Imagine packing for a cruise and having to ask yourself not what you’ll need next week, but what you might fancy wearing this time next year.
The world’s longest cruise has officially set sail, beginning an extraordinary 371-day journey that will take passengers to more than 220 ports across six continents.
Explorations by Norwegian’s Regatta departed Rome on September 1, kicking off a voyage that will keep its most committed passengers travelling for more than a year.
And for Australians with a very healthy travel budget – and apparently no urgent need to be home for Christmas, birthdays or lawn maintenance – the entire journey was available from $99,000 per person.
At the top end, accommodation reportedly reached $249,989 for the full voyage.
The mammoth itinerary takes in 62 countries and includes everything from the Greek islands and the Arctic to Alaska, the Amazon, the Great Wall of China and the Panama Canal.
The ship itself is considerably smaller than the enormous floating resorts that now dominate the cruise industry. Regatta has just 348 suites and staterooms and capacity for around 700 passengers, allowing it to visit smaller ports that larger vessels cannot easily access.
That does not mean passengers will be roughing it for their year at sea.
On board are a saltwater swimming pool, spa and salon, along with a library for those who somehow manage to run out of things to do while circumnavigating the planet.
The voyage is also all-inclusive, with bookings including a premium drinks package, Wi-Fi, prepaid gratuities and speciality dining, as well as credit towards shore excursions.
Thankfully for anyone who loves the idea but begins to feel slightly faint at the thought of spending 371 days away from their own bed, passengers do not have to sign up for the whole thing.
The enormous itinerary has been divided into shorter journeys, with options allowing travellers to join the ship for individual sections rather than committing to the complete round-the-world adventure. Some sailings are available from as little as eight days.
For Australian travellers, one of the more interesting options is a 201-night section departing Sydney in February 2027, travelling around Australia before continuing through Asia and the United States and eventually finishing in the UK.
The 371-day voyage also comfortably eclipses one of cruising’s most famous recent adventures.
Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise aboard Serenade of the Seas previously attracted worldwide attention – and an enormous social media following – during its 274-night journey between December 2023 and September 2024, visiting 160 destinations along the way.
Regatta adds almost another 100 days to that tally.
And apparently there is no shortage of travellers willing to consider spending an entire year at sea.
A further 367-day world cruise is already being offered for 2027, with Australian packages including return flights starting from $119,990.
Which means the biggest challenge may not be deciding whether you could handle a year-long cruise.
It might be working out exactly how many pairs of shoes constitute “packing light” when you’re going away for 371 days.
Image: Instagram
