3rd Try the Charm?

RTW = Round the World. Or, to use the Oceania nomenclature … ATW … which stands for Around the World. I like my acronym better. Hence, that is the abbreviation I will be using.

After our RTW2017 voyage, we knew we would be doing another one of these long adventures. There was a caveat, however. The itinerary had to be substantially different from the voyage we did in 2017.

First try for RTW #2 ...

We booked RTW2020 when the itinerary came out in February 2018. Then, we decided to settle in Colorado and bought a house in July 2018. We figured that it was more prudent to save our $s for the home purchase. Thus, we canceled the booking. In hindsight, it was a good thing that we did so. RTW2020 was severely disrupted mid-stream due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Second try for RTW #2 ...

In January 2020, another Oceania world cruise itinerary caught our eye. This time for 2022. It was different not only from the 2017 itinerary but also from our now canceled 2020 plans.

Within weeks of RTW2022 being announced, we had a deposit down for a cabin. Two months later, the coronavirus pandemic began burning across the world. Sigh! But we persevered. Surely this "bug" was a flash in the pan and would be gone by the time January 2022 came around.

2020 passed in a flash of masking and social distancing. The pandemic grew. The numbers around the US and the world kept moving in the wrong direction ... up instead of down. Sometimes in huge surges. Sometimes slowly. Even with a vaccination program starting up towards the end of 2020, relief — partial or otherwise — seemed far, far away. We kept our fingers crossed for RTW2022 and persevered.

Third try for RTW #2 ...

2021 began with continued cruise cancelations. RTW2022 was still a go, however. Discussions of wearing masks and social distancing on ships took on a life of their own. Add to this the possibility of being required to take ship-sponsored excursions to get off and explore ports. Hmmm ... it was perhaps time to consider a postponement or cancelation of our 2022 plans.

Today, Oceania’s RTW2023 itinerary was published. A cursory look at the map proved that it was worth considering. In some ways, it was similar to RTW2020. Definitely different from RTW2017.

So, we've decided to jump ship if we can get a cabin. The potential glitch? Passengers on the disrupted 2020 voyage and the canceled 2021 voyage will be given incremental priority for making their reservations. Bookings for the rest of us will not open until 27 January.

Nothing to do but patiently wait until then ...🤞🏻.Read more