Originally published 2018-09-18.
In 2018 Regent Seven Seas Cruises announced one of the most ambitious voyages on the luxury cruise calendar: a 117-day world cruise aboard Seven Seas Mariner, sailing from Miami on 5 January 2021 and ending in Barcelona. The route promised six continents, 30 countries, about 61 ports of call and visits within reach of 56 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, with fares starting at $61,999 per person. The voyage never sailed. The Covid-19 pandemic shut down cruising in 2020, and Regent cancelled the 2021 world cruise along with most of the industry's long voyages.
Here is what the trip offered, what it reveals about how world cruises work, and what to look for if a long voyage like this is on your own list.
The 2021 world cruise at a glance
- Ship: Seven Seas Mariner, about 700 guests
- Dates: planned departure 5 January 2021 from Miami, arriving in Barcelona about four months later
- Length: 117 nights, just under four months
- Scope: six continents, 30 countries, around 61 ports, several overnight calls
- Price: from $61,999 per person, roughly $530 per night, with early-booking savings of up to $26,000 per suite
- Status: cancelled in 2020 because of the pandemic
Prices and inclusions on this page describe the 2018 announcement. They are a historical snapshot, not a current offer.
The ship: Seven Seas Mariner
Seven Seas Mariner was built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France, and entered service in 2001. At about 48,000 gross tons and with room for some 700 passengers and roughly 445 crew, she is small by modern cruise standards, which is part of the appeal on a long voyage: fewer people at each port, shorter queues and a high ratio of staff to guests.
When she launched she was billed as the world's first all-suite, all-balcony ship, meaning every cabin has its own private veranda. Some of the larger suites have balconies bigger than a standard stateroom on a mass-market ship. In 2002 she was named Ship of the Year by the trade publication Ocean and Cruise News, and she was the first ship to host a restaurant run with Le Cordon Bleu of Paris.
On board, guests on the 2021 voyage would have found a Canyon Ranch spa, a fitness centre, a jogging track and a pool deck, plus several restaurants, bars and lounges. A theatre and a casino filled the evenings and the long stretches at sea. On a cruise of nearly four months, those sea days add up, so the quality of life on board matters as much as the ports.
The route: two canals and four oceans
The itinerary was built around two of the world's great engineering shortcuts. Heading west from Miami, the ship was to pass through the Panama Canal into the Pacific. From there the route crossed the South Pacific with calls such as Easter Island, a remote Chilean territory famous for its moai statues, and Bora Bora in French Polynesia.
The voyage then continued to New Zealand and Australia before turning north into Asia, with stops in Indonesia, including Bali, and in Thailand. Across the Indian Ocean the ship was due in Oman and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, before entering the Red Sea and passing through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean. The final weeks included Greece and Italy before the cruise ended in Barcelona.
Several ports were scheduled as overnight stays, which change the experience completely. An overnight call means passengers can stay ashore for dinner, see a city after dark or take a longer excursion inland, instead of rushing back to the ship by late afternoon. On any world cruise, it is worth checking how many of the advertised ports get a full day or more, and how many are brief stops.
What the fare included
Regent markets its cruises as all-inclusive, and the world cruise extended that further than most. According to the announcement, the fare included:
- First-class air to Miami and business-class air home from Barcelona
- Transfers to the ship, with luggage handling
- All meals in the ship's restaurants, plus drinks, with the in-suite mini-bar restocked daily
- Unlimited shore excursions, subject to availability
- Laundry, dry cleaning and pressing
- Onboard medical services
That list explains why the headline price looks so high. Once flights, excursions, drinks, tips and laundry over four months are added to a cheaper fare, the gap narrows. The $530 per night figure is a useful way to compare: it is roughly what a good hotel room costs in many major cities, before food, transport or sightseeing.
Why the voyage was cancelled
In March 2020, cruise lines worldwide suspended operations as Covid-19 spread, and several ships became notorious for onboard outbreaks. As months passed with no clear date for a restart, lines began cancelling not only 2020 sailings but also voyages well into 2021. By late August 2020 Regent Seven Seas had cancelled the 2021 world voyage on Seven Seas Mariner. Cunard, Princess and P&O Cruises scrapped or replaced their 2021 world cruises at around the same time.
A world cruise is especially hard to run during a pandemic. It depends on dozens of countries accepting the ship, on stable flight connections for guests and crew, and on medical support far from home. When border rules change week by week, a four-month route through 30 countries becomes almost impossible to guarantee.
Seven Seas Mariner herself returned to service once cruising restarted, and Regent has continued to offer world cruises with different routes in later years.
Thinking about a world cruise of your own
A long voyage is a big commitment of money and time. A few questions help separate a dream itinerary from a good one:
- How many sea days are there? Long ocean crossings can be restful or monotonous, depending on your temperament.
- How long is the ship in each port? A list of countries says little without the hours ashore.
- Can you sail just one segment? Most world cruises are sold in shorter legs as well, which lets you test the experience first.
- What happens if plans change? Read the cancellation, refund and insurance terms carefully. The pandemic showed how quickly a trip planned years ahead can disappear.
- What does "included" really cover? Check whether excursions are limited to certain tours and whether premium options cost extra.
The 2021 voyage remains a good example of what a luxury world cruise tries to offer: a single unpacking, a small ship and a route that strings together places most travellers would need many separate trips to see. The pandemic stopped this one before it left Miami, but the appeal of seeing a large slice of the planet in one journey has not gone away.
Sources: Simplemost: 117-day cruise sails to 30 countries; Regent Seven Seas Cruises: Seven Seas Mariner; Wikipedia: Seven Seas Mariner; ShipMonk, August 2020: World cruises cancelled. Photos: Regent Seven Seas Cruises; Flickr users bovinum and Bert Kaufmann.
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