New world travel opportunity just dropped and it’s a doozy! Life at Sea Cruises is now taking bookings for a three-year journey that is slated to sail on November 1, 2023. The long-term cruise will visit 135 countries in all seven continents.
The 400-cabin cruiser, which will sail with just over 1,000 passengers is scheduled to depart from Istanbul before heading to North America. Though there are some lengthy stretches at sea between continents, the itinerary is designed to stop in 375 ports from Alaska to the Caribbean, from the Galapagos Islands down to Antarctica. On its Pacific leg, the MV Gemini will spend about a month in different ports of Japan, China, Australia, and New Zealand – that’s one month in each country.
Down in Africa, you’ll visit the Maldives, Tanzania, Madagascar, South Africa, and Egypt before making your way around Europe’s major ports from the UK down to Italy and Greece. In all, you’ll spend the last seven months of the cruise sailing around Europe. Not a bad deal!
The company wants to attract people with remote working capabilities who want to see the world – like all of it – over a period of three years. In addition to your own cabin, the MV Gemini will offer remote workers a business center with meeting rooms, offices, a business library, and lounge. I don’t know about you but that sounds better than my home office.
So what is actually included?
This is an all-inclusive trip, which means all dining and even alcohol (though only with dinner) is included as part of the cost of your cabin. In addition, you’ll have access to an on-board gym and a 24-hour hospital with free consultations and exams. However, if you need medical procedures and medicine, you have to pay out of pocket. Though according to their FAQ, medical services will cost significantly less than American providers, which is more in line with what medical care costs everywhere else in the world.
Housekeeping, laundry services, and entertainment are included. But who needs corny cruise entertainment when you’re overnighting in Mykonos or Barranquilla? Of course, shore excursions and spa procedures are not included in the cost, which is typical for any cruise.
Also included in the cost of your journey are friend and family visits on-board, though it’s unclear how long they can sail with you. They just have to pay local port fees and taxes, but they pay nothing additional to stay in your cabin. They may even have guest cabins available for additional cost depending on availability.
What’s the cost?
Cabins start at $32,998 per year for interior staterooms and go all the way to $120,998 per person per year for balcony suites. The cheapest outdoor cabin is $40,698 a year per person. When you think about the cost of living in many places, $30k-40k is actually not a bad deal considering that even your food is paid for and an absolutely insane amount of travel is built into your cost. Imagine what it would cost to fly to these 135 countries.
The major downside about the cost is that you have to pay for the entire cruise in advance. Cabins must be secured with a $5,000 deposit. The payment is completed in installments, but the final installment is due in August. So you need to cough up three years’ worth of living expenses all at once. If you book the cheapest outside cabin, you would pay $122,094 per person for a double occupancy cabin.
There’s no way to sign up for only part of the cruise, so there’s no getting around the cost. However, they do offer financing so with a down payment that is nearly one year, you can pay the remaining cost per month with interest. If you can swing it, traveling the world on a cruise like this sounds like a bargain.
