Latest news with #UltimateWorldCruise
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Man on 274-day cruise left baffled over one etiquette rule 'no one talks about'
A man who was on board Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise shared a video about the things he learned during his time on the ship – including one particular etiquette 'rule' that 'no one speaks about' Everyone knows there are certain things you simply shouldn't say while travelling - for instance, joking about bombs on a plane or mentioning weapons near airport security is a definite no-go. These things are usually clear to both experienced and first-time travelers, but etiquette isn't always so straightforward. If you're not used to a particular setting, you might miss some of the unspoken norms. Sometimes, the only way to learn these things is through uncomfortable experiences. Like air travel, cruising also involves its own distinct rules and expectations that guests are expected to follow. On 10 December 2023, Royal Caribbean 's Serenade of the Seas took off on the Ultimate World Cruise - an epic 274-day voyage around the globe, docking in over 60 countries and featuring trips to 11 of the world's most iconic wonders. This once-in-a-lifetime journey covered the Americas, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and Europe, with ticket prices ranging from a hefty $53,999 (£39,847) to a staggering $117,599 (£86,779) per person. Considering how unique and unforgettable the experience is, it's no surprise that Royal Caribbean enlisted several influencers to help promote it. Well-known TikToker Marc Sebastian joined the cruise and shared highlights of his journey along the way. One of his videos has racked up an impressive 9.9 million views, featuring the American influencer giving his insights from his first few weeks aboard the ship. The key revelation was a certain word that's off-limits. At the start of the TikTok video, Marc revealed: "So, here is a list of things I've learned about cruising since I have spent 18 nights on this floating retirement home with a Cheesecake Factory attached. "First: number one, you're not supposed to talk about the Titanic. Who knew that? I didn't." The social media star recalled telling a group of passengers dining nearby that the ship's length exceeded the Titanic's by only 100 feet. After he said this, "utensils dropped," waiters "gasped," and the room fell "dead silent." WARNING: The video below contains explicit language. Viewer discretion is advised. Marc was surprised by their response, and his friend on the cruise quietly told him that you're "not allowed to talk about the Titanic." He reflected that this rule "wasn't in the handbook," admitting he "clearly" hadn't read it. It's understandable that passengers on a cruise wouldn't appreciate being reminded of the tragic true story of a luxury liner sinking, which resulted in the loss of about 1,500 lives. Seasoned cruisers headed to the comments section, mentioning that they were already familiar with this unspoken rule of conduct. One said: "It is considered extremely bad luck to mention a sunken vessel on another one out at sea." Another added: "When I went on a cruise my mom told me saying titanic was equivalent to screaming a bomb at an airport." A third chimed in: "Yeaa.. saying anything about the Titanic is like saying Macbeth in a theatre." A fourth commented: "I'm sorry you're telling me you had a Harry Potter like experience saying Voldemort at Hogwarts but it was the Titanic on a modern day cruise I'm cryingggg." Later in the video, where Marc discusses lesser-known cruise facts, he expresses surprise at learning that cruise ships have godmothers and that their pools are actually filled with seawater. I In an update from June 2024, the content creator disclosed that he only spent 18 nights on the cruise. He hadn't intended to stay for the entire trip and, in hindsight, felt quite relieved about his decision. Marc humorously claimed he was asked to leave the ship after rescuing a penguin that had wandered onboard, but in reality, he admitted feeling glad to disembark early. The TikToker described the experience as overwhelming and stressful, confessing: "I walked off that ship not a happy man."
Boston Globe
18-04-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Retired at sea: Why one woman spends 10 months a year cruising the world
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'This is not a vacation,' Johnston says, 'This is life.' Advertisement The Johnston sisters are not alone in trading in land-based retirement for a life at sea. Interest in months-long, globe-trotting cruises is rising among travelers with enough free time (and deep pockets) to make it happen. The cruise industry has responded, offering more long-range cruises with increasingly varied itineraries. Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise, a 274-day voyage that gained some TikTok notoriety, was the longest voyage in the industry to date. But nearly every major cruise line now offers long-range cruises to a growing audience, and they're expanding their rosters. Advertisement In addition to the Grand Voyages, Holland America has also added a new category of Legendary cruises, with sailings ranging from 25 to 53 days. These cruises include popular voyages like the 27-Day Amazon Explorer, round-trip from Miami, and the 35-Day Voyage of the Vikings, round-trip from Boston. The Regent cruise ship Seven Seas Mariner in 2020. Ben Margot/Associated Press Regent Seven Seas has unveiled its longest cruise to date, sailing in 2026. The 154-day A Viking ocean ship in Sydney, Australia, an overnight destination during a World Cruise. Alastair Miller Viking currently offers nine world cruise options, from 121 to 180 days, including the 180-day Advertisement World cruises tend to sell out fast, so travel advisors recommend Viking's World Voyage III will journey around the world in 170 days, visiting 41 countries with 82 guided tours and overnight stays in 18 cities. Pictured here, a map of the route and ports of call planned for the new Viking World Voyage III itinerary for 2026-2027. 'Because world cruise itineraries can be very popular, we always recommend planning as far out as possible,' says Richard Marnell, Viking executive vice president of marketing. 'We are already selling space on our 2026 departures.' So, what's it like to spend 120+ days at sea? We caught up with Johnston at the start of her 53-day Majestic Japan cruise (a 'warm-up' to the two longer world cruises she's taking this year) to ask about her life on the ship, and her tips for long-range cruising. Don't you miss family and friends? 'What's the difference if you head to a condo in Florida or Phoenix for the winter?' Johnston says. But she admits that staying connected with her land-based family and friends takes more planning and work. 'I have to work at staying in touch with everyone,' she says. She schedules meetups well in advance, timed for when she's not cruising, and sometimes joins conversations via Zoom. She also writes a daily blog, posting comments and pictures of where she's been and her life on the ship. But she's also built a community of friends that she connects with on sailings. 'There are a lot of repeat cruisers. I've run into a lot of people and crew that I've met on past cruises,' she says. 'I've made a lot of friends, and they've become like family.' Advertisement Jo Johnston, a veteran long-range cruise passenger, poses with a chef aboard Holland America, her preferred cruise line. Pamela Wright Does it ever get old? 'We're exploring new places almost every day!' she says. 'It never gets old.' Not only are there new ports and off-ship excursions, Johnston says, but there are also a slew of extracurricular activities, on-board lectures, daily entertainment, and clubs (i.e. painting, arts and crafts, bridge, and music) to join on the ship. 'The days take on a rhythm,' Johnston says. 'I try to do several excursions and use the at-sea days to catch up with stuff like laundry, reading, blogging, and just relaxing.' How do you not gain weight? 'I actually lose weight on cruises,' Johnston says. 'The first thing I do when I board a cruise is head to the fitness center to weigh myself.' She keeps a list of what she drinks and eats, so she's carefully watching her diet, but says that it's easier to lose weight on board than at home. 'There's so much variety and a lot of healthy meal options offered on the ship,' she says. 'When I get home, meeting up with friends at restaurants, is when it gets hard.' Why Holland America, why not switch it up? 'It's largely itinerary driven. I like the destinations and ports that they visit.' Johnston says. 'I have one rule, and that's not to repeat experiences, and they offer lots of variety.' Johnston also likes re-connecting with former shipmates. 'I'd say about half the cruisers on long-range voyages are repeat customers.' And loyal cruisers get perks, like discounts on beverage packages, specialty restaurant surcharges, and on-board purchases, along with special receptions, priority boarding, and free laundry services — a big one for long-range cruisers. Advertisement What about costs? 'I'll either run out of money or life at some point,' Johnston quipped. But she watches the money closely, keeping an Excel-style spreadsheet detailing daily expenses. She estimated that her world cruises cost around $50,000 each. She looks for ways to save, planning her day carefully, and attending welcome parties and happy hours to save on beverages. She also books an inside cabin. 'You're mainly in your room to sleep, and there are lots of places to get outside on the ship.' Any other tips? 'Book your cruise in advance as much as you can,' she suggested. 'You'll have more time to save for it and more time to research ports to plan what you really want to see and do.' Bon Voyage, Jo! Diane Bair and Pamela Wright can be reached at
Telegraph
04-04-2025
- Telegraph
This under-visited region of Africa is easier than ever to explore
Deciding to go on a cruise is easy. Not only do you get to tick off multiple destinations in a single trip while only having to unpack once, but crucially – in these grim economic times – a cruise often works out as better value than a land-based holiday. The hard part is deciding where to go, for it's no longer just about the Mediterranean and the Caribbean – two longstanding cruise favourites. Fast forward to today, and the world really is your oyster when it comes to choosing a cruise destination, with the likes of Alaska, Antarctica, the Norwegian fjords, the Nile and the Mekong all possibilities. But there's another region now steadily staking its claim to a place on this list: step forward West Africa, where a growing number of operators are now setting sail to less-travelled shores. Historically, the region has languished as a cruise destination. However, recent troubles in the Red Sea have resulted in the 'rerouting of itineraries away from the Suez Canal, which has brought West Africa into the mix,' says Dave Mills, chief commercial officer at online cruise agency Iglu. Similarly, the backlash against cruise ships elsewhere in the world – Nice is the latest city to try to ban large vessels as it grapples with the negative effects of overtourism – has seen cruise lines forced to redraw the map and seek out destinations experiencing the opposite phenomenon. West Africa, once a feather in only the most seasoned travellers' caps, has emerged as a winner, with cruise lines including Azamara, Oceania Cruises and Crystal Cruises now offering sailings along the West African coast with stops in countries such as Senegal, Sao Tome, Cabo Verde, Gambia, Ghana and Togo. It's music to the ears of those who have always wanted to visit West Africa – with its vibrant culture, verdant landscapes, wildlife-rich national parks and pristine beaches – but have long been unsure how to approach planning a trip, as well as seasoned cruisers looking to explore somewhere relatively undiscovered. Robert Wellman, who, with his wife Jacqui, has been sailing with Azamara for some seven years, chose to visit West Africa with the small-ship line in 2023 because 'travel should be a force for good. And unlike other parts of the world that feel overrun, West Africa is eagerly accepting visitors. 'We've cruised all over the world, and just when we thought we had seen it all, we spotted a cruise to an intriguing new corner.' Wellman and his wife aren't the only ones to sit up and take notice of the region. In May 2024, passengers on Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise – a nine-month round-the-globe odyssey with a price tag of £88,000 per person – criticised the line for overlooking Africa in its original itinerary. Consequently, the cruise giant added nine African ports to its voyage, including stops in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Senegal. And they aren't the only ones – Oceania Cruises, too, has also observed increasing interest in the region and included Senegal, Gambia, and Ghana in its current itineraries. To cope with the growing demand, several ports in West Africa are planning – or have recently undergone – improvements to their infrastructure. The island of Sao Vicente in Cape Verde, a stunning island chain 500km west of Senegal, opened a new £22 million cruise ship terminal (Mindelo) in October 2024; while Nigeria's Lekki and Cote d'Ivoire's Abidjan ports are both investing in their infrastructure so they can accommodate more cruise ships in the future. West Africa's emergence as a cruise destination comes as little surprise to British brand Swan Hellenic, which has been visiting the continent's west coast since 2023, and Mario Bounas, the brand's general manager for UK & Ireland, believes that the region's 'significance will only grow as travellers seek deeper, more meaningful experiences'. 'From the historic streets of Freetown to the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Ghana's Unesco-listed Elmina Castle, every stop offers… a profound connection to the region's history and culture,' he says. It's a sentiment shared by the CEO of family-owned Variety Cruises, Filippos Venetopoulos, whose father pioneered cruises to West Africa back in 2008. 'West Africa offers incredible travel experiences, but we must use tourism to the area to support local communities,' he stressed to Telegraph Travel. 'My late father, Lakis, recognised the region's potential early on. To this end, we built – through our philanthropic arm, Variety Cares – a school in the remote area of Lamin Koto in the Gambia. Today, it provides around 100 students not only with an English and Arabic education but also with electricity and clean water.' West Africa is certainly benefiting from the increased attention and the economic boost that comes with it – but with so many popular cruise destinations now feeling the profound pinch of overtourism, the opening up of this less-trammelled region is of equal benefit to those of us seeking a calmer corner of the globe. It's a match made in heaven – and these are five of the best ways to get in on the action. The best West Africa cruise itineraries Best for a boutique experience Swan Hellenic sails to West Africa on the elegant 192-passenger SH Diana. Multiple shore excursions are offered at every port, but don't miss the chance to delve into the area's transatlantic slave trade at the 15th-century Elmina Castle; witness colourful kingfishers, bee-eaters and Abyssinian rollers in the little-known Bijagós archipelago; and immerse yourself in Abidjan's art scene. Swan Hellenic has a 13-night West Africa: the slavery coast cruise from £10,780pp, excluding flights. Departs April 20, 2025 Best for destination immersion This 26-night Azamara itinerary on the intimate Azamara Pursuit features a call at the West African capital of Dakar in Senegal – the jumping-off point for the tiny, car-free island of Gorée, whose pretty pastel-hued houses belie the fact this was once the largest slave trading centre on the African coast. Next up is Banjul, Gambia's breezy coastal capital and the gateway to sun-baked beaches, mangrove forests, and exotic birdlife. Every sailing includes an AzAmazing Evening – a special cultural event that allows passengers to dive deeper into the local culture. Iglu offers a 26-night West Africa cruise with Azamara from £4,249pp including flights. Departs October 23, 2025 Best for uniqueness Crystal Cruises is back with a new owner and a new 12-night West Coast Africa itinerary. It takes in one of the least-visited places on the planet – the dual-island nation of Sao Tome, that's been dubbed the African Galapagos thanks to its almost 200 endemic species – as well as Cotonou, Benin's vibrant capital. Here, visitors can learn about spirits (Benin is considered the birthplace of voodoo) and the Afro-Brazilian heritage of Ouidah, Abomey and Porto Novo. Crystal Cruises has a 12-night Accra to Cape Town sailing from £4,200pp, excluding flights. Departs December 11, 2025 Best for a less traditional experience Variety Cruises' yacht cruise up the Gambia River and along the coast of West Africa encompasses four natural reserves and a sobering dose of Britain's slavery history in just eight days. Standout excursions include Kiang West National Park in Gambia – home to more than 250 species of birds – Senegal's stunning Sine-Saloum Delta where guests can glide mangroves in a pirogue (motorised canoe), and a visit to the school (Lamin Koto) that the Greek small-ship line set up in 2010. Variety Cruises offers a seven-night West Africa river cruise from £2,073.60pp, excluding flights. Departs January 10, 2026 Best for luxury Oceania Cruises is known for its in-depth excursions, and on this 24-night sailing bound for Cape Town, guests have the chance to visit a plantation to understand the importance of cocoa and coffee production in Lomé – Togo's low-key yet attractive capital. As well as unsung Togo – whose landscapes range from lakes to palm-fringed beaches – you'll call at six other West African gems: Sao Tome and Principe, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Gambia and Cape Verde. Oceania Cruise has a 24-night Cape Town to Lisbon voyage from £5,992pp, excluding flights. Departs March 31, 2026
