Writer & Photographer

Around the World in 274 days! 

Four people. Fifteen pieces of luggage. Nine months. Eleven World Wonders. Sixty countries. One epic voyage! 

This is what the Ultimate Round the World Cruise looks like! 

For the Weingart-Hamrick family, currently onboard Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas, this is truly a trip of a lifetime. The family set sail in December 2023 and won’t be returning to their home in Altamonte Springs till September of this year. They are part of approximately 2,000 people exploring the world on Royal Caribbean’s “Ultimate Cruise.” The Serenade of the Seas left Miami on December 10th on a round the world voyage lasting nine months and visiting over sixty countries, on all seven continents, with over one hundred and fifty ports of call. The trip is set to conclude on Sept. 10, 2024 after it makes its way through the Americas, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Mediterranean, Europe and beyond. So far the ship has sailed the Caribbean, down the east coast of South America, winding around Cape Horn and braving the tempestuous Drake Passage near Antarctica, before sailing up the Americas’ west coast, concluding its first segment in Los Angeles on Feb. 11. The Asia portion then starts the same day and ends on May 9. 

Christine, a lawyer, was born and raised in St. Petersburg while Alex, a banker, moved to Sanford when he was a baby. They’ve been together thirteen years, after meeting at a work happy hour, and have two daughters, Gwennie, ten, and Josie, six, while big brother Breck is currently a sophomore at UF in the architecture program.

In 2021, the family suffered the sudden loss of a good friend, Alex’s boss Joe Terry. The shock of it caused them to reevaluate their priorities and start discussing how to create meaningful time with each other. “We bounced around a lot of ideas before we heard about this cruise,” says Christine, “we love cruising with the kids as an easy way to travel and this just seemed perfect. It’s checking off many of our bucket list items, narrowing down a list of places we definitely want to return to, and giving us some amazing family time that’s been priceless.” 

Organizing the trip took some time, with about six months logistical planning needed, for everything to fall into place. “We did luck into somebody who needed a place to stay, so we have a house sitter,” comments Christine, while their dog, Abbey, is settled with good friends until her family returns. 

Homesickness has been an occasional issue with the girls, but video calls home and playing games online with friends has usually helped Gwennie, and the family is grateful to her friends for spending time chatting. “Josie usually just needs a cuddle,” says Christine, “or a snack…”

Seasickness, thankfully, has been less of an issue. “The Drake Passage tested us but no other problems. We did a lot of test cruises, so we were pretty confident in our sea legs,” explains Alex.

Also posing no problems is the sharing of one cabin for nine months. “This is the first question most people asked before we left and it was the part I worried about the least,” says Christine, “to be honest, we spend very little time together in the cabin, unless we’re asleep. And Josie at least LOVES it. Going back to separate sleeping quarters will be the biggest adjustment when we get home. When we are in the cabin together, we’ve created ways to have separate space, so it really hasn’t been a problem at all.”

The highlights so far, have been Antarctica and the glaciers in Chile which have been completely different to anything the family has ever seen before. “The sunrise over Iguazu Falls in Argentina was also incredibly special,” says Christine, “Alex is looking forward to New Zealand, where we’ll be disembarking for a two week tour of the country. I’m anxious to see Japan while Gwennie is excited for the Great Wall of China.” Six year old Josie however, lives in the moment and is enjoying all the family time, although “she’s really looking forward to the pyramids,” says Alex.  

Work and school responsibilities are met with the help of the ship’s wifi service, and the family tries to create a work/play balance each day, while keeping a stricter school and work schedule on sea days, allowing the girls to keep up with their studies. “Our jobs were very understanding,” says Alex, “we were able to work something out that accommodated everybody and so far it’s been great.” 

Christine created an Instagram account so friends and family can follow along with their adventures. “It’s been absolutely incredible,” she comments, “the trip has exceeded our expectations which honestly were already very high, it’s the experience of a lifetime!

Ultimate Cruise Article

A writing assignment for Lake Mary Life publications gained insight into the global
"Ultimate Cruise phenomenon", as a local family recounted their experiences on board a nine month round the world cruise.