After nine months sailing around the world from Australia to Antarctica, passengers on the Ultimate World Cruise have finally reached their final destination: home.
Travellers are now sharing what their 274 days on board were like and how they transformed their lives for the “trip of a lifetime”, which has become a hot topic on TikTok with millions of views under the hashtag #RoyalCaribbeanUltimateWorldCruise.
Dr. Jennifer Hunnicutt, a medical researcher from Las Vegas, was one of hundreds of passengers on a Royal Caribbean world cruise who recently returned to the U.S. and resumed normal life.
TikTok travelers make grocery stores their most popular vacation “destination”
Hunnicutt said she and her husband booked a cruise after seeing the 2021 travel announcement.
“It's 2021, so we're coming out of a pandemic, or at least still in the middle of a pandemic, and there's a lot of pent up energy,” Hunnicutt told Fox News Digital.
Jennifer Hunnicutt and more than 600 other passengers on the Ultimate World Cruise have finally returned to land after nine months at sea. (Jennifer Hunnicutt)
“We really wanted to travel and see the world. [and] “I thought, 'Maybe I should do this.'”
Cedar Point Theme Park unveils record-breaking 'Tilt' roller coaster for 2025
Before packing her bags and leaving, Hunnicutt said she had a lot of questions, from jobs to how to use the internet. She was pleased to find that internet usage was included in the price.
Hunnicutt and her husband continued working on the ship, which required them to travel across various time zones while maintaining their remote jobs. (Jennifer Hunnicutt)
Ahead of the trip, Hunnicutt and her husband made arrangements so they could continue working while enjoying time on the water.
Now that they owned their own business, they had “great flexibility” in their workload and could decide “how much or how little work” they wanted to take on, Hunnicutt said.
Man quits job to travel the world for free on a cruise ship: 'I've learned so much'
Hunnicutt said one thing he didn't expect before getting on the boat was the frequent time zone changes.
Ms Hunnicutt said she and her husband had taken a mini-cruise before the 274-day adventure as a “test run” to see what life on a ship was like. (Jennifer Hunnicutt)
“It's hard being remote and having your own business and traveling, but it's been tough,” Hunnicutt added.
Hunnicutt said she and her husband were on a “test run for a world cruise” and had booked a similar cabin on another ship in preparation for a longer trip.
Travel Experts Reveal the Best Time to Fly Before a Cruise and Why
Hunnicutt's favorite part of the trip, and one of the main reasons he decided to go on it, was experiencing Antarctica. (Jennifer Hunnicutt)
“We went to the gym. We specifically scheduled work meetings for that time to see if we could take work calls. And that little test made us think, 'OK, we can do this,' and we're so excited to be able to do this for nine months,” she said.
Considering a cruise? High Seas may be the best option for your family and your wallet.
As the trip approached, Hunnicutt said she wondered what it would be like to be surrounded by strangers for nearly 24 hours a day.
“We had such a great experience and learned so much. It was definitely worth it.”
“I had strong social anxiety about being around people who were much older than us and probably at a different stage in life than us… but after the fact I can say that it wasn't a concern,” she added.
As illnesses on cruise ships surge, experts share how to stay safe on the high seas
“We met some amazing people who will become lifelong friends. We never expected that.”
Hunnicutt said the highlight of the voyage was seeing Antarctica, but the ship had to sail through rough waters for eight days through the Drake Passage before finally reaching the continent.
Over the course of 274 days, Ultimate World Cruise passengers visited seven continents, 65 countries and world landmarks. (Amike Oosthuizen)
The cruise itinerary was split into four geographic “segments” for a total of 17 unique voyages, and guests also had the opportunity to individually select specific destinations rather than traveling for nine months. Starting prices for the experience range from $60,000 to $117,000 per person, excluding excursions, according to Royal Caribbean's website. FOX Business reported.
Amike Oosthuizen, 26, from South Africa, also booked a cruise and went with her parents and husband.
15 things you need for your first cruise
“It was definitely a once in a lifetime trip. It was truly a dream come true,” Oosthuizen told Fox News Digital.
Amike Oosthuizen (second from right) was amazed at all she learned about the world during her 274 days on the Ultimate World Cruise. (Amike Oosthuizen)
“I have seen so many places around the world and learned from so many cultures and people, which has really broadened my horizons. [on] I learned about the world. There's so much I don't know, so in a way I feel like it really educated me. It makes me think, 'Wow, there's so much out there.'”
Oosthuizen said that for three years prior to the cruise, she and her husband had been looking for jobs that would allow them to work remotely during the cruise.
She said she also found a friend who was willing to stay at her house and take care of her dog.
For more lifestyle stories, visit www.foxnews/lifestyle
“It was weird to pack up our lives and go on a round-the-world cruise, when life basically stops for nine months. But life goes on. We kept working. Everything worked out.”
Oosthuizen and her husband found work outside South Africa three years before the cruise and worked remotely on board the ship. (Amike Oosthuizen)
Oosthuizen said the experience has taught her more about herself and the world.
Click here to sign up for our lifestyle newsletter
Oosthuizen said not everything went to plan, with seas sometimes being rough, and that packing for the nine-month trip and keeping changing weather conditions in mind was a challenge.
More than 600 passengers took the ultimate round-the-world cruise around the globe and they are now reflecting on what the nine months they spent on board were like. (Jennifer Hunnicutt, Amike Oosthuizen)
“A lot of people have come up to me and said, 'How did you do that? It took nine months of your life,' but looking back now, those nine months went by in a flash,” Oosthuizen said.
Click here to get the FOX News app
“This is how I feel [was an] “It was an experience that money can never buy. It was absolutely worth it,” she added.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Royal Caribbean for comment.
Fox News Digital's Kristen Altus contributed to this report.
