This epic new luxury cruise costs up to $550,000 per cabin — and might be worth it
Uber-luxury line Crystal is out with a new world cruise itinerary that might be its most epic ever. It comes with an epic price tag, too.
The recently relaunched brand on Tuesday began taking reservations for a 135-night voyage from Los Angeles to Civitavecchia, Italy (the port for Rome), that will bring the wealthy set to a stunning 72 destinations in 27 countries across five continents.
Kicking off Jan. 11, 2026, and taking place on Crystal's 740-passenger Crystal Serenity, the sailing starts at a sky-high $168,000 per cabin for two people.
Top suites on the ship will cost up to $550,000 for two passengers.
For that lofty price, well-heeled travelers can experience a once-in-a-lifetime trip that includes visits to many of the world's most famous destinations, from Bora Bora in French Polynesia to the pyramids of Egypt — all while living in the lap of luxury.
Crystal Serenity, which TPG has called the queen of luxury cruising, underwent a massive overhaul in 2023 that gave it more space per passenger than any other luxury ship afloat. The overhaul included a significant enlargement of many of its accommodations and a reduction in the number of passengers that will sail on any given voyage.
Additionally, Crystal's crew-to-passenger ratio — a top measure of luxury on any ship — was increased to roughly 1:1, an astounding level.
The net result makes Crystal Serenity one of the most luxurious cruise vessels afloat.
Related: Luxury line Crystal is back
A longer world cruise
Crystal typically offers one world cruise a year, and it's always lengthy and destination-packed. But the newly announced 2026 world sailing is longer than those the line has offered in recent years, coming in at 135 days long.
In comparison, the single world cruise Crystal offers this year is 125 nights long, while a world cruise planned for 2025 will be 123 nights long.
The new sailing for 2026 is also pricier than Crystal world cruises in the past. Starting rates are $35,000 more per couple than the starting rates for Crystal's 2025 world cruise. That sailing starts at $133,000 per cabin for two.
Crystal Serenity's most luxurious accommodation, the Penthouse Suite, costs $71,600 more on the 2026 world cruise than it costs on the 2025 world cruise.
An epic itinerary to five continents
The 135-night world cruise for 2026 will begin with a westward crossing of the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii and French Polynesia on the way to New Zealand and Australia.
From there, the vessel will head to various countries across Asia, including Indonesia and India, before sailing through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean.
In the Mediterranean, the ship will visit multiple ports in Greece, Italy and France before the trip ends in Civitavecchia May 26, 2026.
Unlike some previous Crystal world cruises, the trip doesn't offer a full circumnavigation of the world. That allows the ship to spend more time in the regions it does visit, with a particularly large number of stops in the South Pacific, Australia and Asia.
The new world cruise will be just the third at Crystal in the past eight years, as the line stopped sailing world cruises during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Related: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Crystal ship
In addition to on-ship accommodations, meals and drinks, passengers who book the world voyage will be entitled to such extra perks as:
- A $1,500 per person shipboard credit
- An allowance of up to $5,000 per person for business-class flights to and from the ship or a $4,000 credit toward the cruise cost for those booking their own flights
- Private transfers to and from the ship
- Unlimited dining at the ship's upscale Osteria d'Ovidio and Umi Uma restaurants (reservations required)
- Invitations to themed onboard events
- Luggage valet service
More information is available as of Tuesday on Crystal's website.
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Cons
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- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
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- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month