Inside the ‘viral’ £88,000 world cruise: Passengers reveal what it was like to spend nine months at sea – and share photos of the incredible sights they saw
As the ‘viral’ Royal Caribbean Ultimate World Cruise comes to an end, those who spent nine months – and up to $118,000 (£88,000) each – reveal what life was like on board.
After departing Miami on December 10, 2023, on the Serenade of the Seas, guests explored 60 countries on all seven continents.
Cindy Seletos, 71, a retired Apple education director and husband, Jim, 72, a retired wine and spirits distributor, estimates the trip of a lifetime cost them $150,000 (£112,000).
“We never dreamed we would love this adventure as much as we do,” says Cindy from Wildwood, Florida.
“We’ve experienced new places, new foods, new customs, new friends, and we’ve now grown our family exponentially.
As the ‘viral’ Royal Caribbean Ultimate World Cruise on Serenade of the Seas comes to an end, those who spent nine months – and up to $118,000 (£88,000) each – reveal what life was like on board. This photo was taken by passenger Matthias Chan as the ship left Oslo
This photo was taken by analytics engineer Matthias, 36, on the island of Cozumel, Mexico
‘Getting to know and interact with so many different cultures has given us a completely new perspective on daily life and people.’
They visited the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China and Machu Picchu – and said their balcony room was worth every penny.
And they point out that the huge costs included everything from drinks to laundry – and that there were ‘basically no other costs except souvenirs’.
For Jim, the world became smaller when he and Cindy discovered that there are “far more similarities than differences between all of us.”
Animal magic: a photo Matthias took of nature in Sri Lanka
Matthias said the natural world was his main inspiration for the trip. The above image was taken in Sri Lanka
The stunning photo was taken off the coast of Gibraltar
Reflecting on the trip, he added: ‘Hopefully our brief interactions with each other will help us all realize that we are one big universal village.’
Renee Shull, 60, a content creator from Buford, Georgia, described the magical experience of visiting Antarctica during her nine-month jaunt, which ended last month.
“I was in awe as the ship sailed past huge, silent icebergs,” she said.
‘Moments like navigating near Elephant Island felt like we were truly at the edge of the earth.’
Her time on the cruise even inspired a new creative outlet. “It inspired me to start writing children’s books about a stuffed elephant that travels around the world,” she says.
Matthias took this photo of a lion during a cruise tour through Kenya
A puffin flies in Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland
Seals and cormorants snapped by cruise passengers Dawn and Robert Cahn in Ushuaia, Argentina
The passengers were taken to this amazing waterfall in Skaftafell Nature Reserve, Iceland
For her husband, Dr. Tom Shull, 64, the trip was especially personal.
Adopted as a baby from Seoul, South Korea, Tom returned to his hometown for the first time in 63 years.
“A friend arranged for a DNA test at the same police station where I was dropped off as a baby,” he says, although no relatives were found.
But in a remarkable twist of fate, Tom met another passenger, Kim, who shared his early story – both had been abandoned at the same police station and housed in the same orphanage before being adopted to the US in 1961.
Passengers Dawn and Robert Cahn in Ushuaia, Argentina
A bird captured on camera by Matthias in Kona, Hawaii
The white stuff: Dawn Cahn scans the snowy landscape in Antarctica
“Although I didn’t find a biological family, I did bond with someone who shared my early journey,” Tom says.
Matthias Chan, a 36-year-old data and analytics engineer from Minneapolis, Minnesota, said the natural world was his main inspiration for the trip.
“I went on the cruise with the intention of photographing wildlife and nature,” he says. “What was most surprising to me was the friendships I made with so many people on the cruise, including guests and crew.”
From watching baby puffins hatch to seeing koalas in Australia and orangutans in Indonesia, Matthias’ time on board exceeded expectations. “What was priceless and totally worth it was the unexpected new lifelong friends we made on the ship.”
For Dawn Cahn, 62, a nurse from Denver, North Carolina, the trip also opened her eyes to new friendships and unforgettable moments.
Passengers Cindy and Jim Seletos, and Karen Schwartz (center), in Denmark
Passengers Cindy and Jim Seletos (middle) with Geert and Catherine Benoot in Belgium
Robert Cahn in Sydney, Australia
“We had no idea what to expect,” she says. ‘On our first evening we met two other couples who will now be lifelong friends, and others. Our ship quickly became a floating community.’
She recalls moments that left her in awe, such as listening to the sea organ for two hours in Zadar, Croatia (where organ pipes on the boardwalk capture the sound of the waves), and witnessing the beauty of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
Her husband, Robert Cahn, 74, a retired Connecticut Department of Transportation employee, was also amazed by the diversity of experiences.
From snorkeling in pristine waters to walking the Great Wall of China, Robert was transformed by places he had only dreamed of.
‘Antarctica with all its beauty and immense fauna… Whales, seals and birds,’ he says. ‘The roar of the Iguazu Falls in South America… pure wonder.’
When Robert looks back on the trip, he knows one thing for sure: ‘Would we do it again? Absolute. Ready for the Alaska reunion cruise next September.”
The Serenade of the Seas ended its voyage in New York on September 10, 2024.
Serenade of the Seas enters port at Puerto Madryn, Argentina
