World Cruise on P&O? Anybody done this?

[Beautiifulsunset]

Has anyone been on a world cruise with P&O? We (my daughter and I) are leaving on 2 January 2016 on Aurora and need any tips and advice that P&O don't tell you. We have an inside cabin. We would be very pleased to hear from anyone as all the Cruise critic participants seem to have been on short cruises. I have been on one 2 week cruise a few years ago with Fred Olsen, but I think a four month cruise will be quite different. Many thanks Patricia

[SuiteTraveler]

While I haven't done a world cruise, my dad was in the Navy and at sea for as long as 6 months at a time. The best advice my dad ever gave me was to bring more than you think you may need of anything that is important to you because if you run out at sea, you may be out of luck. Put together a good emergency medical kit. I would bring stuff like bandaids, antibiotic ointment, benedryl and benedryl cream, cortisone cream, antihistamines, decongestants, eye drops, nose spray, orajel, an ice bag, antacids, ex-lax, Tylenol - and anything else that you might not be able to get easily overseas or might discover you need on a sea day.

[Floridiana]

That is a very good question for the P&O board. Have fun on your world cruise!

 

As to medical supplies, SuiteTraveler is right but it is very easy to replenish missing supplies in the USA, in Canada, in Australia and New Zealand. In some other countries as well, but I have no experience with drugstores there.

Edited July 19, 2015 by Floridiana

[Krazy Kruizers]

Here is the link when you asked this question back in June -- it also contains a link to your Roll Call:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=46787758#post46787758

[LHT28]

Also check the world cruise forum

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=833

[dsrdsrdsr]

It's not really any different - just longer. :)

 

Two pieces of advice:

 

1. As far as possible, don't stint the expenses. I did an Alaska return trip, 72 nights, 35 days or so on shore. Excursions cost us about £3,000, and we could have saved half that by using the ship's tours less and taking cheaper options. But it's a once-in-a-lifetime sort of trip (it was for us, anyway) and the memories are worth more than the money.

 

2. Check your home insurance. Many home insurance policies won't let you leave the house empty for more than a month or two, so you'll need to arrange exactly what's what with the insurance company (they let us off because we had someone in twice a week checking everything and moving the post); and you may need to arrange for a family member or friend to spend a night in your house every 45 days or so.

[Beautiifulsunset]

thanks for your advice I have already spoken to ins co. re house ins while we are away so that's sorted. Did your trips cost 3,000 for two of you? (or each) Do you know if it is easy to arrange your own trips rather than with cruise line?

Patricia

[Beautiifulsunset]

thanks for your advice. I have already spoken to ins co. re house ins while we are away so that's sorted. Did your trips cost £3000 for two of you (or each)?Do you know if it is easy to arrange your own trips rather than with the cruise line? Patricia

[dsrdsrdsr]

thanks for your advice I have already spoken to ins co. re house ins while we are away so that's sorted. Did your trips cost 3,000 for two of you? (or each) Do you know if it is easy to arrange your own trips rather than with cruise line?

Patricia

 

That was for two of us. (In 2011. We went to Alaska and back, so only covered the Caribbean and Central America, which are relatively cheap, and the USA, which was relatively DIY. We didn't cover Asia, Africa, or Australia.) Many of the trips, especially in hot countries, were only half-day because full day trips (especially consecutive) were too much for my mother and sometimes for me. Other places, like Canada and the USA, we did ourselves because the places of interest were within easy reach and we felt comfortable with the local population in a way that we didn't in places like Mexico and Costa Rica.

 

Most of the reason we didn't feel comfortable in the Latin American countries is because we don't speak the local language, and we would be conspicuously rich in a relatively poor country. The people themselves are just like anyone else, but if we got into difficulties of any sort away from the ship, we would find it harder to sort ourselves out. We have a fairly high comfort threshold, risk-averse if you like.

 

As far as arranging your own tour goes, I believe it's pretty easy. By internet before you go is easiest - check the various ports of call guide for recommendations of official tour guides. By internet from the ship is possible, though not for me. Or if you know where you want to go, you can hire a taxi at the quayside - I dare say there are reasonable precautions to be taken, though frankly it never occurred to me to think of them on the couple of occasions we did this. We just got in a likely looking taxi.

Edited July 20, 2015 by dsrdsrdsr

[Scrapnana]

Taking Hop-on, Hop-off bus tours are a great way to see the major sights of a city. Often the buses come to the port if a stop is not close by and you can buy your tickets on the bus. You may be able to save a little if you book on-line in advance.

[Keith1010]

Patricia, have you posted this on the P&O board?

 

Keith

[newport dave]

Don't forget if any of your ports of call are in the USA, then you'll need to get and ESTA before you go. ONLY get them from the website below.

 

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk