The World Cruise Experience

[Blondilu]

The idea of a world cruise is very appealing to me.  But, certain responsibilities make it difficult to be away for so long.  I might be able to manage a shorter “long” cruise, like maybe 30 days. And then another and another until I have essentially gone around the world.

 

So, I would like to ask this question (which is more like 3 or 4 questions) of anyone who has actually done a world cruise.

How would you define/describe the “World Cruise Experience”?  How does it differ, if at all, from a series of shorter cruises.  What made it special to you?  Adventure, romance, camaraderie, just being away, bragging rights?  Whatever your experience was.

 

Do the cruise lines do things differently for the world cruise?  Or is just business as usual as though it were a series of B2Bs?

 

And then what, if anything, was less than what you expected or hoped?  And what would you do different if you were to do it again?  Thanks in advance for any responses.

[Heidi13]

35 minutes ago, Blondilu said:

The idea of a world cruise is very appealing to me.  But, certain responsibilities make it difficult to be away for so long.  I might be able to manage a shorter “long” cruise, like maybe 30 days. And then another and another until I have essentially gone around the world.

 

So, I would like to ask this question (which is more like 3 or 4 questions) of anyone who has actually done a world cruise.

How would you define/describe the “World Cruise Experience”?  How does it differ, if at all, from a series of shorter cruises.  What made it special to you?  Adventure, romance, camaraderie, just being away, bragging rights?  Whatever your experience was.

 

Do the cruise lines do things differently for the world cruise?  Or is just business as usual as though it were a series of B2Bs?

 

And then what, if anything, was less than what you expected or hoped?  And what would you do different if you were to do it again?  Thanks in advance for any responses.

 

Excellent questions, which I will answer based on having completed 2 World Cruises - 2015 with Princess and 2020 with Viking Ocean.

 

Basically the atmosphere on board can depend on both the cruise line and the pax on board. In 2015, we booked the Princess W/C round trip from Sydney. This cruise had 4 segments and multiple short coastal cruises around Australia. On departure Sydney, less than 600 or the 2,200 pax we on for the entire World Cruise.

 

When we boarded the ship, we had a welcome World Cruisers slide showing on the big screen at the pool, but that was about the only indication that we were embarking on a 104-night World Cruise. The menus and entertainment were entirely driven by the segments - on the first day of each segment the menus were identical. The entertainment was repeated every segment and shore-ex were only posted and available to book for the current segment.

 

In summary, we did not receive a true World Cruise experience, it was a series of 4 B2B cruises. We had zero special events for the World Cruisers.

 

In 2020, Viking had 3 segments, with the ship being split almost 50/50 between World Cruisers and those on segments. The World Cruise theme was repeated almost daily, with many of the pax on segments feeling they had joined a World Cruise. Viking really step up the standards on World Cruises, with special meals almost every day, sometimes both at lunch and dinner. While some dishes were repeated no complete menu was repeated the entire time we sailed. Although the standard Viking shows were repeated, the Cruise Director and his staff all performed multiple individual shows, which were entirely produced onboard. At no time did we find the entertainment repetitive. 

 

In summary, in addition to the vastly higher standards with Viking, we disembarked feeling that we had actually been on a World Cruise, rather than a series of segments. 

[rkacruiser]

I have sailed the final segment of a world cruise, then, the following year, the entire world cruise on HAL's Amsterdam.  Both experiences were memorable and pleasant, but, also somewhat different.  The most significant difference were the different mix of guests on the two cruises.

 

One difference was that I detected no "cliques" on the final segment.  Being a newly arrived guest, I was well accepted by all with whom I had contact.  On the full world cruise, there were many, many friendly and accepting guests, but there were definitely cliques and those who felt "entitled" for some reason.  There was a different Hotel Manager on the two cruises with a new-to-the-world cruise scene on the full WC.  He replaced a very experienced Hotel Manager.  Maybe how those whom I found to feel "entitled" had been handled differently by the more experienced Hotel Manager.  Such an experience would not prevent me from booking another WC, however.

 

The WC provided a variety of different entertainment with entertainers/speakers coming and going throughout the cruise.  If there were any entire menus repeated, I did not notice it.  Yes, some popular items would make frequent appearances as well as items that were reflective of the region in which we were sailing.  

 

Special theme nights were held and often also reflected the region in which we were sailing.  For example, sailing from Oman, there was a theme night that was Arabian with some guests dressed with items purchased when we were in Oman. 

 

The opportunity to do overland tours during a world cruise adds to its uniqueness.  I left the Amsterdam in Chennai to do a 4 day-3 night tour to visit New Delhi, Jaipuir, Agra and the Taj Mahal, rejoining the ship in Mumbai.  It was good to return "home" after my tour.  

 

Special world cruise gifts were given for full world cruise guests.  Many of these gifts were very practical such as a good sized pieced of HAL luggage; some were much less practical.  As a segment guest, I do recall receiving some small gifts, but nothing like the full wc guests received.

 

One of the advantages of such a long cruise is getting to better know your cruise mates and your crew/staff.  Friendships with fellow guests do develop at times and, if you cruise again with the same company, crew members on another cruise may recognize you and you them; gives a sense of "we are family".  

 

2 hours ago, Blondilu said:

And what would you do different if you were to do it again? 

 

Take fewer pieces of luggage and not so many clothes.  I returned home with clothing articles that I never wore nor needed during the trip.  Having the perk of shipping a couple pieces of luggage to/from the ship at no cost to me helped to promote my overpacking.  

 

What other questions, Blondilu, can we try to answer for you?

[Blondilu]

Thank you both for your responses.  Very illuminating. 

 

Heidi13:  Hearing Princess didn't live up to your expectations is disappointing.  But based on your story and a couple of other things I've read, I'm not really surprised.  Princess has been my cruise line of choice for awhile.  It's a good fit and until something happens to change that for me I'll probably stay.  But, I can see that for longer cruises it may not the best choice.  Should I ever be able to take a complete world cruise or even segments I will look elsewhere, a line that offers more of the experience I would expect.  Maybe Viking!

 

Rkacruiser: The whole "clique" things makes me laugh.  Apparently some people never emotionally develop past high school, LOL.  Holland America seems like they get it "right".  Something to think/dream about.  I will definitely let you know if I have other questions.

 

Thanks again.

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, Blondilu said:

Thank you both for your responses.  Very illuminating. 

 

Heidi13:  Hearing Princess didn't live up to your expectations is disappointing.  But based on your story and a couple of other things I've read, I'm not really surprised.  Princess has been my cruise line of choice for awhile.  It's a good fit and until something happens to change that for me I'll probably stay.  But, I can see that for longer cruises it may not the best choice.  Should I ever be able to take a complete world cruise or even segments I will look elsewhere, a line that offers more of the experience I would expect.  Maybe Viking!

 

Rkacruiser: The whole "clique" things makes me laugh.  Apparently some people never emotionally develop past high school, LOL.  Holland America seems like they get it "right".  Something to think/dream about.  I will definitely let you know if I have other questions.

 

Thanks again.

 

I spent almost 40 yrs with P&O/Princess, with me working as Navigator for 7 yrs and our son for 10 yrs in the same position. I witnessed a gradual reduction in standards, since they were purchased by Carnival in 2003.

 

They attained rock bottom during our 2015 WC, hence the reason we will never return. Have many great memories, both as a pax and Deck Officer, and prefer to remember the great times pre-Carnival.

 

In addition to the onboard experience, the Carnival take-over also Carnivalised the ships, with them adding an entire deck of cabins to the excellent Grand Class to create the Super Grands. Then they ruined Island Princess by adding more cabins.

[rkacruiser]

3 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

Then they ruined Island Princess by adding more cabins.

 

I agree.  May be wrong, but I recall reading that Island Princess was due to sail their world cruise.  When I read that, I thought to myself that 100+ days on that vessel would be many days too long.  

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I agree.  May be wrong, but I recall reading that Island Princess was due to sail their world cruise.  When I read that, I thought to myself that 100+ days on that vessel would be many days too long.  

 

Last I read, both Coral & Island were sailing World Cruises. I believe Coral sails R/T Sydney and Island from L/A.

 

Along with Diamond/Sapphire, the Island/Coral were our favourite Princess ships. 

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

Along with Diamond/Sapphire, the Island/Coral were our favourite Princess ships. 

 

I have an Australian friend who has sailed long cruises on Sapphire Princess and his wife and he loved their cruises on her.  They tried to talk me into joining them on a repositioning cruise from the UK to Singapore a couple of years ago.  I now wish I had joined  them.  

 

Some attributes of the Royal Class ships I like, but I prefer Coral Princess.  However, the best of the Princess fleet was the original Royal Princess.  She was a gem!  I sailed on her twice:  the first time being a Christmas trans-Canal cruise and the second time was a FLL to Manaus to Civitavecchia repositioning cruise.  

[SargassoPirate]

My longest cruise so far was 49 days around the horn of South America and I am looking forward to my first world cruise.  I guess my wants and needs aboard ship are fairly simple, so I am usually happy with just about any ship when I'm at sea, with just one a basic must have.  I must have a wraparound promenade.  When I solo, I book "Luxury Inside Suites" and spend a lot of my time out and about, especially on the promenade. None of those fake promenades where you can walk back and forth and look at lifeboats.  Beyond that, as long as the itinerary appeals to me,  I can find a wee dram or three in the evening while enjoying some lightly amplified music, and enough food to keep body and soul together, I'm good.

 

It all depends on one's expectations.

[rkacruiser]

4 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

I book "Luxury Inside Suites

 

Thanks for my "chuckle" of the day.  Personally, I prefer an outside stateroom and really would like a veranda attached to the cabin.  I think your expectations are very sensible.  "Go with the flow"; if there are "bumps" during the trip, they will become part of one's memory of that particular travel experience.  

[Blondilu]

Loving the memories.  I have a lot less experience than most, but agree; a full wrap around Promenade would be a big seller for me, especially longer cruises.  I love to walk all the way around, and also hang out there while coming into port and during sail-away.

 

 

 

 

[Mich3554]

I just got off a B2B2B a month ago.  The cruise was 54 days, Athens to Santiago Chile.  I have wanted to do a World Cruise, but DH wanted some sort of trial run about being on a ship this long and not worrying about being to get off this ship now.  When I booked this (it originally started out being 36 days and with a cruise cancellation, we decided to add more days), I knew that it was not going to be like a WC other than longevity.  I can see the differences now.  
The 21 people who did a B2B Barcelona to Santiago became a bit of a cohesive group separate from the rest of the cruise.  A few of these are going to be on the WC with us in Dec. 22-23.  I can see how it become different when you aren’t changing out 95% of the passengers ever 2 weeks.  I don’t think that the 21 of us ever formed a clique, but we often had meals with other couples when we ran into them.

I think that the most interesting thing I discovered was how well I packed for 54 days.  I didn’t do too bad…..I wore 100% of what took, so no overpacking.  I probably under packed a bit, but this gave me a good idea where.  I also got a good idea what other items might make life easier.  DH has decided that 138 days is not going to be a problem…..he even tacked on another 29 days at the end for another cruise!

[The Other Tom]

Cruise Critic user "WCB" and "Scapnana" blogged their world cruise on the Holland America board.  I think they also have blog sites where duplicate posts are made.  The posted daily and it will give you an idea of what life is like on a world cruise.  You can search for their posts by user name.

Here's WCB's blog website:

"Treasures of Cruising the World" with Bill & Mary Ann: Report # 1 Ready - set- go January 15, 2019 Tuesday Rainy and 55 degrees Part #1 Of 1 6 Pictures (Clayton) (cruisingwithbillandmaryann.blogspot.com)

[SargassoPirate]

15 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Thanks for my "chuckle" of the day.  Personally, I prefer an outside stateroom and really would like a veranda attached to the cabin.  I think your expectations are very sensible.  "Go with the flow"; if there are "bumps" during the trip, they will become part of one's memory of that particular travel experience.  

 

You're welcome.  I still take extended motorcycle trips where I often camp out at a KOA or state campground.  Using the restroom in the middle of the night involves a flashlight and a pair of shoes - so after that, I really enjoy my Luxury Inside Suite with hot and cold running water, a mattress off the floor, a refrigerator, and a TV.

 

It's all about where one sets their expectations.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

On 1/18/2022 at 10:18 AM, Blondilu said:

The idea of a world cruise is very appealing to me.  But, certain responsibilities make it difficult to be away for so long.  I might be able to manage a shorter “long” cruise, like maybe 30 days. And then another and another until I have essentially gone around the world.

 

So, I would like to ask this question (which is more like 3 or 4 questions) of anyone who has actually done a world cruise.

How would you define/describe the “World Cruise Experience”?  How does it differ, if at all, from a series of shorter cruises.  What made it special to you?  Adventure, romance, camaraderie, just being away, bragging rights?  Whatever your experience was.

 

Do the cruise lines do things differently for the world cruise?  Or is just business as usual as though it were a series of B2Bs?

 

And then what, if anything, was less than what you expected or hoped?  And what would you do different if you were to do it again?  Thanks in advance for any responses.

You will find a detailed, daily summary of my three world cruises along with lists of the menus, daily activities and entertainers.    HERE

[Blondilu]

Thank you Inside Cabin.  Great reading so far.

[wishIweretravelling]

I am preparing for a "grand voyage" later this year, and was looking back at a blog I did from one a few years ago. A grand voyage is a lengthy cruise--in this case 89 days--that concentrates on a specific region rather than attempting the world. So, in terms of experience, it's similar to a world cruise.

 

Anyway, here's an entry where I attempted to explain the experience: https://summertimechilling.blogspot.com/2018/09/living-on-cruise-ship.html

 

[Port Power]

On 1/30/2022 at 11:26 PM, wishIweretravelling said:

I am preparing for a "grand voyage" later this year, and was looking back at a blog I did from one a few years ago. A grand voyage is a lengthy cruise--in this case 89 days--that concentrates on a specific region rather than attempting the world. So, in terms of experience, it's similar to a world cruise.

 

Anyway, here's an entry where I attempted to explain the experience: https://summertimechilling.blogspot.com/2018/09/living-on-cruise-ship.html

 

This was absolutely the best information, and just what I was looking for.  An overall description of life on board. Thank you.
 

Other posts on this thread, and forum generally, have been useful. Lots to think about when leaving the house empty for five months!

 

I am now certain I have made the right decision in booking a Worl Cruise, and definitely I have chosen the right company in Regent.  Viking is still very desirable, but I can leave them for a grand journey in the future.

 

 The only problem is that I now have to put it out of my mind for two years!

[rkacruiser]

4 hours ago, Port Power said:

The only problem is that I now have to put it out of my mind for two years!

 

Good luck with that!  Just more time to dream and to plan.  

[Ladys Mom]

On 7/18/2022 at 10:36 AM, Port Power said:

This was absolutely the best information, and just what I was looking for.  An overall description of life on board. Thank you.
 

Other posts on this thread, and forum generally, have been useful. Lots to think about when leaving the house empty for five months!

 

I am now certain I have made the right decision in booking a Worl Cruise, and definitely I have chosen the right company in Regent.  Viking is still very desirable, but I can leave them for a grand journey in the future.

 

 The only problem is that I now have to put it out of my mind for two years!

Which Regent World Cruise have you booked?  We are booked on the 2024 and can't wait even though it is 1 1/2 years away.  What we like so much about Regent is that we can begin booking our shore excursions 365 days ahead.  This makes the cruise seem real 12 months earlier.

Norma and Mitch

[Port Power]

7 minutes ago, Ladys Mom said:

Which Regent World Cruise have you booked?  We are booked on the 2024 and can't wait even though it is 1 1/2 years away.  What we like so much about Regent is that we can begin booking our shore excursions 365 days ahead.  This makes the cruise seem real 12 months earlier.

Norma and Mitch

I will be on the 2025 World Cruise, so 2 1/2 years away from boarding.  I have several cruises (two of them a month long) and land trips next year, and two extended land journeys in 2024 to go first.  Which is why it will be a bit easier to forget about the WC for two years!

[travelwell]

Jealous of those who have booked as we had two WC’s on Regent canceled due to Covid. We have family issues that are keeping us from long cruises now. Maybe in a few years. Sure love the blogs.

[Ladys Mom]

5 hours ago, travelwell said:

Jealous of those who have booked as we had two WC’s on Regent canceled due to Covid. We have family issues that are keeping us from long cruises now. Maybe in a few years. Sure love the blogs.

We miss hearing from you guys!  Lots more cruising ahead for you, even if no world cruise in the near future.