Twenty-year-old me would be cringing, but I have a confession: As I get older, the itineraries I tackled in the past — one night here, two nights there, repeat — sound absolutely exhausting. But while every bone in my body prefers the idea of staying put in one place for a longer period, it’s hard to quiet down my internal voice that says, “do more, see more.”
So, I can understand the recent boom in popularity of longer cruises. According to Cruise Lines International Association’s 2023 “State of the Cruise Industry” report, many travelers (43%) want to book longer itineraries.
A longer sailing means cutting down on the exhausting parts of travel — namely, the epically stressful days spent in transit, which are now riddled with cancellations, missing baggage and other issues. And don’t get me started on packing and unpacking. Longer sailings also mean exploring more, and at a more enjoyable pace. There are more ports, and more overnights, which allow passengers to tour leisurely and experience the nightlife in a destination.
And while the anti-cruise set will vilify days spent at sea, those of us who have experienced them can attest to how nice they can be. In particular, they are an opportunity to rest and process everything experienced thus far without feeling guilty about wasting a precious day of vacation.
But what exactly constitutes a long cruise? This issue’s cover story focuses on the longest of the long cruises: the world cruise. And they’re not a fringe offering. They’re hot. Jason Leppert, the Cruise Editor of TravelAge West, told me he’s never seen so many announcements about world cruises selling out so far into the future.
Selling a world cruise used to be a rare score for an advisor, but the combination of more inventory and increasing awareness has made it more attainable than ever before.
So, do yourself a favor: Inquire about a client’s preferred brand, destinations, schedule, budget and interests, and it’s likely you can find a world cruise to match.