How much to cruise for a year? Less than you think.
My wife and I just finished a 12-day cruise from Miami to Lisbon on the Azamara Journey, an elegant but understated ship that holds just 600 passengers. We had taken the same cruise in November, 2023, but in reverse.
The ship was full of familiar faces. Many — probably dozens — of our fellow passengers had been on our earlier cruise. I was surprised when talking with some to learn how many other cruises they had taken. Some people apparently spend at least half their lives, or more, on cruise ships.
A couple we dined with told us they had taken two 120-day around-the-world cruises, not to mention countless cruises across the Pacific and Atlantic and around South America, Africa and Australia. They have cruised to Antarctica more times than I’ve visited Dallas. They said they no longer bother getting off the ship in places like Singapore, the Greek Islands or Rio because they’ve been there so many times. Once we arrived in Lisbon, they planned to fly home to Maryland to do laundry and two days later, fly back to Florida to catch another transatlantic cruise, followed by a thirty-day sail criss-crossing the Mediterranean
Crazy? Not if you can afford it and have the time. If I didn’t have loved ones who either refused to join me (my wife, who says twelve days at sea is her limit) or weren’t permitted to (our Jack Russell terrier and dachshund), I could easily get accustomed to living aboard luxury liners traveling to places I’ve long wanted to see or re-visit. My stateroom would be tidied up twice a day with fresh towels and linens. Chocolates would be left on my pillow. I’d have a choice of beautifully-prepared sit-down or buffet meals three times a day and live entertainment every night. I wouldn’t have to pay a gym membership fee. And on sea days I could play trivia and bridge, read (or write) a book, or attend lectures. And if I got tired of having to be nice to my fellow passengers, I could stay in my room and watch free movies.
Which got me wondering: How much would it actually cost to spend a year cruising the world?
Since no single ship offers a year-long itinerary, I logged on to vacationstogo. com, a leading cruise booking web site, and assembled my own, stitching together a year at sea using cruises from five different lines. Flights between ships, when necessary, are economy class (hey, I’m a practical guy), and I priced both inside cabins (for the non-claustrophobic) and oceanview rooms (for those who insist on seeing sunlight). Here’s the breakdown.
The Grand Itinerary:
June 1-3
Miami to Sydney flight – 9,337 miles
Cost: $1,025 (American/Qantas)
(Plus one night in a hotel, not included)
June 4 – Sept 26 (113 nights)
Crown Princess: Sydney to Sydney
Includes: Cape Town, Iceland, New York, Panama Canal, Tahiti, Easter Island
Cost: Inside $15,870 | Oceanview $16,503
Sept 26
Sydney to London flight – 10,560 miles
Cost: $1,015 (Thai Airways)
Sept 28 – Oct 29 (31 days)
Regal Princess: London to Galveston
Includes: Dublin, Bilbao, St. Thomas, Grand Cayman
Cost: Inside $2,636 | Balcony $3,341
Oct 29 – Oct 30
Houston to Rome flight – 4,755 miles
Cost: $488 (Delta Air Lines)
Oct 31 – Nov 13 (13 days)
Celebrity Ascent: Rome to Ft. Lauderdale
Includes: Sardinia, Madeira, Bermuda
Cost: Inside $1,408 | Oceanview $2,320
Nov 15 – Nov 23 (7 days)
Oasis of the Seas: Ft. Lauderdale loop
Includes: Aruba, Curaçao, Dominican Republic
Cost: Inside $997 | Balcony $1,121
Nov 23-24
Ft. Lauderdale to Barcelona flight – 4,669 miles
Cost: $498 (American)
Nov 27 – Apr 4 (128 days)
Costa Deliziosa: Barcelona to Barcelona
Includes: Fiji, Singapore, Chile, Japan, Maldives, South Africa
Cost: Inside $19,376 | Oceanview $22,746
Apr 4
Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale flight – 4,669 miles
Cost: $498 (American)
Apr 4 – May 30 (56 days)
Nieuw Statendam: Ft. Lauderdale to Rotterdam
Includes: Bermuda, Canary Islands, Morocco
Cost: Inside $7,657 | Oceanview $9,212
May 31 – June 14 (15 days)
Holland America Rotterdam: Rotterdam to Reykjavik
Includes: Edinburgh, 6 Icelandic ports
Cost: Inside $2,582 | Oceanview $3,212
June 14
Reykjavik to Miami flight – 3,659 miles
Cost: $500 (Play Airlines)
The Grand Total:
Flights (6): $4,025
Cruises:
Inside Cabins: $50,523, or
Oceanview Cabins: $58,455
Not Included: Gratuities, booze, personal laundry, shore excursions, hotels in port cities, taxis, medical and drug costs for the Ozempic you’ll need to reverse the all-inclusive dining effects. Let’s say those come to $20K. Also not included: the single supplement fee if you travel solo, so grab a partner you can stand to live with for a year.
Now, add up what you spend living on land in your house or condo — property taxes, maintenance, utilities, insurance, cable/streaming TV, lawn care, groceries, car expenses, entertainment, vacations (you won’t need any), etc. then compare it to spending a year at sea traveling the world while someone turns your bed down every night and folds your towels into swans. You may be surprised to find that cruising the world in luxury might be within your reach.
If so and you decide to go, send me a postcard from every port, so I can live vicariously through you because I can’t go unless I find a psychiatrist who’ll certify Russell and Rupert as service dogs. If I can find a shrink who will do that, I’ll be able to bring them with me and that might convince my wife to come along after all.
