More cruisers going around the world

The emerging trend of world cruises has not gone unnoticed by the cruise lines with seven of them now offering ten different voyages, according to CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association).

“Even during uncertain economic times, it appears that growing numbers of travelers are eager to sail the globe or, at the very least, take a nice long segment of a world cruise in a part of the world they probably have never seen before,” said Terry Dale, CLIA’s president and CEO.

All the 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. Typically, the voyage averages about 90 to 100 days.

Here are three examples:

Ø       Crystal’s 14th annual world cruise, on board Crystal Serenity, departs Los Angeles January 21. The 106-day voyage will visit 45 cities in Mexico, the South Pacific, New Zealand, eastern and western Australia, Indonesia and Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Russia, Alaska, British Columbia as well as San Francisco and back to Los Angeles. Segments are available in lengths of 12 to 22 days. Special guests onboard will include Deborah Norville, Ed McMahon, Richard Dreyfuss, Jack Hanna and more than two dozen experts on world affairs and other topics. The trip will also feature 125 new shore excursions, including several on a complimentary basis.

Ø       Ms Rotterdam returns to world cruising in 2009 with a 114/117-day Grand World Voyage departing January 19 from Los Angeles. The westbound route sails the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii, the South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand, and on through Asia and Africa before visiting the Caribbean and home to Ft. Lauderdale. Additionally, guests will have plenty of time to explore several ports of call with overnights in Sydney, Australia; Hong Kong and Shanghai, China; Mumbai, India; Mombasa, Kenya, and Cape Town, South Africa.

Ø       MS Fram, the newest adventure ship in the CLIA fleet, embarks on its second annual Longitudinal World Cruise on September 23 from Reykjavik, Iceland. The only itinerary of its kind, the 67-day voyage begins above the Arctic Circle and features Antarctica. Along the way, the ship visits the U.K. and Ireland, crosses the Atlantic, and visits Canada, the East Coast, and Central America before transiting the Panama Canal and sailing down the west coast of South America.
Report by David Wilkening