A 53 day cruising adventure aboard the most modern cruise ship in the world? Yes please. After an initial appearance in the New York area, Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Quantum of the Seas will reposition to Shanghai, where she will homeport to serve the burgeoning Chinese market. So, how does a ship make it’s way from New York to Shanghai? According to this article in USA Today, by sailing an extraordinary repositioning itinerary:
“Kicking off on May 2, 2015 in the New York area, the sailing will include a trans-Atlantic crossing to the Mediterranean followed by passage through the Suez Canal to the Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean and Asia. Along the way, the 4,180-passenger vessel will call at nearly two dozens ports including Barcelona; Aqaba, Jordan; Dubai; Cochin, India; Muscat, Oman; Penang, Malaysia; Singapore; and Hong Kong.”
If, like me, you don’t have 53 days of vacation to take, you can book portions of the itinerary ranging from 3 to 16 nights. Would you cruise for 53 days? I know I would if I had the time. But would you be bored?
Keeping it Together for 53 Days
There are a ton of exciting ports of call on this itinerary, so there’ll be plenty to do, and I can’t fathom boredom on this ship. However, if you aren’t careful, 53 days on a cruise ship chock full of opportunities to eat and drink could have a negative impact on one’s waistline. My tips for keeping things in check for a 53 day cruise are the same as a 14 day cruise:
- drink plenty of water;
- keep the alcohol consumption in check; and
- visit the gym at least every other day.
On alternative days, walk a mile on deck or make sure you are participating in active tours. Finally, while food is available 24/7, no one is holding a gun to your head forcing you to eat it. Enjoy your meals, experience things you might not taste at home, but there’s no requirement to order pizza at 1am just because you can. Besides…you can do that at home.
-MJ, May 21, 2014
Our family of 4 book a 7-day Eastern Caribbean (Key West, Freeport and Nassau) with Carnival Magic for next month travel and would like your cruise tips on which excursion should we need to book, where to eat, etc. For Nassau, we book a room at Comfort Suites Paradise Island for 25K Choice pts with Free Atlantis resort access. Is there any extra fees from the hotel? We’ll take a cab to the hotel and and our ship we leave at 5pm, what time should we need to leave the Atlantis waterpark? Should we buy travel insurance? If yes, which one do you recommend? Thanks in advance for all the helpful info/tips. BTW, we’re 1st time cruisers!
@Katie,
I’m very sorry for being so slow to respond to your comment! Congratulations on your first cruise. It sounds like you have a good plan of attack for the Atlantis waterpark which will be a lot of fun. If your ship leaves at 5PM, I recommend being back on board by 4PM. Don’t risk getting left. While I’m not 100 percent certain about fees at that hotel, I took a look at their website and attempted to book a room. When I did so, I received the following message. “Please note: Must have one adult 21 years or older in each room. Energy surcharge: 15.95 per person per night. Housekeeping gratuities: 5.00 per person per night These are additional charges not included in nightly estimated total and must be paid directly at the hotel. Groups are for Five or more rooms and require a 2nt stay. For groups please contact 1-800-417-6738 Ext 24. Persons 16 and older are charged as adults. 3rd/4th person charged 40.00 per night + tax and service charges.”
I always recommend travel insurance but that is a personal choice. Insuremytrip.com might offer some possible suggestions for you. I’ve only been to Freeport once, and just visited a local bar. Did not have much time there. I’ve visited Key West many times via ship and just flying down to stay. I tell people to try the Key West train trolley tour to get a flavor of the island and then do what you want along Duvall. I recommend the Truman White House and the Hemingway House (as long as you aren’t allergic to cats).
I’d do this in a second if could. That would basically be around the world after adding the flight home from Asia. I don’t think I’d get any more bored than I do at home, and I’d much rather be bored on a cruise ship than sitting at home.
You and me both, Denny!
I’d love to do this!!! Too bad retirement is a long long long time from now…
I hear ya’! 🙂
Im 51 & retired with nothing but time on my hands! I also a good cruise with lots of port visits. where do i sign up?