Viking Ocean Cruises is on a quest to grab the Guinness record for ‘longest continuous passenger cruise.” Its Viking Sun sailed Saturday from London on its way to 111 ports in 51 countries on six continents. The trip is to take 245 days.
That’s sort of a middle ground between Magellan and Phileas Fogg. The first (not passenger, though) round-the-world cruise that made Ferdinand Magellan famous, even though he died enroute sailed from Spain in 1619 and returned three years later, rich in spices, but with only 19 of the original 270 sailors alive.
Fogg, in the novel by Jules Verne, made it around the world in 80 days, but used trains, camels, balloons and other means of transportation as well as ships.
The Viking Sun is scheduled back in London in May 2020. As with all Viking cruises, there is an included shore excursion in each port for the 930 passengers, only a few of whom will be aboard for the entire itinerary. Viking is selling segments as well as the whole cruise, and throwing in airfare as well.
