Many of you like the IDEA of a WORLD CRUISE, but are unsure as to whether you want to be on a ship for several months.  OR — perhaps there’s whole sections of the world you would choose to bypass, either because you’ve been there previously, OR you don’t have an interest.  

A world cruise is typically defined as any voyage over 100 days, and visits more than two continents.  They often leave in January, and sail westward.  The upside is obvious – you unpack once, and all your logistics are taken care of.  The downside: if there are sections of the itinerary (or a lot sea days) that don’t appeal to you, you can’t skip that part of the trip.

If you’re looking for an extended trip abroad that is more tailored to your specific interests, you might want to consider a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) world cruise.  

The UPSIDE: an extended trip that’s more tailored to your unique interests.  

The TRADE-OFF:  you’ll have to pack and unpack more than once, and there will be planes, trains, and automobile logistics.  Luckily those are fairly easily managed.

Here’s ONE example of an extended trip around the world.  Because this example uses more than one cruise line, AND flights between certain places, you could easily bolt together the sections of this trip that hold the most interest:

• LEG 1: Vancouver to Japan via Alaska on Viking Ocean for 23-nights
• LEG 2: Japan Land Cruise with Collette for 11-nights
• FLY to Hanoi, Vietnam
• LEG 3: Mekong River Cruise with Uniworld for 14-nights
• FLY to Sydney, Australia (could also stop over in Singapore or Bali)
• LEG 4: Tauck Land-Cruise of Australia and New Zealand for 23-nights
• FLY to India
• LEG 5: Viking River’s brand new India river cruise for 14-nights
• FLY to Dubai: Spend a few days to break up the long flight
• FLY to Capetown, South Africa
• LEG 6:  Chobe river cruise and safari with AMA Waterways.  Visit South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Tanzania for 14-nights.
• LEG 7:  Capetown to Lisbon via West Africa with Regent for 24 nights.
• LEG 8:  Portugal/Spain Douro River Cruise with Tauck River for 12-nights
• LEG 9:  Lisbon to Istanbul with Explora Journeys for 29-nights on the Mediterranean.
• FLY to Bucharest (Romania).  Spend a couple of days in the “Paris of Eastern Europe”
• LEG 10: River Cruise across the entirety of Europe from Bucharest to Amsterdam with Uniworld for 22-nights
• TRAIN to London.  Spend a few days in Southern England.
• LEG 11:  Baltic Cruise to Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Sweden and Norway for 14-nights with Oceania, finishing in Edinburgh.
• LEG 12: Edinburgh to Reykjavik, Iceland via Scotland and Ireland with National Geographic.
• LEG 13: Reykjavik to Newfoundland via Greenland and Labrador for 17-nights with HX
• FLY to Fort Lauderdale
• LEG 14: Florida to Santiago, Chile via Panama, Ecuador and Peru for 17-nights with Viking.
• LEG 15: Santiago to Buenos Aires via Patagonia and Antarctica for 18-nights with Seabourn.
• FLY to Medellin, Columbia
• LEG 16:  Colombia’s Magdelena River with AMA Waterways for 7-nights, with 3-nights pre-cruise with AMA in Medellin, and 3-nights post-cruise in Panama.
• LEG 17:  Panama City to Fort Lauderdale for 10-nights with Viking Ocean.
• FLY (or drive) home from Miami

This is just one (ridiculous) example, and it assumes unlimited time and money.  Start with parts of the world that interest you MOST, and then see if you can string them together in some order that will serve you.  There WILL be trade-offs, and if it all seems like too much work, we’ll put you on a world cruise. 

Dream-Travel-Share UNPACKED:

Check out our VIDEO BLOG where Kim & Bob talk about DIY World Cruises, and how to piece together a global journey.  https://youtu.be/K7Gz_uIcxSY 

In Case You Missed It:

NEW ZEALAND & AUSTRALIA:  It’s very popular “down-under”, so here are some different ideas for exploring this fascinating region

https://pamperedcruiser.com/down-under-new-zealand-australia/

THE BABY BOOMERS:  The experts tell us we need to focus on younger people.  Here’s why we’re sticking with the BOOMERS.

https://pamperedcruiser.com/why-were-sticking-with-the-baby-boomers/

TAUCK on the RIVER:  Tauck is best known as a land-tour company, but their expertise extends to the rivers as well.  https://pamperedcruiser.com/what-about-tauck/

Featured YOUTUBE Post:

CAPPADOCIA – Where?!?  If you’ve ever seen dozens of hot air balloons drifting effortlessly over the desert, it was probably Cappadocia.  If you find yourself starting or finishing a cruise in Istanbul, this isn’t to be missed:  https://youtu.be/m6L12POlFqU 

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Today’s Travel Opportunities

Maybe a long Do-It-Yourself World Cruise isn’t your jam.  Here’s some other ideas

RIVER CRUISES – AMA

We’re holding space on SPECIFIC VOYAGES that have some special pricing:

RHINE: Amsterdam to Basel departing March 28 for one-week

• Visit Amsterdam (overnight), Dusseldorf, Rhine Gorge, Rudesheim, Ludwigshafen, Strasbourg, Breisach, Basel 
• Fares from $3898 (less 5% on Category D rooms only).

PORTUGAL & SPAIN departing May 5 for one-week

• The Douro River is incredibly popular, and space for this year is difficult to find.
• Visit Porto, Douro valley, Regua, Pinhao, Vega de Terron, Salamanca, Afurada.
• See the vineyards and estate wineries, traverse the locks, take in spectacular scenery, visit castle ruins, see paleolithic art, and enjoy architectural treasures.
• Optional extensions to Lisbon. 
• Fares from $5298 (less 5% on Category D rooms only)

Paris & Normandy round-trip Paris departing September 17, 2026 for one-week

• Visit Les Andelys, Le Havre, Honfleur, Normandy Landing Beaches, Caudebec-en-Caux, Rouen, Vernon, Paris (overnight). 
• Optional 2-night Paris Extention
• Fares start at $5448, and we can get you 5% off any available cabin

REGENT SEVEN SEAS

Regent is the fully inclusive small-ship cruise line, and we have some EXTRA GOODIES we can offer on these REGENT SEVEN SEAS departures if you are willing to travel in the next several months.  Contact us for more details:

Miami round-trip departing December 10 for 10-nights

• Visit Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Belize, Costa Maya, Roatan, and Cozumel
• Fares from $3900*

Miami to Honolulu departing January 11 for 21-nights

• Visit Cartagena, full daylight transit of Panama Canal, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas, Hilo, Kahului, Honolulu (overnight). 
• Fares from $14,727*

Buenos Aires to Santiago departing January 14 for 18-nights

• Visit Uruguay, Falkland Islands, Antarctica (scenic cruising), Ushuaia, Punta Arenas, Chilean Fjords, 4 port stops in Chile.
• Fares from $11,920*

Vancouver to Anchorage departing May 20 for 7-nights

• Visit Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, Hubbard Glacier
• Fares from $6399*

Athens to Venice departing June 2 for 14-nights

• Visit Volos, Thessaloniki, Istanbul (overnight), Mykonos, Santorini, Crete, Olympia, Kotor, Split (Croatia), and Trieste. 
• Fares from $11,399*

London round-trip departing June 6 for 10-nights

• Visit St. Malo, La Rochelle, Bordeaux (overnight), Biarritz, Bilbao, La Coruna
• Fares from $10,399*

*Regent Fares include unlimited shore excursions, specialty dining, open bar, wifi and gratuities.  LOOKING FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT? Other itineraries are available with extra amenities… please inquire. 

REMOTE EXPLORATIONS with ATLAS

This company has 3 yachts (launched in 2021, 2022, 2023), all holding 196 guests.  November through March,  these ships are all in Antarctica, but the rest of the year, they are doing “Cultural Expeditions” and “Culinary Expeditions”.  

Fares include open bar, daily refresh of minibar in room, prepaid gratuities, specialty dining, butler service, and some shore experiences.  Here’s a few examples.  

ANTARCTICA round-trip from Buenos Aires departing December 18, 2025 for 9-nights

• Includes charter flight to Ushuaia and 4-days of scheduled landings on the continent.
• Fares from $9944

GREENLAND & NEWFOUNDLAND departing September 21, 2026 for 17-nights

• Visit 4 ports in Greenland, then 4 ports in the Canadian Arctic, and then onto Newfoundland and Labrador for 6 different port stops.  You’ll then see the rarely visited French Territory of St. Pierre/Miquelon, before returning to St. John’s, Newfoundland where it’s a quick flight back to the US Northeast.
• Fares from $13,369

LAND CRUISES with INTREPID Premium

COSTA RICA:  round-trip San Jose for 9-days

• Costa Rica is both exotic, but nearby (under 4 hours from Houston, Atlanta, or Miami). 
• See a turtle sanctuary, enjoy coffee where it is harvested, slide into the hot springs at Arenal Volcano, see the abundant wildlife in the rainforest, and take a surfing lesson in Tamarindo (or maybe just watch it!).
• Departures year-round from $3362

MOROCCO:  Casablanca to Marrakech for 15-days

• If you’re in Southern Europe, then this North African country is close by, and in many ways is more comparable to travelling in Europe, than Africa. 
• Visit the Museum of Judaism, and Mosque of Hassan II in Casablanca.  Walk the Medinas and Souks in Meknes, get a home-cooked dinner in Fes, visit the desert oasis town of Erfoud, go for a camel ride during your stay at a Sahara Desert Camp, stop in at Ait Benhaddou (where Lawrence of Arabia, Game of Thrones, and many other movies have been filmed), stay overnight in a village in the High Atlas Mountains, and finish in Marrakech, where you’ll experience the crossroads of cultures that makes up the place. 
• Weekly departures year-round from $4014

Recently booked a Viking Cruise?

Viking makes it really easy to book direct, either online, by phone, or on board.  Our clients worry that if they book on-line, that they’re cutting us out, but if you let us know after you’ve booked, then we can still help you with your reservation (even if you booked ON BOARD).

We’ll check over your reservation to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal, and we will also add some onboard credits that are not available on direct bookings.

We can add at least $100 per person onboard credit to any direct Viking reservation made in the last 60 days.

There is never a situation where you’ll get a better deal by booking directly with Viking (or any other cruise line).

If you recently booked a Viking Cruise, please let us know as soon as possible.

If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here or call 800-876-0168 to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley