with her mother, but just took time for herself when she needed it. Other passengers noticed a disconnect developing between them and their friends and family back home. Some said they might have a little trouble adapting to life back on shore. And dealing with new-found fame might require an adjustment for the newbie influencers. Audrey Martucci said it was a surreal moment when she and her husband were ashore in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and were recognized by fans. Other people came up to them and said, “We thought you were dead.” One passenger, an elderly woman, did indeed pass away on the ship. There were unconfirmed reports that as many as four couples filed for divorce.

            With so many passengers documenting their voyage, even veteran influencers grew a little stressed by all the cameras constantly in use. Little Rat Brain said that after awhile it felt like she was trapped inside The Truman Show, a 1998 film starring Jim Carrey in which the main character is living his entire life as the subject of a reality show, without him realizing it until he finally escapes.

            “I wouldn’t do a nine-month straight cruise again,” Joe Martucci said. “It’s just way too long away from family, away from everyone and we started to feel burned out.” His wife said the nonstop itinerary made it hard to catch up on sleep. Eventually, the couple decided to cope by taking time off and slowing down during their days. Sometimes they’d skip RCL-run excursions to just “wander in the wild” around a destination.

            What was the most popular place they visited? Many of the cruisers cited Antarctica, others a visit to the Great Wall of China. The European ports of call were almost too much, many said, with one right after the other and very little down time.

            Will there be another voyage like this one, ever again? RCL says it has no current plans to repeat the nine-month cruise, but somebody else probably will. Maybe even longer, but talk, as they say, is cheap. Getting it done is a lot harder. Life at Sea Cruises had a 3-year round-the-world cruise scheduled to depart last year, but it was eventually cancelled due to a rather serious problem: the company couldn’t get a ship. Villa Vie Residences says it has one, though, and offered a 3½-year cruise aboard a refurbished 31-year-old ship that is now on its 6^th owner and has been docked at Belfast, Northern Ireland. The voyage was scheduled to begin in May, but various delays prevented sea trials from being conducted until recently, which, the owners hope, will allow them to get the Passenger Ship Survey Certification that will allow them to set up the gangplank and welcome their passengers aboard at last. Some have been waiting in Belfast for months.

            If you’re interested in a cruise, whether it’s one of those long ones or just a more traditional week or two in duration, we’ll get you on board. Give us a call!