What is a world cruise? Here's what sets the months-long voyages apart

Brandee Lake’s home address changes almost daily.

The 46-year-old boarded Royal Caribbean International Ultimate World Cruise in December and live on the line Serenade of the Seas for the nine months journey.

Lake, who previously lived in Los Angeles, California, gave up her apartment and quit a job in advertising and marketing to travel full-time, embarking on a 274-night cruise to more than 60 countries alongside her sister and the parents.

“I’ve always teased that I was working just to travel anyway, that I was working to support my travel habit,” he told USA TODAY. “So, for me, it was an excuse.”

Lake, who had already visited 77 countries and lived abroad, decided to walk and see even more of the world, and her parents gave her and her sister a cruise.

Videos about the Ultimate World Cruise proliferated on TikTok after its departure from Miami, but it is not the first cruise of its kind. World cruises offer passengers an easy way to travel the globe, delivering them to a variety of far-flung destinations.

But there is more to booking those trips than other types of cruises. Here’s what you need to know.

What are world cruises?

World cruises visit several continents, usually no less than three. Itineraries last between three and five months on average, but can be longer, according to Joanna Kuther, a travel agent and owner of Port Side Travel Consultants.

“You’re in your room, and that’s where you’re at all the time, and you’re not flying and packing and unpacking,” he said. While at a resort, guests may meet in transit, world cruise passengers are on the same itinerary for an extended period, which Kuther said can be “such a bonding experience.”

“I mean, I think I could go sideways if they were horrible people,” he said. “But I think people usually find their people.”

For travelers who can’t—or prefer not to—spend that much time at sea, many cruise lines also sell segments of those itineraries separately. That allows guests to board for days, weeks or months at a time and add new faces to the mix.

World cruises are often conducted on older ships, especially on mainstream lines. “I don’t think they would want one of their newer ships out of commission for months,” Kuther added.

How do cruise lines plan world cruises?

Mapping many months at sea can take years. Luxury line Silversea Cruisesfor example, it plans its world cruises three to four years in advance, according to spokesman Brad Ball.

“Silversea has a team of destination experts who select unique and culturally diverse destinations,” he said in an email. The line, also part of the Royal Caribbean Group, sailed its first world cruise in 2007 and is working to create destination themes and make distinct segments.

140 days of Silversea The Curious and the Sea The voyage aboard Silver Dawn in 2026, for example, features a 28-day exploration of French Polynesia and the South Pacific, a semi-circumnavigation of Australia over 21 days and more.

“We try to source food locally and source goods from the different regions we travel to as much as possible,” Ball added.

Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, said the cruise line took great pains to anticipate the needs of guests on the Ultimate World Cruise, even putting a dentist on board.

The line also threw a gala dinner for guests before they departed. “I said, ‘The one thing we failed to do, and I apologize now, is we failed to get a marriage counselor on board,'” he said during a press conference last month about the newest ship of the line. Icon of the Seas.

When should I book a world cruise?

Many cruise lines only offer one world cruise a year, and cabins go fast. Michael Bray, owner of Braycation Travel, liked a “really cool house coming on the market”.

“The suites or larger cabins might go faster because people want space,” he added. Bray said his clients have been booking for between a year and a half to two and a half years.

“People know they have to plan to be with their homes for six months,” Bray said. “They have to close their houses. You have to find out the medications, the mail, the family, so it’s not a decision to shoot from the hip.”

Lake, the Ultimate World Cruise passenger, said she stored some of her belongings with a friend and packed the rest of what she needed.

Tips for taking a long cruise:What to know about sailing for 6 months or more

Cruises around the world from lines like Cunard Line have long been popular, Kuther noted, but in recent years, more brands have supported.

Royal Caribbean’s nine-month sailing is its first foray into the category, and Azamara is currently sailing its first. travel around the world since becoming an independent cruise line in 2021. Princess Cruises, which operated its first world cruise in 2008, also plans to sail the longest journey ever (116 days) in 2025.

Kuther attributed this to an increase in remote jobs such as content creation, especially among young people. “This ability to travel and work from wherever you are has opened up such a younger demographic and even more demand,” he said.

Dancing at Silversea echoed. “Over the past 15 years, we’ve seen growing demand for World Cruises, both from retired travelers, working professionals and digital nomads,” he said. “Due to the advancement of better mobile phone connection technology and internet on board, more travelers are able to work remotely and more able to take longer trips.”

How much do world cruises cost?

Starting prices for world cruises on mainstream lines can range from about $25,000 per person to $60,000 depending on length, Kuther said. Luxury world cruises are likely to cost more than $70,000.

Those prices will likely include even more than a typical cruise fare.

The fare for the entire Ultimate World Cruise — which started at about $54,000 for the full nine months — included gratuities, business class flights, Wi-Fi, laundry service and more, according to Royal Caribbean. website.

Luxury lines, that already bundle more costs with their base rates, can also throw in extras. Ball said travelers who book Silversea’s 2026 world cruise will receive $1,000 in onboard credit per person (up to $2,000 per suite), a spa treatment and other amenities.

1 thought on “What is a world cruise? Here’s what sets the months-long voyages apart”

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What is a world cruise? Here’s what sets the months-long voyages apart

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