World cruise season comes once a year: with few exceptions, world cruises depart in January, sailing for 100 nights or more to dozens of incredible destinations. And, even though January 2018 might feel far away, now’s the time to plan – in fact, you may find that some stateroom categories are already selling out.
Most world cruises have some similarities: They’re generally offered by premium or luxury cruise lines; use smaller, more intimate ships; and have a balance of days in port and days at sea. But, world cruises are not created equal, and their differences in length and itinerary are important when making a choice.
For a start on selecting the right world cruise for you, take a look at this quick comparison of world cruises scheduled for 2018. You might be surprised to find out that many 2018 World Cruises are already sold out! We’ve listed them here to help you see what makes each cruise line different and to give you ideas for your 2019 World Cruise.
| Cruise Line | Begins | Ends | Days | Ports | Overnight Stays | Ship | Highlights |
| Princess Cruises | January 5, 2018, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; or, Jan 22, 2018, Los Angeles, Calif. | April 26, 2018, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; or, May 14, Los Angeles, Calif. | 111 | 45 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Venice, Italy; Barcelona Spain | Pacific Princess, 672 passengers | This world cruise has a choice of departure ports: Fort Lauderdale or Los Angeles. It’s also possible to begin in Los Angeles and end in Fort Lauderdale, which reduces the itinerary to 94 days. The full itinerary is a circumnavigation of the globe, exploring five continents. The Eastern Mediterranean is a focus, with port calls in Greece, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia and more. |
| Silversea Cruises | January 6, 2018, Los Angeles, Calif. | May 8, 2018, Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy | 121 | 60 | 13, including Honolulu, Hawaii; Bora Bora; Safaga, Egypt | Silver Whisper, 382 passengers | This world cruise has an emphasis on beautiful islands, starting with Hawaii and proceeding to Bora Bora, Moorea, Tahiti, New Zealand’s Bay of Islands, Australia’s Whitsunday Island, and more. The itinerary also includes ports in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Greece and Italy. |
| Regent Seven Seas Cruises | January 8, 2018, Los Angeles, Calif. | May 25, 2018, Los Angeles, Calif. | 137 | 64 | None | Seven Seas Navigator, 490 passengers | This full-circumnavigation itinerary explores the southern hemisphere, calling on Hawaii then lingering among the islands of the South Pacific. The ship moves on to New Zealand and Australia, Indonesia, then keeps a southerly route around southern Africa and the east coast of South America before sailing through the Panama Canal and up the Pacific coast of Mexico. |
| Cunard Line
|
January 3, 2018, New York, N.Y. | May 17, 2018, New York, N.Y. | 134 | 45 | Cape Town, South Africa; Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Queen Mary 2, 2,620 passengers | Cunard Line offers a variety of 100+-day cruises on its three ships: 134 nights is the longest itinerary for 2018. It includes time for immersion in Australia and New Zealand, stopping in emerging ports like Margaret River and Kangaroo Island. Southeast Asia, Middle East, and the top destinations of Rome and Barcelona and included, too. |
| Oceania Cruises
|
January 3, 2018, Miami, Fla. | July 1, Miami, Fla. | 180 | 87 | 16, including Walvis Bay, Namibia; Beijing, China; Kyoto, Japan | Insignia, 684 passengers | Oceania Cruises isn’t in a rush to get around the world in 80 days: it’s taking an epic 180 days, making it possible to enjoy many overnight stays along the way. This is another cruise that stays on a southerly route, bypassing the Mediterranean and the Middle East in favor of Southern Africa. |
| Holland America Line | January 4, 2018, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. | April 28, 2018, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. | 113 | 39 | 10, including Manila, Philippines; Hong Kong; Cape Town, South Africa | ms Amsterdam, 1,380 passengers | One of the shorter world cruises still offers 10 overnights, as well as a look at some little-known ports, such as Nuka Hiva in the Marquesas Islands; Niue Island, the tiny island nation once explored by Captain Cook; and Nosy Be, a lovely island just northwest of Madagascar, where the coffee, cocoa, ylang-ylang, vanilla and cinnamon crops scent the air. |
| Crystal Cruises | January 7, 2018, Cape Town, South Africa | May 16, Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy | 129 | 55 | 20, including Durban, South Africa; Rabaul, Papua/New Guinea; Luxor, Egypt | Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity | Crystal Cruises offers an unusual dual-ship voyage: passengers will change from the Crystal Symphony to the Crystal Serenity in Sydney, Australia. This itinerary begins and ends outside the U.S., crossing Indian Ocean, circling Australia and visiting Indonesia, Southeast Asia, India, and several ports in the Middle East before entering the Mediterranean and sailing to Rome. |
| Viking Cruises | December 17, 2017, Miami, Fl. | May 05, 2018, Greenwhich, England | 141 | 70 | 12, including Haiti, Cuba; Syndey, Austrailia; Shanghai, China | Viking Sun, 930 passengers | Embark the brand-new, all-veranda accommodations, 930-guest Viking Sun and explore the world’s legendary cities, charming ports and idyllic islands on one seamless itinerary. Delve deeper with overnight night stays in 12 magnificent cities, including Havana, Tahiti, Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai. |
For more information about each of these world cruise choices, contact Cruise Specialists at (888) 993-1318. Many are wait listed already, so don’t wait or start planning for 2019 to take advantage of special discounts.
See all of our 2019 World Cruise offerings >>
