For those who have big blocks of time and love to cruise, this page is for you! Grand cruises run from 30 to 90 days that may focus on a specific continent or region of the world while world cruises are 90 to 120 days. You can book specific segments or the entire cruise. So how do you know if you would even like a world cruise? One of the best ways to know is if you like sea days. You will have quite a few as you circumnavigate the globe. Of course, being excited about visiting new ports is another way to know you are made for one of these cruises.
Itineraries
As you look for a cruise, you’ll see a variety of unique destinations that you don’t see every day on regular cruises. Try to select a cruise that has as many ports you haven’t visited as you can. Look at sea days too. You want an itinerary that doesn’t have too many sea days between ports unless it is absolutely necessary. You also want to look at how long you are in port. Some itineraries will have over nights or extended time in port, allowing you to see more while you are there.
Selecting a Ship
Do you want a big ship or a small ship, there are lots available? When you do decide, book early. The earlier you book, the better the deal (and cabin choice). Once the cruise opens up to segment booking, it can be hard to get a full cruise in the same cabin.
Small Ships
Small ships like Silversea, Regent, and Seabourn offer more inclusive pricing, refined pampering, and exotic destinations. You may even find air included in the pricing as well. Be careful though, if you get seasick easily, some of the sea days may get a little rough so you should look for a bigger ship or make sure you are down low in the middle of the ship. In addition, there may not be as much to do on a small ship.
Silversea Regent
Seabourn Map
Medium Sized Ships
These lines offer varying degrees of inclusivity so you can decide on what you want to pay for in some cases. The ships are often under 1,000 passengers but still have the ability to get into some amazing ports.
Oceania Crystal
Viking
Large Ships
Larger ships of up to 2,000 passengers or more offer more entertainment, things to do and new faces from segment to segment. You’ll find new people who come on board for part of the cruise, which allows you to make new friends. They also have more difficulty stopping in some of the more unique ports because of their size. However, they may be more reasonably priced which means more people can take advantage of completing a world cruise.
Holland America Cunard
