Around-the-World Cruise: What It’s Really Like to Sail on a 100-Day, Multi-Destination Cruise – Cond Nast Traveler

Ever dreamed of ditching the routine of everyday life and sailing around the world, waited on hand and foot, for a few months at a time? (Us, too.) But as around-the-world cruises grow in popularity, they also bring a lot of questionsfrom planning and packing to the truth of whether that ship will feel too small after a week. We spoke to six people whove taken not one, but several, world cruises on top-rated cruise lines to share whats it really like to spend months at a time on the high seas.

They include 77-year-old New Orleansbased philanthropist Phyllis Taylor, a Silversea devotee; Viking loyalists Roger Foenander, 71, and his partner David Mutton, 62, who live in Sydney. We also talked to Dr. Charles Mitchell, Jr., 81, who lives in Michigan and cruises with Princess; and fellow Michigander Linda Wiseman, 72, who has traveled with Cunard. Finally, theres Keith Steiner, now retired at 64, who has traveled with Crystal more than 100 times over the last 17 years; he lives just outside Austin with his wife. Here's what they spilledand the best advice theyd give to anyone keen to follow in their footsteps.

Courtesy Viking

"The ship is very important when youre doing a world cruise. Crystal Serenity is not too big or too small, and it has a wraparound promenade deck where you can get away from it all for some quiet timewhere you can walk, or run. We usually book the next world cruise several years in advance, so we can get the same room every time in the PH category [a penthouse with a veranda]. We call it 'our' room." Keith Steiner

"We book well ahead; were already booked for 2021. If you want a certain room, you had better book it early. And you have the luxury of canceling up to four months out, so the $15,000 they make you put down to guarantee the room is totally refundable." Linda Wiseman

"We tell people always sail east to west; that way, youre setting the clock back, not forward, an hour. It's much more restful. When you have to keep putting the clock forward, people get tired." L.W.

"The difference between a short cruise and a world cruise is night and day, storm and calm, fleeting thought and thoughtfulness. With an extended cruise you absorb the lifestyle of life at sea; with the great advantage of having a crew and staff that treats you like royalty. I enter the bar in the evening, in no time my favorite song is being played, my favorite drinks sit before me. I go to dinner and my favorite table is waiting for me, and my waiter has already served the iced water with lemon just as I like it." Phyllis Taylor

"Your only responsibility is to yourself, and it is up to you to decide how to enjoy the day. It has all the convenience of living at home without the hustle and bustle of shopping, cleaning, and cooking." Dr. Charles Mitchell, Jr.

"The world cruise is like my winter home. We used to have a condo in Florida, which wed use for a week or two here and there, but we didnt have full-time help. On a ship like this, for four months, everything is done for you: you dont cook a meal, get your car filled with gas, nothing." L.W.

Courtesy Silversea

"When sailing into ports, especially the more scenic ports, people gathered in the Explorers Lounge to ensure they got that once-in-a-lifetime photo. In all other locations we did not notice any great pressure on space. The Viking cruise ships provide a wide range of discrete 'sitting room' environments to give the sense of being in a more homely setting. These are so plentiful and never crowded and usually quiet. You can really get away from it all among 900 passengers." Roger Foenander and David Mutton

"We always meet new people every year. In the dining room, and tell the matre d not to seat us with another couple who is sailing the whole thingthat way, our seat mates switch every few weeks and we can meet different people. And if for some reason you dont love the people sitting next to you, youre stuck for five days, not four months." L.W.

"I never actually gain weight on these trips. I love to eat but Im vain; I bring my own scale with me. My system is that I try to be very controlled when Im eating on the ship: the spa dishes at dinner, a dietetic lunch and, if I have tea at 4 p.m., I peel the bread off the smoked salmon sandwiches. Then on the port days, when we go out to dinner, I eat whatever I want." L.W.

"Ive known people who bring on two sets of clothes, because they love to eat so much. Before our first world cruise, my wife and I were nervous wed gain weight, but we actually ended up losing it. We came up with this strategy: we eat breakfast like at home, for lunch wed create gigantic salads, and at dinner, wed have a three-course meal with fruit for dessert. We stepped up our exercise, and we always walk the stairs instead of taking the elevators, as well as walking around the deck. I have a step counter in my watch, and we did up to 40,000 steps per day." K.S.

Eric Laignel/Courtesy Viking

"David tends to attend the onboard enrichment lectures, while Roger will walk around the decks or chat with people. We are involved in the trivia team conducted at noon, and then proceed to lunch with friends. Roger likes to play cards in the afternoon, and David might see a movie in the cabin; he managed to watch all of Downton Abbey on the world cruise. Afternoon siestas are a must. Then perhaps a visit to the onboard spa and sauna before a cocktail, and then dinner with friends in a variety of restaurants on board." R.F. and. D.M.

"I start my day by exercising first, followed by breakfast. Then I usually check out the lectures onboard for the day, and then choir rehearsal. I sang in all 10 of the World Cruise choirs." C.M.

"Planning is key. Make sure to bring some over-the-counter medications: you could get a cold, eat the wrong thing, and have stomach issues. One year I pulled a muscle in an early port call, and had to buy a heating pad; now I bring one." K.S.

"I take a huge supply of drugs: every possible kind of seasick stuff and antibiotics, a giant Ziploc bag full off it, so Im prepared. And I always bring a baby portable steamergreat if something gets wrinkledand my own electrical strip, so if I want to plug in a ton of stuff, like a phone, my electric toothbrush, I can keep them all together on one shelf." L.W.

"I love sea days. You can sleep as late as you like. If you miss the breakfast service, there are croissants and pastries [available], or room service. The afternoon is ideal for an extended visit to the spa and salonyou should see it on the day of a formal night, when almost every woman on board is vying for an appointment. Then, as evening approaches, you prepare for fun and entertainment." P.T.

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Around-the-World Cruise: What It's Really Like to Sail on a 100-Day, Multi-Destination Cruise - Cond Nast Traveler