Most of us are lucky if we can get away for a week — maybe two, at most — for vacation. But what if you could spend nearly four months onboard a cruise ship, stopping at diverse and colorful ports all over the world?
You can now make this fantasy a reality when you book Princess Cruises’ newest itinerary: A 33,500-nautical-mile, around-the-world journey that stops at 51 destinations over the course of 116 days. Along the way, passengers will get to visit 27 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and check off 26 different countries from their travel bucket lists. They’ll also get to visit six continents: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe and Australia — basically, everywhere but Antarctica.
The cruise line recently unveiled the new itinerary, which it says is the longest trip it’s ever offered.
“Our expert itinerary planners have assembled an unmatched combination of popular ports and off-the-beaten-path locales for a global journey not found anywhere else,” says John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises, in a statement.
As of right now, interested travelers can board the ship, the Island Princess, at two different departure locations and dates: Jan. 5, 2025, in Ft. Lauderdale or Jan. 20, 2025, in Los Angeles. Both options are roundtrip to the embarkation city.
In addition to stops at places like Honolulu, Singapore, Dubai, Rome and Barcelona, the itinerary includes plenty of relaxing days at sea to enjoy the ship’s many amenities. With a casino, gourmet restaurants, a full-service spa, an art gallery, shopping, a sports court, freshwater pools, hot tubs and tons of live entertainment, the Island Princess is like a floating city, with all the creature comforts you could need or want during such a long voyage.
Prices start at $20,539 per person for interior rooms and go up from there, with oceanview rooms starting at $23,499. If you’re looking for a little more room to spread out, you’ll have to spend between $33,499 and $70,999 for a room with a balcony, a mini-suite or a suite.
Other New Around-The-World Cruises to Consider
Viking World Voyage I or World Voyage II
Viking also recently unveiled two new world cruise itineraries for 2024 and 2025: World Voyage I and World Voyage II.
World Voyage I lasts 180 days and includes stops at 85 ports in 37 countries across five continents. The ship, Viking Sky, departs from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Dec. 19, 2024, and completes its journey in New York on July 17, 2025. World Voyage II is slightly shorter at just 163 days and departs from Los Angeles on Jan. 5, 2025. One highlight of Viking’s world cruises is that they include several overnight stays – and even a few two-night stays — in destinations like Bali, Sydney and Bergen, which gives travelers even more time to relax, slow down and immerse themselves in the local culture and landscape.
Known for being the “thinking person’s cruise line,” Viking’s shore excursions range from photography tours to museum visits to cultural activities and more.
MSC World Cruise
Earlier this year, MSC Cruises announced that it had started accepting bookings for its new MSC World Cruise 2025 onboard the MSC Magnifica. The full itinerary, which covers more than 30,000 nautical miles, lasts 116 nights and includes stops at 50 ports in 21 countries. What sets MSC’s around-the-world cruise apart is that passengers can board the ship at four different ports in early January 2025: Civitavecchia/Rome, Genoa, Marseille or Barcelona.
Crystal Cruises World Cruise
Departing from Miami or San Diego in early 2024, the newly renovated Crystal Serenity will visit 70 destinations in 35 countries over the course of 141 days on Crystal Cruises’ World Cruise. Stops include ports in Mexico, New Zealand, Egypt, Italy, Portugal and more.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Check out Simplemost for additional stories.
