A cruise around the world is on the bucket list of many an intrepid traveler, but with so many world cruises available, it’s hard to pick one! After all, a cruise around the world involves a major investment in both time and money, so you want it to be perfect.
There are many cruise around the world adventures available from over ten major cruise lines. These world cruises range in length from a few months up to six months. World cruises come with differing amenities dictated by the traveler’s budget, but all take travelers to some of the most beautiful and exciting locations worldwide.
Are you wondering which world cruise is right for you and your goals for global travel? Keep reading to learn more about the different world cruises that are available in 2020 and beyond.
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Ultimate World Cruise – Viking Cruises
No matter what version of Viking’s world cruise you go on, travelers who use Viking are entitled to several amenities, including unlimited free Wi-Fi, shore excursions at every port, and business class airfare for connecting flights.
The Ultimate World Cruise offered through Viking Cruises has a 245-day itinerary and features the following:
- Visits 6 continents
- Visits 59 different countries
- Visits 113 ports
- 22 overnight ports
With this itinerary, the world cruise offered through Viking is the longest world cruise offered. Along with the main cruise, the World Cruise through Viking also offers two sailing segments of the journey:
- Viking World Treasures: The Viking World Treasures travels from London to Los Angeles, visiting 61 ports and 33 countries.
- Viking World Wonders: The Viking World Wonders travels from London to Los Angeles, visiting 55 ports and 29 countries.
For more information on Viking’s world cruise, visit the World Cruise page at the Viking Cruises website.
Ancient Dynasties and World Wonders – Crystal Cruises
The Ancient Dynasties and World Wonders Cruise in 2021 is a 139-day cruise that leaves from Miami and weaves through the Panama Canal and Central America to cross the Pacific Ocean for New Zealand and Australia. From there, this world cruise continues through southeast Asia and along the coast of India before reaching the Middle East and making a final stop in either Rome or London.
This world cruise features the following:
- Visits 35 countries
- Visits 80 ports
- 21 overnight stays in some of the most famous ports around the world
Crystal Cruises offer a long line of shipboard amenities such as $2,500 in store credit, complimentary galas and shore excursions, and much more. This cruise also offers more diversions than the average cruise, such as lectures, fitness programs, and premium spa treatments.
For more information on the Ancient Dynasties and World Wonders cruise through Crystal Cruises, visit the Crystal Cruises website.
Legends of Cruising World Cruise 2021 – Silversea
While the Silversea World Cruise 2021 may not travel as far as some other world cruises, this 150-day cruise is still long enough for travelers to soak up all the sights between Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and Lima, Peru in South America.
The Legends of Cruising World Cruise 2021 features the following:
- Visits 54 ports
- Nine routes
- Visits 34 countries
The world cruise through Silversea goes out on the Silver Whisper. Amenities include $2,000 worth of ship credit per passenger, unlimited free Wi-Fi, world cruise exclusive social events, valet luggage service, and laundry service. Special excursions include a night at the horseracing tracks in Hong Kong and a masked ball in Venice, Italy.
For more information about the Legends of Cruising World Cruise 2021 offered through Silversea, visit the Silversea website.
Navigate the World – Regent Seven Seas
Navigate the World is a comprehensive world cruise with a 117-day itinerary which circumnavigates the globe from Miami to Barcelona. A major advantage of this world cruise is that it offers hundreds of free shore excursions for travelers, giving them the chance to take full advantage of their global tour.
The Navigate the World cruise through Regent features the following:
- Visits 61 ports
- 324 free shore excursions
- Visits 30 countries
- Visits 56 World Heritage Sites
- 11 overnight port stays
This world cruise takes place aboard the Seven Seas Mariner and covers adventures from the Australian outback to the deserts of the Middle East. The ship’s amenities include unlimited free laundry service (including dry cleaning), free open bars, free unlimited wine and spirits, and free prepaid gratuities, so all any potential traveler needs to do is focus on having a good time.
Here are some of the special things that you can see on the Navigate the World cruise:
- The Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia
- The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai, India
- The Old City of Acre near Jerusalem in Israel
- Medieval Rhodes in Greece
- Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, Spain
- Troy in Bozcaada, Turkey
If you’re looking for a world cruise where you can hit up as many of the wonders of the world as possible, Navigate the World is a great option to consider.
For more information about the Navigate the World cruise offered through Regent Seven Seas, visit the Regent Seven Seas website.
How to Choose a Cruise Around the World
The cruises above are only a few of the world cruises offered by cruise lines worldwide, but how do you choose which world cruise to book? Most world cruises cost at least sixty thousand dollars, and some cost more. While these cruises usually include free food and drink as part of the package, they are all significant investments.
Here are some of the things you should look at when choosing a world cruise (Source: Cruise Critic):
- The size of the ship: If you think about it, you’re planning on spending almost half a year in some cases on a ship. There are advantages and disadvantages to larger boats versus smaller boats. Smaller boats are usually less expensive, but they also cause sea sickness, and some travelers may grow bored trapped on a small boat between shore excursions. Small ships may be able to get into ports that larger ships can’t fit in, though.
- The cruise line: There are several different types of world cruises, with some cruise lines such as Cunard offering the traditional high-class British cruise experience, and others such as Princess offering a more economical, modern cruise. Which cruise a traveler will enjoy depends entirely on their preferences, as the experiences involved in these cruises can be quite different.
- The amenities offered: While most world cruises offer the same basic amenities and travel services, some cruises also offer more unique amenities that are specific to each ship. Potential travelers would do well to pick a few cruises that look promising before comparing what they have to offer.
- The locations traveled: One of the interesting things about world cruises is that they often cover very different countries and ports of call depending on their travel routes. So, you’ll have an entirely different global trip depending on who you cruise with. If you have certain bucket list countries you’d like to visit, you should figure out what those are before you sign up for a world cruise so that you can hit as many of them on your cruise as possible.
It’s a good idea to plan carefully for a world cruise. Many veteran cruise travelers will plan a world cruise several years in advance to get the best boarding arrangements available.
What Is the Best Around the World Cruise?
There is no way to definitively say which is the best of the world cruises available—all the cruise lines that have a world cruise have stellar reputations for customer hospitality. What makes the best cruise will be different for every passenger. Some people cruise for the five-star dining and black-tie galas, while others are more interested in archaeological wonders and shore excursions.
A World Cruise Can Be a Great Way to See the Globe
If you find an annual series of international trips to be a daunting prospect but still want to see as much of the world as possible, a cruise around the globe can be the perfect option for seeing as much of the world’s wonders in one trip as you can.
