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[Mich3554]

I am intrigued with the idea of doing a world cruise, but my husband juuuuuust is not there yet.  He hasn’t shut the door on the idea, but has suggested going on increasingly longer  cruises to see how he feels about it.  
 

We have only done 2 cruises so far, both on Viking.  First was an 11 day trans Atlantic, second one was 15 day Trade Routes.  First cruise was sea day heavy, second was port days heavy.  He mentioned after the last cruise that he would have preferred a few more sea days (I think we had 3 on Trade Routes).  We are doing the 18 day Chilean Fjord cruise next month, which seems to be a better balance between sea and port days.  In the future, I am looking at cruises in the 20+ day range, but he will not be able to take off much more than 30 days at a time the next few years.
 

He is still working casual, so I don’t anticipate being able to do this until at least 2022 or 2023, so I have a couple years to work on him.  So I guess my question is what was necessary to get a spouse on the same page with regards to a world cruise?  Did anyone have a reluctant spouse?  What did you do to help convince them?   Thus far, my husband has utterly adored the cruises we have been on.  I seriously doubt I would be able to convince him to do this on any line other than Viking.  

[rkacruiser]

Your post is interesting to me.  No spouse with whom to contend, but I did wonder about the world cruise experience.  As a result, I booked the Amsterdam's final segment of the 2007 Grand World Voyage from Italy to Fort Lauderdale, a 17 day segment.  (I already had booked the 2008 Grand World Voyage, but could have cancelled with no issue, if I decided to do so.)  

 

I enjoyed that short segment in ALL respects.  I kept my 2008 booking and enjoyed that cruise as well.  But, the experience was different in some aspects.  There was a different Hotel Director (he was a newbie in that job although he was an experienced HAL CD and had been very successful as the take-out HD on the Noordam).  The attitude of some of the guests whom I encountered was different.  Didn't care for the CD either.  And, a couple members of the cruise staff employed for that cruise were incompetent in their jobs and soon left HAL employment.  Would I sail another HAL world cruise?  Yes.  It is such a remarkable experience that ought not to be missed regardless of whatever "warts" appear.

 

I'd suggest encouraging your spouse to try a segment of whatever world cruise on whatever cruise line you wish as an "experiment".  Some people are "worried" about the many consecutive days at sea on these cruises.  Those days are well filled by the CD by a variety of activities, programs, etc.  But, for me, the best of those days are just being at sea and experiencing the sights and sounds of the sea.  And at sunset:  when sky conditions seem promising, will I be able to see the "green flash"?  

 

  

[Heidi13]

We join the 2nd half of the current Viking World Cruise and will post updates on the Viking Ocean forum and our travel blog. Suggest checking out the Ultimate 245-day World Cruise thread on the Viking Ocean page

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2691518-ultimate-world-cruise-245-days-and-all-the-parts-ongoing-review-questions-opinion/

 

You can also join the roll calls for the 2020 & 2021 Viking World Cruises.

 

Similar to the previous reply, you may want to sign up for a segment to get a feel for the WC atmosphere.

[Mich3554]

1 hour ago, Heidi13 said:

We join the 2nd half of the current Viking World Cruise and will post updates on the Viking Ocean forum and our travel blog. Suggest checking out the Ultimate 245-day World Cruise thread on the Viking Ocean page

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2691518-ultimate-world-cruise-245-days-and-all-the-parts-ongoing-review-questions-opinion/

 

You can also join the roll calls for the 2020 & 2021 Viking World Cruises.

 

Similar to the previous reply, you may want to sign up for a segment to get a feel for the WC atmosphere.

Last year, we were on the Viking Sun as it came into Miami in preparation of that world cruise starting in Jan 2019.  We found out about it via the staff talking and started discussing it back then.  
 

I have been lurking on all those threads you’ve mentioned, but I am just looking for ways to push DH just a little to get him onboard with the idea.  Last Jan his attitude was not way in hell’ and at this point he has mentioned it as something after he retires.  This is a huge step for him, in just a year and one additional cruise under our belts.  Incidentally, neither of us cruised at all until the trans Atlantic we took.  
 

I don’t think that the 245 day cruise is going to be an option, but the shorter ones more likely.  

[SusieQft]

I would agree with rkacruiser that it is good to try out segments of the world cruise on the ship (or at least the line) you are considering.  My husband was similarly reluctant, but after doing the first two segments of the Crystal world cruise twice, and some other non-world cruise long B2Bs (one done and one booked for 2020), we both discovered that we really like the ambiance of the world cruise, and have both wished we did not have to get off the ship.  Now we are booked for 3 segments of the world cruise in 2021 and the full world cruise in 2022.  It just took a few tastes of the experience, and then when the 2022 itinerary was a round trip out of Los Angeles that was enough to convince him.

[Keith1010]

We were fortunate that my wife and I were both in agreement to do a world cruise.  With that said:

 

Only a few years before we took our first one we didn't understand how anyone could be on a ship that long.  We ended up doing a back to back cruise totaling 24 days which was our longest one on the ship which we ended up booking on a World Cruise.  I don't think it is necessary to do a world cruise segment to make the decision.  I do think it help to take some kind of longer cruise to see if this will work and if you can do it on the ship where the world cruise is offered all the better.

We were also fortunate to meet a couple who had done a world cruise earlier in the year and they walked us through it and that was the catalyst to us booking a world cruise.

 

I do know several couples who have taken the world cruise but where one of the two needed convincing.  In each case it was a man who needed the convincing.  Not sure precisely why but that is what it was.  It did take awhile for the wife to convince each husband to go forward on this.  Two things helped convince the husband.  One was just that the wife was persistent about wanting to do the world cruise and the other was the wife having the husband speak others who have done the world cruise.  I know because I was asked to speak with a number of the gents about this.

 

Keith

[Wendy The Wanderer]

17 hours ago, Mich3554 said:

So I guess my question is what was necessary to get a spouse on the same page with regards to a world cruise?  Did anyone have a reluctant spouse?  What did you do to help convince them?   

 

In my case the problem took care of itself.  I had dreamed of doing a world cruise years ago (my mother went around the world on a freighter in the 70's).  But never thought we'd do it, especially after a fairly disastrous TA that we took about five years ago.

 

But we did an 18 day a couple of years ago, down to Lima, which we both loved, and we were both jealous of the people who were staying on and going all the way around.

 

And we're getting older, and those long-haul plane flights to exotic places get more and more stressful, despite travelling business class.  

 

So when we got the brochure more than a year ago, I wasn't home, I was at the cottage.  David emailed me and broached it first.  That was the big surprise.  We both know the ship, and love it (it's the one we went to SA on.)  The thought of only having a flight home from Barcelona, driving to Miami to start the cruise (probably), going to places that we'd given up on seeing (NZ, Aus, Malaysia, India, Israel), and going back to some favorite spots (SA, FP, SE Asia, Egypt, Istanbul and the Med.), doing no cooking, cleaning, dishes, grocery shopping, laundry for four whole months just won us over.   Excursions are (mostly) included on our trip, so we can do as much as we want or are able, plus strike out on our own when we wish.

 

So maybe if you stick with your plan of longer trips, he will come around.  In the end, it was *me* who had to be persuaded, although that was mostly the monetary side of it (gulp!)

Edited November 29, 2019 by Wendy The Wanderer

[Mich3554]

I have at least another year to work on DH.  After the 15 day cruise we were on, he was asking our cabin steward if it would be ok if we just didn’t get off the boat!  So I think the idea of a world cruise is moving forward in his brain, but I realize that unlike other cruises we are going to need far more lead time in scheduling and preparations.  DH is the sort of person who packs an hour before we leave for the airport, and inevitably forgets something.  So I will have that mindset to change as well.  (Or just do all of his packing too).

 

Right now, we have an ocean cruise next month, 2 river cruises planned, and a scuba trip to Fiji.  I have us booked through 2021, if I book the even longer ocean cruise I have my eye on.  

Edited November 29, 2019 by Mich3554

[Wendy The Wanderer]

23 minutes ago, Mich3554 said:

DH is the sort of person who packs an hour before we leave for the airport, and inevitably forgets something.  So I will have that mindset to change as well.  (Or just do all of his packing too).

 

My husband's the same, so except for his shaving kit and toiletries, I pack everything.  In fact, when we went on our first cruise in 2000 (Paul Gauguin in French Polynesia), I bought his wardrobe for him, since he's a "jeans-only" kind of guy.  I've been buying his clothes ever since (except for his jeans, and I've even influenced him there.)

[Mich3554]

6 minutes ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

My husband's the same, so except for his shaving kit and toiletries, I pack everything.  In fact, when we went on our first cruise in 2000 (Paul Gauguin in French Polynesia), I bought his wardrobe for him, since he's a "jeans-only" kind of guy.  I've been buying his clothes ever since (except for his jeans, and I've even influenced him there.)

Our last trip, Bruce took 4 pair of socks.  Since we were on Viking, he just did his laundry more frequently.  Halfway through the cruise, he was down to 3 socks (not 3 pair).  The socks he chose to pack were those that were at the end of their life.  
 

We took one trip to a resort in Mexico where the only shoes he took were his Merrill clogs.  He forgot underwear and socks, and both pair of shorts he grabbed were those he used to paint in.  Luckily, we had time for a quick shopping trip on the way to the airport!  

He WILL NOT do any sort of cruise where he has to dress for dinner.  Khakis and a collared shirt are as far as he will go and all he will pack.  

[Wendy The Wanderer]

39 minutes ago, Mich3554 said:

He WILL NOT do any sort of cruise where he has to dress for dinner.  Khakis and a collared shirt are as far as he will go and all he will pack.  

 

Mine too.  Luckily our cruise line is "country club casual".  Since it's a world cruise we're taking (2021), there will be a hotel stay and "gala" reception and dinner the night before.  People are saying that we should dress up for that.  But we won't, at least he wont.  He'll have one of his nicer shirts on, and a nice pair of pants. 🙂

[rkacruiser]

4 hours ago, Mich3554 said:

DH is the sort of person who packs an hour before we leave for the airport, and inevitably forgets something.

 

Sailing a world cruise requires a much different mind set!  Much thought and pre-cruise preparation for the ordinary details of life that must be taken care of when one is away from home is required.  Seems daunting when one begins, but turns out to be an interesting travel learning experience that adds to the memories of one's world cruise.

 

For me, the 2008 itinerary of the Amsterdam was the major reason I focused on that cruise.  Unusual for a HAL world cruise to call at Black Sea ports and at Adriatic Sea ports, an Australia Southern and Western coast port calls, Malta, Istanbul, Manila, with the final port calls before Fort Lauderdale being Bermuda and New York:  it was the itinerary that "sold" me on seriously considering booking this cruise.  (And, as a solo cruiser, the pricing was very good as well!)

 

 

[Mich3554]

2 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Sailing a world cruise requires a much different mind set!  Much thought and pre-cruise preparation for the ordinary details of life that must be taken care of when one is away from home is required.  Seems daunting when one begins, but turns out to be an interesting travel learning experience that adds to the memories of one's world cruise.

 

 

 

 

I realize this. Right now, my husband is utterly clueless as to how many hours I spend online for a 2-3 week trip.  A world cruise is going to require far more thought.    

[rkacruiser]

24 minutes ago, Mich3554 said:

I realize this. Right now, my husband is utterly clueless as to how many hours I spend online for a 2-3 week trip.  A world cruise is going to require far more thought.    

 

Persevere!  The effort is worth it! 

[Heidi13]

6 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Sailing a world cruise requires a much different mind set!  Much thought and pre-cruise preparation for the ordinary details of life that must be taken care of when one is away from home is required.  Seems daunting when one begins, but turns out to be an interesting travel learning experience that adds to the memories of one's world cruise.

 

For me, the 2008 itinerary of the Amsterdam was the major reason I focused on that cruise.  Unusual for a HAL world cruise to call at Black Sea ports and at Adriatic Sea ports, an Australia Southern and Western coast port calls, Malta, Istanbul, Manila, with the final port calls before Fort Lauderdale being Bermuda and New York:  it was the itinerary that "sold" me on seriously considering booking this cruise.  (And, as a solo cruiser, the pricing was very good as well!)

 

 

Wow, great itinerary. Been up to Istanbul many times, but only once into the Black Sea. Only went to Constanza, but a great experience.

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, Mich3554 said:

I realize this. Right now, my husband is utterly clueless as to how many hours I spend online for a 2-3 week trip.  A world cruise is going to require far more thought.    

Totally agree with rkacruiser, persevere. I spent about 18 months researching our upcoming World Cruise. While I don't have to convince DW, as it is generally her choice of cruise line/itinerary, I still do the research.

 

I create a multi-page file for each port listing points of interest to both of us.

[rkacruiser]

16 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

Wow, great itinerary. Been up to Istanbul many times, but only once into the Black Sea. Only went to Constanza, but a great experience.

 

One port we visited was Sochi just after it had been named as the site of the next Winter Olympics.  A tour that I took went into the area/valley where the Olympics were to be held.  So primitive and rural; little development and only a two lane road into the area.  Russia had a tremendous amount of work to get accomplished to get the infrastructure built to hold the Games.  When I watched the Games and there were overall views of the area, there was nothing that I recognized.  Once, I saw a view of the area of Sochi were the port was located and I did recognize that area.  

[Mich3554]

17 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

Wow, great itinerary. Been up to Istanbul many times, but only once into the Black Sea. Only went to Constanza, but a great experience.

The new Istanbul international airport is almost on the Black Sea.  You get a good sight of it in landing.  

 

We were in Istanbul last July, visiting friends and we went on vacation with them in Datca.  It was my 4th trip to Turkey, Bruce’s third.   At this point, we have seen quite a bit of the country....but there is always more to see.   I would go back to the little village we stayed at in a heartbeat.  

[SargassoPirate]

On 11/28/2019 at 6:25 PM, Mich3554 said:

I am intrigued with the idea of doing a world cruise, but my husband juuuuuust is not there yet.  He hasn’t shut the door on the idea, but has suggested going on increasingly longer  cruises to see how he feels about it.  
 

We have only done 2 cruises so far, both on Viking.  First was an 11 day trans Atlantic, second one was 15 day Trade Routes.  First cruise was sea day heavy, second was port days heavy.  He mentioned after the last cruise that he would have preferred a few more sea days (I think we had 3 on Trade Routes).  We are doing the 18 day Chilean Fjord cruise next month, which seems to be a better balance between sea and port days.  In the future, I am looking at cruises in the 20+ day range, but he will not be able to take off much more than 30 days at a time the next few years.
 

He is still working casual, so I don’t anticipate being able to do this until at least 2022 or 2023, so I have a couple years to work on him.  So I guess my question is what was necessary to get a spouse on the same page with regards to a world cruise?  Did anyone have a reluctant spouse?  What did you do to help convince them?   Thus far, my husband has utterly adored the cruises we have been on.  I seriously doubt I would be able to convince him to do this on any line other than Viking.  

 

It would never work for me to try to talk She Who Must Be Obeyed into any trip that she is not interested in.  And the reverse is true.  While we love to travel together, there are times when we have taken trips without the other.  For example, I sometimes take extended solo motorcycle trips. SWMBO went on a photo safari in Africa with a longtime girl friend.  I took a solo cruise around South America a few years ago. We have agreed that when it's time to take up the rockin' chair that we are not going to have regrets about things that we wished we had done.

 

To that end, when I broached the subject of a world cruise, SWMBO said that she had no interest in being on a ship that long.  I told her I would miss her while I was gone, but if I didn't do a world cruise I would regret it the rest of my life. After several years of research, I finally put a stake in the ground and have my solo world cruise booked for 2022.   A solo world cruise will cost more since I'll be paying the single supplement, but I booked an inside (which suits me just fine since on previous solo cruises I book an inside).

 

 

 

 

 

[wishIweretravelling]

On 11/29/2019 at 12:01 AM, SusieQft said:

  Now we are booked for 3 segments of the world cruise in 2021 and the full world cruise in 2022.  It just took a few tastes of the experience, and then when the 2022 itinerary was a round trip out of Los Angeles that was enough to convince him.

Is the 2022 on Crystal? If so, there's a roll call already underway. Come join in at 

 

[Mich3554]

23 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

 

It would never work for me to try to talk She Who Must Be Obeyed into any trip that she is not interested in.  And the reverse is true.  While we love to travel together, there are times when we have taken trips without the other.  For example, I sometimes take extended solo motorcycle trips. SWMBO went on a photo safari in Africa with a longtime girl friend.  I took a solo cruise around South America a few years ago. We have agreed that when it's time to take up the rockin' chair that we are not going to have regrets about things that we wished we had done.

 

To that end, when I broached the subject of a world cruise, SWMBO said that she had no interest in being on a ship that long.  I told her I would miss her while I was gone, but if I didn't do a world cruise I would regret it the rest of my life. After several years of research, I finally put a stake in the ground and have my solo world cruise booked for 2022.   A solo world cruise will cost more since I'll be paying the single supplement, but I booked an inside (which suits me just fine since on previous solo cruises I book an inside).

 

 

 

 

 

If my husband had continued with his disinterest, I would have likely dropped the subject with him.  However, he is the sort of person that you need to drop the idea on him, and then he needs to mull it over awhile.  The fact that he has periodically brought up the idea again means that his initial ‘hell no’ has shifted to ‘possibly’.  I just need to speed up the process a bit because I know that if we are looking at 2023, I will need a commitment out of him for this in the next year or so.

[SusieQft]

2 hours ago, wishIweretravelling said:

Is the 2022 on Crystal? If so, there's a roll call already underway. Come join in

Thank you, I will do that.

Edited December 2, 2019 by SusieQft

[Heidi13]

On 11/30/2019 at 2:10 PM, Mich3554 said:

The new Istanbul international airport is almost on the Black Sea.  You get a good sight of it in landing.  

 

We were in Istanbul last July, visiting friends and we went on vacation with them in Datca.  It was my 4th trip to Turkey, Bruce’s third.   At this point, we have seen quite a bit of the country....but there is always more to see.   I would go back to the little village we stayed at in a heartbeat.  

Never arrived or departed by flight, as they have all been by ship. Many years ago, we were in Istanbul every 2 weeks, but only for 8 hrs each time. Sadly, you don't see much and it becomes very repetitive.

[Mich3554]

Hmmm......now I am dealing with an interesting twist.  DH has just received a job offer that he thinks is utterly obscene.  It is nearly 70% greater than what he was making previously, because his abilities are so badly needed.  They were willing to make a zillion concessions to get him on board, including only needing to work 75% of the time (along with vacation).  So previously, when he was considering end of 2021 as his ‘get outta work forever’ date, he has shifted it to either 2023 or 2024.

 

The other thing this job offer has done has made him gung ho on the idea of dropping $100k on a world cruise.  Whoda thunk that this would take him the rest of the way?  We may be kicking the booking of a World cruise down the road a year or two....but this was the switch he needed.

[rkacruiser]

Mich3554:

 

Congratulations to your DH for obtaining such a significant new job offer!  A world cruise can be done for less than $100,000 if one wishes to do so.  But, if you are fortunate to have that kind of money available for such a cruise, the door opens for considering a wider list of possible ships/itineraries on which to sail.