Photo:Courtesy Brandee Lake; Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty
Courtesy Brandee Lake; Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty
After being presented with a major itinerary change, passengers on the 9-Month cruise will vote on what to do — and cruiserBrandee Lakeis sharing the breakdown of both options.
TheBrannon Filespodcaster and Royal CaribbeanUltimate World Cruiseguest chatted with PEOPLE amid news that the voyage, which kicked off in December 2023, would be switching up its itinerary toavoid the Red Sea and Suez Canalamid continued unrest in the Middle East.
Lake, 46, said in a phone call from Honolulu on Monday that there are two route options that have to decide between with a vote.
The first is “Immersive Africa,” which “includes more of mainland Africa” like Senegal and Ghana, plus islands including the Seychelles, Madagascar and Mauritius.
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However, it wouldsacrifice planned stopsat the pyramids in Egypt, as well as in Turkey and a more extensive stop in Greece.
The second option is a route that will put passengers closer to the originalitinerarymore quickly. It includes the aforementioned stops in Egypt, Turkey, and Greece, but sacrifices “more sub-Saharan Africa,” Lake explains.
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Royal Caribbean shared in a statement with PEOPLE earlier this month that the around-the-world voyage aboard theSerenade of the Seas, which hasgained a huge following on TikTok, may face itinerary adjustments that would be announced later in February.
“The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority, and we are monitoring what is taking place in and around the Red Sea,” a spokesperson for the company said in a statement on Feb. 9.
They added, “In looking ahead at potential itinerary adjustments, we are currently reviewing alternatives forSerenade of the Seas, which is currently scheduled to transit the Suez Canal in May. Our guests and travel partners will receive an update from us in mid-February.”
The cruise line confirmed to PEOPLE on Friday that it has decided tocancel the nine-month voyage’s original itinerarythrough the Red Sea and Suez Canal to keep its passengers and crew members safe, though they did not reveal details of the two potential new routes at the time.
Courtesy Brandee Lake
Lake and her fellow passengers, who are currently on their way to the Oceania and Asia portion of their trip, had a deadline of Feb. 20 to submit any questions about the reroute options. Voting will commence on Monday, with a decision announced Tuesday.
She also tells PEOPLE that adding to her vote, is the fact that the pyramids are not an includedWorld Wonder experience— meaning passengers would have to pay an additional fee for that excursion — and that a lot could change in terms of political conflict in the region in the next few months.
“[Egypt is] still [part of] the Middle East region. And between now and May is a very long time, seeing that it’s unrest there,” Lake says. “Option two is not very guaranteed.”
And while she allows that “nothing’s guaranteed in the world we live in,” Lake adds, “You could choose option two and then we could be midway down the speedy route, skipped all these ports in Africa we could have gone to and then still end up not being able to go [to Egypt].”
The trip is set to conclude on Sept. 10, 2024 after the Mediterranean and European segments. In total, the sailing’s original itinerary was set to cover 11 world wonders and travel to more than 60 countries in 274 days. Prices for the full experience ranged from $53,999 per person to $117,599 per person.
source: people.com
