Everything you need to know about around-the-world-cruises
Planning to treat yourself to the ultimate cruise? Samantha Priestley has your ultimate guide to round-the-world-cruises
Embarking on a round- the-world cruise is a dream for many travellers – but it can also feel quite the undertaking. After all, global trips occupy a lot of time, requiring you to leave your regular life behind for months on end while you make your home on a ship.
For some, once is never enough, while for others it’s a once in a lifetime experience. But what is it really like to sail around the world? And what should you consider before you go? Here we ask travellers who’ve voyaged from Alaska to Australia to give us the lowdown on world cruises – and answer all your questions.
THE PRACTICAL STUFF
Preparing for your round-the-world
cruise means making sure you’ve
covered all bases. Many insurance
companies won’t cover you for a global
voyage, or they stipulate a limit of 45 days, but Just Travel Cover specialises
in cruise travel insurance and has a policy especially for world cruises.
When packing for an extended trip,
you might feel you have a mountain to
climb. Most of us overpack, yet some cabins are compact. That said, you
don’t want to forget something vital,
and you need to be comfortable as
you’ll be away for a long time – so it’s
important to get the balance right.
To help you decide what to pack, write down everything you can think of taking. Separate the list into categories such as casual outfits, formal wear, footwear, swimwear and toiletries, then edit down to what you really need.
Cruiser Brogan Tate joined P&O’s
Arcadia for half of its recent world
voyage. She says that rather than
packing lightly, it’s how you pack
that’s important. “I don’t find vacuum
packing helpful because you end up
with one large, rock-solid item that’s
difficult to fit into your case.
"Instead,
I use Away suitcase packing cubes –
rectangular fabric pouches that help
you organise all your stuff. Then I fold
everything directly into the packing
cubes to make them fit exactly, so I
don’t end up wasting space with gaps."
AREN’T ROUND-THE-WORLD
CRUISES EXPENSIVE?It might seem incredible but cruising
around the world for four, five or six
months can be more affordable than
renting a house and paying for utility
bills, petrol and food shopping in the
UK – which is why some travellers book
back-to-back world cruises.
Factor in
the additional benefits of a cruise, such
as 24-hour service and onboard food,
entertainment, pools and spas – and
the fact that you’re travelling around the
world – and it’s easy to see why
extended cruises are so appealing.
WILL I GET LONELY ON A WORLD CRUISE?Round-the-world cruises do mean
being away from friends and family for
a long time, and even if you travel with
your partner or close family, you might
still be concerned about the loneliness
factor. For those who travel alone this
can be a bigger worry. But you’ll soon meet people on board while propping
up the bar or unwinding in the spa.
Gary Bembridge found a new set
of friends and a cruising ‘family’ while sailing around the world with
his partner Mark on a Cunard cruise.
“There was a huge sense of adventure
and significance about the whole
experience that we hadn’t expected,”
he explains.
“We formed many bonds
and friendships, including with crew
members who were onboard for all or
most of the trip. Many of us shed a tear
when we parted. The feeling of forging
our way around the world together,
and constantly seeing and exploring
fast changing cultures, climates and
history, was magical.”
Gary also found there were so many new things to experience, even on sea days, that there was barely time to feel lonely. “There were many days at sea but Mark got into fitness and classes while I immersed myself in the photography club. I’d experiment and learn something every day.”
Still concerned about missing your loved ones? Then choose a cruise with Royal Caribbean International, which allows family members to fly out and join you for segments of your round- the-world itinerary.
WHAT ABOUT MY PETS? When considering a world cruise, pet owners’ biggest concern is who will look after their four-legged friends while they’re away, and how they’ll feel being parted from them for so long. If that’s you, then cruise with Cunard – the only line that allows you to take your furry family members sailing with you.
Alternatively, some kennels – such as Sadberge Boarding Kennels & Cattery in County Durham – will post photos of your pets on Facebook and even arrange Zoom calls.
Another option for staying in touch is to hire a live-in pet sitter. This means your pet stays in the comfort of their home along with your pet sitter, who can FaceTime you while cuddling your cat. Trustedhousesitters.com has pet sitters all over the UK who’ll look after your pet and home.
Still missing your pooch? Then sail on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, which has a canine crew member – Rover the retriever – who loves cuddles and being petted by passengers.
CAN I WORK REMOTELY OR MANAGE MY PORTFOLIO ON A WORLD CRUISE?Yes you can, although you will have to deal with time zone differences and variable Wi-Fi when scheduling meetings with colleagues, clients or your accountant.
Life at Sea Cruises’ three-year voyage makes working remotely while you sail around the globe as easy as working from an office on land. It’s just a lot more fun. Wi-Fi is included in the price of your stay, as are visits to an onboard doctor, so you can live on the ship as you would at home.
While most communication is
digital now, you can still send and receive packages from a world cruise
should you need to. It’s easy to post
packages from each port you stop at,
but receiving them requires a bit more
planning. Before you travel, speak to
your cruise line and ensure that any
clients or colleagues who might need to send you packages have a list of
the ports you’ll dock in and on which
dates.
Each port has a port agent who
represents your cruise line and will
receive packages for you. It’s a well-
established system – but only if your
mail arrives before your ship sails on.
Worried that you’ll feel lost without
your usual routine? Gary Bembridge
found this wasn’t a problem. “One thing
we hadn’t expected was how quickly we
found a new rhythm of life,” he says.
“On short cruises, there’s pressure to
try everything, eat everything and cram
MIGHT I GET BORED WITH TRAVELLING?Travel fatigue is a thing. Yes, it’s a first
world problem, but there is a chance
you’ll feel some weariness at the idea
of exploring yet another paradise,
or you’ll jumble up the cities or
temples you’ve visited.
The best way to avoid this is by choosing a cruise that spends longer in fewer destinations and offers the chance to interact with the locals.
Giving back to your host community is
a great way to feel a sense of purpose
and there are lots of things you can
do, from joining a beach clean to
sharing your IT skills with residents in the places you visit.
It’s usually the people we meet who leave the
strongest impression, and it’ll be easier
to differentiate between India and
Indonesia when you’re back at home
if you can remember that Mumbai tuk
tuk driver called Deepak.
Consider keeping a travel journal, too, or doing something in each destination that’s specific to that place – you could participate in a tea ceremony in Japan, line dance in the States or watch Mexican wrestling, for example.
A cruise around the world means different things to different people, but it’s unique and significant no matter where yours takes you. So bite the bullet – and prepare for an incredible adventure.
GET ON BOARD
Princess Cruises’ 119-night World Cruise
Liner aboard Crown Princess, from
Dover to New Zealand via Norway,
Iceland, Greenland, Nova Scotia, New
York, Miami, Colombia, Peru, Easter
Island and Tahiti, departs on July 30, 2025, from £8,099 per person.
Holland America Line’s 123-night Grand World Voyage aboard Zuiderdam, return from Fort Lauderdale via Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Australia, Komodo Island, Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Madagascar, South Africa, Malta, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Italy and Portugal, departs on January 4, 2025. From £24,549 per person.
