World cruises compared: which lines, what they cost, and how far ahead to book?
By Aspen Travel Advisors · Last verified · Counts drawn live from the Virtuoso-sourced atlas
A full circumnavigation runs 110–180 days and is sold by roughly a dozen lines, from Princess and Holland America at the accessible end through Viking and Oceania in the middle to Regent, Silversea, Seabourn and Crystal at the top. Most guests sail a 15–60 day segment instead. Book 18–24 months ahead; the best cabins go at launch.
Planning this trip? An Aspen advisor will shape it around your dates and price it with Virtuoso VIP benefits included.
You'll hear back within 24 hours.Our world-cruise atlas currently tracks 307 world cruises and grand voyages across 13 lines — Oceania, Azamara, Regent, Viking, Crystal, Silversea, Seabourn, Holland America, Princess, Explora, Cunard, Windstar and Lindblad. Full circumnavigations run roughly 110–180 days (the current longest in our data: Oceania Vista's 245-day Epic Global Adventure); most lines also sell them in 15–60 day segments, which is how the majority of guests actually experience them.
Money, honestly: entry-level full world cruises start around $40,000–$60,000 per person (Princess, Holland America, mainstream Cunard cabins); the premium tier (Oceania, Viking, Azamara) runs roughly $60,000–$100,000; and the luxury all-inclusives (Regent, Silversea, Seabourn, Crystal, Explora) begin near $100,000 and climb past $400,000 in top suites. Book 12–24 months out — the best cabins on marquee sailings sell on opening day, with past-guest waitlists ahead of you.
Which line fits which circumnavigator
| Tier | Lines | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Luxury all-inclusive | Regent, Silversea, Seabourn, Crystal, Explora | Everything-in fares (air, excursions, gratuities on some); suite living for four months |
| Premium | Oceania, Viking, Azamara | Food-first (Oceania), culture-first (Viking, no casinos, no kids), port-intensive (Azamara) |
| Classic | Cunard, Holland America, Princess | The Cunard crossing-and-ballroom tradition; HAL/Princess value and itinerary breadth |
| Unconventional | Windstar, Lindblad | Small-ship and expedition-flavored long voyages rather than classic circumnavigations |
What veterans know that first-timers don't
- Segments outsell the full loop for a reason: 30–45 days (a Pacific leg, Cape Town–Sydney) delivers the world-cruise rhythm without the four-month commitment.
- The fare is half the spend: overland excursions (Taj Mahal, safari inserts), visas, and the onboard life add 20–40%. All-inclusive lines compress this — part of why their sticker premium shrinks in practice.
- Cabin choice is a marriage decision at 140 days — pay for the balcony and the laundry-room proximity joke that stops being a joke.
- Opening-day pricing usually is the best pricing (with shipboard-credit sweeteners and past-guest discounts); world cruises rarely fire-sale, they sell out.
- January departures dominate — the route follows summer around the planet.
Frequently asked
What's the single best value in world cruising right now?
Premium-tier segments booked early: an Oceania or Viking 30-day leg in a veranda cabin prices near a good hotel holiday of the same length — with thirty ports and one unpack. Full-cruise value peaks at Regent when you actually use the included business-class air and excursions.
Can you do a world cruise with kids or while working?
Working: increasingly yes (Starlink-era connectivity is real on Viking, Explora, Oceania's newest). Kids: Viking bars under-18s entirely; the luxury lines welcome but don't program for them; a gap-year family fits best on Cunard or HAL.
How far ahead should I really book?
Marquee luxury sailings: at launch, 18–24 months out, through an advisor with line relationships — allocations and waitlist priority are genuinely relationship-driven. Segments and classic-tier: 12 months is usually fine.