What is the longest anyone has been at sea?

[beynac]

I had a little day-dream the other day about boarding a ship for several B2B2B's, on a ship that's doing some type of loop route from, say, Miami, through the canal, out to Hawaii, and then through Alaska, etc.

 

It just got me wondering what the longest anyone has been on a ship at sea (consecutively). What was that like? Was it strange seeing different passengers churn through, or was it hard bid adieu to those you enjoyed? Did it ever get old hitting the same places for meals? Did your cabin ever feel too cramped? Was is just heaving watching (literally) the world go by your window?

 

Please share so I can live vicariously through you!!

 

PS. I know this isn't a Celebrity-specific question, but this is the board I stalk the most. It seems HAL is more into these types of saga ship journeys for passengers, no?

[DocJohnB]

Ten months . . . . . . course that was a Navy cruise.:D:D:D

[Allis154]

Spent 28 days on the Summit in 2007; two weeks in Alaska and two weeks in Hawaii. Near the end, got a little board with the menus. Never found my cabin to be cramped (lots of storage).

 

The last couple of days were hard; wanted to get home and see DH, but overall, loved it.

 

Planning to spend 35 days sailing around Australia in 2012.

[pspercy]

About six months, but that was on a 160 ft long ship !

[Woobstr112G]

Bout a month, but that was on the USS Okinawa in 1980.....:):):)

 

Bob

[bellybutton530]

31 days

 

Capetown, South Africa to Rio; then down the eastern coast of SA to the Falklands, then on to 5 stops on the Antarctic peninsula; then back to Ushuaia, Chile.

 

Marvelous Y2K cruise on Marco Polo....

 

Cheryl:p

[equusvilla]

My husband works in an industry that deals with many many new people and he said one of thier customers told them that their Father sold everything he owned and was living on cruise ships... would take some time off to come and see the family ..holidays?? and then get back on another ship. Can you imagine his "frequent sailing miles"! He statement was not only was it a constant vacation..but in the long run actually cheaper than whatever his living situation was.

 

It made me think ...and it could very well be..since he really did not need a car..or a house..no insurance, or utilities. Very little in the way of food expense if he kept the 'extra's to a minimum'..although with his status, he probably got a lot for free.

 

Interesting concept...but I could not do it. I need to be closer to my family and animals..and gardens.. and my friends.

[keela1eva2]

5 weeks +3 days sailing to Australia in 1994 4 days late due to Monsoon in the Indian Ocean. Boy was I sea sick!

Came back in 26 days on the P&O Canberra with my first experience of stabilisers and it was great even though we came through the OZ Bite and the Bay of Biscay in January.

Cruise 18 nights longest.

 

Sue

[excitedofharpenden]

I remember reading about Beatrice Muller who was very well known to Cunard as she "lived" on QE2:

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4082961.ece

 

I think she moved to Queen Victoria when QE2 was retired and didn't like it. QM2 was too big for her and she went back to live in Florida. Not sure where she is now, but she was writing her memoirs I believe.

 

Phil

[Karynanne]

29 days. Embarkation: Sydney, Australia. Debarkation: Honolulu, Hawaii. Wonderful trip!

[sasset]

53 days. Los Angeles, through the canal, around South America, back to Los angeles.

[Essiesmom]

32 days, HAL Oosterdam, San Diego to Rome. Plus three days in Rome after the cruise. EM

[beynac]

I remember reading about Beatrice Muller who was very well known to Cunard as she "lived" on QE2:

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4082961.ece

 

I think she moved to Queen Victoria when QE2 was retired and didn't like it. QM2 was too big for her and she went back to live in Florida. Not sure where she is now, but she was writing her memoirs I believe.

 

Phil

 

Thanks for that link. Fascinating!

 

If you don't spend all your money on extas, I see how the costs could be comparable to a nice retirement home.

[CathyCruises]

I am looking at a 28 day from Vancouver to Auckland with lots of interesting stops on the way--Fiji, Vanuatu, etc--places I never thought I'd go! I've done 14 days so I think 28 would be great.

[TeaBag]

I am looking at a 28 day from Vancouver to Auckland with lots of interesting stops on the way--Fiji, Vanuatu, etc--places I never thought I'd go! I've done 14 days so I think 28 would be great.

 

Go for it Cathy. The South Pacific is awesome. Our longest was 30 days to Australia from Honolulu. I want to do the circumnavigation of Australia too someday.

[tea4ular]

In 1972 my family immigrated from US to Australia. At the time my mom found out we could have "unlimited" stowaway luggage if we were on a cruise ship, so she, my brother & I sailed 21 days. The cargo hold held 12 wooden "tea chests" of our belongings (dishes, linen, etc.). I was "bitten" by the cruise bug then, and am fully addicted now.

 

We went from LA, San Francisco, Vancouver (BC), Honolulu, Fiji, Auckland, Sydney. (the P&O Orsova)

[bubbie617]

I have a dear friend who did 53 days. First a 7 day roundtrip Florida. Then down the east coast of South America, around the horn, up the west coast of SA and ended in California. It was a b2b2b2b O believe. It was on a ship that was repositioning (I think it was Mariner of the Seas) and is too large to go through the Panama Canal. The only way to get it to the west coast was this route.

 

I can't imagine going back to real life after 53 days on a ship.

[Ricky Chan]

I am looking at a 28 day from Vancouver to Auckland with lots of interesting stops on the way--Fiji, Vanuatu, etc--places I never thought I'd go! I've done 14 days so I think 28 would be great.

 

I am looking for a 32 days cruise from Vancouver to Sydney. But that won't happen until after I retire in 2016.

 

Ricky

[Druke I]

We've had several cruises in the 28 day range.

 

My wife has set an arbitrary limit of 30 days away from home, so be it!

[Pat.bz]

32 days on Veendam Rio to Nyc via 1000 mi (each way) on the Amazon.

[Tracymoss]

We spent two weeks aboard the Paul Gauguin last November. It is a very small ship (around 300 passengers I think) but we never grew tired of it and did not want to leave! We are working for the day that we can retire and cruise around the world. Who knows, we may actually live on a cruise ship too we love it so much!!

[babyorca]

i wonder what people on the HAL boards would say. there are quite a few world cruisers who post there or have links to their blogs. i've read a couple who goes often who post their travel journal on cruise critic and i've also read a blog+photo journal of a guy who also does the world cruises.

they are on those 100+ day trips too! i was ever so amazed to learn they get free Fed Ex luggage for those trips! it's neat to follow their journeys. :)

[nps001]

28 days this past Feb/March. We sailed from Buenos Aires to Santiago and then Santiago to FTL. I never grew tired of the food (though for the first time we did eat in the buffet area because we were a bit tired of the "bigger" dinners). We both said we could have continued for another 28 days.

 

There was a family on board that did the exact same B2B and was continuing to San Diego and back, another 28 days.

[elena7seas]

Very interesting thread.

 

Did anyone ever meet "Nana" on board a Celebrity ship? I met her on my first Celebrity cruise on the Constellation out of New York in 2005. She lived on cruise ships (mostly Celebrity, I think) for most of the year, except when she took time off to visit her children. She told me it was about the same cost as living in a nice retirement home. All of the staff called her Nana, and took excellent care of her, as if she was their own grandmother.

 

She was a lovely woman, and very engaging to talk to. She had some mobility issues, and said her world was much more vibrant and interesting on a cruise ship than it was in a senior's complex, and this way she didn't have to live with one of her children!

 

My kids are voting on a cruise ship retirement home for me, I thnk!

[atb]

I have looked at this issue very seriously. The only issue is my cat. I couldn't be away from him that long. Maybe when he passes to cat nip heaven, I can plan.