As May began, we were still grappling with a real First World dilemma: Were we going to use two luxury ships for our 2026 global circumnavigation, or were we going to use three?
Were we going to sail all the way from Florida to Lisbon on Silver Dawn, and then the rest of the way home on Seven Seas Mariner?
Or were we going to disembark from Silver Dawn in Singapore, sail on to Rome on Crystal Serenity, then join Mariner for the last leg back to Florida?
Then we got what seemed to be good news about our hopes to travel up the Red Sea and through the Suez Canal.
We learned that Crystal had informed passengers who had booked its full 2026 World Cruise that it was “maintaining the original itinerary, as we remain confident in the continued progress toward stability in the Red Sea region.”
That would let us visit “Bucket List” sites like Luxor, Petra, the Sphynx and the Pyramids, and would include a stop in Saudi Arabia.
But, Crystal said, “we are closely monitoring the situation and will make any necessary adjustments should circumstances change.
“Given the current political climate in the Red Sea region, we have proactively developed a contingency plan for the 2026 voyages. In the unlikely event it is deemed unsafe to cross the Red Sea as intended . . .the [World Cruise] will conclude in Dubai.
“The itinerary will be adjusted, replacing the scheduled call in Abu Dhabi with an extended overnight stay in Dubai. Crystal Serenity will remain docked overnight, allowing all guests to comfortably stay onboard until they can take their return flights home.”
Then, the message added, “A final decision regarding the Red Sea crossing will be made and communicated by December 19th, 2025,” just days before Serenity’s 2026 World Cruise departure!
At that point, one source said, Serenity would either sail back to Europe empty, or “deadhead” – sail with just a skeleton crew – up through the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean to be ready for its summer schedule.
While this was not the greats news, we were heartened to hear Crystal Serenity was going at least as far as Dubai. At a minimum, we would get to the Trucial States which had long been on our “bucket list.”
And perhaps we would make it through the Suez Canal after all.
With still no word during the month from Silversea on its contingency plan, we decided to move forward with our three-ship option.
We would sail from Fort Lauderdale to Singapore on Silver Dawn, from Singapore to Rome on Crystal Serenity, and after a short hop by air from Rome to Lisbon, finish out DIY World Cruise by sailing home on Seven Seas Mariner.
So with seven months to sailing date, we had settled on a plan. What a relief!