11 Around-the-world Cruises for the Trip of a Lifetime
Want to island hop around French Polynesia, visit Africa's incredible cities, and cruise through Asia without ever switching hotels, boarding a flight, or repacking your bags? An around-the-world cruise provides the ultimate itinerary, packed with exciting international destinations (some even visit hard-to-reach destinations like Easter Island and Antarctica), and luxury cruise lines provide comfortable accommodations, specialty restaurants, and plenty to do on and off the ship.
Related: More cruise vacation ideas
There are two main things you need before booking a world cruise: plenty of time and some spare cash. Prices range from around $20,000 to upwards of $100,000 per person, and all our top picks are more than 100 days (one is even a whopping 275 days), so they're ideal for retired travelers looking for their next big adventure. Pack wisely for a range of destinations and climates, and get ready for the journey of a lifetime, filled with postcard-perfect destinations and new friends (because you're bound to meet a travel buddy or two after 100-plus days on a ship). If an around-the-world cruise is at the top of your travel list, you'll want to book sooner rather than later — these journeys frequently sell out because many cruise lines only offer a limited number of sailings.
Here are ten of the best around-the-world cruises you can take in 2023 and 2024.
Viking Ocean Cruises
Courtesy of Viking Cruises
Viking World Cruise
See 28 countries on the 138-day Viking World Cruise from Fort Lauderdale to London. After departing from Florida, the Viking Neptune will sail the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, stopping in sunny destinations before crossing the Panama Canal to reach the Pacific. From there, the ship will visit destinations in Mexico and the United States, continuing on to Hawaii, French Polynesia, New Zealand, and Australia. Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, and India are among the ports in Asia, then it's on to the Middle East before traveling to Europe, where final destinations include Italy, Spain, and Portugal en route to London. Fares start at $59,995.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Courtesy of Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Moments in Time: World Cruise 2024
Sail around the world in 132 nights aboard the Seven Seas Mariner on a round-trip journey from Miami. You'll spend the days at sea enjoying the luxury ship's amenities, including the spa and several restaurants and lounges, between stops in destinations like Costa Rica, Mexico, Hawaii, Tahiti, Bora Bora, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, India, UAE, Israel, and Italy, among others. This 2024 world cruise, with fares starting at $73,499, is officially sold out, but you can join a waitlist to be notified of cancellations.
Royal Caribbean
Courtesy of Royal Caribbean
The Ultimate World Cruise
Royal Caribbean pulls out all the stops — and there are more than 150 of them — on this 274-night cruise to all seven continents. The itinerary aboard the Serenade of the Seas begins in Miami on December 10, 2023, and visits more than 60 countries, including Brazil, Ecuador, Nicaragua, French Polynesia, the Philippines, South Korea, India, Romania, Lithuania, and Greenland, before ending in Miami on September 10, 2024. Travelers who don't want to commit to the entire cruise can book shorter 63- to 84-night segments. Fares start at $59,999 for this cruise that gives travelers the opportunity to visit 11 of the great wonders of the world, including the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, and Chichen Itza.
Cunard
Courtesy of Cunard
The Centenary World Voyages
Cruise aboard the Queen Victoria on this 105-night round-trip journey departing from Hamburg, Germany. From Germany, the ship will sail to Southampton, England, and then travel on to New York City before reaching the Caribbean and sailing the Panama Canal. Stops in Mexico, San Francisco, and Hawaii come next, and later ports include Samoa, New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Egypt, Portugal, and more before arriving back in Germany. Fares start at $21,699 for this 2023 sailing.
Silversea
Courtesy of Silversea Cruises
World Cruise 2024
Enjoy 133 days on Silversea's Silver Shadow with this round-trip sailing from San Francisco. During that time, the ship will visit 65 ports in 14 countries, including Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, Japan, Russia, and Canada. Fares start at $66,000 for this 2024 sailing, which currently has waitlist availability.
Seabourn
Courtesy of Seabourn Cruise Line
2023 World Cruise: Extraordinary Discoveries
Climb aboard the Seabourn Sojourn for a 140-day world cruise from Miami to Barcelona, visiting 58 ports in 27 countries. The cruise will begin in the United States, then stop in Central and South America, followed by a pause in famed Easter Island. Then, it's on to French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, and more before stopping in Papua New Guinea and Australia. After Indonesia and the Seychelles, the cruise will go around Africa, hitting destinations like Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Namibia, Gambia, and more before ending in Spain. Fares start at $66,299 for this 2023 sailing.
Oceania Cruises
Courtesy of Oceania Cruises
Around the World in 180 Days
Travelers on Oceania's 180-day round-trip cruise from San Francisco aboard the Insignia will see some of the world's most impressive sights. Highlights include stops for Machu Picchu and the Nazca Lines in Peru, cruising along Antarctica, and hitting major cities like Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Dubai, Mumbai, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Beijing, Tokyo, and many more. Fares start at $43,299 for the 2023 sailing.
MSC Cruises
Courtesy of MSC Cruises
MSC World Cruise 2023
The MSC Magnifica will take guests to 43 destinations on this 117-day cruise starting and ending in Genoa. Countries visited during this journey include Argentina, Chile, Peru, New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India, and Jordan. When you're not exploring each port, you can relax in the swimming pools and hot tubs, visit the many restaurants, bars, and lounges, or go to the spa. Fares start at $15,549.
Princess Cruises
Courtesy of Princess Cruises
111-day World Cruise
This round-trip cruise from Los Angeles on the Island Princess will visit 47 ports in beautiful places like New Zealand, Australia, Bali, Sri Lanka, UAE, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Spain, Morocco, Bermuda, Mexico, and more. Fares for this 2024 sailing start at $19,499.
Holland America Line
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128-day Grand World Voyage
Explore the world on this 128-day round-trip journey from Fort Lauderdale on the Zuiderdam. This cruise's itinerary includes a trip down the Amazon River, stops in the Caribbean, a Panama Canal crossing, and stops in cities like Honolulu, Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, and Istanbul, and more. Fares start at $23,799 for this 2024 cruise.
Azamara
Courtesy of Azamara
Azamara World Cruise
This 155-night itinerary to more than 40 countries kicks off in Fort Lauderdale and finishes in Barcelona. The itinerary features ports for experiencing some of the great wonders of the world, including the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, as well as Petra, Jordan, and the Colosseum in Rome. Travelers can also choose to join segments of the cruise aboard the Azamara Onward for as few as 10 nights. Fares for this 2024 sailing start at $36,379.
