Diplomacy

Ever looked at a map and thought, “I want to go there, and there, and there“?  Well, Oceania Cruises is offering a very unique sailing that pretty much covers the map. Everything from the icy Antarctic to Balinese temples will be seen on this voyage, and it all starts in PortMiami.

Departing from Miami on January 6, 2026, the “Around the World in 180 Days” cruise isn’t just a vacation; it’s a global expedition. And on the elegant Oceania Vista, carrying a comfortable 1,200 guests on the 2023 Allura-class ship, passengers will experience it all with Oceania’s signature focus on great food and immersive destinations.

This particular itinerary stands out as very unique.

From the Icy South to Tropical Paradise

It really is a voyage of extremes.  The itinerary will take passengers from the stark landscapes of the Antarctic region (with a call in Punta Arenas, Chile, explicitly linked to Antarctica in the schedule) to the lush beauty of Bali, Indonesia, known for its vibrant culture and temples.

That’s some geographical variety that few single trips ever cover. But this sailing is about far more than just these two very different destinations.

Route of the 180-day Sailing on Oceania Vista

Overnight Stays

One of the most rewarding aspects of this World Cruise is the amount of time spent in port. This isn’t a “drive-by” tour of the globe. The itinerary features a number of overnight stays, allowing passengers to actually experience a destination.

Based on the itinerary, Oceania Vista will spend extra time in the following places with overnight stays:

• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 2 nights
• Buenos Aires, Argentina: 1 night
• Papeete, Tahiti Island, French Polynesia: 1 night
• Benoa, Bali, Indonesia: 1 night
• Singapore: 1 night
• Mumbai, India: 1 night
• Dubai, UAE: 1 night
• Safaga (for Luxor), Egypt: 1 night
• Bordeaux, France: 1 night

These extended stays provide opportunities for more relaxed sightseeing, experiencing local nightlife, and taking longer excursions inland, like exploring the temples near Safaga or the vineyards near Bordeaux.

Major Phases of 180-Day Cruise

Here is the 180-day world cruise itinerary in a nutshell, breaking it down into major phases:

South America and Caribbean: (Early January – Late February) Following departure from Miami, the cruise visits the Caribbean before sailing along the coasts of South America, with calls including French Guiana, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, the Falklands, and Chile.

Pacific Crossing and Islands: (Mid-March – Early April) After visiting California, the voyage crosses the Pacific, including stops in Hawaii and exploring islands and archipelagos across the South Pacific, from the Marquesas to Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and French Polynesia.

Australia and Asia: (Early April – Early May) The itinerary includes coastal Australia, followed by visits to Indonesia (Komodo Island is included), Singapore, Phuket, and cities in Sri Lanka and India.

Middle East: (Mid – Late May) Ports of call include Oman, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, featuring an overnight stay near Luxor and a transit of the Suez Canal.

Mediterranean and Europe: (Late May – Early June) Following the Suez Canal portion, the cruise visits ports in Greece, Italy, Spain, Morocco, Portugal, and France in the Mediterranean and Western Europe.

Northern Europe and Atlantic: (June) The journey proceeds north to the British Isles, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland before crossing the Atlantic.

North America: (Late June – Early July) Calls are scheduled in Canada and the US East Coast before the voyage concludes back in Miami.

This 180-day voyage on Oceania Vista from Miami starts at $58,099 per person as part of the promotional fare, but most of the cabins have filled up and require a wait list for those still interested.

The following is included in the cruise fare:

• Free laundry services
• Free visa package
• Free WiFi
• Free pre-paid gratuities
• Free luggage delivery

Oceania Cruises is well known for its epic world cruises, and they often sell out very quickly.  Last year we reported of another 180-day world cruise with the company that sold out in 30 minutes.

Here is the full itinerary of this incredible cruise in 2026:

Cruise passengers traveling to Mexico will have to pay a new fee this summer, but it’s much lower than it could have been, thanks to pressure from cruise industry leaders.

In 2024, over 9 million cruise passengers visited Mexico.  In 2025, that number is expected to jump to more than 10 million. 

But a $42 passenger fee from Mexico was threatening to lower the number of visits as the cruise industry warned of the threat to the country’s tourism sector.

This fee was intended to start early in 2025 and would be passed on to cruise passengers who had previously been exempt because they were considered “in transit”.

The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), voiced strong opposition and led the charge against the high fees. They warned that the $42 fee added to existing costs and could lead to ships bypassing Mexican ports altogether.

Fortunately, the cruise industry didn’t just accept this. Through active discussions with Mexican officials, they worked to find a better solution

And the good news for anyone planning a Mexican cruise is that these efforts paid off dramatically.

Mexico has agreed to a significantly lower starting rate for the new fee. Beginning July 1, 2025, the Non-Resident Duty for cruise passengers will be just $5 USD per person, an 88% decrease from the original $42 fee.

This fee will typically be added to your cruise fare by the cruise line, and it’s important to note it is charged just once per itinerary, regardless of how many stops you make in Mexico on that sailing.

But this fee is not going to remain at $5, at least as things are setup right now.

The $5 rate is the starting point, and the fee is scheduled to increase gradually in the coming years as part of the agreement reached.

Here is the planned schedule for the phased increases:

• $10 per passenger from August 1, 2026, to June 2027
• $15 per passenger from July 1, 2027, to July 2028
• $21 per passenger starting August 1, 2028

While the fee will rise over time, the key takeaway is that even the final scheduled rate of $21 is still half of the original $42 proposal.  And perhaps during this time there will be more negotiations to keep the fees lower than the current scheduled rates.

The same cruise port can have both adoring fans and disgruntled passengers.  After all, many aspects of cruising are subjective, and the topic of cruise ports is no exception.   So, what cruise ports in the Caribbean are getting the least amount of love online? 

A social media post with over 200 comments opened up a can of worms to reveal some destinations that were not well received by a group of cruisers.  The question in the title asked, “What is the most overrated cruise ship port in the Caribbean?”

When people on a Reddit post started talking about the most overrated or disappointing ports in the Caribbean, a few places kept coming up. While everyone’s trip is different, many felt these ports fell short, often due to pushy salespeople, feeling fake, or just not having much excitement right near the ship.

Based on their comments and the ports most often mentioned, here are 5 Caribbean cruise ports that some cruisers believe are overrated:

1. Nassau, Bahamas

Nassau was the port mentioned most often as a disappointment in the comments. Many cruisers found it hard to relax near the port, with several complaining that “locals harass and haggle way too much.”

Others were unhappy with excursions, including pricey resort day passes or animal encounters that didn’t meet expectations, feeling like “$500 down the tubes” for their family. For a lot of people, the feeling was clear: “Any stop in Nassau is a quiet day on the ship for us.”

Read more: 5 times you should stay on the cruise ship when in port

Nassau recently underwent a $300 million renovation project and has greatly improved since then.  Some cruisers may not have been there recently, but even for the ones that were there recently, apparently the port still has some work to do.

2. Cozumel, Mexico

Cruisers had mixed feelings about Cozumel. While many agreed that the underwater world is fantastic – with one saying, “Get underwater in Cozumel, the reef and sea life are incredible” – the land experience didn’t impress everyone. Some found the area near the port “pretty boring” compared to what they expected and felt that “The port is great to avoid,” meaning you often need to travel away from the ship to find the best experiences.

Personally, Cozumel is one of my favorite ports in the Caribbean and I love to snorkel there and often visit Chankanaab Park when I’m there.  There’s a ton to do in Cozumel, but perhaps it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

3. Jamaica (Ocho Rios / Falmouth)

Jamaican ports like Ocho Rios and Falmouth made some cruisers feel uncomfortable. They mentioned feeling unsafe or overwhelmed by constant pressure from vendors.

One commenter simply stated they avoid “Any in Jamaica,” while another shared the intensity of their negative gut feeling by saying, “That place scared…me, we got off, the ship and got right back on.”

4. Freeport, Bahamas

Freeport was often called a “throw away port” in the comment section of the post. Cruisers widely felt there wasn’t much interesting or easy to get to near the ship. The port area itself was seen as unappealing, leading one user to jokingly compare the view upon arrival to having “rolled into town to get an oil change!”

Admittedly, the port does have a strong industrial feel, and it takes a good bit of driving to find the hot spots to enjoy when in port.

5. Costa Maya, Mexico / Belize City, Belize

Though located in different countries, Costa Maya and Belize City were often mentioned together in the Reddit thread. This is because many cruisers felt they shared a similar issue: the immediate port or city area is often disappointing or feels a bit fake, like it lacks authenticity.

As one cruiser warned about visiting them, it “It’ll ruin your day!” The common feeling was that the port area itself, or the city center in Belize City (which some found “awful”), wasn’t the main draw. Instead, cruisers felt “the thing to do is get out to the cays [or take other excursions],” meaning the best experiences – like visiting ancient ruins or natural sites – require traveling a distance away from the port area.

Bottom Line

This list is really all based on opinion, and you might have a completely different point of view of these ports.

What one cruiser finds disappointing, another might absolutely love. It really just goes to show that your experience at any cruise port can be very different depending on what you’re looking for and what you choose to do.

Don’t let this list completely decide your plans but maybe use it as a heads-up to do a little extra research on these ports if they’re on your itinerary.

A decision involving a cruise ship crew member who recently got engaged while on vacation in the U.S. is stirring up a discussion online. The trouble could begin if he hops back on the ship after getting married.

People who watch the popular reality TV show 90 Day Fiancé often see couples facing challenges with U.S. immigration rules. A Reddit post by a former cruise ship employee pointed out something unique involving a cruise ship worker and his K1 visa.

That twist involves Juan, a former cruise ship bartender, and his fiancé, Jessica. Their situation points out this issue: Juan’s cruise job in international waters clashes with U.S. immigration rules as the wedding date gets closer.

From Cruise Ship to K1 Visa Life

Juan used to work on Carnival Magic, which sails out of PortMiami. He came to the United States with a K1 fiancé visa so he could marry Jessica. The K1 visa is designed to let a foreign national come to the U.S. to marry their U.S. citizen partner within 90 days.

After they get married, the foreign spouse typically applies to change their status to become a permanent resident, which people often call getting a Green Card.

Immigration and Life at Sea

Now, here’s where working on a cruise ship adds a complication. As a former cruise ship employee explained online, having a job on a cruise ship, even one based in the U.S., means you spend time in international waters. For immigration purposes, sailing out of U.S. waters is generally seen as leaving the United States.

Under U.S. immigration rules, people in the U.S. who came on a K1 visa or who are married and waiting for their Green Card application to be approved have big limits on traveling internationally.

Leaving the United States without getting special permission first (called Advance Parole) can look like they are giving up on their application for permanent residency. This could mess up their whole immigration process.

As the former employee put it, Juan “requires a Green Card to leave and come back, and can only apply for one after his marriage.”

Cruise Ship Contracts Are Strict

The former cruise worker’s comments on Reddit point out what it’s like to work at sea. Cruise ship employees have contracts that require them to be on the ship when it’s scheduled to sail. If you miss when the ship leaves, the company usually treats it like you quit your job.

The former employee on Reddit stressed the strict nature of these jobs, noting you “cannot pause a contract with a cruise ship.” If you are told to be in the home port to get on your next cruise and you miss it, “the company considers your employment terminated.”

Even though employees get vacation time, their job status is tied to being on that ship as it travels internationally.

The Potential Problem

The social media post mentioned that on the reality TV show, Juan didn’t officially quit his cruise job, which made some think he might have wanted to go back. But trying to start a cruise ship contract again soon after getting married on that K1 path, and before getting the travel permit (Advance Parole), would likely be seen as leaving the U.S. without permission.

If that happens, his Green Card application could be denied. This might mean he would have to leave the U.S. and go through the long and complicated immigration process from his home country all over again.

What might seem like an easy choice for Juan to return to work could have a big impact on his potential new life with Jessica in the U.S., adding more drama to the situation.  But then again, reality TV would not exist without a bit of drama, right?

I’ve visited well over 100 ports around the world on cruises over the past decade, but an island I stopped at on a recent cruise quickly became one of my favorites.

The port is Sir Bani Yas, the largest natural island in the United Arab Emirates. The port offers a private island experience and a safari though the Arabian Wildlife Park.

Sir Bani Yas was originally a private island for MSC Cruises when they started visiting there a decade ago, but other cruise lines now also visit the island. The port was one of five stops on my recent sailing on Celestyal Journey.

So what makes Sir Bani Yas so unique and incredible? Let’s dig in!

Private Island Experience

As soon as you step off the pier at Sir Bani Yas, you are on the beach. On the day that I visited there were two ships in port, our ship Celestyal Journey and MSC Euribia.

Each cruise line had their own beach area, although MSC’s was much larger since their ship held four times as many passengers as ours.

You really could just sit in whichever lounger you wanted, but if you wanted a drink, you had to go to your cruise line’s bar at their beach. This is because you used your cruise card to order drinks like you do at all cruise line private islands.

The beach was really large and just gorgeous. It rarely rains there so it really is a great beach stop on a cruise. There were tons of loungers and umbrellas.

There was live music and even gift shops to pick up some souvenirs. I highly recommend picking up some Dubai chocolate.

Safari

Even though the beach is gorgeous on Sir Bani Yas, the highlight of the day was the safari.

At the center of the island is Sir Bani Yas Arabian Wildlife Park and you can book a shore excursion to take a 90 minute safari through it. You board an open air bus right at the cruise port and it’s a very short drive to the park.

This wildlife refuge is home to 17,000 free roaming animals and it takes up over half the island.

A few animals are kept in secure areas due to them being predators, but most are free to roam the 5.5 square mile park.

If you are visiting Sir Bani Yas as a family, kids will love the safari. It’s not too long and not too short, it’s really perfect at 90 minutes.

It really is one of the most unique cruise ports I’ve ever visited and it’s one that I would love to return to.