Royal Caribbean's 9-month world cruise gets rerouted to Africa to avoid Red Sea

Table Of Content

• This New Around-the-World Cruise Will Take You to All 7 Continents in 274 Days
• After a double mastectomy, this inspiring TikToker embarked on a 9-month world cruise
• I Spent 7 Days on My First Adults-Only Virgin Voyages Cruise
• Things I Loved (and Hated) About My First Big-Ship Cruise
• Ultimate Africa &Southern Europe
• Seabourn’s Latest Expedition Ship Brings a Safari Sensibility to Antarctica. We Hopped on Board.

Or, pick one of the 17 sailings (ranging from nine to 29 nights) that make up the cruise and visit the sites that are most exciting to you. This week, Royal Caribbean International announced its Ultimate World Cruise that will take passengers to all seven continents in the span of 274 days. The immersive experience will embark on its roundtrip course from Miami on December 10, 2023 and return on September 10, 2024. The sailing has already had an itinerary change due to weather conditions near Antarctica, and undoubtedly there will be further itinerary adjustments in the months to come. Hopefully, tensions will ease and no such dramatic change as skipping an entire portion of the cruise route will be necessary. It’s one thing to go on a cruise for four or five nights, but guests currently traveling on the Serenade of the Seas have committed themselves to sailing around the world for nine months straight.

This New Around-the-World Cruise Will Take You to All 7 Continents in 274 Days

And with top-notch restaurants onboard, every meal turns into a global taste-tour that’s as immersive as your Ultimate World Cruise. She's focused on building "good habits and good routines," including going to the gym in the morning and working on sea days. Right before Thanksgiving, she gave notice to her job to reduce her hours and work remotely. "This is more of a marathon than a sprint," Linderman said of the nine months she's spending in a cabin. With 650 guests on board, Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise departed from Miami on Dec. 10.

Royal Caribbean Confirms 9-Month Cruise Will Not Go Through Red Sea and Suez Canal Due to Middle East Unrest - PEOPLE

Royal Caribbean Confirms 9-Month Cruise Will Not Go Through Red Sea and Suez Canal Due to Middle East Unrest.

Posted: Fri, 16 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

After a double mastectomy, this inspiring TikToker embarked on a 9-month world cruise

Even if you're cruising outside of hurricane season, flexibility is of utmost importance, as you never know when your ship might miss a port or two. If Immersive Africa is chosen, guests will receive 25% off the pro-rated segment 3 cruise fare in the form of a refundable onboard credit. According to TikTok user drjennytravels, Royal Caribbean is calling the "Immersive Africa" itinerary the "scenic route," while "Africa & Greece" has been dubbed the "highway." Due to the conflict in the Red Sea, Royal Caribbean is opting to change the third segment of the Ultimate World Cruise, and they're letting guests have a say in the new itinerary.

I Spent 7 Days on My First Adults-Only Virgin Voyages Cruise

The penultimate leg of the trip heads to the Mediterranean and Middle East destinations over the course of another 67 days. “I’m so invested in this 9 month world cruise happening cause I know it’s gonna be some MESS,” one person posted on X. Guests onboard Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise were alerted with their new cruise itinerary after it was announced that they'd no longer cruise through the Red Sea due to unrest in the area. Many other lines, including Virgin Voyages, MSC Cruises and Silversea Cruises, have recently canceled or rerouted sailings away from the area. It should be noted that Serenade of the Seas is not scheduled to enter the Red Sea until mid-May.

"To travelers asking themselves where they should go next, we say everywhere." Because Linderman's brother and his family of five are on board as well, she calls herself "a hybrid solo traveler." But one of the reasons she chose such a long cruise was to find community. It struck Linderman how her parents died around the age people usually retire and finally take the time to cross items off their bucket lists. This cruise has "felt like the light at the end of the tunnel” for the Oregon-based social media manager. One person claimed that American and non-American guests were being treated differently on board the ship. The passengers on the Serenade of the Seas so far seem to be enjoying the cruise, according to several who spoke to "TODAY."

Ultimate Africa &Southern Europe

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 far we've seen a couple videos with people being unaware of the benefits top tier Royal Caribbean cruisers get on any sailing, but nothing substantial. The Ultimate World Cruise will take 274 nights on Serenade of the Seas that will visit more than 150 destinations in 65 countries and 11 great wonders of the world. People watching on TikTok seem quite intrigued by the idea of spending that long on a cruise ship, and it almost seemed like a reality show to viewers.

9-Month Cruise Captain Says Potential Reroute Announcement Is Imminent Amid Red Sea, Suez Canal Unrest - PEOPLE

9-Month Cruise Captain Says Potential Reroute Announcement Is Imminent Amid Red Sea, Suez Canal Unrest.

Posted: Thu, 08 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Of course, with all cruises, even if it's a short 3-night getaway to The Bahamas, it's important to remain flexible. Throughout the first few months of 2024, for instance, some Royal Caribbean ships haven't been able to dock at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Recently, Freedom of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas had to have passengers return early, as weather conditions were deteriorating. Cruise Hive was established back in 2008 and among the earliest blogs in the industry. Since the start, it's been our aim to provide the latest cruise news covering all the major cruise lines.

So is there drama and why is social media obsessed?

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. One person began tracking all the content creators on board so that others could easily follow along. "We just received word that it is option one. 'Immersive Africa' here we come!" she exclaims at the beginning of the video. The spokesperson did not immediately respond to an additional question about how much passengers would be compensated. Royal Caribbean International has responded to the rumors and confirmed that at this time, there are no changes to the planned Ultimate World Cruise itinerary. “I don’t like putting rumors out there, but I think we also, the passengers that invested so much money and so much time to see the world, we deserve to know what is going on, what the plans are, what Plan B is,” she said.

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They’re not just people you might run into at dinner once or twice during the week, they’re semi-permanent fixtures of your world for nine months, with whom you’ll have the time to form actual relationships. 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?

Her genetic predisposition made her aware that for some people, "someday may never happen, (so) I should do all the things I want to do now," Linderman said. But there have been some suggestions that people of different backgrounds might be experiencing different treatment on the ship. Some have homed in on the fact that “pinnacle members,” Royal Caribbean’s highest tier of membership, have access to different excursions and have allegedly had town hall meetings. And so (there is) 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,” she said. She appeared to have one issue, according to a TikTok that she posted, saying she has been repeatedly asked if she is a member of the ship’s staff rather than a traveler.

Royal Caribbean first announced the Ultimate World Cruise on Serenade of the Seas in late 2021, and it opened for bookings in early 2022. Serenade of the Seas will sail roundtrip from Miami on Dec. 10, 2023 and through Sept. 10, 2024. Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas departed Miami to begin a 9-month Ultimate World Cruise on December 10, and TikTok has seen a flurry of interest for this kind of a cruise.

Those onboard the Ultimate World Cruise will visit one less World Wonder than they anticipated. Since it's no longer feasible to sail through the Red Sea, ports like Safaga, Egypt and Petra, Jordan will be removed from the itinerary. The cover of the book was different from my original copy, so I had to get it. I am now able to reread one of my favorite stories, and I have a very special memory of finding this copy.