Hello Cruisers!

I have just begun a trip that I had no idea was going to happen just a of couple months ago: A 30-day trip around the world that includes 21 days on two different cruise ships, neither of which I have never been on before, and all the places are new as well.

How did this come to pass?

Back in February Jessica and I went on an easy four-day cruise for Valentine’s weekend on the Norwegian Jewel out of Tampa. That Tuesday (February 18) we were sitting on the plane about to push-back and my phone rang. It was my boss calling to tell me I was laid-off. I knew this was coming for some time and I had been there so long I am getting a LOT of severance… so not to worry.

The next day, Jess suggested I find a trip to go on for the period time between then and March 22 which was when we were leaving for our trip to London which was followed by the inaugural transatlantic cruise of the Norwegian Aqua.

I asked NCL’s AI tool to show me all the cruises that were over seven days long that would be over in time for the London trip. It gave me three options: The Norwegian Dawn in South Africa (flights were too expensive), The Norwegian Sun in Southeast Asia (it started the NEXT day and getting there on time was impossible) and the Norwegian Star in South America and Antarctica. I went on the latter. It was an amazing time. Great ship, great people, and great itinerary. Sadly, it was the last time NCL ever intends on going to Antarctica.

I then came home (for less than a week) to get ready for the London trip.

At some point that week I was again looking at the NCL site, specifically looking for cruises that yield extra Latitudes points (NCL’s loyalty program) and found a seven-day on the Norwegian Sky from April 12-19 started in Doha, Qatar and ending in Dubai, that was relatively inexpensive. Jess said “go for it” so I booked the cruise, pre-cruise hotel, and flights.

And that was the extent of my plans.

Fast-forward a couple weeks and we were on the Aqua in the middle of the Atlantic.

One day it occurred to me I was spending a lot on airfare for just a week and I began to look for other cruises that I could possibly tack onto the trip on the Sky. Again, I was looking for extra points and found a 14-day on the Norwegian Sun starting on April 23 in Brisbane, Australia and ending in Fiji… and it was CHEAP! Again, Jess, God love her, said “go for it.”

And then I got to thinking.

I had already been to South America and Antarctica on the Norwegian Star, I had just been in Europe while in London, and was now going to Asia (the Middle East) plus Australia! That only left-out Africa! If I somehow worked Africa into the trip, I would be able to say I visited all seven continents in a two-month period.  Once that idea was in my head, I was not going to let it go. Given the time between the cruise on the Sky ending on April 19, and the one on the Sun beginning on the 23rd, that was a tight window, but I made it work: on the 19th I will fly from Dubai to Cairo, spend two nights there, and then fly to Brisbane, arriving on the 22nd, the evening before the cruise on the Sun. After that cruise I will fly from Fiji to my home in Charlotte via LAX: Around the world in 30 days… and all seven continents in two months.

Note I was able to cancel the return leg of the air I had originally booked for the trip to the Middle East and use that credit with American Airlines for the flights from Fiji home. I booked the flights from Cairo to Brisbane using miles.

So that’s how I got here.

On Thursday afternoon (which feels like yesterday even though it’s the day before) I left my home in Charlotte at about 4:30pm in the afternoon, and Jessica drove me to the airport.

My flight from Charlotte to Miami left 45 minutes late for no good reason, which left me only a short amount of time at the Flagship Lounge in Miami.

My flight from Miami to Doha was scheduled to leave at 11:30pm, but they always start boarding those big planes (an Airbus 350) about an hour early. I arrived at the gate and heard them page me. They (Qatar Airlines) just wanted to confirm that they HAD received my checked bag from American AND they told me since I have One World Emerald status I could board right after the business class people.

I’ve always heard good things about Qatar Airlines and they didn’t disappoint. As I said, I was the first coach passenger to board. After I sat down the flight attendant approached me, addressed me by name, and she then took my order for all THREE meal services. I had the aisle seat in the first three-seat row so there was nothing in front of me but aisle. I literally had about sixty feet of leg room… LOL. As luck would have it, there was a woman who sat in the window seat (and she only got up ONCE in the 14-hour flight!) and the middle seat was EMPTY! We could just pile all our junk there.

The Doha airport is HUGE! I walked fifteen minutes before getting to the transfer train then walked some more before getting to immigration. Reports on the Facebook group for the cruise had be bracing for a long wait at Qatari Immigration, but it wasn’t that bad. I then retrieved by checked bag, hopped in a cab, and I was in my hotel shortly.

So here I sit in my hotel room in Doha, kept awake by jetlag, just hours before boarding the Norwegian Sky.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned!

Eric Cable

April 12, 2025

Doha, Qatar

Because some have asked, here is the full itinerary:

Day Number	The Date	Location	Description
1	Apr 10 (Thu)	Charlotte to Miami	Fly from Charlotte to Miami, then the redeye (14 hours) to Doha
2	Apr 11 (Fri)	Doha, Qatar	Arrive in Doha around 8pm. Spend the night near the cruise port
3	Apr 12 (Sat)	Doha, Qatar	Board the Norwegian Sky in the morning
4	Apr 13 (Sun)	Dammam, Saudi Arabia	Cruise Stop
5	Apr 14 (Mon)	Manama, Bahrain	Cruise Stop
6	Apr 15 (Tue)	Sir Bani Yas, United Arab Emirates	Cruise Stop
7	Apr 16 (Wed)	Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates	Cruise Stop Overnight
8	Apr 17 (Thu)	Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates	Cruise Stop
9	Apr 18 (Fri)	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	Cruise Stop Overnight
10	Apr 19 (Sat)	Dubai to Cairo	Deprt the ship early that moring and fly to Cairo via Amman, Jordan
11	Apr 20 (Sun)	Cairo, Egypt	Full Day tour of the Pyramids and the new Museum
12	Apr 21 (Mon)	Cairo to Brisbane	Leave Cairo midday, fly to Doha, then redeye to Brisbane
13	Apr 22 (Tue)	Brisbane, Australia	Arrive in the late afternoon. Spend the night in the city
14	Apr 23 (Wed)	Brisbane, Australia	Board the Norwegian Sun in the morning
15	Apr 24 (Thu)	Sea Day
16	Apr 25 (Fri)	Airlie Beach, Australia	Cruise Stop
17	Apr 26 (Sat)	Townsville, Australia	Cruise Stop
18	Apr 27 (Sun)	Cairins, Australia	Cruise Stop
19	Apr 28 (Mon)	Sea Day
20	Apr 29 (Tue)	Sea Day
21	Apr 30 (Wed)	Sea Day
22	May 1 (Thu)	Lifou, New Caledonia	Cruise Stop
23	May 2 (Fri)	Mystery Island, Vanatu	Cruise Stop
24	May 3 (Sat)	Sea Day
25	May 4 (Sun)	Dravuni, Fiji	Cruise Stop
26	May 5 (Mon)	Savusavu, Fiji	Cruise Stop
27	May 6 (Tue)	Denaru, Fiji	Cruise Stop Overnight
28	May 7 (Wed)	Denaru, Fiji	Depart the ship in the morning, stay the night in town
29	May 8 (Thu)	Nadi, Fiji	Board a plane in the evening in Fiji, land in LAX that morning (weird international date line thing), then the redeye to Charlotte
30	May 9 (Fri)	Charlotte	Land in Charlotte early that morning, completing the trip around the world