Segment of World Cruise

[Bruin Steve]

We just booked a 15 night cruise--Southampton to Copenhagen, Serenade, July 26, 2024.  An interesting itinerary for us--since we've done the Baltic multiple times, but, it's always been the "typical" Baltic.  This one is very different.  It goes to a few smaller, atypical ports--Skagen, Kiel, Ronne, Klapeida, Riga, Visby...along with the more typical Stockholm, Tallinn, Warnemunde, Helsinki, Brugge...Here's the itinerary:

26 July Southampton, England Departs 5:00 PM

27 July Bruges/Zeebruge (Brussels), Belgium  8:00 AM - 6:00 PM

28 July at sea

29 July Skagen, Denmark  7:00 AM - 3:00 PM

30 July Berlin (Warnemunde), Germany  8:00 AM - 10:00 PM

31 July at sea

1 August Riga, Latvia 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM

2 August Tallinn, Estonia 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

3 August Helsinki, Finland 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

4 August Stockholm, Sweden Arrives 9:00 AM

5 August Stockholm, Sweden Departs 6:00 PM

6 August Visby, Sweden 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

7 August Klaipeda, Lithuania 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

8 August Ronne, Denmark 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

9 August Kiel, Germany 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

10 August Copenhagen, Denmark Arrives 6:00 AM

 

Now, we've booked this over 14 months in advance, but curiously, it is virtually sold out already.  Why?  Well, RCCL actually announced this as a "World Cruise"--about nine months long--back in October 2022...and sold only full cruises or much longer segments up until very recently.  So, the ship filled up with a LOT of people taking the full nine months or with many taking the originally-announced much longer segments.   By the time they opened up these "shorter" segments, suites and balconies (our usual choices) were gone.  For this one, even OVs were largely gone.  We had a choice of picking one of two Deck 3 OV cabins all the way in the front...or to grab a "guarantee" booking.  Figuring, the worst we could do was to get assigned one of those two, we saved $500 and took the guarantee.  I guess we can hope someone pulls out and they assign us a much better cabin.  If not, we'll be okay with the forward OV...Just get me on the ship.

 

I'm not going to stress out too much about this cruise...but do wonder a few things.  Perhaps someone else here has taken a short segment on a World Cruise before.  We've never had that experience.

 

First, with a lot of people spending a lot of money and having a lot of time off in which to cruise for so long, will the demographics onboard be EXTREMELY "senior"?

Second, with so many people onboard since DECEMBER (We join late July), will virtually EVERYONE onboard be "Diamond" C&A or above?  If so, will the Diamond Club be jammed or will they change the "rules"?

Third, typically on a cruise, the entertainment repeats shows, guest artists, etc., week after week--so, when we've done "back-to-back" cruises, all the shows seem to get repeated one week to the next.  Will they change that pattern with so many people being long-term guests?

Any other differences we might experience?

Thanks...

[John&LaLa]

You'd be surprised at the demographics 

 

Reportedly 100+ kids

Lots of folks working, full trip and segmenters get free Wi-Fi 

Those same folks get drink packages included, no idea how DL will work. Most of the ship will be Diamond plus when you board

 

Welcome aboard

[John&LaLa]

Oh, and I'm guessing the ship will be very cliquish. We'll all be set in our routines 😉

 

Or maybe it will be fun to meet new people

 

Who knows

[Tee & Chilli]

Interesting info can be found on the roll call. I’m reading occasionally gathering tips.

[twangster]

46 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

Oh, and I'm guessing the ship will be very cliquish. We'll all be set in our routines 😉

 

Or maybe it will be fun to meet new people

 

Who knows

 

I had a dream two nights ago. 

 

In my dream I was on a segment and I sat in a seat in a bar and was told I can't sit there as it's "belongs" to a world cruiser (one who booked the whole show).  Then he showed up and went ballistic I was in his seat.  Much drama ensued.

 

Don't worry, it wasn't you.  🙂  

 

As I look at booking segments I've wondered how "segmenters" will be viewed by the "lifers".  I'm guessing the social dynamic will work somewhat like it does in a prison.  Fortunately I don't have any direct experience with that.  

[Ourusualbeach]

2 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

Most of the ship will be Diamond plus when you board

 

Do they have to wait until they end of the cruise to get their points or will they be awarded based on the 17 mini segments. 

Edited May 21, 2023 by Ourusualbeach

[Jimbo]

2 hours ago, twangster said:

 

I had a dream two nights ago. 

 

In my dream I was on a segment and I sat in a seat in a bar and was told I can't sit there as it's "belongs" to a world cruiser (one who booked the whole show).  Then he showed up and went ballistic I was in his seat.  Much drama ensued.

 

Don't worry, it wasn't you.  🙂  

 

As I look at booking segments I've wondered how "segmenters" will be viewed by the "lifers".  I'm guessing the social dynamic will work somewhat like it does in a prison.  Fortunately I don't have any direct experience with that.  

You might be right, the feel of entitlement might be raging by the time some later cruisers board. Just might not be the same kind of feeling around the ship as a usual cruise. I guess only time will tell how it goes.

[John&LaLa]

12 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Do they have to wait until they end of the cruise to get their points or will they be awarded based on the 17 mini segments. 

 

Originally it was a 'perk' of booking the full trip.

Instant recognition. Now that they have offered individual minis, it probably doesn't matter

[John&LaLa]

11 hours ago, Jimbo said:

You might be right, the feel of entitlement might be raging by the time some later cruisers board. Just might not be the same kind of feeling around the ship as a usual cruise. I guess only time will tell how it goes.

 

I can only go by our experience on the Mariner Odyssey, and we were only on for 15 days when the new wave boarded in Dubai.

 

I for one was looking forward to seeing some friends who boarded then

[John&LaLa]

13 hours ago, twangster said:

 

I had a dream two nights ago. 

 

In my dream I was on a segment and I sat in a seat in a bar and was told I can't sit there as it's "belongs" to a world cruiser (one who booked the whole show).  Then he showed up and went ballistic I was in his seat.  Much drama ensued.

 

Don't worry, it wasn't you.  🙂  

 

As I look at booking segments I've wondered how "segmenters" will be viewed by the "lifers".  I'm guessing the social dynamic will work somewhat like it does in a prison.  Fortunately I don't have any direct experience with that.  

 

FWIW. the segment folks seem to have been embraced. Not sure about the minis.

 

Another dynamic is the full cruisers who switched to minis to save money. Not sure how Royal or my fellow guests will treat them.

 

Big issue I see is the drink package. Originally everyone had the pkg. Even segment pax. Now, the mini cruisers do not. Just more work for bar staff.

 

As far as bar seats, I've sailed Radiance ships in the past where the same folks sat in the same stools in the CL lounge every night. Lord help someone who got there before they did😉

Edited May 21, 2023 by John&LaLa

[molly361]

13 hours ago, twangster said:

 

I

 

As I look at booking segments I've wondered how "segmenters" will be viewed by the "lifers".  I'm guessing the social dynamic will work somewhat like it does in a prison.  Fortunately I don't have any direct experience with that.  

Maybe I should book a segment.  I happen to be single😱😇

Edited May 21, 2023 by molly361

[John&LaLa]

15 minutes ago, molly361 said:

Maybe I should book a segment.  I happen to be single😱😇

 

Jump on the first 3 minis. Miami to LA.

 

Includes NYE in Rio😁

 

Easiest flight home

[Ourusualbeach]

7 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Jump on the first 3 minis. Miami to LA.

 

Includes NYE in Rio😁

 

Easiest flight home

Until Royal releases some more inventory they are both sold ou or close to it.  Dec 10 sailing has 1 inside left, the next leg is sold out

[Bruin Steve]

Back when the lines re-opened from the pandemic, we had B2B cruises on the brand new Celebrity Apex--in Sky Suites, so we had use of the Retreat lounge and other Suite amenities...AND the ship was two-thirds empty.  So, I'd go drinking each night in the Retreat Lounge...and always sat in the same chair.  One day late in the second cruise, I walked into the bar and one of the Retreat hostesses gasped "Oh, Steve...Someone's sitting in your chair...Should we move him for you?"  I laughed...

 

By the time we get on this one, I think it's nearing the end of the full trip...Last larger segment cruisers would have just boarded one mini-segment prior in Barcelona.  I am sure many passengers will have ended their trip there as well.  Maybe a few will depart in Southampton.  I'm sure others aside from us will be getting on.  If someone wants to look down on us as "newbies" or "transients", I'll ignore it.  That would be THEIR problem.

 

I am fairly well-traveled...I've visited 80 countries in my life thus far, many on cruises.  I just don't think I have the temperment to stay onboard one ship for nine months!  About a month seems to be the limit for me...We've done two month-long cruise trips in the last nine months.  "Side-to-side" cruises (like a B2B but getting off one ship and on to another, sometimes with a few days in between) with The Western Med and a Transatlantic Reykjavik to Boston in August and a Transpacific Rio de Janeiro to Lisbon followed by a Western Med in April.  I just like to schedule my cruising around other life events and commitments back home...and spread the cruises around.

 

Interestingly, we will actully be in Japan/South Korea over the same time as the World Cruise will be there...just in different ports each day.  We'll be doing back-to-backs on Celebrity Millennium out of Tokyo, 12 nighs each--starting with 5 hotel nights in Tokyo...We'll come home from that then fly to London for this one...

[cruisegirl1]

I would be hesitant to use the word entitled, but there will be cliques.   Back in 2015, we boarded a ship for the 15-night third leg of a three segment 45-night repositioning cruise.   Folks had made friends and enemies by then.   It was a small ship, Rhapsody, so passengers were forced to be together at times.  Longer cruises  were not as popular as they are now and back then, 45 nights  was a lot.  

 

We were a bit uncomfortable with a few comments we heard and often glad we had not been on the ship the full 45 nights.   Of course, 45 nights is a drop in the bucket compared to the full world cruise or several B2B segments. 

 

It will be a unique experience for sure and I hope all who are traveling have a good time. 

M

Edited May 21, 2023 by cruisegirl1

[Oceansaway17]

I am on the  leg of 1 way Copenhagen to Amsterdam because of my Jewel being cancelled for the 15 day all Norway.

For me I am interested in the itinerary and excited to get to see Oslo and Aarhus Denmark.

 

As for those on World cruise I bet some might welcome new faces and I am thinking of getting a shirt saying “1 leg only please just say Hello”.  But really it is about the ports and as a solo I will keep to myself a lot anyways.

[Ourusualbeach]

9 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

I am on the  leg of 1 way Copenhagen to Amsterdam because of my Jewel being cancelled for the 15 day all Norway.

For me I am interested in the itinerary and excited to get to see Oslo and Aarhus Denmark.

 

As for those on World cruise I bet some might welcome new faces and I am thinking of getting a shirt saying “1 leg only please just say Hello”.  But really it is about the ports and as a solo I will keep to myself a lot anyways.

I'm booked on that one as well.  Wanted to get to see Norway while ships can still get there

[Oceansaway17]

8 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I'm booked on that one as well.  Wanted to get to see Norway while ships can still get there

Ships will still go but might have to be smaller for ports like Flam.

[gumshoe958]

59 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

Ships will still go but might have to be smaller for ports like Flam.

It’s nothing to do with the size of the ship, and everything to do with what powers the ship.

[Oceansaway17]

10 minutes ago, gumshoe958 said:

It’s nothing to do with the size of the ship, and everything to do with what powers the ship.

Also they want less people in port too.

 

[sjb317]

My husband talked me into booking two of the smaller legs as well, great itineraries and cheap prices but, I do have concerns. One is, we were on a five night Serenade in 2021 and both of us said many times that we could not imagine doing a longer cruise on that ship, and yet,here we are.😂

 

Sherri🙂
 

 

[alleghator]

My hubby and I are booked on this 15-day cruise also! I was wondering about the way this would work for those of use boarding this late in the worldwide tour.