Marketed as the trip of a lifetime, a nine month cruise across the world pushed tourists to their vacationing limits.
According to the NY Post, Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise lasted 276 days. Reportedly, 650 passengers took on the cruise, which included more than 150 destinations across the globe. Those passengers each paid somewhere between $59, 999 and $117, 599 to partake in the endeavor. As far as personal space, the passengers were able to spread out upon the 962-foot Serenade of the Seas cruise ship.
The cruise really offered quite a bit of everything. Drama-filled social media posts, a fire, a flood, and two deaths made the trip memorable for passengers.
Regardless of the troubles that arose, all the passengers interviewed by the NY Post had quite glowing reviews of the experience. One 67 year-old named Joe Martucci spoke highly of the Antarctic portion of the cruise. Martucci mentioned that that the "pureness" of the Antarctic was something to behold.
Martucci also argued that the cruise, having many older passengers, was due to have a death or two. He recalled that one unfortunate tourist was leaving the bathroom before collapsing. She was traveling with her family, and unfortunately passed.
Nine-Month Cruise Tests Tourists Will to Travel
Notably, Martucci did also mention that the cruise began to feel like a grind at different times. Apparently, the tourists were dropped off in a Spanish town on Monday, and everything was of course closed. That 9 hours was obviously a bit tougher on the travelers than others. During that Europe stretch, the cruise stopped in a different port for 20 straight days. Cruisers were exhausted through that stretch, and rightfully so. Some five-and-a-half months into the endeavor, staring three straight weeks of sightseeing in the face is certainly daunting.
A nine-month cruise is no small feat. Certainly, many on the cruise were retirees. But younger cruisers did make some massive life sacrifices to partake in the journey as well. Life savings were emptied, jobs were quit, and living spaces were abandoned. Still, each and every cruiser who was interviewed said they plan to cruise again, although some look forward to a shorter trip for their next go at it!
