Year-long cruises: how to spend a year at sea and what it costs
No single voyage on sale lasts a year: the longest is 244 nights, on Oceania Vista. A year at sea means a world cruise plus back-to-back voyages, or a cabin on a residential ship, so price it per night and add the daily charges the fare leaves out.
By Andrew Budai · Last checked · Rules and prices change, so confirm with each source before you travel.
Is there a cruise that lasts a whole year?
Not as one voyage. No cruise that Cruisebound sells lasts a year. As of 7 November 2026, the longest on sale is 244 nights on Oceania Vista (Oceania Cruises), leaving Miami on 6 January 2027, from $125,599 per person. To spend a year at sea you join voyages end to end, or you move onto a residential ship where people own or lease their cabins.
For context, Royal Caribbean announced its Ultimate World Cruise in October 2021 as the longest world cruise on offer: 274 nights on Serenade of the Seas, round trip from Miami, from 10 December 2023 to 10 September 2024. Its page now describes the trip in the past tense and offers no way to book it. Even that voyage was 91 nights short of a year.
A year at sea on a world cruise plus back-to-back voyages
Every piece of this route is an ordinary cruise you can book today. Start with a full world cruise. As of 7 November 2026, this site lists 21 full world cruise voyages, 90 to 244 nights long, with fares of $12,499 to $172,649 per person.
Then fill the rest of the year with voyages that start where the last one ends. The site lists 19 voyages of 120 nights or more and 48 of 60 to 89 nights, and the departure port pages show what leaves each port and when.
Check the end date and port of each voyage against the start of the next. A gap of one day means a hotel night ashore and another embarkation. Staying on one ship saves moving cabins. Changing ships lets you shop for a lower fare per night.
Can you live on a cruise ship?
Yes, on a residential ship, where you buy or lease a cabin instead of paying a cruise fare. Of the three residential ships we checked on 7 November 2026, only The World was in service with no suspension notice on its site. Villa Vie Residences suspended operations in October 2026, and Storylines says its ship's maiden voyage will be in 2028. You can also stay aboard an ordinary cruise ship by booking voyages back to back, as a passenger.
| Ship and company | Status on its own site, 7 November 2026 | How you pay | Published price, 7 November 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Villa Vie Odyssey, Villa Vie Residences | Operations suspended in Cambodia, notice dated 27 October 2026 | Buy cabin rights for the life of the ship or for five years, plus a monthly fee | Life of the ship from $119,999 (inside villa) plus $3,500 a month solo or $5,000 double; five years from $59,999 |
| MV Narrative, Storylines | Not yet sailing; maiden voyage stated as 2028 | Buy a residence, plus monthly living fees | Living fees from $2,152 per person per month; no residence prices shown |
| The World, owned by its residents | Launched 2002; 165 residences | Buy a residence, mostly on resale; net worth requirement | Resale residences from $3.5 million to $15 million |
Villa Vie Odyssey
Villa Vie sold cabins on the Odyssey as homes on a ship sailing continuously around the world. On 27 October 2026 the company posted a notice on its site saying it had suspended operations in Cambodia because of fuel costs. It said it was working with residents on disembarkation and temporary housing, and would look at restructuring and recapitalization over the next 60 days. Its press release added that no financing had been finalized.
When we checked on 7 November 2026, the ownership page still listed prices. Residency for the life of the ship started at $119,999 for an inside villa, with a monthly fee of $5,000 for two people or $3,500 for one. A five-year residency started at $59,999. Rentals were "inquire for pricing". Treat these as listed prices, not a working offer, until the company says how the restructuring ends.
Storylines MV Narrative
Storylines describes a residential ship, MV Narrative, that has not sailed. Its help center says the maiden voyage will be in 2028. When we checked on 7 November 2026, its home page gave living fees from $2,152 per person per month. Its residences page showed no units or prices.
The World
The World launched in 2002, has 165 residences and is owned collectively by its residents. Buyers must meet a net worth requirement that the company does not publish. When we checked on 7 November 2026, its residences page said a few residences come up for resale each year, priced from $3.5 million to $15 million. It gives no figure for annual running costs.
How much does a year-long cruise cost?
There is no single price, because no single voyage lasts a year. Work it out per night. As of 7 November 2026, voyages of 120 nights or more start from $217 a night per person, with a median of $493, and full world cruises cost $12,499 to $172,649. Add the daily charges the fare leaves out, then multiply by the nights you plan to spend aboard.
Site fares are per person, two sharing, taxes and port fees included, for the cheapest cabin listed, as of 7 November 2026.
| Voyage length | Voyages on sale | Fares | Lowest a night | Median a night |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full world cruises | 21 | $12,499 to $172,649 | $139 | $252 |
| 120 nights or more | 19 | $28,009 to $172,649 | $217 | $493 |
| 90 to 119 nights | 32 | $12,499 to $86,899 | $139 | $171 |
| 60 to 89 nights | 48 | $7,908 to $115,998 | $132 | $321 |
| 30 to 59 nights | 323 | $2,699 to $61,998 | $87 | $200 |
Every voyage sorted by fare per night is on the price per night page.
What the fare leaves out
| Cost | In the fare? | What we found on 7 November 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Daily gratuity or service charge | Only on Regent; Seabourn says tipping is not expected | See the next table |
| Wi-Fi | Included on Regent and Seabourn | Holland America $26 to $38 a day; Cunard $24 to $33 a day |
| Travel insurance | No | Quoted per trip and age, no standard price |
| Visas | No | Depends on your passport and the ports |
| Flights | No | Site fares are cruise only |
| Laundry | Included on Regent | Small charge on Princess; no self-service on Holland America |
| Shore excursions | Included on Regent | Extra on Seabourn's standard ships |
| Medical care on board | Not on Princess | Billed to your shipboard account |
Daily gratuities and service charges by cruise line
These are the daily charges each line listed on its own page when we checked on 7 November 2026. Princess and Holland America let you adjust theirs on board. MSC's rates are for bookings made after 2 July 2026.
| Cruise line | Standard cabins, per person per day | Suites, per person per day |
|---|---|---|
| Princess | $18 | $19 mini-suites and Reserve Collection; $20 suites |
| Holland America | $18 | $20 |
| Cunard | $18 Britannia and Britannia Club | $19 Princess Grill and Queens Grill |
| MSC, World Cruise | €12, guests 18 and over | €16 in MSC Yacht Club |
| MSC, Grand Voyages from the Caribbean, Alaska, South America and South Africa | $17, guests 18 and over | $21 in MSC Yacht Club |
| Regent Seven Seas | Included (pre-paid gratuities) | Included |
| Seabourn | Tipping is neither required nor expected | Same |
Drinks carry their own service charge. Princess adds 20% to drink purchases and Cunard adds 18%.
Wi-Fi on a long voyage
Holland America charged US$26 a day for Premium and US$38 a day for Stream when we checked on 7 November 2026, priced on a 7-day package. It says discounts may apply on longer sailings, and it sells packages of up to 135 days. Cunard charged US$24 a day for Essential and US$33 for Premium bought for the whole voyage, with discounts on voyages of 50 nights or more.
Regent lists unlimited Wi-Fi in its fare, and Seabourn includes Wi-Fi packages with unlimited minutes. Princess bundles its MedallionNet Max Wi-Fi into its Princess Plus and Princess Premier packages.
Medical care, Medicare and travel insurance
Princess adds charges for medical services to your shipboard account and gives you an itemized bill for your insurer. It also notes that its ships are registered in Bermuda, so check whether your health cover applies outside the US.
Medicare usually does not cover care outside the US. On a cruise ship, Part B may pay only when the ship is in a US port or no more than six hours from one. Medicare suggests travel insurance for that reason.
Insurers quote travel insurance for a named trip and the traveler's age, so there is no standard figure to put here. If you sail back to back, check that one policy covers every voyage and the days between them.
Laundry, excursions, visas and flights
Princess ships have self-service launderettes for a small charge. Holland America has no self-service laundry rooms, only its paid laundry and dry cleaning service. Regent lists valet laundry among its inclusions.
Regent includes unlimited shore excursions. Seabourn charges extra for its Ventures and other optional excursions on its standard ships. Visa fees depend on your passport and the countries on each itinerary, so start with the world cruise visas and documents guide. Flights to the first port and home from the last are separate from the cruise fare.
A worked example
Take the median fare per night on voyages of 120 nights or more, $493 as of 7 November 2026. Add Princess's crew appreciation of $18 a day for a standard cabin, the rate when we checked on 7 November 2026. Each night then costs $493 plus $18 per person.
The crew appreciation alone comes to $6,570 per person over 365 nights, or $13,140 for two. Add Wi-Fi at the line's daily rate, your insurance quote, flights and visas, then multiply your per-night total by the nights you plan to sail.
Passport, prescriptions and mail for a year at sea
Passport validity and blank pages
These rules are for US passport holders. The State Department says some countries require a passport valid for at least six months beyond the dates of your trip, and some require two to four blank visa or stamp pages. Some airlines will not let you board otherwise. On a year at sea, the six months count from your last port, not your first.
You cannot add pages to a US passport book. If you need more, you renew, and you can tick the "large book" option on the form to get extra visa pages.
Prescriptions for months away
The CDC says to talk to your doctor if you will be away more than 30 days, because some insurers pay for only a 30-day supply at a time. Keep medicines in their original labeled containers in your carry-on, with copies of your prescriptions that include the generic names. Check with the embassy of each country on your route that your medicines are allowed. The CDC also warns that counterfeit drugs are common in some countries, so bring enough from home. Medicare drug plans do not cover prescriptions bought outside the US.
Mail on board
Holland America lets you post letters and postcards from the ship in ports of call, with stamps bought ashore or with US cash at the Front Office. Its FAQ does not cover receiving mail or packages, so ask your line about that before you book.
Tax and residency
Whether a year at sea changes where you count as resident or where you pay tax is a question for a tax adviser.
Choosing between one world cruise and back-to-back voyages
A single world cruise means one booking, one cabin and one embarkation day. Its length is capped by what lines sell: 244 nights at most among the world cruises on sale as of 7 November 2026, at a median of $252 a night.
Back-to-back voyages can fill the whole year, mix lines and ships, and let you choose on price. Compare the median of $493 a night on voyages of 120 nights or more with $200 on voyages of 30 to 59 nights. The trade is more embarkation days, possible hotel nights between ships and a separate booking for each voyage.
The longest voyages on sale are in the table below, and on the longest cruises page.
Sources
- Royal Caribbean, The Ultimate World Cruise
- Royal Caribbean Press Center, Royal Caribbean introduces Ultimate World Tour (October 2021)
- Villa Vie Residences, Residency programs: ownership
- Villa Vie Residences, Rent a villa
- Villa Vie Residences, press release: suspends operations in Cambodia (27 October 2026)
- Storylines, home page (living fees)
- Storylines Knowledgebase, Launch date
- Storylines, Available residences
- The World, The ship
- The World, Residences
- Princess Cruises, Crew appreciation and service charge policy
- Princess Cruises, FAQs: onboard experience (laundry, medical charges)
- Princess Cruises, MedallionNet
- Holland America Line, Crew appreciation rates and charges
- Holland America Line, Cruise Wi-Fi plans and internet packages
- Holland America Line, Can I do my own laundry on board?
- Holland America Line, Telephone, fax and mail on board
- Cunard, Service charges and fees
- Cunard, Staying connected on board
- MSC Cruises USA, Hotel service charges
- Regent Seven Seas Cruises, All-inclusive cruises
- Seabourn, Are gratuities included?
- Seabourn, The Seabourn difference (Wi-Fi, optional excursions)
- U.S. Department of State, Frequently asked questions about passport services
- CDC, Traveling abroad with medicine
- Medicare.gov, Travel outside the U.S.
