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CONDÉ NAST: The Around-the-World Cruise Guide

  Before I get into the Condé Nast article, a few items of import today:

  • Congress is in session, and the House is scheduled to vote on their rules package tonight.  
    • This bit of legislation simply provides the rules of the House.
    • This will not be covered like those 14 Speaker voting embarrassments, for who really knows, this could also go on into several attempts.
    • Chances are, though, that they'll succeed on vote #1.
  • But, over the next two years you can expect gridlock, government closures, full court presses to gain revenge over Biden, the January 6 House Special Committee and the Judiciary Department, for, guess what, Rep. Jim Jordan chairs the Judiciary Committee.
  • Yet, Republicans can't be really that stupid.  Sure, ignore country, world, Democracy and sanity, but will their highest priority be for Republicans to dominate on 5 November 2024?  Will that happen?  Doubt it.

About global cruises, here are some interesting tidbits about the first...that of Magellan's expedition, which left Spain in 1519, and took three years to complete:

  • There were five ships and 270 men, from Spain, Portugal, Greece, Sicily, England, France, Germany and North Africa.  Only one with 18 original crew survived, not including Ferdinand, who died in the Philippines.
  • 80% of the food consisted of wine and hardtack (a dense biscuit), but there were seven cows and three pigs.  What saved the officers was a jam made of quince (kind of a sour apple), which they unknowingly consumed to avoid scurvy.  And I complained about the cuisine on the Regent Seven Seas Explorer.
  • The largest ship was shorter than 70 feet.  My Explorer was 734 feet long.  The Wonder of the Seas is 1,188 feet in length.
  • There were no showers on the ship.
  • While homosexuality was punishable by death, the reality is that this was common practice on long naval voyages.
  • Magellan was from Portugal, and considered to be a traitor by King Manuel I, who sent two groups of ships to capture him.
  • Worse for Magellan, there were two mutinies, led by the Spanish crew.
  • Magellan named the Pacific Ocean.
  • The whole trip went 37,560 miles.
  • Accomplished their goal, which was to find a western route to the Spice Islands (Moluccas).
  • It took another 58 years for the next circumnavigation, by English explorer Sir Francis Drake.
  • On 8 September 2022, Spain celebrated the 500th anniversary of the expedition.

The first luxury world cruise, exactly 400 years after that of Magellan's crew, was the Cunard Laconia, a 1922 New York roundtrip lasting 130 days.  You can consider 2024 on the Queen Mary 2, which departs New York on January 3 for 123 nights to Australia, Europe...everywhere.  Queen Victoria departs Southampton on January 11 for 107 nights, including a stop through Hawaii.  

The whole world in a Britannia Balcony cabin for $24,249.  I think we paid that amount for each Regent 21-day, and something similar for a Seabourn 53-day cruise.  Wonder if we can join just the 20-day Honolulu to Sydney part of the trip?  Then again, why, for we will going in the reverse direction in two months.  There is a phone number:  800 728 6273.

From Condé  Nast Traveler:

"The difference between a short cruise and a world cruise is night and day, storm and calm, fleeting thought and thoughtfulness. I enter the bar in the evening, in no time my favorite song is being played, my favorite drinks sit before me. I go to dinner and my favorite table is waiting for me, and my waiter has already served the iced water with lemon just as I like it."

So which cruise lines offer the best?  Most of these begin in January, so you have some time to start planning for the experience of your life. 

Just for fun, what about the Queen Victoria, departing Southampton, UK, on 11January2024, and returning on 28April.

  • Cabin with balcony.? Whoops, sold out.
  • Okay, a Club Balcony.  Also sold out.
  • The next level, Princess Grill Suites, starts at $128,000 for two, so too expensive for me.
  • I can check the Queen Mary 2, but, so I hear, Cunard is said to be too stuffy and too British.
The next on the Condé Nast list is Holland America's Grand World Voyage, 128 days from Fort Lauderdale, leaving on 3January2024 and returning on June 1.
  • Veranda cabins are available, starting at $81,338 for two.
  • But you need to add a lot more for free drinks, free internet, tips, etc.
  • And the Zuiderdam is more than 20 years old.
Silverseas?  Booked for 2024, with a few suites remaining for 2025.
  • On their new ship, Controtempo.
  • Depart Tokyo on 13January2025 and end up in New York City on May 29.  137 days.
  • But, this is NOT around the world.
  • Door-to-door from $87,000/guest.
  • Deluxe Veranda Suite available for $99,000/guest, and includes free drinks.
  • Who has $100,000 to spare?
  • And this itinerary only goes halfway around the world.
Hey, this 138-day Viking global cruise beginning this year, December 20, from Fort Lauderdale, seems attractive:
  • Unfortunately, it ends in London, so you're not going completely around the world.
  • On the Viking Sky, which is 20 years old.
  • For a reasonable $60,000, including:
    • Business class air to Fort Lauderdale, and from London to your home.  But you need to call if your city is on their list.  Honolulu qualifies.
    • All tips and fees.
    • Their Silver Spirits beverage package, which should be good enough.
    • Complimentary visa service.
    • One free excursion/port.
    • Free Wi-Fi.
    • No extra charge for alternative restaurant dining.
  • If you book by March 31, you receive
    • $2,000/person shore excursion credit, which is no much because tours are free.
    • $1,000/person shipboard credit, which would be nice.
    • If you are already a Viking Explorer Society Member, an additional $1000/per person.
    • Reduced deposit.
  • Restrictions apply.  Don't know what this means.
  • Unfortunately, just about all rooms are taken, but at this writing, 3 deluxe veranda cabins are available for $73,000/person, and other veranda rooms down to $61,000/person have limited availability.  That $60,000 cabin is sold out, and so is the Penthouse Veranda and all suites.
  • I called 1-866-984-5464, and had a pleasant chat.  They will send me details.

    You can read the Condé Nast article for other details.  For today, I'll end this posting with two football items.  The NFL season ended yesterday.  And, aha, a message from ESPN.  One of my fantasy football teams was crowned league champ.

    Then, at 7:30PM EST, TCU vs Georgia for the NCAA championship.  The most intriguing player is TCU QB Max Duggan, who was the Heisman Trophy. runner-up.  Hardly anyone knows that the winner was Caleb Williams of USC.  I have three numbers in the 15 Craigside pool:  27, 43, 78, which are the sums of the scores of both teams.    If this is a low-scoring game, I should win, for no one is close to my 27.  Georgia has a really good defense.

    -

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