Types of Cruises - World Cruises
ALL ABOUT WORLD CRUISES
More and more people want to sail around the world, or at least a sizeable portion of it ... see all the wonders it has to offer at one go.
The urge to sail around the world started in the 16th century when Ferdinand Magellan's expedition of 1519–1522 became the first expedition to sail from the Atlantic Ocean into the Pacific Ocean and completed the first circumnavigation of the Earth (without Magellan, alas; he was killed in the Philippines). The urge to sail around the world started in the 16th century when Ferdinand Magellan's expedition of 1519–1522 became the first expedition to sail from the Atlantic Ocean into the Pacific Ocean and completed the first circumnavigation of the Earth (without Magellan, alas; he was killed in the Philippines).
In 1922 Cunard decided it might be fun (and profitable) to emulate Magellan with their good ship Lanconia and allow its passengers to do so in much more comfortable, indeed luxurious, circumstances. That was the start of world cruises.
Since then thousands of people have enjoyed world cruises at a leisurely pace and there are a growing number of cruise lines now offering a selection of world cruises.
World cruises by definition, are long voyages, sometimes three months or more. They typically circumnavigate the globe from west to east, setting sail from Europe (Southampton) or the East or West Coast of the USA / Canada, across the Pacific and on through Asia enroute to Europe and back across the Atlantic.
Cruises heading east, however, are growing in popularity. The itineraries typically head east from Europe through the Suez Canal,India and Asia.
The advantage of a west headed cruise is that the clocks keep turning back which means longer nights every few days - not a bad thing for a cruise. The advantage of an east headed cruise is in the wider selection of northern ports of call.
One of the advantages of all world cruises is that they often come with added bonuses, such as free spa treartments, free select shore excursions and even on board credit - all to entice you to book for the full cruise.
All world cruises are available for the entire voyage – some lines report that almost half their guests stay onboard from start to finish – or in segments ranging from less than two weeks to more than two months.
For the slightly unusual, and a fairly new option to these types of cruises, some cruise lines are offering a highly unusual “longitudinal” itinerary from the top of the world to the bottom – beginning in late September.
Cruise lines offering world cruises include Cruise West, Crystal Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Fred.Olsen, P&O, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Silversea and the Yachts of Seabourn, a couple even running two every year.
Photo : Princess Cruises