The Ultimate World Cruise begins and ends in Florida. Here are 8 things to know

Samantha Neely, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
·6 min read
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Around the world in 80 days? More like 274 nights on a cruise ship while visiting more than 150 destinations.

The Ultimate World Cruise, aboard the Serenade of the Seas by Royal Caribbean Cruises, departed from Miami on Sunday, Dec. 10. The 274-night voyage seeks to stop in over 60 countries, including Antarctica, China, Oman, Spain, Mexico and French Polynesia to name a few.

Within a month, the cruise ship has garnered national attention from social media users. But what exactly is this around-the-world cruise, which Royal Caribbean itself called "the world cruise of world cruises?"

Here are eight facts to know about the Ultimate World Cruise that's flooding headlines and social media feeds.

The Ultimate World Cruise will be visiting all 7 continents during its 274-day trip

There are four segments of the cruise. The cruise is currently in its "Ultimate Americas" section, which explores North America and South America over 67 nights and includes 36 stops in places like Brazil, the Caribbean and Antarctica.

The next leg of the cruise starts on Feb. 11 through the Pacific, stopping at 87 destinations throughout 87 nights. These stops include Japan, Australia, New Zealand, China and India.

The third leg of the trip heads to the Mediterranean and the Middle East on May 9 over the course of 67 days, with stops in Italy, Greece and Turkey.

Finally, the last leg is a tour throughout 40 Europe destinations, with stops in France, Denmark, and Norway over the next 63 nights.

The Ultimate World Cruise was three years in the making

According to Travel Weekly, the idea for the cruise is said to have come from Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At Travel Weekly's CruiseWorld 2022 in Fort Lauderdale, Bayley said colleagues were more than skeptical at first, adding he had to persuade some to think that "the Ultimate World Cruise was a good idea."

"We were still deep in the pandemic. It was a terrible, depressing time," he recalled. "We knew at some point it was going to end. The idea of the Ultimate World Cruise was, here you go, the pandemic's over, go do something on your bucket list. Take the Ultimate World Cruise, go to every single continent on the planet."

His idea ended up taking off, as guests started booking for the cruise as soon as it was available in 2021.

There are 600 guests staying the entire nine months

In an interview, Director of sales at Royal Caribbean International AUNZ Dave Humpreys shared the total number of guests embarking on the adventure.

He said over 600 will be sailing for the full nine months, according to news.com.au.

Staterooms on the Ultimate World Cruise start at $60,000 per person

Depending on the destination and room size, prices can vary. The cruise offers four room types — Interior Stateroom, Ocean View Stateroom, Balcony Stateroom and Junior Suite.

For example, a guest wanting only to experience the European segment of the cruise in the Ocean View Stateroom can get away with only paying $13,799. For a couple wanting to tag along for the Pacific Ocean portion in the Balcony Stateroom, tickets are $23,599 per person.

However, for those staying the entire 9 months, the prices majorly increase. The price range then goes from $59,999 to $117,599 a person.

It is noted that prices include complimentary amenities like business class airfare, pre-cruise hotel and gala, Deluxe Beverage Package, gratuities, VOOM internet package, wash and fold laundry service, and more.

The Ultimate World Cruise will take place on Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas

This first-of-its-kind cruise will take place onboard Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas, a Radiance-class ship that first launched back in 2003.

According to Royal Caribbean's website, it has the capacity for 2,476 guests with 1,073 staterooms and a gross tonnage of 90,090. It is on the smaller end of cruise ships within Royal Caribbean's fleet, giving it the ability to get to more destinations that today's bigger ships are unable to.

Serenade of the Seas boasts multiple dining options, activities for guests

What do the thousands of passengers do on sailing days? According to Cruise, Serenade of the Seas has the following activities and amenities onboard:

  • Three pools and three hot tubs

  • Adults-only Solarium

  • Adventure Ocean youth programs, including the Fuel Teen Disco

  • Rock climbing wall

  • Mini-golf

  • Sports court

  • Vitality Spa & Fitness Center

  • Jogging track

  • Tropical Theatre

  • Casino Royale

  • Video Arcade

  • Nightclub

  • Concierge and Diamond Clubs

  • Card room

  • Cinema

As for where you can get your grub on, there are eight dining options for guests to choose from. Out of the eight dining venues, Cruise says that five are specialty restaurants and have an additional surcharge — Chops Grille, Giovanni's Table, Izumi, Café Latte-tudes, and Chef's Table.

The other three are Reflections Main Dining Room, Park Café, and Windjammer buffet. There are also said to be multiple bars and lounges for guests to enjoy.

The cruise has already gone viral in less than a month

If you're a frequent TikTok user, odds are you've seen one of the Ultimate World Cruise passengers on your "for you" page recently.

Guests aboard the Royal Caribbean’s nine-month cruise are documenting their journey online and becoming social media sensations along the way.

From showing off the decorated room and giving personal tours of the ship to answering viewers' endless questions, #cruisetok has officially kicked off. One passenger, Angie Linderman, has been chronicling her journey and her decision to go on the cruise after having a preventative double mastectomy in 2021.

On TikTok, the #UltimateWorldCruise tag has more than 126.8 million views in over three weeks. Videos under the hashtag aren't just from passengers but from outsiders discussing their thoughts on the cruise. Some are worried about the impact the voyage will take on passengers, others believe the cruise will end up a total mess.

“There’s going to be mutiny,” said one TikTok user. “There’s going to be blood. Someone is going overboard. I want to watch. Bravo, where are you? I need eyes. We’re witnessing Fyre Festival, Alabama Rush and no one is rushing there.”

The cruise will end in fall 2024 in Miami. Will there be another one after?

After completing its journey across the world, the Serenade of the Seas will dock back in Miami on Tuesday, September 10, 2024.

As of 2023, there have been no plans from Royal Caribbean officials on another Ultimate World Cruise happening right after.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Ultimate World Cruise set sail from Miami, seeing attention on TikTok