Best World Cruises of 2023, 2024 And 2025

World cruises come in all shapes and sizes. Prospective travelers will find sailings as long as 180 nights on Oceania's "180 Days Around the World" voyages, while some lines -- like Cunard, Silversea, and MSC -- are now running two or more World Cruises in a given calendar year. This means there are more opportunities than ever before to take one of these bucket list cruises.

A few things to note: Many world cruises don't sail fully around the world, though they do offer a chance to see a varied portfolio of diverse cultures all in one sailing. Also, if you can't commit to a full world cruise in 2023 or 2024, you can often book a "segment" of the voyage, typically ranging from a week to more than a month in duration.

World cruises usually begin in January and end in April or May, but some lines change it up with departures in other seasons, including summer and early winter. Cruise itineraries are still under development for 2025 and future years, so watch this space for more information as it becomes available.

Cunard Line - Queen Mary 2

Cunard Line kicks off 2023 with World Cruises that mark 100 years since its RMS Laconia set out on the line's first-ever round-the-world journey in January 1923. A century later, the modern and elegant Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria carry on the tradition, with special sailings that call on some of the original ports visited by RMS Laconia, along with locales that will be treasured by modern cruisers.

The Trip: Queen Mary 2 sets out on a 117-day Centenary World Voyage sailing roundtrip from New York on January 3, 2023, on a voyage calling on ports of call in Asia, South Africa and Australia. Overnight port stays will be offered in Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong and Cape Town, and Queen Mary 2 will treat passengers to two of the liner's legendary weeklong transatlantic crossings.

Departure Date: January 3, 2023, from New York (Brooklyn).

Itinerary Segments: New York to Dubai (30 nights); Southampton to Dubai (22 nights); Southampton to Singapore (36 nights); Southampton to Hong Kong (43 nights); Southampton to Sydney (60 nights); Southampton roundtrip (102 nights); Dubai to Singapore (14 nights); Dubai to Hong Kong (21 nights); Dubai to Sydney (38 nights); Singapore to Hong Kong (7 nights); Singapore to Sydney (24 nights); Singapore to Fremantle (33 nights); Hong Kong to Sydney (17 nights); Hong Kong to Fremantle (26 nights); Hong Kong to Southampton (59 nights); Hong Kong to New York (66 nights); Sydney to Fremantle (9 nights); Sydney to Cape Town (26 nights); Sydney to Southampton (42 nights); Sydney to New York (49 nights); Fremantle to Cape Town (17 nights); Fremantle to Southampton (33 nights); Fremantle to New York (40 nights); Cape Town to Southampton (16 nights); Cape Town to New York (23 nights); Southampton to New York (7 nights).

Price: Full world cruise fares start at $ 21,199 per person.

Cunard Line - Queen Victoria

The Trip: Queen Victoria sets out on its own Centenary World Voyage with Cunard in 2023, offering passengers their choice of embarkation ports with a 105-day World Cruise roundtrip from Hamburg, Germany; or a 101-day voyage departing roundtrip Southampton. The ship calls on 10 ports of call visited by Cunard's RMS Laconia on its first World Cruise in January 1923, and sails in a westerly direction across the Atlantic, through the Caribbean and the Panama Canal, before journeying through the South Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean and Western Europe.

Departure Date: January 9, 2023, from Hamburg; January 11, 2023 from Southampton

Itinerary Segments: Southampton to Southampton (4 nights); Hamburg to Southampton (2 nights); Hamburg to New York (11 nights); Hamburg to Sydney (50 nights); Southampton to New York (9 nights); Southampton to San Francisco (27 nights); Southampton to Sydney (48 nights); New York to San Francisco (18 nights); New York to Sydney (39 nights); New York to Southampton (92 nights); San Francisco to Sydney (21 nights); San Francisco to Southampton (74 nights); Sydney to Hong Kong (16 nights); Sydney to Singapore (22 nights); Sydney to Dubai (33 nights); Sydney to Southampton (53 nights); Hong Kong to Singapore (6 nights); Hong Kong to Dubai (17 nights); Hong Kong to Southampton (37 nights); Singapore to Dubai (11 nights); Dubai to Southampton (20 nights); Dubai to Hamburg (22 nights); Southampton to Hamburg (2 nights).

Price: Full world cruise fares start at $21,699 per person.

Holland America Line

The Trip: In 2023, Holland America's Zaandam will sail a 127-day voyage around the globe, operating roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale. The ship heads almost immediately for the Panama Canal before exploring Costa Rica and heading across the Pacific Ocean to French Polynesia, the South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand.

Zaandam then crosses directly from Fremantle to Port Louis, Mauritius, before sailing to Mozambique, South Africa, Namibia and the western shores of the African continent. Zaandam then heads up through Western Europe, Northern Europe, Norway, and the British Isles before heading for a southern crossing of the Atlantic Ocean back to Fort Lauderdale.

Departure Date: January 3, 2023

Itinerary Segments: Itinerary segments were not immediately available at time of publication.

Price: Full world cruise fares start at $23,999 per person.

MSC Cruises

The Trip: MSC Poesia sets out on its 2023 world cruise, sailing roundtrip from Genoa, on January 5, 2023. Due to popular demand, MSC is also offering a second 2023 World Cruise onboard MSC Magnifica, leaving on January 4.

The 118-night voyage will call on 53 destinations in 33 countries, including stops in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; San Francisco; Honolulu; Sydney, Australia; Tokyo, Japan; Shanghai, China; Hong Kong; Da Nang, Vietnam; Singapore; Aqaba, Jordan; and numerous other ports of call. The exciting itinerary also includes transits of both the Panama and Suez canals and visits to some of the most far-flung destinations in the South Pacific and around the globe. MSC Poesia and returns to Genoa on May 3, 2023.

Departure Date: January 5, 2023 (MSC Poesia) and January 4, 2023 (MSC Magnifica).

Itinerary Segments: Itinerary segments were not immediately available at time of publication.

Price: Pricing starts at $15,750 per person, based on double occupancy, for MSC's full 2023 world cruise.

Oceania

The Trip: Insignia returns once again for Oceania's popular "Around the World in 180 Days" voyage --in January 2023, though longer segments are available starting at the end of 2022.

The 180-day journey begins roundtrip San Francisco on January 15, 2023, with port calls in Mexico before sailing farther south to call on Peru, Chile and Argentina before crossing the legendary Drake Passage for three days of scenic cruising in Antarctica. Insignia then stops in Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, before continuing to Argentina and Brazil, then sailing the Atlantic to the Cape Verde Islands.

Insignia explores the western and eastern shores of Africa before heading over to the Seychelles and into the Indian Ocean prior to calls on India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, China, and Japan. Insignia then crosses the upper Pacific Ocean, including Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula; the Bering Sea and the Aleutian Islands before heading into Alaska proper, traversing the British Columbia coast, and ending in San Francisco on July 13, 2023.

To really kick things up a notch, hop aboard the largest world cruise in the line's roster: a massive 218-day journey departing roundtrip from Miami on December 28, 2022. It includes the same itinerary as the 180-day voyage, with itinerary extensions on the start and end to turn it into an epic journey that concludes at the end of July 2023.

Departure Date: January 15, 2023 (roundtrip from San Francisco)

Itinerary Segments: Miami to New York (218 days; departs December 2022); Miami to San Francisco (198 days; departs December 2022); Miami to Miami (214 days; departs December 2022); San Francisco to New York (200 days)

Price: Full world cruise fares start at $41,999 per person.

Princess Cruises

The Trip: Princess Cruises' 111-day World Cruise sets sail aboard Island Princess in January 2023, with roundtrip departures offered from either Fort Lauderdale or Los Angeles. The full world cruise will visit 50 destinations across 31 countries and six continents, with stops in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, South America and North America.

As part of this voyage, Island Princess will give passengers the chance to visit 21 UNESCO World Heritage sites, will cross the equator twice and will offer overnight visits to 12 ports of call, including Dubai and Venice.

Departure Date: January 5, 2023 from Fort Lauderdale; January 19 from Los Angeles

Itinerary Segments: Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles (97 days). Additional segments have yet to be released.

Price: Fares for the 2023 world cruise begin at $19,199 per person.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

The Trip: Sailing from Miami to Barcelona aboard Seven Seas Mariner, Regent's 2023 World Cruise spans 143 days and touches some of the most iconic ports and destinations around the globe. Sailing westbound, Seven Seas Mariner visits the Caribbean before transiting the Panama Canal. Stops in Ecuador and Peru precede the transpacific crossing and subsequent visit to fabled Easter Island.

From there, Seven Seas Mariner travels to French Polynesia and the South Pacific before carrying on to Australia and Southeast Asia, China and Japan. The ship then makes its way south, calling on India and Sri Lanka, along with ports in the Middle East, prior to transiting the eastern coast of Africa en-route to Mozambique, Madagascar, South Africa, Ghana, Senegal and the Ivory Coast. Seven Seas Mariner finishes its grand world journey in Barcelona on May 30, 2023.

Departure Date: January 7, 2023

Itinerary Segments: Additional segments have not yet been released for this cruise.

Price: Fares for the 2023 world cruise begin at $81,199 per person.

Viking Cruises

The Trip: Viking's 2023 World Cruise aboard Viking Neptune actually departs at the end of December 2022, just in time for the holiday festivities.

Featuring overnight stays in 11 different cities, Viking Neptune sails the Caribbean through the Panama Canal, eventually docking in Los Angeles to pick up passengers for the ship's 119-night World Cruise segment.

From there, it's off to Hawaii, the South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia before an in-depth exploration of Southeast Asia, India and Middle East. A transit of the Suez Canal is the prelude to extensive port stops in the sunny Mediterranean before Viking Neptune sails up the western coast of Europe enroute to Greenwich (London), where the voyage will end in May 2023.

Departure Date: December 22, 2022

Itinerary Segments: Los Angeles to London (119 nights)

Price: Fares for the 2023 world cruise begin at $49,995 per person.

Azamara

The Trip: Azamara’s 2024 World Voyage aboard Azamara Onward starts in Fort Lauderdale on January 5, 2024. Passengers will sail for 155 nights through more than 40 countries, with 27 late stays and 22 overnight stays. The voyage highlights the Seven Wonders of the World, from Chichén Itzá in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula; Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes Mountains; Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; the Great Wall of China; India’s Taj Mahal; the ancient city of Petra; the Colosseum in Rome; and more, including the great pyramids of Giza.

Departure Date: January 5, 2024, from Fort Lauderdale

Itinerary Segments: Fort Lauderdale to Lima (13 nights); Auckland to Sydney (15 nights); Sydney to Hong Kong (20 nights); Hong Kong to Singapore (15 nights); Singapore to Dubai (20 nights); Dubai to Istanbul (21 nights); Istanbul to Venice (13 nights); Venice to Barcelona (10 nights)

Price: Fares for the 2024 world cruise begin at $36,379 per person.

Cunard Line - Queen Mary 2

The Trip: Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 will head off on a 123-night transatlantic sailing roundtrip from New York on January 3, 2024, calling on ports in Asia, South Africa and Australia, with overnight port stays will be offered in Cape Town, Sydney, Melbourne, Hong Kong, and Singapore, before returning to New York on May 5, 2024.

Departure Date: Queen Mary 2 departs January 3, 2024, from New York.

Itinerary Segments: New York to Sydney (55 nights); Southampton to Sydney (47 nights); Southampton to Hong Kong (63 nights); Cape Town to Sydney (26 nights); Sydney to Dubai (40 nights); Sydney to Southampton (61 nights); Sydney to New York (68 nights); Port Kelang to Southampton (45 nights); Hong Kong to New York (52 nights); Singapore to Southampton (36 nights); Dubai to Southampton (21 nights); Dubai to New York (28 nights); Southampton roundtrip (108 nights)

Price: Full world cruise fares start at $20,699 per person.

Cunard Line - Queen Victoria

The Trip: While Queen Mary 2 takes to the seas for its round-the-world sailing, Cunard’s Queen Victoria will once again embark on an 111-night world sailing of its own, roundtrip from Hamburg on January 9, 2024, sailing to the “four corners of the world”: San Francisco, Fiji, Hong Kong, and South Africa.

Departure Date: Queen Victoria departs Hamburg on January 9, 2024 and Southampton on January 11, 2024.

Itinerary Segments: Hamburg to Sydney (54 nights); Southampton to Auckland (44 nights); Southampton to Sydney (52 nights); Southampton roundtrip (107 nights); Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco (16 nights); Fort Lauderdale to Sydney (41 nights); Fort Lauderdale to Southampton (96 nights); San Francisco to Auckland (17 nights); San Francisco to Sydney (25 nights); San Francisco to Southampton (80 nights); Auckland to Southampton (63 nights); Sydney to Hong Kong (16 nights); Sydney to Cape Town (39 nights); Sydney to Southampton (55 nights); Hong Kong to Cape Town (23 nights); Port Kelang to Southampton (39 nights); Singapore to Cape Town (17 nights); Singapore to Southampton (33 nights)

Price: Full world cruise fares start at $19,699 per person.

Holland America Line

The Trip: The 128-day Grand World Voyage aboard Holland America's Zuiderdam will sail roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale in 2024, with overnights in Tokyo, Kobe, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mumbai, Petra, and Istanbul. The itinerary is punctuated with stops in South America, Hawaii, the Caribbean and Middle East, providing an immersive experience in a variety of cultures across the globe.

Departure Date: January 3, 2024

Itinerary Segments: Itinerary segments have not yet been released.

Price: Full world cruise fares start at $23,599 per person.

MSC Cruises

The Trip: MSC Poesia’s 2024 world cruise will sail roundtrip from Rome, on January 4, 2024.

The 120-night voyage will call on 56 destinations in 31 countries, including Valparaiso, Chile; Lima, Peru; Auckland, New Zealand; Alotau, Papua New Guinea; Cairns, Australia; Lombok, Indonesia, Colombo, Sri Lanka; Mumbai/Bombay, India; Aqaba/Petra, Jordan; and more. MSC Poesia returns to Berlin on May 4, 2024.

Departure Date: January 4, 2024

Itinerary Segments: Miami to Berlin (35 nights); New York to Berlin (31 nights); Cape Town to London (67 nights); Cape Town to Paris (69 nights); Cape Town to Berlin (73 nights); Genoa to Cape Town (47 nights); Barcelona to Miami (83 nights); Provence to Miami (84 nights); Barcelona to New York (87 nights); Genoa to Miami (85 nights); Genoa to New York (89 nights); Provence to New York (88 nights); Barcelona to New York (112 nights); Genoa to London (114 nights); Provence to Paris (115 nights); Barcelona to Ijmuiden (116 nights); Genoa to Berlin (120 nights); Rome to London (115 nights); Barcelona to Stockholm (126 nights); Barcelona to Stockholm (128 nights); Barcelona to Berlin (118 nights)

Price: Fares for the 2024 world cruise begin at $17,199 per person for the full world cruise.

Oceania Cruises

The Trip: Though the vessel and the timeframe remain the same, Oceania Insignia’s itinerary for its world voyage in 180 days varies from year to year, starting and ending in different locations, and picking up new ports along the way. For 2024, the voyage begins in Los Angeles on January 14 and heads to the Pacific, beginning with the Hawaiian Islands, Polynesia and the South Pacific. Then on to Asia, spending about a week in Japan before cruising the Arabian Sea and Red Sea, visiting Jordan, Egypt and onto Europe, the U.K., Denmark, Iceland, and returning to New York on July 12.

Departure Date: January 14, 2024 in Los Angeles

Itinerary Segments: Itinerary segments have not yet been released.

Price: Full world cruise fares start at $43,199 per person.

Princess Cruises - Island Princess

The Trip: Princess Cruises offers two world cruises in 2024, one on Island Princess leaving from Fort Lauderdale or Los Angeles on January 4, 2024, or January 18, 2024, and one on Coral Princess from New Zealand or Australia (see below).

The 51 destinations in 27 countries, including 25 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, visiting six continents, and crossing the equator twice, as well as a full transit of the Panama Canal. Cities include Honolulu, Hawaii; Sydney, Australia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Salalah, Oman; Mykonos, Greece; Seville, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; Agadir, Morocco; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; and many others.

Departure Date: January 4, 2024, in Los Angeles.

Itinerary Segments: Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale (97 days); Fort Lauderdale roundtrip (111 days); Los Angeles roundtrip (111 days).

Price: Fares for the 2024 world cruise begin at $19,149 per person.

Princess Cruises - Coral Princess

The Trip: Take a 110-day world itinerary in 2024 on Coral Princess, leaving either from Auckland, New Zealand, or Brisbane or Sydney Australia, starting in April 2024.

The 47 destinations in 32 countries, including more than 27 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, crossing the equator twice and the International Dateline and the Panama Canal. This trip features several late-night port calls, ensuring plenty of time in each port, with overnight stays in Lima, New York, and St. Petersburg.

Other ports of call include Easter Island, Chile; Tahiti, French Polynesia; Bar Harbor, Maine; Edinburgh, Scotland; Halifax, Canada; Dover, England; Stockholm, Sweden; Cork, Ireland; Reykjavik, Iceland; Berlin, Germany; and others.

Departure Date: April 26, 2024 from Auckland; April 30, 2024 from Sydney; or May 2, 2024, from Brisbane

Itinerary Segments: Auckland roundtrip (110 days); Sydney roundtrip (110 days); Brisbane roundtrip (110 days)

Price: Pricing not available at time of publication.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

The Trip: Regent Seven Seas Mariner will head out for a 2024 World Cruise on January 6, 2024, roundtrip from Miami for a 132-night voyage. The 2024 World Cruise will visit 66 ports of call and 31 countries, with access to 61 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and 12 o overnight stays in port. You’ll cross both the Panama and the Suez canals.

Departure Date: January 6, 2024 from Miami

Itinerary Segments: Additional segments have not yet been released for this cruise.

Price: Fares for the 2024 world cruise begin at $73,499 per person.

Viking Cruises

The Trip: Viking will offer two separate world cruise voyages in 2024, on Viking Sky and Viking Neptune, both with identical 121-day itineraries starting in Los Angeles January 6 and January 9, 2024, and ending in London on May 6 and May 9, 2024.

Both cruises sail across the Pacific Ocean for Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand, before heading to ports in Asia and the Middle East. The world cruises then journey to the Mediterranean and disembark in London. Cruisers will stay overnight in Sydney, Haifa, and Istanbul, with two nights in Auckland, Bali, Ho Chi Minh, Yangon, and Mumbai.

Departure Date: January 6, 2024 (Viking Sky); and January 9, 2024 (Viking Neptune), from Los Angeles

Itinerary Segments: Additional segments have not yet been released for this cruise.

Price: Fares for the 2024 world cruise begin at $54,995 per person.

Azamara

The Trip: Azamara Onward will embark on a world cruise for a second year in 2025, after the first itinerary in 2024 on the new vessel sold out. The voyage will include 155 nights, including 46 late nights or overnights in port. The world cruise will go from Hawaii and French Polynesia, New Zealand and Australia, tracing ancient trade routes through Asia, and more.

Departure Date: January 6, 2025, from San Diego

Itinerary Segments: San Diego to Tahiti (18 nights); Tahiti to Auckland (14 nights); Auckland to Sydney (12 nights); Singapore to Bangkok (20 nights); Bangkok to Mumbai (17 nights); Mumbai to Athens (18 nights); Athens to Rome (14 nights); Rome to Lisbon (10 nights); Lisbon to Southampton (10 nights)

Price: Fares for the 2025 world cruise begin at $39,999 per person.

Oceania Cruises

The Trip: Why not devote about half of the year to exploring the world aboard Oceania's Insignia in 2025? Plan ahead for this once-in-a-lifetime voyage, which begins in Miami on January 5, 2025, and heads across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean, South America, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Asia, Australia and the South Pacific. Overnight stops include along the Amazon River, Madagascar, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, and Bora Bora. The cruise ends on July 3 in San Diego.

Departure Date: January 5, 2025 in Miami

Itinerary Segments: Itinerary segments have not yet been released.

Price: Full world cruise fares for 2025 start at $44,999 per person.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

The Trip: On a Regent World Cruise onboard Seven Seas Mariner, get the chance to deeply explore 97 ports and 25 continents with 16 overnights on this 150-night trip, venturing from Miami across the globe to San Francisco leaving on January 7, 2025.

You’ll cross the Atlantic for the Caribbean before visiting Brazil and South America; then down to the Antarctic Peninsula; crossing the Pacific to explore French Polynesia and the South Pacific; Australia and New Zealand, and then onto Asia; finishing up with Alaska, British Columbia, and the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. Depart in San Francisco, or continue the voyage back to Miami for a total of 168 nights.

Departure Date: January 7, 2025, from Miami

Itinerary Segments: Additional segments have not yet been released for this cruise.

Price: Fares for the 2025 world cruise begin at $87,499 per person.