Around the World Cruises

Cruising across the oceans and around the world has a timeless romance to it, and despite the expense, the idea of an around the world cruise is a major travel ambition for many people. An around the world cruise offers the opportunity to see most of the world in one big push in the luxury of a cruise liner, with its live entertainment, planned shore excursions and comforting amenities.

Holland America Line

The Holland America Line traces its start in the passenger liner business back to 1873, having started out in ferrying passengers from the Dutch port of Rotterdam to New York. In modern times, the company's cruise schedule includes one around the world adventure, its 110-day Grand World Voyage aboard the MS Amsterdam. The vessel departs from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and travel through the Caribbean before transiting into the Pacific through the Panama Canal. From there the ship crosses the Pacific, visiting many islands, before calling on New Zealand, Australia, India, and cities in the Mediterranean before cruising back to Florida.

All cabins have en suite bathrooms and small sitting areas, and the MS Amsterdam's Verandah suites come with balconies. Among its amenities the ship counts three bars, two restaurants, a swimming pool, and a fitness center and spa.

Holland America Line
300 Elliott Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98119
206-626-9000
hollandamerica.com

Yachts of Seabourn

For those living on the West Coast, the Yachts of Seabourn offer a 111-day world cruise departing from Los Angeles. Another feature of Seabourn's world cruise is that it terminates in the British port of Southampton. While that does tack the expense and time of flying home from the United Kingdom onto the trip, it also means the time spent crossing the Atlantic is instead spent in cities such as Lisbon, Portugal and Bordeaux, France. Seabourn's world cruise is aboard the appropriately named Sojourn, which is equipped with four restaurants and three bars, as well as a fitness center, pool and spa.

The Yachts of Seabourn
6100 Blue Lagoon Drive, Suite 400
Miami, FL 33126
800-929-9391
seabourn.com

Cunard Line

A particularly romantic option for a world cruise is to book passage aboard a vessel of the famous Cunard Line. Both the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth are used for Cunard's around the world cruises, and while most departures are from Southampton, there is one around the world cruise departing from New York scheduled every year. Outbound from New York, the cruise moves along the Atlantic coast of both North and South America before crossing to South Africa and then Australia, and then traversing the coasts of East Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean. The cruise finally ends in New York 107 days later. Both the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth feature several bars and restaurants, a fitness center, a pool and a spa.

Cunard Line
24303 Town Center Drive, Suite 200
Valencia, CA 91355
800-728-6273
cunard.com