A Nine-Month Cruise Around the World Is Pretty Pricey

Table Of Content

• Where does the Royal Caribbean nine-month world cruise go?
• Why is this world cruise all over TikTok?
• What is the cheapest time to take a cruise? What travelers should know.
• How do cruise lines plan world cruises?
• Where is The Ultimate World Cruise going?
• Royal Caribbean's New Cruise Will Visit 65 Countries in 9 Months

World cruises aren't new, but this is the first one that Royal Caribbean has done and being a mainstream cruise line, the attention it's generating may be related to the fact it's more approachable than on smaller lines. The world cruise will take 274-nights and visit every continent in the world, including Antarctica. "That is something that has kind of helped to impact my desire to travel," she explains.

Where does the Royal Caribbean nine-month world cruise go?

It's not too late to join the cast of Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise, turned what The New York Times has deemed "TikTok's favorite new reality show." "I think that, realistically, if you can book a year or more in advance and block off the time and know that's going to work for you, then that's perfect," she said. But remember that destinations can be seasonal, which may narrow the window of opportunity.

Why is this world cruise all over TikTok?

“Silversea has a team of destination experts that select destinations that are unique and culturally diverse,” he said in an email. The line, also part of Royal Caribbean Group, sailed its first world cruise in 2007 and works to create destination themes and make segments distinct. Sisters Brandee and Shannon Lake, who are Black, said they’re sharing a cabin and said that quarantining  together during the pandemic prepared them to live in close quarters on the ship for nine months. Some said they cannot fathom what being on the cruise, traveling to that many locations while eating and drinking the days away, would do to a person physically. Rumors also quickly began to circulate on TikTok, with some people alleging that the ship wasn’t at capacity and how some travelers with better membership status were being treated differently than the others on board. And while the cruise has been going viral since it was first announced in 2021, it made more unfortunate headlines following the death of a passenger this month.

What is the cheapest time to take a cruise? What travelers should know.

"And so [I'm putting] an emphasis on just doing all of the things I can do now while I'm healthy, while I'm able, instead of putting them off in hopes that I can do them later, when in reality that may not happen." Angie Linderman, another young cruiser, said she had tested positive for the BRCA2 gene, which is linked to an increased risk of certain cancers, so there was no time like the present. The 274-night Ultimate World Cruise is scheduled to visit more than 150 ports of call in 65 countries on all seven continents, according to Royal Caribbean.

How do cruise lines plan world cruises?

"They did at least take the time to come to me and you know, ask how everything's going now." Soon after the post began to circulate, she says the cruise’s hotel director made a point to greet her at dinner. She echoed these statements in separate interview that aired on TODAY Dec. 27, saying that the passengers are "one growing family" and that "everything has been great."

Forget Going Around the World in 80 Days — Expensive Cruise Will Do It in Nine Months

Gen Z passengers flock to 9-month-long Royal Caribbean Ultimate World Cruise - New York Post

Gen Z passengers flock to 9-month-long Royal Caribbean Ultimate World Cruise.

Posted: Fri, 22 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

In viewing all the TikToks posted, creators have seemingly created a real-time view of the cruise and given they'll be on the ship for 9 months, TikTok has become obsessed with what they're calling "a reality show". Ticket rates are based on a range of 1,073 staterooms and the full 274-night trip ran from $53,999 per person to $117,599 per person. The cruise will depart from Miami on Dec. 10, 2023, and last until Sept. 10, 2024.

Royal Caribbean enlisted the Radiance-class Serenade of the Seas, which holds 2,490 guests and 891 crew, for the Ultimate World Cruise experience. The first leg, the Ultimate Americas, ran from Dec. 10 until Feb. 11 and took passengers around North America, South America, the Caribbean and Antarctica. World wonders on the to-see list included the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro and Machu Pichu. According to People, another passenger said in a since-deleted Feb. 11 TikTok that the deceased was an "elderly lady" who'd passed away the previous night. But if even the very idea of a 274-night cruise has you reaching for Dramamine, you can always just stay on land and scroll TikTok. Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to be a useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean.

"I think that it is surprising out there to people that there's so many on the younger side who are on the cruise," she explained. "I think that's really resonating with people or gathering their attention, maybe." "I think (TikTok users who watched the post) were tagging Royal Caribbean like 'you need to fix this,'" Brandee Lake explains.

He also made oodles of TikToks, poking his phone into every nook and cranny of the ship and documenting his experience on, as he cheekily put it, "this floating retirement home with a Cheesecake Factory attached." Nevertheless, her post was captioned, "You best believe if I had $60k id be on that ship." And, naturally, many people are just making TikToks about the cruise, hoping for some Below Deck-meets-Love Boat-style intrigue, with maybe a little Triangle of Sadness thrown in for schadenfreude. One would imagine Royal Caribbean isn’t pleased with his presence either — he’s been calling out the company for their low worker pay while also making the experience of actually being on the ship seem … kind of miserable. Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. The combination of a new kind of cruise of a well-known cruise line and TikTok's tenacity for generating drama seems to have resonated with viewers.

The cruise differs from a typical seven-night voyage in several crucial ways. Mainly – you’re not just on a short-lived vacation with your fellow passengers. You’ve essentially moved into a floating apartment building with them for almost a full year. You’re also putting your real life, relationships, and potentially careers, on hold. Who can just depart from their everyday responsibilities for a 9-month jaunt around the world?

“We are actively providing support and assistance to the guest’s loved ones at this time. Out of the privacy of the guest and their family, we have nothing further to share at this time,” the statement concluded. "This is the world cruise of world cruises," said Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International.

She cautioned travelers booking nonrefundable deposits – which they may not get back if they have to change their plans – to be certain the reservation they make will work for them. Moreover, the couple is also considering getting married on the cruise, but due to the itinerary changes, they have not been able to pull it off. The couple is currently not paying rent for any house and plans on moving to a new property after this trip. "We already got rid of everything and just hopped on the world cruise, so we’re not paying rent anywhere," Joshua stated.

The hashtag #RoyalCaribbeanUltimateWorldCruise has already accumulated nearly 100 million views on the platform, and with the cruise liner ending its voyage on Sept. 10, 2024, that number has plenty of time to continue to climb. The spokesperson did not share details regarding the passenger’s identity or the circumstances of their death. Prospective cruisers can usually find "a lot of good deals at the beginning of the year" during wave season, Goldberg-Glazer said. "If you're looking for a deal over Christmas, you're probably not going to find it," said Stephanie Goldberg-Glazer, chief experience officer and owner of the travel agency Live Well, Travel Often. She recalled that when she started to put the items away, she thought, "OK, how do I win this game of Tetris." The trip was not only financially possible because of her parents, but their passing served as her reminder that "retirement is not guaranteed to any of us," Linderman said.

“They came out with a new one with 17 small legs and then it became the whole cruise, so then we noticed the price is much better than the chunky one booking," said Ina. Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas cruise ship departed Miami in December with more than 800 guests and plans to spend the next nine months traveling to over 150 destinations across 65 countries. The Ultimate World Cruise is a nine-month voyage around the world, which left Miami on December 10, 2023, and is slated to return on September 10, 2024.

Maddox said it makes sense that people are trying to use the language of reality TV to understand what they see on TikTok, where “storytime” posts and drama are often posted episodically. Still, she urged viewers to remember that where reality TV is often scripted and planned behind the scenes, those on the Ultimate World Cruise are real people living their real lives. Like Maddox, many likened the cruise to the viral BamaRushTok — the time of year when sororities recruit new members at The University of Alabama, which is often shared by potential recruits on TikTok. Maddox, who has taught some of the women who became stars of the Bama Rush phenomenon, said she’s seen first-hand how real people being treated like figures on reality TV can be damaging and stressful. Other passengers told "TODAY" they were on the cruise to celebrate wedding anniversaries. One traveler, Angie Linderman, said she took the trip because she is at a higher risk for developing cancer in her lifetime and wanted to check off bucket list items while she is healthy.

And Sebastian, 33, ended up going aboard for an 18-day stretch in January courtesy of Simon & Schuster's Atria Books, which enlisted him to host a virtual book club. His trip included a choppy ride through the Drake Passage ("Drake's best work since hotline bling," he captioned a post), the body of water between South America's Cape Horn and Antarctica's South Shetland Islands. Each week we’ll send you the very best from the Vox Culture team, plus a special internet culture edition by Rebecca Jennings on Wednesdays. Matt started Royal Caribbean Blog in 2010 as a place to share his passion for all things Royal Caribbean with readers. He oversees all the writers at Royal Caribbean Blog, and writes a great deal of content on a daily basis. "So friendly, so kind so much energy," Brandee Lake says, quashing any drama that users have attempted to stir up so far.