A tourist wanted to go on a three-year luxury cruise around the world so badly that she sold her house to pay for the trip. This case was reported by The Mirror.
It is the world’s first three-year round-the-world trip on the MV Gemini cruise ship, which will depart from Istanbul at the end of this year and visit 135 countries in three years. Former flight attendant Meredith Shay turned out to be a desperate tourist. She will be one of 1,000 passengers on board.
It is known that a retired woman from Florida (USA) has booked one of the most luxurious apartments with a balcony on the seventh floor of the liner, which she hopes will become a communication center for the friends that the woman intends to make during the tour. The trip will cost her $29.9 thousand, and this is half of the money received from the sale of her real estate.
As the tourist later said, she decided on the offer only 12 hours after hearing about it for the first time. “I don’t have children or grandchildren, so I’m free and happy. Why not do something similar? I like new experiences because they are refreshing. I was looking for something similar for about two years and thought about it for several years. I have visited many of these countries over the years. I was a flight attendant for 22 years, I fully used my opportunity to travel for free and stay in hotels,” she said.
Passengers on this once-in-a-lifetime vacation will witness the majesty of the glaciers and ice formations of Antarctica, visit South America, bask in the warm sun and turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, check out dozens of bustling North American cities, before heading across the Pacific Ocean to Tokyo. and Seoul, and then to the wonderful beaches of Jeju Island and see the tall skyscrapers of Shanghai. The huge ship will spend 206 days at moorings in more than 70 locations in the South Pacific and Australia. Travelers will be able to see the big cities of the mainland country, the pristine beaches of the island nations, and the magnificent mountains of New Zealand.
The retiree said she was particularly excited to spend more time in Eastern Europe and visit her favorite places, including Seychelles, the Maldives, and Cambodia, which she last visited in 1973. “I will be very interested to see how things have changed,” she continued. “I especially like the fact that we can get off the ship and leave it for a few weeks. If the cruise becomes too monotonous or crowded, you can get off. That’s the beauty… I’ve been to Mongolia and Bhutan. Being with a thousand people is a new experience.”
In addition to retired cruise travelers, the cruise is designed for digital nomads who will work remotely from the ship, using its office space and high-speed Wi-Fi to conduct business from around the world.
Reference: Turkish cruise company Miray Cruises announced the start of sales of tickets for a three-year round-the-world trip from March 1, 2023. As part of the program, tourists will visit 375 ports located in 135 countries on seven continents. The liner MV Gemini 1992 of the building as part of the mega tour will go around seven continents from November 2023 to the end of 2026. However, before that, the ship has to undergo reconstruction, and after that, it will go on a long-term voyage. The cost of renovation is estimated at 10 million dollars.
Earlier on the website of the cruise company, it was reported that the guests “will live in relative luxury, will be able to do laundry every week, as well as use the services of doctors and nurses in the health center, manicure salon, and massage room, as well as a golf simulator.” There will also be classes, lectures, a cinema and volunteering opportunities available to pass the time.