World Cruise Planning Guide – What To Prepare Before You Go
How to Prepare for a World Cruise
World cruises are fast becoming a hot ticket as a means to see the world, which is not surprising really. You get to tick off several countries around the world without the effort of checking in and out of hotels and Airbnb’s, multiple flights and the jet lag that comes with it, queuing at immigration, and basically just feeling unsettled. However, that doesn’t mean preparation is not required, which is why we are going to discuss how to prepare for a world cruise. Here is our guide to planning for a world cruise.
A proper world cruise usually takes a minimum of 100 days. From there they go up to 120, 180, 270, and 360 day cruises. However, some world cruises are even selling residences on board to live on while they circumnavigate the globe, meaning you can travel the world from the comfort of your home. The latest to get on this bandwagon are Storylines, who will take their time to cruise around the world every three years with extensive stays at port. How it should be really.
5 tips on how to prepare for a world cruise
Get travel insurance for world cruises
Yes, safety first, so let’s get this old chestnut out of the way. As you will be living at sea while visiting several countries around the world, it’s vital that you get the appropriate travel insurance tailored for world cruise travel. Make sure it covers medical helicopter evacuation coverage worldwide. We know the event of this happening is unlikely, but that’s what you buy insurance for; peace of mind. Additionally, having the right insurance will cover you for any visits to the medical department onboard the ship. The important thing to remember is to get a cruise-specific insurance policy.
Make sure you have all the required visas
Again, as you will be travelling to multiple countries you will require several visas. Print out or write down the complete itinerary of your world cruise. Use this as a checklist and physically cross off every country once you have acquired their visa. And start this process in advance, as some countries’ visa processes can take months. The last thing you want is to arrive at port and you can’t disembark while all your cruise pals run amok onshore. You may be surprised that there’s always at least one who experiences this on every world cruise. Don’t let it be you.
Pack for the long haul
As this is not a vacation, but a serious travel expedition, it’s important to pack appropriately. As you may be going through hundreds of different climate zones from the northern hemisphere to the southern and everywhere in between, make sure to pack all-weather gear. Then consider your on board activities. There will most likely be some formal occasions such as dinners, parties, disco’s and casinos so be sure to have the appropriate attire for these also. Two large bags or suitcases should suffice. Also, keep in mind you may pick up a few items along the way so you will need to make room for them.
Sort out a money plan
Spending money on board the ship will not be an issue, especially if you have an all-inclusive ticket. However, when you’re at port visiting foreign countries you will want to have a money plan in place. Many major banks now offer travel card products. These can be multi-currency credit or debit cards and can come in especially handy when travelling the world. Knowing that you can spend money in a foreign country without getting stung by expensive foreign exchange fees can be reassuring. It’s also a good idea to take a backup stash of cold hard cash just in case you need to exchange funds into a local currency.
Plan your communications with loved ones
You are most likely going to be relying on the internet to communicate with your loved ones back home. As you will be gone a while on a world cruise, chances are you will want to stay in touch. As such, figure out before you leave how you will be doing this. Thankfully, we are now living in a time where technology is making this evermore easy for us. There are several video calling services to choose from, including WhatsApp, Skype, Zoom, Meet and Viber. Find out what works for you and those close to you back home and ensure you have a good internet package on board.
