Grand Cruise

[JSol1]

We just secured a cabin for a 61 day Grand Cruise leaving Jan 2025 from Auckland to Tokyo on Regent. Actually getting a cabin for one of these is a lot like getting a Rolex from AD. They sell out in like 3 hours unless you waitlist before they release to the public. We were notified yesterday that we secured a cabin.

I know another member has been chronicling his experience and I’ve been following his thread. Just curious if others have had a similar experience.

A couple of things-
I never had any interest in cruises as I remember going on a cruise as a kid and all I could imagine is thousands of people jammed on a floating Norovirus vessel.

Ironically we did a cruise during COVID and found it to be as safe as anything at the time. It was a small ship and it was incredible.

We only use cruises for places we would like to see at least once and wouldn’t normally make travel specific plans for. For example we have no interest in doing Europe or the Med as we visit those destinations on land since we have been many times and know our preferences.

Very long winded way of saying this is a bucket list trip and wondering if others can share their experiences on such a trip?

[Corvette]

Originally Posted by JSol1

We just secured a cabin for a 61 day Grand Cruise leaving Jan 2025 from Auckland to Tokyo on Regent. Actually getting a cabin for one of these is a lot like getting a Rolex from AD. They sell out in like 3 hours unless you waitlist before they release to the public. We were notified yesterday that we secured a cabin.

I know another member has been chronicling his experience and I’ve been following his thread. Just curious if others have had a similar experience.

A couple of things-
I never had any interest in cruises as I remember going on a cruise as a kid and all I could imagine is thousands of people jammed on a floating Norovirus vessel.

Ironically we did a cruise during COVID and found it to be as safe as anything at the time. It was a small ship and it was incredible.

We only use cruises for places we would like to see at least once and wouldn’t normally make travel specific plans for. For example we have no interest in doing Europe or the Med as we visit those destinations on land since we have been many times and know our preferences.

Very long winded way of saying this is a bucket list trip and wondering if others can share their experiences on such a trip?

My folks did something similar to this many years ago on Holland America, they had an incredible time. It visited a bunch of European ports as well as the Holy Land. My dad never really liked to travel anywhere because he hated the flying, checking in and out of hotels, getting a cab, etc. My mom convinced him that this would be perfect because he only needed to take one flight to the departure city and one flight home, check into one room for the duration, and if he didn’t want to leave the ship to see the port city he could sit by the pool and drink beer and read the newspaper. He begrudgingly agreed to it and they both had an incredible time. He actually went and saw most Ports because the ship arranged all the tours and transportation and he just had to get on. He actually enjoyed the first one so much they ended up doing another a few years later.

I’m sure the cost is greater now but they seemed to think it was relatively economical at the time for the entertainment/accommodation/food and alcohol. Not sure you could really do it on land any cheaper after factoring everything in.

Why does Regent sell out so quickly ? I can’t say I know a whole lot about cruising other than the Caribbean cruises I’ve taken. I’m assuming Regent is an upscale like up there with Crystal Cruises, Holland America, Celebrity, etc ? How much does a stateroom on a voyage like that go for nowadays? I think when my folks did it years ago it was something like $10,000 per person.

[Mifune]

61 days... just wow.
I would be going insane.

[Vivalas]

I did my 1st cruise at 27 and now at 53 I’ve done over 30. I’m a bit ‘cruised out’ if I’m honest and have been for a while . . . . . However and it’s a big however, cruises give you this incredible opportunity to see so many places that you just couldn’t and/or wouldn’t do on your own. For example I’ve probably seen 20 to 25 islands around the Caribbean that I’d just have never seen any other way.

Even though I’m a bit cruised out I’ll probably do a Greek island cruise again next year and of all the cruises I’ve ever done, my favourite was Australia and New Zealand with a few days in Singapore. Looks like your takes in that and a whole lot more. All I can say is wow, your itinerary looks incredible and having been to a few of those places, ours in for an amazing time.

Tauranga is beautiful and you can do a day trip to Hobbiton from there if you’re into Lord of the Rings.

The Sounds - sailing through there is something quite special.

NZ is very lush and green and I’ll use the word beautiful again, but that’s what it is.

Sydney is a very vibrant lovely city and the ship will probably dock within walking distance of the Opera House.

Singapore another amazing place to visit. Raffles Hotel for a bit of old glamour. Hawker markets for amazing street food and Marina Bay Sands for modern glamour - a lot of high end watch shops there too :-) Probably the safest country I’ve ever been to.

One point, my wife gets a bit sea sick and the Tasmin Sea can be a nit challenging so maybe take some medicine.

Watch - I wore a skydweller for our 5 week trip.

Enjoy

[Rbdport]

Nice!

Hubby and I tried a cruise once. For many reasons it wasn’t for us. I’m a military brat. Lived a large part of my childhood overseas. I’m VERY comfortable with overseas planes, trains and automobiles. We’ve never liked spending our time off on somebody else’s schedule. But as we’ve gotten older hubby and I are less inclined to DIY. I rarely drive and he now wants to sit in the back seat and enjoy the scenery also. We’ve hired private drivers for our last several trips. Worth every penny!

So I’m starting to rethink the cruising thing. Maybe….

[GB-man]

Let us knows how it goes. Pretty wild although the last guy here talking cruises was going full Magellan lol

[VictorGMT]

I want to hear EVERYTHING about your trip.

Once I heard cruises described as "Prison, but with a chance of drowning". However I really enjoyed the Caribbean and European cruises we've taken.

This sounds very compelling. I have done a handful of trips circumnavigating the globe, and the daily/semi-daily packing up the hotel room becomes tiring. Now retired, we are ready for a long cruise!

[TheVTCGuy]

Take me with you….

[Al1969]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

Take me with you….

Please take Paul with you!

[JSol1]

Originally Posted by Corvette

My folks did something similar to this many years ago on Holland America, they had an incredible time. It visited a bunch of European ports as well as the Holy Land. My dad never really liked to travel anywhere because he hated the flying, checking in and out of hotels, getting a cab, etc. My mom convinced him that this would be perfect because he only needed to take one flight to the departure city and one flight home, check into one room for the duration, and if he didn’t want to leave the ship to see the port city he could sit by the pool and drink beer and read the newspaper. He begrudgingly agreed to it and they both had an incredible time. He actually went and saw most Ports because the ship arranged all the tours and transportation and he just had to get on. He actually enjoyed the first one so much they ended up doing another a few years later.

I’m sure the cost is greater now but they seemed to think it was relatively economical at the time for the entertainment/accommodation/food and alcohol. Not sure you could really do it on land any cheaper after factoring everything in.

Why does Regent sell out so quickly ? I can’t say I know a whole lot about cruising other than the Caribbean cruises I’ve taken. I’m assuming Regent is an upscale like up there with Crystal Cruises, Holland America, Celebrity, etc ? How much does a stateroom on a voyage like that go for nowadays? I think when my folks did it years ago it was something like $10,000 per person.

It’s the Grand Voyages and World cruise itineraries that sell out so quickly. I think it’s because they are small ships relative to other cruise lines.
They are a luxury line. They are all suites and literally everything is included-business class air, excursions, dining, gratuities. I think the cheapest suite on this cruise is $81K for two.

[JSol1]

Originally Posted by Al1969

Please take Paul with you!

Done

[JSol1]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

Take me with you….

Let’s go!!!

[JSol1]

Originally Posted by VictorGMT

I want to hear EVERYTHING about your trip.

Once I heard cruises described as "Prison, but with a chance of drowning". However I really enjoyed the Caribbean and European cruises we've taken.

This sounds very compelling. I have done a handful of trips circumnavigating the globe, and the daily/semi-daily packing up the hotel room becomes tiring. Now retired, we are ready for a long cruise!

Exactly our sentiment! We retired very early and when working we traveled quite extensively for work and pleasure. I always felt like I needed a vacation when we got back from our vacations.
The ability to have a floating 5 star hotel that brings you to various destinations is what really drew us in.
We did 12 and 16 night cruises and realized we loved it.
Our other hobby is sailing. We’ve sailed long distance in our own boat, so we’re drawn to the water. We just sold our ‘forever’ boat to try other things-like this

[JSol1]

Originally Posted by Rbdport

Nice!

Hubby and I tried a cruise once. For many reasons it wasn’t for us. I’m a military brat. Lived a large part of my childhood overseas. I’m VERY comfortable with overseas planes, trains and automobiles. We’ve never liked spending our time off on somebody else’s schedule. But as we’ve gotten older hubby and I are less inclined to DIY. I rarely drive and he now wants to sit in the back seat and enjoy the scenery also. We’ve hired private drivers for our last several trips. Worth every penny!

So I’m starting to rethink the cruising thing. Maybe….

This was our sentiment exactly. However we’ve come to appreciate only unpacking once (they pre ship your luggage for you), and realizing there’s as little or as much structure as you prefer is a great balance for us. Didn’t feel this way a few years ago.
We also feel that paying for a luxury cruise line is well worth the premium (I guess kind of like watches). We have no interest in the mega ship experience, it’s more about being pampered to interesting destinations for us..

[brandrea]

Hope you have a great time!

We are into cruising but we love to travel.

[JSol1]

Originally Posted by Vivalas

I did my 1st cruise at 27 and now at 53 I’ve done over 30. I’m a bit ‘cruised out’ if I’m honest and have been for a while . . . . . However and it’s a big however, cruises give you this incredible opportunity to see so many places that you just couldn’t and/or wouldn’t do on your own. For example I’ve probably seen 20 to 25 islands around the Caribbean that I’d just have never seen any other way.

Even though I’m a bit cruised out I’ll probably do a Greek island cruise again next year and of all the cruises I’ve ever done, my favourite was Australia and New Zealand with a few days in Singapore. Looks like your takes in that and a whole lot more. All I can say is wow, your itinerary looks incredible and having been to a few of those places, ours in for an amazing time.

Tauranga is beautiful and you can do a day trip to Hobbiton from there if you’re into Lord of the Rings.

The Sounds - sailing through there is something quite special.

NZ is very lush and green and I’ll use the word beautiful again, but that’s what it is.

Sydney is a very vibrant lovely city and the ship will probably dock within walking distance of the Opera House.

Singapore another amazing place to visit. Raffles Hotel for a bit of old glamour. Hawker markets for amazing street food and Marina Bay Sands for modern glamour - a lot of high end watch shops there too :-) Probably the safest country I’ve ever been to.

One point, my wife gets a bit sea sick and the Tasmin Sea can be a nit challenging so maybe take some medicine.

Watch - I wore a skydweller for our 5 week trip.

Enjoy

Thank you! We are lifelong sailors and fortunately neither of us suffer from mal de mar. I can understand being cruised out. We only use cruising for unique destinations.
For example, we are doing the Panama Canal at the end of this year and we are interested in a Northern Lights trip at some point…

[Tri-Tip]

Originally Posted by Corvette

My folks did something similar to this many years ago on Holland America, they had an incredible time. It visited a bunch of European ports as well as the Holy Land. My dad never really liked to travel anywhere because he hated the flying, checking in and out of hotels, getting a cab, etc. My mom convinced him that this would be perfect because he only needed to take one flight to the departure city and one flight home, check into one room for the duration, and if he didn’t want to leave the ship to see the port city he could sit by the pool and drink beer and read the newspaper. He begrudgingly agreed to it and they both had an incredible time. He actually went and saw most Ports because the ship arranged all the tours and transportation and he just had to get on. He actually enjoyed the first one so much they ended up doing another a few years later.

I’m sure the cost is greater now but they seemed to think it was relatively economical at the time for the entertainment/accommodation/food and alcohol. Not sure you could really do it on land any cheaper after factoring everything in.

Why does Regent sell out so quickly ? I can’t say I know a whole lot about cruising other than the Caribbean cruises I’ve taken. I’m assuming Regent is an upscale like up there with Crystal Cruises, Holland America, Celebrity, etc ? How much does a stateroom on a voyage like that go for nowadays? I think when my folks did it years ago it was something like $10,000 per person.

I haven't been on Crystal, but I've been on Regent, Celebrity, and Holland America, and Regent cannot be compared to Holland America, Celebrity, Princess, or most of the other lines, it is truly 10 steps above.

OP, hope you will have a great time!

[JSol1]

Originally Posted by Tri-Tip

I haven't been on Crystal, but I've been on Regent, Celebrity, and Holland America, and Regent cannot be compared to Holland America, Celebrity, Princess, or most of the other lines, it is truly 10 steps above.

OP, hope you will have a great time!

Thank you sir! We tried Oceania to compare and tried to do an apples to apples as for this kind of trip we wanted to pick the right line for us.
Oceania is about 27% cheaper but just no comparison.
When people see the initial prices of Regent they are taken aback, but it truly is all inclusive. Business class overseas, visas, door to door luggage delivery, excursions, gratuities, top shelf liquor, Wi-Fi…you literally walk off with a zero balance.
Hopefully it is all we hoped for

[Andersax]

t I can certainly appreciate the excitement and anticipation of a bucket list trip like a 61-day Grand Cruise. It's interesting to hear about your previous experience with cruises and how it has changed due to COVID. I can imagine that cruising during COVID would have been a unique experience. It's great to hear that you were able to secure a cabin for this once-in-a-lifetime trip, and I'm sure many others who have been on similar trips would be happy to share their experiences. Wishing you all the best for your upcoming adventure!

[BLACKHORSE 6]

Sounds like a great trip. Congrats!

[RichardBartlett]

Just returned from 118 round the world on MSC. Absolutely fabulous trip. well recommended (we've already booked for next years trip)

Follow a couple of fellow travellers who video blogged the trip, They did a brief2 minute daily update . Both are retired ex US army vets btw so you'll get an American perspective . Lovely people btw.

https://www.youtube.com/@janandtraceytravels

[Corvette]

Originally Posted by Tri-Tip

I haven't been on Crystal, but I've been on Regent, Celebrity, and Holland America, and Regent cannot be compared to Holland America, Celebrity, Princess, or most of the other lines, it is truly 10 steps above.

OP, hope you will have a great time!

I was just making a general comparison as I figured Regent is an upscale line alongside other upscale cruise lines most people have heard of. The only line I’ve taken is Royal Caribbean which was pretty swanky in my opinion (well… and Carnival when I was in college but I was drunk the whole time).

I’ve heard Celebrity is supposed to be one of the best luxury cruise lines so hoping to try that out sometime! Might have to check out Regent now as it seems many people are fond of it.

[Dyim]

We are big cruisers. I have been doing it with the kids since before they can walk. My oldest is in university now. Sometimes we do more than one a year.

We did a few Crystal cruises before they went belly up. We scored quite a deal when we did Asia. I was booked for Seychelles on their yacht and that got cancelled because they sold the yacht. Booked Antarctica and that was also cancelled.

Actually met Chef Nobu on board in his restaurant on a Baltic cruise. Very nice and humble man.

Haven’t been back on Crystal since they restarted operation presumably under new ownership.

Regent would be even better. I won’t mind doing a long cruise but now I don’t want to leave my dog for too long.

I think pricing have gone up a lot since COVID. It used to be Rolex $, now it is PP.

[JSol1]

Originally Posted by RichardBartlett

Just returned from 118 round the world on MSC. Absolutely fabulous trip. well recommended (we've already booked for next years trip)

Follow a couple of fellow travellers who video blogged the trip, They did a brief2 minute daily update . Both are retired ex US army vets btw so you'll get an American perspective . Lovely people btw.

https://www.youtube.com/@janandtraceytravels

Thanks Richard,
I closely followed your thread while you were cruising as we knew this was a type of trip we wanted to try. Now that we made it through the first hurdle of reserving a spot, it’s become real.
The good news is we can get our deposits back up until July 2025 should life intervene…