Royal Caribbean Confirms Ultimate World Cruise Will Not End Early

Table Of Content

• Cruise Line Offers Free Parking for Passengers at One Homeport
• The cruise line has cancelled all its planned May sailings to a popular Caribbean destination due to unrest.
• Ultimate World Cruise journey goes viral as social media users track 9-month trip
• Year World Cruise Abruptly Canceled 2 Weeks Before It Was Scheduled to Set Sail
• Celebrity, Holland America Line and Celestyal Drastically Alter Itineraries

Go from postcard-perfect Caribbean shores—including the ABC islands —to viewing abundant wildlife like sea lions, penguins and whales roaming glacier-studded Antarctica as you round Cape Horn. Along the way, discover World Wonders in South America, including man-made marvels and extraordinary natural phenomena. It’s seven continents, more than 60 countries, 8 World Wonders, and endless adventures — all one voyage.

Cruise Line Offers Free Parking for Passengers at One Homeport

Cruise lines have begun canceling itineraries scheduled to call on the Middle East as the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Gaza Strip escalates. The line has canceled three repositioning ‘Grand Voyage’ sailings in April from South Africa and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Europe. Queen Mary 2 will maintain its existing itinerary until after its call in Colombo, Sri Lanka. At that point, the ship's itinerary will sail south along the east coast of Africa before rounding the horn and coming up the western coast of the continent. “Compensation will be provided to our guests who are sailing and those who choose to cancel as a result of the update,” Royal Caribbean said. Guests onboard the ship reported cheering and general celebration when the winning route was announced.

The cruise line has cancelled all its planned May sailings to a popular Caribbean destination due to unrest.

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Some amenities onboard the ship include panoramic views, a mini-golf green and a variety of cuisines. The first option, an “Immersive Africa” itinerary, features ports of call in 11 different African countries and a total of 20 port visits from May 9 through June 20. "We're truly sorry for the impact that this has on your vacation plans," Royal Caribbean said in a statement to guests booked on the now cancelled cruise. Many are stuck in a tough position, having spent tens of thousands of dollars on the now-canceled voyage that may take months to get reimbursed — and, in some cases, having sold or rented out their houses ahead of the cruise. In his message, Ugurlu also confirmed that the cruise was canceled because the company could not afford the ship.

Ultimate World Cruise journey goes viral as social media users track 9-month trip

Affected departures include Celestyal's "Three Continents" voyages sailing aboard Celestyal Journey on October 21, 28; November 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2023. “We were on tour of Galilee region at Jordan River when we were all recalled to the ship,” writes CNSJ on Cruise Critic’s Holland America Line message boards. Carnival Corporation announced on January 30, 2024 that it would re-route 12 individual cruise ships across its family of brands in order to avoid the Red Sea and conflict in the Middle East. "We appreciate how disappointing this news will be and therefore all impacted customers will be contacted by their booking agent to discuss the options available to them. Options include being able to rebook with a £200 per person reduction or receive a full refund." British line Marella Cruises is the latest in a string of cruise lines to adjust itineraries amid the ongoing Red Sea conflict and crisis in the Middle East.

The cruise departed from Miami on Dec. 10, 2023, to weave through the Caribbean and sail down the east coast of South America. The cruise then traveled around Cape Horn and braved the tempestuous Drake Passage near Antarctica; it then made its way up the Americas' west coast and concluded its first segment in Los Angeles on Feb. 11. Adita’s video on these rumors has been viewed more than 85,600 times and is one of her more popular videos documenting this extreme journey. Other videos include showing weather conditions it the Drake Passage, tips for organizing and storage for such a long trip, and other tidbits that bring viewers along on the spectacular sailing. MSC Cruises, which maintains a strong presence in the Arabian Gulf with cruises aboard MSC Opera, also told Cruise Critic in an email that those voyages – which operate far removed geographically from the current conflict – would continue as planned.

The ensuing conflict sparked the Houthis to launch their own attacks on interests in the region as a sign of support. Royal Caribbean announced its 9-month world cruise would be re-routed around Africa as well. The cruise industry has had to reroute and cancel cruises as a result of violence in the area. Anthem of the Seas was to sail through the Suez Canal as part of a repositioning from Southampton, UK to her new homeport in Singapore. Instead of sailing through the Suez Canal, Anthem of the Seas will sail without any passengers around Africa.

Royal Caribbean previously told PEOPLE that it was reviewing alternative routes for the Serenade of the Seas. She covers all things travel and home, from celebrities' luxury mansions to breaking travel news.

Celebrity, Holland America Line and Celestyal Drastically Alter Itineraries

At least one cruise ship — the Silversea's Silver Moon, which the Royal Caribbean Group owns — has altered its planned route in the wake of the conflict, according to Travel Weekly. Guests who have been booked on one of the three individual segments of the cruise that are impacted are also being offered compensation options for the cancellation of their cruises. Guests onboard the ship can submit questions about the new options through February 20, and a webinar is planned with the cruise line’s corporate office on Wednesday, February 21. After that, passengers will be able to vote on the itineraries, and the winning option will be confirmed on Tuesday, February 27.

All passengers booked on the three repositioning cruises have been, or are in the process of being, contacted directly or through their travel agent and can transfer their booking to a future Grand Voyage of a similar duration for free. Alternatively, affected passengers can rebook to any other cruise in the company’s global network, with either a partial refund or additional payment for the difference in price of the original booking or receive a full refund with no cancellation fee. Since the start, it's been our aim to provide the latest cruise news covering all the major cruise lines. We make sure cruisers are fully prepared for their cruise vacation with tips on ships and ports.Millions of travelers rely on Cruise Hive in the United States, Europe, Australia, and around the world. To reserve a stateroom on the Ultimate World Cruise a non-refundable deposit is required, deposit amount varies by stateroom category booked. For bookings created within 180 days prior to cruise departure, final payment must be received within 48 hours of booking.

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"The Ultimate World Cruise has given guests the opportunity to see the world in a unique way, and we have loved watching their reactions to this incredible experience," Royal Caribbean's statement said. "This adventure will complete its first segment in February, and we can't wait to kick off the next part of the journey shortly after and begin exploring Asia." Captain Stig, who guided the journey on its first leg around South America, shared an update with passengers about the possibility of major itinerary changes during a send-off ceremony on Feb. 7. According to drjennytravels, the captain said Royal Caribbean would be making an announcement on Feb. 16 regarding the changes.

The votes have now been counted and the winner is the unique “Immersive Africa” option that will visit a wide range of ports from the Seychelles to the Canary Islands. Royal Caribbean confirmed it will not be cutting short its famed Ultimate World Cruise, the 274-night voyage around the world, despite recent rumors that have been circulating online. Prices started at just under $30,000 per year for each guest based on double occupancy when the cruise was announced earlier this year, including meals, drinks, Wi-Fi and more.

Rumors that the ship would need to change her route have been circulating for weeks, but the decision has now been made that a change is essential for the safety and well-being of guests and crew members. Guests on the cruise will have the opportunity to vote on how their itinerary changes and what ports of call they visit, an unprecedented way for the cruise line to handle the situation. Instead of going through the Middle East, the MSC ships will sail with no passengers on board and go around Africa. While cruises in the Middle East do not constitute a major region for sailings, it's certainly impacting many lines and people's vacations.

MSC is offering passengers the option to move to a new sailing or cancel for a full refund. The line becomes the third cruise operator to fully pull its ships out of the region due to the ongoing conflict. In its statement, Virgin Voyages said that passengers on the former legs of the original repositioning voyage will have guaranteed spots on the new sailings at no additional cost and a price protection commitment in place. Cruisers also have the option to receive a future cruise credit based on their paid balance or a full refund. The cruise, which was originally scheduled to depart from Istanbul on Nov. 1 and visit nearly 400 ports, was scrapped earlier this month.