With all the misfortune suffered by both the Diamond Princess and Grand Princess ships, I wonder how my 2020 Princess around the world cruise would have gone had I boarded the Pacific Princess from Los Angeles on January 20.
The ship left with 670 guests (sold out) and 375 crew members for the four month cruise, with a return date of May 11. 38 ports in 26 countries, covering 34,287 nautical miles. Eleven decks, seven dining areas, two lounges, three bars, one casino and pool, as well as a fitness center and spa.
The starting price was $22,999, and desiring a balcony, the cost would have been around $26,000/person, or $234/day, not much more than I pay 15 Craigside for my apartment, three meals a day and a great staff. But, then, I will still need to pay them during my absence, so the cost almost doubles. Princess has been doing this since 1998.
The ship arrived in Honolulu on January 26, Papeete on February 3, Auckland on February 10, Sydney on February 19, and Singapore on March 5. Today, March 7, Phuket, where I was February 18 and 19. 
The cruise completely misses the Orient, for the next stop will be Sri Lanka on March 11, then on to Zanzibar on March 20, with several stops, arriving in Cape Town on April 4. Several more stops until Natal on April 16 and Fort Lauderdale on April 26. Then through the Panama Canal, returning to San Pedro on May 11. No Chinese, South Korean, Japanese, Iranian and Italian ports.
If it ever happens, the next world cruise leaves on 17 January 2021, from Los Angeles (earlier from Fort Lauderdale), and will be on the Island Princess with 2,200 guests and 900 crew members. Interior rooms now start at $20,999. This time there is a stop in Dubai, but only on March 15 and 16.
My final travel goal is Dubai for the World Expo, which runs from 20 October 2020 to 10 April 2021. Thus, on March 10 we can fly from Sri Lanka to Dubai, providing five full days in that fascinating country, which is mostly one incredible city. I spent a couple days here in 2015 on my Grand Around the World Adventure.
As the Grand Princess is now a tainted ship, having confirmed 21 cases (2 guests and 19 crew) of the 45 tested, forget that 46-day trip from Los Angeles to Singapore as part of a different kind of around the world trip, combining air and sea. A real global cruise on the Island Princess from Los Angeles on January 17 of 2021 now looks like the preferred way to get to Dubai and back home.
Mind you, if the World Expo is my only item of interest, according to Kayak, Lufthansa can take me from Honolulu to Dubai (with two stops), then back to Honolulu (with two stops), in business class, for "only" $5519. I paid $4,000 for the Japan Air Lines roundtrip to Thailand.
Interestingly enough, those flights from Honolulu to Dubai and back include stops to change planes in San Francisco and Zurich, then Munich and San Francisco. If I ask Kayak to let me stay a few days in each city, the business class trip jumps to $32,481. United around the world with 15 legs in business costs only $12,000, and probably less.
Thus, the status of my final around the world adventure to incorporate Dubai has been significantly influenced by COVID-19. Chances are there will be a few more adjustments.-
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