All aboard a 245-day cruise

Call it the most epic cruise ever. Fast-growing Viking on Tuesday unveiled plans for an around-theworld sailing lasting 245 days — a new record for a continuous world voyage, according the line.

Kicking off in London on Aug. 31, 2019, the trip will occur on the 930passenger Viking Sun and stop at 113 ports in 59 countries. The ship will visit every continent except Antarctica.

Sun will follow a westerly route, starting with a trans-Atlantic crossing that includes stops in Iceland, Greenland and Canada. From there, Sun will visit ports along the east coast of the USA and in Bermuda and the Caribbean before traveling down and around South America.

From South America, Sun will head up the west coast of Central America and the USA before crossing the Pacific to French Polynesia, New Zealand and Australia. From Australia, the ship will proceed to Asia for stops in Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Singapore, Sri Lanka and India. Oman, Jordan and Egypt also are on the schedule.

The trip ends with a passage through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean for several stops in such countries as Italy and Tunisia before a final sail up the west coasts of Spain and Portugal back to the U.K.

The voyage includes 22 overnight calls. Fares for the Ultimate World Cruise, as it’s being called, start at $92,990 per person. Viking also is selling two standalone segments starting at $45,995 per person.

The Viking Sun will sail around the world. AARON SAUNDERS FOR USA TODAY