Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts

Get Simon Calder’s Travel email

It’s a holiday lasting 105 days, an ocean odyssey spanning 60 destinations over three continents (and 11 countries), sailing on seven ships – and it’s been billed as “the ultimate luxury cruise” by the travel agency behind the package.

The mammoth itinerary from Mundy Cruising, specialists in ocean-going holidays, comes in at a hefty £239,999.

For that fare, passengers are promised the height of nautical luxury on some of the finest cruise ship cabins on the market, remarkable hotel rooms while staying on land, journeys along magnificent railways and business-class tickets when flying.

Ports of call will allow travellers to experience the hustle and bustle of New York City, sit back on a romantic train journey aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, soak up the sun while circling Adriatic islands and take in the views as the Rocky Mountaineer chugs through the US.

Speaking about why the itinerary was created, Edwina Lonsdale, managing director of Mundy Cruising, said: “Why not, we thought, create a cruise which allows people to visit some on the best places on the planet, on some of the very best ships, and in the absolutely very best suites available on those ships?”

Alex Loizou,director of sales, marketing and operations, says that Mundy created the cruise “as an example of the many bespoke travel experiences we take pleasure in curating”.

So just how ambitious is Mundy’s project, and what will holidaymakers find on the voyage?

Spring in Japan before a journey to Alaska

The trip begins in April next year with first-class flights to Tokyo and ends with on 26 July 2025 with a flight from Dubrovnik to London.

Before boarding the ship, travellers will arrive in Japan’s capital in time to enjoy the spring cherry blossoms before setting of on the first leg of the trip, a 12-day journey around Japan on Regent’s Seven Seas Explorer, with stops in both Kyoto and Nagasaki. Passengers will stay in a Regent Suite, a 3,000-square-foot space that has an in-house spa, rare artworks and even a Steinway piano.

On 27 April, guests will board Seabourn Quest, making their home in a Grand Wintergarden Suite, to finish exploring Japan with the hot springs of Hakodate, before sailing onward to the US state of Alaska. Wildlife spotting and outdoor adventures can be enjoyed on Glacier Bay before this leg finishes on Canada’s western coast, in the city of Vancouver.

North America and a ‘journey home’

After two nights in Vancouver, passengers will set off on a Rocky Mountaineer rail route, traversing western Canada and ending up in the beautiful Banff National Park. They’ll benefit from “GoldLeaf” service on the train, including three-course meals (paired with wine) and an outdoor viewing platform.

The next leg of the journey is a flight to New York City, where they’ll board Silversea’s Silver Dawn for a transatlantic journey back to the UK, via Boston, parts of the Canadian coast, Guernsey and St Malo, France. Accommodation on Silver Dawn is in an elegant Owner’s Suite, which includes almost 1,400 square feet of living space and your own butler.

A brief stay in the UK ends with guests boarding Seabourn Sojourn in Dover. The ship is destined for Norway, where the fjords of the Arctic Circle, the peaks of the Lofoten Islands and the delightful cityscape of Tromso await.

Business-class flights will then ferry passengers to Paris for two days spent exploring the City of Light, before they board the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. The grand suites on the train are an Art Deco reminder of times gone by, with guests able to enjoy private in-cabin dining and 24-hour butler service.

The Mediterranean and Adriatic island-hopping

Silversea Silver Spirit will set off south from Venice to the coastal city of Ravenna before carrying on to Croatian towns like Zadar and Rovinj, taking in all the canals, red roofs and crystalline waters of the northern Adriatic while staying in another Owner’s Suite, a spacious apartment-on-the-seas that features a large veranda and an afternoon champagne and canapé service. You’ll then return to Venice for three nights.

The next part of the trip cruises the length of the Adriatic Sea to the Peloponnese, via the enchanting city of Dubrovnik and one of the cradles of western civilisation in the Greek capital, Athens. This journey takes place on Explora Journeys’ new Explora I, in an Owner’s Residence, a cabin that spans the entire width of the ship – and contains a private terrace and infinity whirlpool.

The final leg of the worldwide cruise takes place on the Le Ponant, where guests will stay in a smaller Owner’s Suite (that includes free spa treatments) as they’re guided to Greek islands, such as Pylos and Spetses, and Montenegro, with stops in Kotor and Tivat.

The annoucement of this cruise package comes almost a year after a three-year cruise was announced, priced at just under $30,000 and visiting 135 countries – though it was subsequently cancelled in November 2023 by the operator, Life at Sea, just two weeks before setting sail.

Read More