Dreaming of a ''World Cruise'' I may be insane what do you think.

[Zach1213]

 

 

28 minutes ago, drsel said:

38 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 
A few visas are a hassle to obtain, but most are just transactional -- you pay a small fee and in return you get the required visa. Most are no more or less than the US requires of other nationalities.

I am talking about the hassle to get visas that you cannot buy on board The Cruise ship

 

As a US citizen, there are not many visas that are difficult or a hassle to get, depending on your definition of those words. Yes, some require filling a form, getting a photo, sending your passport/form to the embassy/consulate (or, better yet, a visa service who takes care of it), and waiting a couple weeks. Not an overnight thing, but I am very regularly involved in getting visas both for my US passport and my Namibian passport, as well as my colleagues US passports, and it's not what I would call a "hassle". Just a process. 

[cruisemom42]

50 minutes ago, drsel said:

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

 
Russia has a work-around for cruise passengers. Brazil has dropped their cumbersome process. Other than India and China, which visas are a hassle for US citizens?

You are only talking about citizens of one country. what about citizens of 180 other countries, who want to do a world Cruise?

 

True, but that would seem to be a bone to pick not with the cruise lines but with your country, yes?

[drsel]

  True, but that would seem to be a bone to pick not with the cruise lines but with your country, yes?

I am not picking a bone with the Cruise lines, because this is certainly not in their hands. 

 

Just talking about the hassle, trouble and expense of getting so many visas that citizens of more than 140 countries will have to face, if they want to go on a world Cruise

 

 

 

[KirkNC]

On 10/4/2020 at 9:52 PM, Aquahound said:

Not for nothing, but Fred Olsen is advertising World cruises starting at 9,999 Euros.  It's on one of their new ships....well, relatively new.  It's one of the ships recently bought from Holland America.   This is the itinerary:

 

It’s pounds, not euro which increases the price about 20%.

[ilikeanswers]

33 minutes ago, drsel said:

Just talking about the hassle, trouble and expense of getting so many visas that citizens of more than 140 countries will have to face, if they want to go on a world Cruise

 

For all countries there would be very few cumbersome visas. Generally speaking countries tend to strike bloc deals with countries when it comes to visa requirements and you have to remember just because some places are difficult for you doesn't mean other citizens don't have it easier. So in the end the amount of visas that are difficult will probably be the same for each country. Overall around the world visa processes have become less complicated unless you have one of those weird passports like a Palestinian or Estonian grey passport then problems still arise🙄. 

[drsel]

Don't forget that some nationalities may need a visa for many countries, where there is only one port day in each of those countries, on a world Cruise.

 

And they will need to arrange/buy those visas in advance, just to spend 6 to 8 hours in just 1 day at that port, or even if they stay on the ship!

 

It looks like an effort in futility for these nationalities, and would certainly be a big disincentive, other than the phenomenal cost of The Cruise itself.

 

 

[mom says]

53 minutes ago, drsel said:

Don't forget that some nationalities may need a visa for many countries, where there is only one port day in each of those countries, on a world Cruise.

 

And they will need to arrange/buy those visas in advance, just to spend 6 to 8 hours in just 1 day at that port, or even if they stay on the ship!

 

It looks like an effort in futility for these nationalities, and would certainly be a big disincentive, other than the phenomenal cost of The Cruise itself.

 

 

It sounds like a World Cruise is not for you. Many do not consider the time required to get the necessary visas a disincentive; and if they receive the visas then it is certainly not an effort in futility.

 

The costs involved are a budgetary consideration and should be factored into the decision to do the cruise, just like other factors such as being away from home for an extended period.  There are many things that may deter a person. But there are also  many people who do not have serious impediments.

[drsel]

Agreed, but that doesn't explain why world Cruises are highly overpriced compared to Cruises of all other durations (even if you compare on a cost per night basis).

Especially when you compare a world Cruise to long transatlantic, trans-pacific and repositioning Cruises

[drsel]

It's a case of the Robin hood principle of life!.

The Cruise lines know that only those who have plenty of free time and plenty of money can afford to take a world Cruise, and so they will exploit them to the fullest extent possible.

[getting older slowly]

Why are they more expensive ??.... supply and demand ... generally one  a year....

 

( side tracking...  certain other cruises are 30-40% per day for the same reason  (supply and demand ..and run once a year)  like the circumnavigation of Australia cruise )

 

Also a world cruise   is a special thing.. not everybody is able to be away from from home for that length of time

 

So for those who have the time and money to do it   fantastic.......

 

But if I was in the position to do one.... there is no way i could do it, in an interior cabin....

really for that length of time at least a balcony or better....

 

And as for Visas I am sure your TA would help you with this.......

 

Don

Edited October 7, 2020 by getting older slowly

[ilikeanswers]

3 hours ago, drsel said:

Don't forget that some nationalities may need a visa for many countries, where there is only one port day in each of those countries, on a world Cruise.

 

And they will need to arrange/buy those visas in advance, just to spend 6 to 8 hours in just 1 day at that port, or even if they stay on the ship!

 

It looks like an effort in futility for these nationalities, and would certainly be a big disincentive, other than the phenomenal cost of The Cruise itself.

 

Maybe this will ease your mind 😉:

Global Passport Power Rank 2020

[cruisemom42]

6 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

Maybe this will ease your mind 😉:

Global Passport Power Rank 2020

 

Great graphic. 👍

[rkacruiser]

Regarding visas, for those that cannot be obtained aboard one's ship during a cruise, are companies that assist with obtaining visas no longer in business?

[Heidi13]

9 hours ago, drsel said:

10 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 
A few visas are a hassle to obtain, but most are just transactional -- you pay a small fee and in return you get the required visa. Most are no more or less than the US requires of other nationalities.

I am talking about the hassle to get visas that you cannot buy on board The Cruise ship

 

On our last World Cruise, the cruise line provided all required Visas. Their vendor emailed us a package, which we printed, filled in the forms and posted back to them. 

 

All Visas were received about 6 weeks later. Probably took less than an hour.

[navybankerteacher]

4 hours ago, drsel said:

It's a case of the Robin hood principle of life!.

The Cruise lines know that only those who have plenty of free time and plenty of money can afford to take a world Cruise, and so they will exploit them to the fullest extent possible.

It is pointless to complain about pricing —- why would a cruise line consider for one minute charging less for a world cruise than the amount a shipload of people are willing to pay?

 

To help you understand:  if and when you decide to sell your house, are you going to ask less than the amount an interested buyer would be willing to pay?  Or, to avoid being accused of “exploiting” someone who needs a home, would you price it low?

[Gwendy]

9 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

Regarding visas, for those that cannot be obtained aboard one's ship during a cruise, are companies that assist with obtaining visas no longer in business?

For most  countries you  just go to the appropriate website and obtain visa.  For China and India I went in to the visa office in my city, filled out forms, paid my money no worries. Some  countries will allow cruise ships to organise, one day visas eg Vietnam, Jordan, Oman.

it is not difficult but a bit time consuming, same as organising different currencies, shore excursions etc.  In my mind worth all the planning, I have seen so many places on my 3 world cruises.

You have to decide if it is for you.

[drsel]

It is pointless to complain about pricing —- why would a cruise line consider for one minute charging less for a world cruise than the amount a shipload of people are willing to pay?

Very well explained teacher.

THE CRUISE LINES WILL CHARGE AS MUCH AS THEY CAN EXTRACT OUT OF EACH AND EVERY PASSENGER.

 

But I am trying to make all CC members realise that they should not be willing to pay more than $100 per person per night for the cheapest cabin on any Cruise, (including a world Cruise), on the MASS MARKET Cruise lines.

 

this way the mass market cruise lines will be forced to keep their prices highly competitive and benefit all of us.

 

Luxury lines are a different matter altogether.

 

 

 

[navybankerteacher]

10 minutes ago, drsel said:

Very well explained teacher.

THE CRUISE LINES WILL CHARGE AS MUCH AS THEY CAN EXTRACT OUT OF EACH AND EVERY PASSENGER.

 

But I am trying to make all CC members realise that they should not be willing to pay more than $100 per person per night for the cheapest cabin on any Cruise, (including a world Cruise), on the MASS MARKET Cruise lines.

 

this way the mass market cruise lines will be forced to keep their prices highly competitive and benefit all of us.

 

Luxury lines are a different matter altogether.

 

 

 

Wow!   I do not want to argue with you about your qualifications to single-handedly establish the “fair market price” for world cruises - on any sort of line;  but do you really think that you can organize a boycott that will force mass market cruise lines to lower their prices?

 

And, if you can, why not do the same for all lines?  That way we all could enjoy luxury cruises at discount prices.

 

[drsel]

I am talking from experience.
I myself have booked many Cruises in the 50 to 65 dollars per person per night price range, on many mass market lines

[drsel]

Luxury lines have smaller ships, which have limited capacity.

hence the prices are substantially higher

 

 

[Hlitner]

15 hours ago, drsel said:

It's a case of the Robin hood principle of life!.

The Cruise lines know that only those who have plenty of free time and plenty of money can afford to take a world Cruise, and so they will exploit them to the fullest extent possible.

I think that is what economics might call supply/demand and a calculation of price elasticity.  Charging prices that the market will bear is not generally called exploitation but simply good business.  The basic business plan of all cruise lines is to generate the maximum revenue per passenger day.  

 

Hank

[drsel]

If a cruise line charges $1000 for a 10 night Cruise in a specific cabin on a specific ship, they do it after analysing their profitability, and price it accordingly.

 

So how much should a 100 night world cruise cost in the exact SAME cabin on the exact SAME ship?

 

 

[navybankerteacher]

37 minutes ago, drsel said:

If a cruise line charges $1000 for a 10 night Cruise in a specific cabin on a specific ship, they do it after analysing their profitability, and price it accordingly.

 

So how much should a 100 night world cruise cost in the exact SAME cabin on the exact SAME ship?

 

 

If,  “...after analysing their profitability...”. (as you suggest), they find that their market segment interested in a world cruise is willing to pay more per day for a world cruise than for shorter cruises, they would be insane not to recognize that willingness.

 

In any event, if you do some research, you will realize that it helps to compare apples to apples — the ships which do sail on world cruises are not the same (for the most part) which sail short itineraries.  How many Carnival, NCL or Royal Caribbean ships can you name which sail world cruises.  Additionally, the amenities provided on world cruises: food quality, entertainment, service level, etc. - not to mention distinctly different ports of call - are simply not the same. 

 

It it might be stated that, for comparison purposes, seven day itineraries are turnips while world cruises are apples —- you cannot treat them, or any segment of them, as interchangeable - which you would have to do to rationally equalize their pricing.

[drsel]

I am referring to the specific Princess and HAL Cruise ships which do both 10 night and 100 night itineraries.

So how much would you pay for that 100 night Cruise?

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, drsel said:

I am referring to the specific Princess and HAL Cruise ships which do both 10 night and 100 night itineraries.

So how much would you pay for that 100 night Cruise?

 

You are asking a question that is, in a sense, unanswerable. Every person has their own set of criteria.

 

For me, there is no comparison between a 10- or 12-night TA that might have five or six sea days and a few, very ordinary ports at each end, and a world cruise that might take me to a number of destinations in one trip that would otherwise require several different trips (each including expensive overseas flights) to places where shorter cruises are rare -- Easter Island for example, or other remote outposts.

 

I'm pretty sure that if I took 10 different trips to visit each of a number of regions covered on some world cruises -- for example, Australia/New Zealand, South Pacific, SE Asia, South America, parts of Africa, Middle East, Mediterranean -- it would be more expensive than taking one world cruise.  

 

On the other hand, however, I am in a different situation to retirees who have the time for such a lengthy cruise. I can only take a few weeks at a time off work -- more than 3 weeks would certainly be pushing it. But my "approaching end of career" pay makes it possible for me to travel comfortably. So I am continuing to make dents in these areas via shorter trips and it remains to be seen whether -- by the time I retire -- a world cruise would make sense for me.

 

Also, I have the feeling that taking a world cruise is a sort of 'life experience' that you don't get by taking ten 10-night cruises. That may or may not be important to you, but it is likely a factor in the decision for some.