A 4-Month World Cruise

I hope you don’t get sea-sick! MSC Cruises is offering a 119 day “World Cruise” which will bring guests to 49 locations in 32 countries. For the truly adventurous or perhaps just those who want to get away for a very long time, this cruise begins in Italy and makes its way west to cross the Atlantic, through the Panama Canal, up the North American coast, across the Pacific past Australia, into the Indian Ocean, the Suez Canal, and back to Italy. Along the way, it makes many ports for the guests to explore.

I cannot imagine taking in that many cities, cultures, and sights on a single trip. It must be an overload after the first few weeks. Overall, it is a very interesting prospect, if one has the means. Most people don’t visit even a fraction of these places in their lifetime. To commit to such an endeavor and step foot on the cruise ship during embarkation must be exhilarating.

Ship of the World 

The MSC Magnifica is the ship which will take travelers in comfort. With 4 restaurants, 11 bars, shops, entertainment venues, pools, gym, and a spa, the passengers will have many luxuries. The ship will visit most ports for an entire day, arriving in the morning and leaving at night. A handful, such as San Francisco, Honolulu, Papeete, Auckland and others will be multi-day stays. The list of destinations is impressive: Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, St. Maarten, Virgin Islands (U.S.), Puerto Rico, Aruba, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico, United States, French Polynesia, American Samoa, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Maldives, UAE, Oman, Jordan, and Greece.   

Price of A World Cruise 

Prices begin at about $18,000 for members and go up from there. Amenities, such a laundry service and non-lunch/dinner alcohol, are extra. Excursions will also add to the overall costs. The real cost may be in the amount of time you will spend on-board and with the same group of people. Four months is a long time to be tied to a ship.    

Would You? 

This offering is crazy. I am split. I enjoy cruises, but they usually only last 5 to 7 days, and I like to travel and experience the world. But, 4 months! Really? Perhaps one day, after I retire, we will consider taking such a trip. Although, they better have good internet connections setup. That is a deal breaker.   

For those of you who venture forward, happy travels!