First World Cruise booked ...

[rkacruiser]

I was a segment world cruiser on the 2007 World Cruise on the Amsterdam from Italy to Fort Lauderdale, 17 days if I recall correctly.  For a couple of reasons with one being a preview of my previously booked full 2008 world cruise, I booked this cruise to determine what I might experience as well as for the visits to the ports being visited.

 

My segment cruise was 100% wonderful in all respects!  I was seated at a table with two couples who were doing the full world cruise and with one other segment guest who boarded in Greece, a couple of days before I embarked.  That guest "bailed" from our table; she did not "mesh" with the other two couples while she and I still enjoyed our company.  

 

Given such a pleasant experience with no "entitlement" issues that I witnessed in 2008, it was a disappointment when I witnessed what I did during my full world cruise.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Well Go-Bucks, hope you tell us about it while or after you do it.  I presume it's a mammothly long cruise, since most of the Oceania RTW's seem to be.

 

And it's really close now!  You must be almost ready to pack!  I'm sure you have everything planned out, right?

[Scrapnana]

5 hours ago, Go-Bucks! said:

 

Yes, my friend and I are also both raiding our IRA's to pay for this.  Lots of people have told us we're crazy to spend our retirement savings, but it's the only way it's possible. I've worked and saved for 30 years to be able to do this....I'm sure the wonderful memories will be worth it.  😇  👍

 

 

 

I'm a firm believer in doing things when you can.  You never know what might happen in the future and you would wish you had taken the money and cruised while you were able.

[Go-Bucks!]

17 hours ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

Well Go-Bucks, hope you tell us about it while or after you do it.  I presume it's a mammothly long cruise, since most of the Oceania RTW's seem to be.

 

And it's really close now!  You must be almost ready to pack!  I'm sure you have everything planned out, right?

 

I am planning to start a "Live From" on the Oceania board so any others on the cruise can also post...feel free to check it out. 

 

The entire cruise is 180 days.  I'm not ready to pack yet, but have started organizing stuff and getting out my lists. 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Just now, Go-Bucks! said:

 

I am planning to start a "Live From" on the Oceania board so any others on the cruise can also post...feel free to check it out. 

 

The entire cruise is 180 days.  I'm not ready to pack yet, but have started organizing stuff and getting out my lists. 

 

I'll be following along, for sure!

[Heidi13]

Since we also considered the Oaceania WC, but opted for Viking, we will also be following along.

[Go-Bucks!]

2 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

Since we also considered the Oaceania WC, but opted for Viking, we will also be following along.

 

Oh good!  I'd be interested if you'd do that on your world cruise since I'd like to try Viking.

[Go-Bucks!]

19 hours ago, Scrapnana said:

 

I'm a firm believer in doing things when you can.  You never know what might happen in the future and you would wish you had taken the money and cruised while you were able.

 

I agree! No promises in life....need to experience life while able.  Thx for the encouragement!!  🤩

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, Go-Bucks! said:

 

Oh good!  I'd be interested if you'd do that on your world cruise since I'd like to try Viking.

Will do, but note we signed up for the 2020 cruise, so we will start in Jan 2020. I also complete daily reports on the ship board life and all tours on our travel blog. URL is in the signature block.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[Go-Bucks!]

8 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

Will do, but note we signed up for the 2020 cruise, so we will start in Jan 2020. I also complete daily reports on the ship board life and all tours on our travel blog. URL is in the signature block.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

2020 is fine since I'll be home and in need of a diversion from several months of winter weather.   😉

[travelwell]

I can not wait to follow the WC blogs. We also are booked on Regents 2021 WC. We have had a WC on our bucket list for decades. We have saved and even with our financial counselors blessing, for us this is a huge amount of money. This will be our one and only WC. We do hope to do segments down the road. I can not image treating a segment cruiser any different then those booked on  a WC. As I see it we are all in the same boat, hoping to see the world while meeting new people. 

[Heidi13]

I believe most World Cruises have at least 1 blogger completing reports. You can start a thread on this Board asking who will be completing a blog, or go to the individual roll calls of world cruises that are of interest and ask if anyone is doing a blog.

 

For Viking's first WC earlier this year, I found 3 or 4 blogs, which were a factor in helping us deciding to go with Viking for our next WC.

[rkacruiser]

9 hours ago, travelwell said:

We do hope to do segments down the road. I can not image treating a segment cruiser any different then those booked on  a WC.

 

I have sailed one segment of a world cruise, the Rome to Fort Lauderdale final segment of the Amsterdam's 2007 Grand World Voyage.  In the MDR, I was seated at a table for 6 with two couples sailing the entire world cruise and one other final segment guest.  The two couples were welcoming and pleasant, sharing interesting stories about their experiences the past many weeks.  It whetted my appetite for what I might experience on the 2008 Grand World Voyage which I had already booked.  

[Aquadesiac]

On 10/28/2018 at 1:47 PM, lovegod01 said:

Is a world cruise a one off event for some or do people do more than 1 

We were on our first WC last January on Princess.  Prior to that, we assumed it was a once in a lifetime deal. We were astounded to meet people on board who'd cruised 5, 10, even 13 times and on the very same ship! They treated the Pacific Princess as their 2nd home--one they didn't have to maintain or pay real estate taxes on. 

 

Now I'm lurking on travel sites, hoping for another phenomenal sale like the one that made us jump on the 2018 cruise. So far, no joy, but if all else fails, we're planning to take the plunge again in 2021. Still haven't settled on a cruise line. It'll depend on the itinerary and an apples to apples comparison (adding all the extra expenses to lines that aren't all inclusive). The fly in that ointment though is that we are not big drinkers, so that x'es out a big benefit of all inclusives.

 

I also need to avoid overseas flights unless we  get business class airfare included, so there's that. Since I travel with supplemental O2, I need to be sure I'll have a plug in at my seat for my oxygen concentrator. (I've tried to be sad that I can't fly economy, but I just cant! Ha!)

 

Anyway, if money were no object and I could bear to leave our family and friends so often, I'd go on a WC every year.

 

Good luck with yours!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

51 minutes ago, Aquadesiac said:

We were on our first WC last January on Princess.  Prior to that, we assumed it was a once in a lifetime deal. We were astounded to meet people on board who'd cruised 5, 10, even 13 times and on the very same ship! They treated the Pacific Princess as their 2nd home--one they didn't have to maintain or pay real estate taxes on. 

 

Now I'm lurking on travel sites, hoping for another phenomenal sale like the one that made us jump on the 2018 cruise. So far, no joy, but if all else fails, we're planning to take the plunge again in 2021. Still haven't settled on a cruise line. It'll depend on the itinerary and an apples to apples comparison (adding all the extra expenses to lines that aren't all inclusive). The fly in that ointment though is that we are not big drinkers, so that x'es out a big benefit of all inclusives.

 

I also need to avoid overseas flights unless we  get business class airfare included, so there's that. Since I travel with supplemental O2, I need to be sure I'll have a plug in at my seat for my oxygen concentrator. (I've tried to be sad that I can't fly economy, but I just cant! Ha!)

 

Anyway, if money were no object and I could bear to leave our family and friends so often, I'd go on a WC every year.

 

Good luck with yours!

 

If I can manage one WC then I can decide if I'd do it every year, lol!  I suspect one could get addicted if one had the funds.  I certainly love being on the ocean, so have no hesitation to try at least one.  I could even imagine "living" on a cruise ship, at least for a while, except for the "food problem" (too much of it.)

 

Regent does include alcohol, but frankly that's a minor thing, since other WC lines often include acohol as a perk as well.  I wouldn't recommend leaving Regent out of consideration for that reason.  They also include almost everything else, including most excursions (you can do very well just doing free ones, and there's usually lots of choice), plus the full-WC perks like free laundry/drycleaning, luggage delivery, visa package, free medical clinic visits, and the usual ones like no specialty dining charges, tipping.  

Edited December 31, 2018 by Wendy The Wanderer

[travelwell]

I can not wait to follow the WC blogs. We also are booked on Regents 2021 WC. We have had a WC on our bucket list for decades. We have saved and even with our financial counselors blessing, for us this is a huge amount of money. This will be our one and only WC. We do hope to do segments down the road. I can not image treating a segment cruiser any different then those booked on  a WC. As I see it we are all in the same boat, hoping to see the world while meeting new people. 

[travelwell]

Yikes! Excuse the old post above. I have no idea how it copied on this thread at this time.

 

I wanted to agree with Wendy. Do not rule out Regent. It is a wonderful cruise experience with many things included including business air. The quality of the free excursions good. Food and service great. Congenial fellow passengers.The price when looking at the whole picture may not be that different from other lines. An added plus - the lowest price rooms on Regent still large and lovely.

[Go-Bucks!]

12 hours ago, Aquadesiac said:

We were on our first WC last January on Princess.  Prior to that, we assumed it was a once in a lifetime deal. We were astounded to meet people on board who'd cruised 5, 10, even 13 times and on the very same ship! They treated the Pacific Princess as their 2nd The fly in that ointment though is that we are not big drinkers.....I also need to avoid overseas flights unless we  get business class airfare included, so there's that. Since I travel with supplemental O2, I need to be sure I'll have a plug in at my seat for my oxygen concentrator. (I've tried to be sad that I can't fly economy, but I just cant! Ha!)

 

I'm going to suggest you look at Oceania.  We researched 10 cruiseline world cruises before picking Oceania....comparing "apples to apples". Neither my friend nor I drink so any line that included alcohol was out since we didn't want to pay for something we wouldn't use and supplement others alcohol.

 

Oceania includes first class flights and we chose to start and end in the USA. Go to the Oceania website to see all the wonderful included perks...we added them up to a value of $22,000.

[Scrapnana]

13 hours ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

  I suspect one could get addicted if one had the funds.  I 

Even without the funds I am addicted.  Just hoping that one day the Publisher's Clearing House van will pull up in front of my house so I could do a world cruise every year!

[Go-Bucks!]

8 hours ago, Scrapnana said:

Even without the funds I am addicted.  Just hoping that one day the Publisher's Clearing House van will pull up in front of my house so I could do a world cruise every year!

 

Me too!  😂

[Aquadesiac]

22 hours ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

If I can manage one WC then I can decide if I'd do it every year, lol!  I suspect one could get addicted if one had the funds.  I certainly love being on the ocean, so have no hesitation to try at least one.  I could even imagine "living" on a cruise ship, at least for a while, except for the "food problem" (too much of it.)

 

Regent does include alcohol, but frankly that's a minor thing, since other WC lines often include acohol as a perk as well.  I wouldn't recommend leaving Regent out of consideration for that reason.  They also include almost everything else, including most excursions (you can do very well just doing free ones, and there's usually lots of choice), plus the full-WC perks like free laundry/drycleaning, luggage delivery, visa package, free medical clinic visits, and the usual ones like no specialty dining charges, tipping.  

I have been looking longingly at the Regent itineraries. If memory serves it's one of the few that hits both Egypt & Israel, two places I'd love to see. We've even been sighing over the 90-some day Arctic voyage that would take us to Scandinavia & Russia. 

 

We've gotten kind of spoiled by having balconies. Don't think I could talk the DH into a suite without one, however luxuriously appointed it might be. But Regent has been calling to me...

[Wendy The Wanderer]

1 hour ago, Aquadesiac said:

I have been looking longingly at the Regent itineraries. If memory serves it's one of the few that hits both Egypt & Israel, two places I'd love to see. We've even been sighing over the 90-some day Arctic voyage that would take us to Scandinavia & Russia. 

 

We've gotten kind of spoiled by having balconies. Don't think I could talk the DH into a suite without one, however luxuriously appointed it might be. But Regent has been calling to me...

 

Regent is all-balcony, except for a few suites on Navigator which are window suites.

[Aquadesiac]

Is Navigator the ship they use for the world cruise?  

[travelwell]

The Navigator is for this years (2019) WC. The Mariner is the ship for the 2020 and 2021 WC. As per Wendy, it is an all veranda ship. Google Regent 2021 World cruise. On Regent’s website you can see what is included. You can click on individual locations the cruise is going and see examples of excursions, free and otherwise. We do drink alcohol but that was not the reason we choose Regent. Actually less alcohol consumption on our lux cruises then on mainstream cruises. For us picking Regent it was the whole package including a well thought out itinerary and we are very comfortable with the pulse of the ship and people. We like Seabourn but ship smaller and itinerary not as nice to us and very long. We are holding our breath as my parents will be in mid 80’s and mom in law mid 90’s. Then there is the dog😳.

[Aquadesiac]

Interesting you mentioned your parents' ages. My mom & dad are 83 & 81 now--both in pretty good health, but as you say, it makes you think.  If they or one of our daughters became seriously ill, my first impulse would be to jump ship and hurry home. 

 

Are you looking into trip insurance that would allow you to interrupt your voyage for a family emergency? If so, which company? 

 

And speaking of dogs...we have a beloved 14 year old terrier, but our daughter would be taking care of him while we travel.

 

About drinking, it doesn't bother us if others are enjoying it. I take a lot of medication, so I really can't indulge & the DH never developed a taste for it. But it bothers the DH to think that we may be paying more for a WC because alcohol  is included.

 

Even so, I think I'll head back to the Regent website to dream a little more...