A cruise that lasts more than three months and touches six regions sounds like a fantasy itinerary, but it's currently underway. The Celebrity Solstice left Vancouver's Canada Place Cruise Terminal on 13 September 2026 to operate Celebrity Cruises' first-ever Grand Voyage: 110 nights, 58 ports and 15 countries, ending in Hong Kong on 2 January 2027.
The route reads like a greatest-hits list of the Pacific. First up was Alaska, with calls in Ketchikan, Juneau and Icy Strait Point, before the ship turned south to Hawaii for Hilo, Kailua Kona and Honolulu. From there it's French Polynesia and Fiji, with a standout 17-hour stay in Tahiti plus stops in Moorea, Raiatea and Lautoka — the kind of long port day that lets you actually get out to the lagoons rather than dash back for a sailaway.
Next comes the longest stretch: nearly 20 destinations across New Zealand and Australia, then a run through Southeast Asia taking in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. Passengers will ring in the New Year in Hong Kong, one of the better fireworks backdrops anywhere, before the voyage wraps on 2 January 2027.
The Solstice isn't just passing through Asia afterwards, either. Once the Grand Voyage ends, the 2,850-guest ship settles in for a winter season of 11- to 13-night cruises between Hong Kong and Singapore. For travellers who like the idea of a long Asia loop but can't commit to four months at sea, those shorter sailings are the practical way in.
Worth knowing before booking anything on this ship: the Solstice went through a serious refit before departure. The changes include a fleetwide debut of Trattoria Rossa, an upscale Italian restaurant focusing on Roman and Southern Italian cooking, and a new Boulevard Lounge offering daytime-through-evening entertainment, from piano sets to karaoke. Capacity was also tweaked as part of the update.
Why should this matter to a regular traveller? Because it signals where the market is heading. Ultra-long 'grand voyage' itineraries used to be the preserve of a few niche lines, and mainstream brands like Celebrity testing them means more options — and more segment-style bookings — for people with time but not necessarily a full sabbatical. You don't have to buy all 110 nights: cruise lines typically sell these by segment, so a Vancouver-to-Hawaii leg, a South Pacific island hop or an Australia-to-Asia crossing can each work as a standalone trip. And with the ship repositioning to Asia afterwards, the winter Hong Kong–Singapore season gives North American and European cruisers an easy way to sample the region without a single flight-heavy itinerary.
If a four-month voyage is your style, mark the calendar — lines usually announce the next edition of a first-time Grand Voyage well in advance, and the inaugural sailing is often the cheapest per night it will ever be.
Original story: Cruise Industry News
