Around the World
Sep 11th, 2006, 04:06 PM
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Around the World
Has anyone taken or thinking of taking an Around the World Cruise? Even if you are not, what are your thoughts regarding them?
With what cruise line would you want to travel or which one would you avoid?
With what cruise line would you want to travel or which one would you avoid?
Sep 12th, 2006, 06:42 AM
#2
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I would love to do this one day when my husband retires.
I would probably opt for P&O as we have tier points with them and it would be the cheapest option.
Lots of luggage so would have to go by train or drive to departure port.
Imagine the packing though! 2 dress sizes too??? Nah! You'd have to be so sensible about eating, wouldn't you.
If we win the lottery I will book a suite!!!
Dream.......................
I would probably opt for P&O as we have tier points with them and it would be the cheapest option.
Lots of luggage so would have to go by train or drive to departure port.
Imagine the packing though! 2 dress sizes too??? Nah! You'd have to be so sensible about eating, wouldn't you.
If we win the lottery I will book a suite!!!
Dream.......................
Sep 12th, 2006, 07:31 AM
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We were on the 2005 Radisson 109 night World Cruise (now renamed Regent) and it was absolutely amazing! At the time we thought it was a once in a life time, but it was so awesome that we are booked for a 2nd WC in January 2007 (111 nights to 46 ports, 26 countries, 5 continents).
A company comes to your home to pick up your luggage and the next time you see it is in your cabin (they also return it after the cruise). It includes free first class air to and from FLL (or point of departure/return) or a $1,500 credit per person as well as $1,000 shipboard credit. It also includes MANY first class excursions along the way such as flights & overnights to places like Bangkok, Luxor staying in 5 star hotels so it is a combination of cruise and land trips. On the 2007 WC we will be visiting Cairo and also taking 2 safaris (one includes Kilamanjaro flight). Of course while onboard everything is all inclusive 24/7. You also receive what they call "pillow gifts" along the way which are very nice. All gratuities are included in Regent fares too.
I have cruised on many cruiselines but IMO, Regent (formerly Radisson) is far and away the best. You get what you pay for and we were so sick of being nickel and dimed to death on cruise after cruise that we decided to try one of the luxury, all inclusive ships. Thank goodness, We've never looked back! For our 2005 world cruise we looked into 2 other cruise lines but by the time we upgraded to a comparable size cabin and paid for so many things that were included on Radisson we realized that we were getting more bang for our buck on Radisson. (my husband is a foodie and likes top quality wine).
On long cruises like this you make lifelong friends. Everyone is away from their families and so you become one big family! We receive free phone calls and free internet so it's easy to keep in touch with love ones at homes. I was originally concerned about getting too home sick being away from children and pets for 4 months but you settle in quickly and the time flies so fast! At the end it is a bitter sweet. On the one hand you're happy to get to be reunited with family and pets, but on the otherhand it's so hard saying good bye to new-found friends and the wonderful staff you've become so close to over the months.
The cruise ship we were/will be on is The Voyager. It holds 700 passengers and every cabin is a suite with a balcony, walk in closet, separate tub & separate shower. We get the least expensive cabin, no reason IMO to upgrade as the standard cabin is 356 sq. ft. Spending months on the ship, you're happy to have this kind of space. Out of the 700 passengers, approximately 450-500 are "full world cruise" passengers. The remaining are what they call segment guests who may be on for 1 (or more) segments. The segment guests are always lots of fun as they bring a "freshness" to the experience and are generally younger passengers still working. On our 2005 World cruise the average age must have been about 65-70 (I'm guessing). There were some full world cruise passengers in their 40's, quite a few of us in our 50's (me) and lots in their 60's. We had one fine gentleman who was 93 and sharp as a tack and always on the go.
These cruises are NOT cheap, it runs about $40,000 per person/ $80,000 for my husband and myself (this includes TA discount, onboard booking discounts, previous Regent cruiser) for a standard cabin which works out to be $360 per diem. Again, you get so much for the $$, I only scratched the surface explaining. Like all cruises, don't ever pay the brochure prices.
If you ever have the opportunity to take a world cruise, I'd highly recommend it. It is an awesome experience. We are so blessed!!
Sorry this ended up being so long...easy to talk about something so dear to my heart.
A company comes to your home to pick up your luggage and the next time you see it is in your cabin (they also return it after the cruise). It includes free first class air to and from FLL (or point of departure/return) or a $1,500 credit per person as well as $1,000 shipboard credit. It also includes MANY first class excursions along the way such as flights & overnights to places like Bangkok, Luxor staying in 5 star hotels so it is a combination of cruise and land trips. On the 2007 WC we will be visiting Cairo and also taking 2 safaris (one includes Kilamanjaro flight). Of course while onboard everything is all inclusive 24/7. You also receive what they call "pillow gifts" along the way which are very nice. All gratuities are included in Regent fares too.
I have cruised on many cruiselines but IMO, Regent (formerly Radisson) is far and away the best. You get what you pay for and we were so sick of being nickel and dimed to death on cruise after cruise that we decided to try one of the luxury, all inclusive ships. Thank goodness, We've never looked back! For our 2005 world cruise we looked into 2 other cruise lines but by the time we upgraded to a comparable size cabin and paid for so many things that were included on Radisson we realized that we were getting more bang for our buck on Radisson. (my husband is a foodie and likes top quality wine).
On long cruises like this you make lifelong friends. Everyone is away from their families and so you become one big family! We receive free phone calls and free internet so it's easy to keep in touch with love ones at homes. I was originally concerned about getting too home sick being away from children and pets for 4 months but you settle in quickly and the time flies so fast! At the end it is a bitter sweet. On the one hand you're happy to get to be reunited with family and pets, but on the otherhand it's so hard saying good bye to new-found friends and the wonderful staff you've become so close to over the months.
The cruise ship we were/will be on is The Voyager. It holds 700 passengers and every cabin is a suite with a balcony, walk in closet, separate tub & separate shower. We get the least expensive cabin, no reason IMO to upgrade as the standard cabin is 356 sq. ft. Spending months on the ship, you're happy to have this kind of space. Out of the 700 passengers, approximately 450-500 are "full world cruise" passengers. The remaining are what they call segment guests who may be on for 1 (or more) segments. The segment guests are always lots of fun as they bring a "freshness" to the experience and are generally younger passengers still working. On our 2005 World cruise the average age must have been about 65-70 (I'm guessing). There were some full world cruise passengers in their 40's, quite a few of us in our 50's (me) and lots in their 60's. We had one fine gentleman who was 93 and sharp as a tack and always on the go.
These cruises are NOT cheap, it runs about $40,000 per person/ $80,000 for my husband and myself (this includes TA discount, onboard booking discounts, previous Regent cruiser) for a standard cabin which works out to be $360 per diem. Again, you get so much for the $$, I only scratched the surface explaining. Like all cruises, don't ever pay the brochure prices.
If you ever have the opportunity to take a world cruise, I'd highly recommend it. It is an awesome experience. We are so blessed!!
Sorry this ended up being so long...easy to talk about something so dear to my heart.
Sep 12th, 2006, 07:45 AM
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Thanks for your enthusiastic reply---are you going this Jan.07? and on the Regent? Do not apologize for a long response---I am eager to hear all as we are talking about '08. What to you know about the Pacific Princess cruise planned for then? (Is that one of the nickel and dime ones you referred to?
What about P&O? When do you leave? Hope to hear more from you and perhaps your e-mail. Thanks so much.
)
What about P&O? When do you leave? Hope to hear more from you and perhaps your e-mail. Thanks so much.
)
Sep 12th, 2006, 08:12 AM
#6
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Petlover,
Thank you. I've also been curious about around the world cruising, but I think I would have to do it in increments. More than 100 nights on a ship would be too much for us.
I hope you will post a trip report when you return. VERY exciting. Bon voyage.
Thank you. I've also been curious about around the world cruising, but I think I would have to do it in increments. More than 100 nights on a ship would be too much for us.
I hope you will post a trip report when you return. VERY exciting. Bon voyage.
Sep 12th, 2006, 09:26 AM
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travelforever,
The prices have gone up and I'm sure 2008 will be higher yet with fuel prices. We received big discounts that others won't receive..onboard booking, past world cruise travelers, free category upgrade, previous Regent cruisers and we take the $1500. per person first class credit and buy our own coach tickets. We book all our Regent cruises through Brown & Keene travel http://www.brownandkeenetravel.com./(our agent is Ngaire, pronounced Ny-ree) who happens to be the #1 independent booking agency for Regent (feel free to use my name as I know her well). She is a master and was so helpful to us. Prior to our 109 WC, our longest cruise had been 10 nights so we needed lots of guidance for such a huge leap!
When I mentioned nickel and diming, I was referring to the numerous 1 week cruises we had been on. Being charged for a bottle of water finally got my goat! The right cruise line for us may not be the right cruise line for you. We do enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail and bottle of wine with dinner. These seem like small things but they do add up. We also get free laundry service (cleaning and pressing) so it helps $$ so much. I use the free washer & dryer for undies and small things but all other clothes are sent to the ships' laundry for 1 day laundring. Even the free phone calls and free internet all add up if you're on a ship and paying by the minute or hour. You will need to base your decision on your own lifestyle and their own loyalty program. If you've cruised on Princess a lot, I'm sure you would receive perks such as this that we wouldn't.
Obviously, the itinerary and pricing are key as well as the entire service level. On our 2005 WC we were in the French Polynesian islands, New Zealand and Australia but barely hit on Africa. On the 2007 WC we will not be going back to French Polynesian islands,New Zealand or Australia but concentrating on many ports in Africa (I mentioned the 2 safari's). You will need to do your own comparisons and decide what line is best for YOU.
I would have to double check with my husband who was the one who crunched the number$ deciding what would be the most bang for the buck for us in deciding for our 2005 WC. As I recall, it was HAL, Crystal, and Princess but I'm not positive. I'm positive HAL was one we considered because I still have the brochure. We ruled out Crystal and HAL because of the price and because they don't have open seating which is important to us. We want to eat when, where and with whom we want. Another big plus when we made our decision was Regents 4 dining room options each night (no extra charge if you eat in a specialty restaurant). Regent's fare included all our necessary Visa's too (maybe this is true of all cruise lines' World Cruises??)
For anyone contemplating a WC, go for it, or at least do a segment or two. It takes some pre-planning such as paying property taxes ahead of time, filing IRS extension since you'll miss the April 15th deadline, paying car registration, timing pet immunizations, setting it up so bills are all paid either auto withdrawl or on line...this type of thing. As for packing, I packed as if I was going on a 3 week cruise, not a 4 month cruise. I did a lot of recycling and mix n' matching. We were in different climates so we needed various clothes for various temperatures as well.
I never dreamed we'd be going on a full World Cruise...let alone going twice! I guess it's our SKI (spending kid's inheritance) retirement. I cared for my Mom during her last few years before she passed away. She had a stroke and dementia set in. I realized then that the Golden Years ain't always so golden. I'm thankful we're doing this type of travel while we're young enough and in good health to enjoy it! (throw in the fact that our youngest has now graduated from college so NO MORE college tuition!! Yipee).
The prices have gone up and I'm sure 2008 will be higher yet with fuel prices. We received big discounts that others won't receive..onboard booking, past world cruise travelers, free category upgrade, previous Regent cruisers and we take the $1500. per person first class credit and buy our own coach tickets. We book all our Regent cruises through Brown & Keene travel http://www.brownandkeenetravel.com./(our agent is Ngaire, pronounced Ny-ree) who happens to be the #1 independent booking agency for Regent (feel free to use my name as I know her well). She is a master and was so helpful to us. Prior to our 109 WC, our longest cruise had been 10 nights so we needed lots of guidance for such a huge leap!
When I mentioned nickel and diming, I was referring to the numerous 1 week cruises we had been on. Being charged for a bottle of water finally got my goat! The right cruise line for us may not be the right cruise line for you. We do enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail and bottle of wine with dinner. These seem like small things but they do add up. We also get free laundry service (cleaning and pressing) so it helps $$ so much. I use the free washer & dryer for undies and small things but all other clothes are sent to the ships' laundry for 1 day laundring. Even the free phone calls and free internet all add up if you're on a ship and paying by the minute or hour. You will need to base your decision on your own lifestyle and their own loyalty program. If you've cruised on Princess a lot, I'm sure you would receive perks such as this that we wouldn't.
Obviously, the itinerary and pricing are key as well as the entire service level. On our 2005 WC we were in the French Polynesian islands, New Zealand and Australia but barely hit on Africa. On the 2007 WC we will not be going back to French Polynesian islands,New Zealand or Australia but concentrating on many ports in Africa (I mentioned the 2 safari's). You will need to do your own comparisons and decide what line is best for YOU.
I would have to double check with my husband who was the one who crunched the number$ deciding what would be the most bang for the buck for us in deciding for our 2005 WC. As I recall, it was HAL, Crystal, and Princess but I'm not positive. I'm positive HAL was one we considered because I still have the brochure. We ruled out Crystal and HAL because of the price and because they don't have open seating which is important to us. We want to eat when, where and with whom we want. Another big plus when we made our decision was Regents 4 dining room options each night (no extra charge if you eat in a specialty restaurant). Regent's fare included all our necessary Visa's too (maybe this is true of all cruise lines' World Cruises??)
For anyone contemplating a WC, go for it, or at least do a segment or two. It takes some pre-planning such as paying property taxes ahead of time, filing IRS extension since you'll miss the April 15th deadline, paying car registration, timing pet immunizations, setting it up so bills are all paid either auto withdrawl or on line...this type of thing. As for packing, I packed as if I was going on a 3 week cruise, not a 4 month cruise. I did a lot of recycling and mix n' matching. We were in different climates so we needed various clothes for various temperatures as well.
I never dreamed we'd be going on a full World Cruise...let alone going twice! I guess it's our SKI (spending kid's inheritance) retirement. I cared for my Mom during her last few years before she passed away. She had a stroke and dementia set in. I realized then that the Golden Years ain't always so golden. I'm thankful we're doing this type of travel while we're young enough and in good health to enjoy it! (throw in the fact that our youngest has now graduated from college so NO MORE college tuition!! Yipee).
Sep 12th, 2006, 09:41 AM
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Your are so helpful---no, I have never taken Princess Cruise---will write more later, but just happened to be on line---how far in advance did you book and what part of the country are you in?
Sep 12th, 2006, 11:02 AM
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World Cruises fill up FAST! I couldn't believe how many older people do it each and every year...it is their winter home. As a previous WC'er we were able to sign up before it opened up to the general public for 2007. This was important since we wanted a less (I'm trying not to use the word "cheap"
expensive cabin.
For our 1st WC, we signed up about 10 months ahead. For the upcoming 2007, it was maybe 1 year in advance (since we were now previous WC'ers.) If Regent is an option, please call Ngaire at her 800 # and tell her Marcie (petlover) referred you (no obligation whatsoever). She can be so helpful with questions you may have. She was QUICK to sign us up on the first available day then switched our cabin several times before the cruise as cabins became available....each time improving and with a better price. We like to be midship and low. We personally don't see any need to pay more for the exact same cabin several decks higher...would rather use the $avings on other things.
For such a long cruise, we were so happy that we had a cabin that was 356 sq.ft. no need to upgrade since this is the standard size of the basic Voyager cabin.
BTW, some people might think we're crazy but we never buy cruise insurance for any of our cruises. For the WC, it is outrageously expensive! We do have Kaiser medical which covers us anywhere in the world for emergencies, also the AmEx supplimental policy but we have never purchased cruise insurance that includes trip interuption or cancellation. Knock on wood, we've never needed it.
Thank you for the kind words, I'm glad I can be helpful!
expensive cabin.For our 1st WC, we signed up about 10 months ahead. For the upcoming 2007, it was maybe 1 year in advance (since we were now previous WC'ers.) If Regent is an option, please call Ngaire at her 800 # and tell her Marcie (petlover) referred you (no obligation whatsoever). She can be so helpful with questions you may have. She was QUICK to sign us up on the first available day then switched our cabin several times before the cruise as cabins became available....each time improving and with a better price. We like to be midship and low. We personally don't see any need to pay more for the exact same cabin several decks higher...would rather use the $avings on other things.
For such a long cruise, we were so happy that we had a cabin that was 356 sq.ft. no need to upgrade since this is the standard size of the basic Voyager cabin.
BTW, some people might think we're crazy but we never buy cruise insurance for any of our cruises. For the WC, it is outrageously expensive! We do have Kaiser medical which covers us anywhere in the world for emergencies, also the AmEx supplimental policy but we have never purchased cruise insurance that includes trip interuption or cancellation. Knock on wood, we've never needed it.
Thank you for the kind words, I'm glad I can be helpful!
Sep 13th, 2006, 06:56 AM
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Suerich68,
Unlike a normal shorter cruise, the insurance for the World Cruise is outrageous, 20% of the total fare. That would pay for several more cruises. I'm guessing it's so high because it is so long so lots more time for something to go wrong, plus the average age of the passenger is much higher.
We do have good medical and evacuation insurance should that ever be necessary.
Unlike a normal shorter cruise, the insurance for the World Cruise is outrageous, 20% of the total fare. That would pay for several more cruises. I'm guessing it's so high because it is so long so lots more time for something to go wrong, plus the average age of the passenger is much higher.
We do have good medical and evacuation insurance should that ever be necessary.
Sep 13th, 2006, 07:47 AM
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Just like all cruises, it depends on when you cancel. If you cancel early on you only pay an administrative fee (something like $200. ?), between 121-75 days, you lose more; then less than 75 days I think you lose 50%, less than 30 days (I think) you lose 100%. I'm going by memory but it's something like that. So to answer your question, if you cancel with short notice, you could stand to lose 100%.
