With cruises now capturing the imagination of the young and the old, world cruise experts has predicted that 2013 will be a great year to circumnavigate the world in a luxury liner.
Most of these voyages commence at Ft. Lauderdale and New York, in the US, or Southampton, in the UK, and proceed westwards, on various routes which include travelling through the Caribbean, and then sailing on the Pacific Ocean, through the Panama Canal, or around Cape Horn. The ports of call usually include destinations in Hawaii, the South Pacific islands, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, South East Asia, and India. The routes may then pass through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean, or around the Cape of Good Hope and along the west coast of Africa.
Currently world cruises are available for 116 nights aboard the Seabourn Quest, departing Fort Lauderdale; 115 nights aboard the Silversea Silver Whisper, departing Los Angeles; 115 nights aboard the Holland America Amsterdam, departing Fort Lauderdale; 110 nights aboard the Cunard Queen Victoria, departing Hamburg, Germany; 107 nights aboard the Pacific Princess, departing Fort Lauderdale; 106 nights aboard the Cunard Queen Mary 2, departing Southampton, England; and 98 nights aboard the Crystal Symphony, departing Auckland, New Zealand.
For the lucky few who will be able to afford the time and expense of circumnavigating the world, there awaits membership of the Circumnavigators Club, an association of fellow travellers who have completed the same feat, and who have created a forum to meet and exchange experiences and ideas.