nicko cruises - VASCO DA GAMA World Cruise_ 2025-26
WORLD CRUISE VASCO DA GAMA
NOVEMBER 2025 TO MAY 2026
Route R1 – Route R11:
Beginning in Hamburg, our Grand World Cruise takes you once round the globe in eleven convenient stages, each of differing lengths. The Compact World Cruise consists of the first seven routes. Each of these can be booked separately and mixed and matched at will.
Routes R1 – R3
R2
Gran Canaria
Jamaica
Panama City
Tahiti
New Zealand
MICHAEL SCHULLER
· Role on board: nicko cruise director
· Maiden voyage in 2014
· Favourite spot on the VASCO DA GAMA: the large stage in “Hollywood’s”
· Favourite destinations: Norway and Singapore
· What I most like about the VASCO DA GAMA: the large open-access areas, the perfect ratio of guests to crew members and the friendly atmosphere
VIVIENNE ANTON
· Role on board: Deputy cruise director
· Maiden voyage in 2021
· Favourite spot on VASCO DA GAMA: the large ship’s bow, which is open to guests on special occasions and offers fantastic views
· Favourite destinations: Stockholm and Thailand
· What I most like about the VASCO DA GAMA: it really feels like home! This ship is the perfect size for a world tour, and there’s never a dull moment thanks to the colourful programme on board.
A FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE AWAITS YOU!
ONCE ROUND THE WORLD ON VASCO DA GAMA, CROSSING SEVERAL DOZEN TIME ZONES AND EXPERIENCING THE MAGIC OF DIFFERENT CONTINENTS FOR YOURSELF?
THE JOURNEY IS THE GOAL!
A trip around the world is always something extraordinary. But a cruise around the globe on board VASCO DA GAMA is in a league of its own. And who would know that better than nicko cruise director Michael Schuller and his deputy Vivienne Anton, who are currently travelling around the world on VASCO DA GAMA? They are absolutely sure that once again in 2025/26, the guests on their cruises will collect memories during the 175 days that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
The closer the departure date gets, the greater the anticipation. This is true not only for the guests who have already secured their berth on this unique world cruise on board VASCO DA GAMA. It also applies to the people working behind the scenes to ensure that every guest disembarks at the end of the cruise with a suitcase packed with extraordinary impressions and unforgettable experiences. And here Michael Schuller and Vivienne Anton can speak from experience.
Months before a cruise sets sail, the preparations begin for an entertainment and edutainment programme that is second to none. It is not just the ship’s own professional show ensemble who start rehearsals early for their breathtaking performances. Well in advance, numerous guest artists are engaged to enrich life on board with their acts, too. And there are of course all sorts of fascinating excursions and exciting overland programmes on offer on our world cruises. Vivienne Anton was already full of anticipation, because she was responsible for the parties. “I’ve already packed my pineapple costume for
the Tropical Party”, she said before the start of the current round-the-world cruise. Various culinary and also cultural theme evenings are planned for the 175-day and 112-day world cruises in 2025/26, as well. They will flood not only the restaurants and stage with music, laughter and a party atmosphere, but also the lido pool deck. Lecturers like Wolfgang Pröhl will also prepare talks on all the ports and countries visited. They are experts on anything guests should have seen, eaten or experienced in order to have really made the most of this voyage of a lifetime. The talks are both entertaining and humorous, not only imparting knowledge, but adding to the fun, so that you can look forward even more to the experiences ahead.
Special benefits for world travellers
Cruise director Michael Schuller has some exciting news for passengers booked on the 2025/26 New Year cruise on VASCO DA GAMA: “If you book the Grand World Cruise, you’ll enjoy numerous special extras on board. For example, we’ll be offering selected drinks free of charge at meal times. You’ll also be able to ask family members or friends to join you on board for certain legs of the journey. Half way through the voyage, you’ll be invited to attend a special dinner, and we’ve also got small surprises lined up for various regions. Last but not least, we’ve got special souvenirs for you, as well as various surprise events.”
THE PERFECT SHIP FOR YOUR DREAM VOYAGE
You want the journey to your personal dream destinations around the world to be accompanied by the highest level of comfort, so that no wish is left unfulfilled. Which is why a cruise on VASCO DA GAMA is the perfect choice, guaranteed to make your dreams come true! With no more than 1,000 passengers, it will allow you to discover new worlds off the beaten track. Two pool decks, five restaurants with a free choice of seating, a spacious wellness area and diverse sports facilities offer you a wide variety of activities on board and ensure a genuine sense of well-being. And there are of course also many other favourite places for you to discover!
“I fell in love with this ship the first time I set sail on it in 2021 – and now I’m back on board for the fourth time! I love this ship. Why? Because it’s all a ship should be! The teak floors, for example. It’s ... I can’t find the right words to describe it, but it’s simply perfect for my needs.”
Christine S.
THE SHIP FOR MODERN-DAY EXPLORERS: VASCO DA GAMA
“THE GREATEST SIGHT TO SEE IS THE WORLD –TAKE A LOOK AT IT.,, Kurt Tucholsky
Experience exotic cultures at close hand
Awaken the explorer in you, and join us on an unforgettable journey that will take you to some of the most fascinating places on Earth! Immerse yourself in vibrant metropolises, explore exotic islands, and allow yourself to be captivated by the sheer diversity of different cultures. To this end, you will experience country-specific shows created exclusively for VASCO DA GAMA by local artists, who will whisk you away to fascinating worlds previously unknown to you. Get to know other cultures for yourself and gain a deep understanding of what it is that makes them unique.
Our own excellent on-board ensemble will also provide a varied range of spectacular shows offering first-class entertainment. You can look forward to music and dance, sounds both thunderous and soft, opportunities to watch and to join in, and the chance to immerse yourself in the exciting world of show business. Various dazzling performances await you in “Hollywood’s”, our very own theatre on board, as do all sorts of fascinating lectures in the course of the voyage. It is our ambition for you to sink into your pillows each evening in your comfortable cabin, enriched by the wealth of new impressions and still enthralled by the wonderful hours you have experienced, with no two days alike!
The sights of the world – both natural and manmade
Or course, it is not just impressive shows you will enjoy on this journey. On our varied excursions and overland programmes you will also experience all sorts of breathtaking natural spectacles, from majestic mountains to endless desert landscapes. There will also be opportunities to stroll through cities steeped in history, and to savour the mouthwatering culinary specialities of the different countries along the way. The spectacular voyage through the Panama Canal, the pure white sand beaches of the South Seas and Singapore’s incredible skyline are just three of the once-ina-lifetime experiences you should be sure not to miss. Because they will all contribute to making your world cruise on board VASCO DA GAMA into an adventure for all of the senses that you may never experience in this form again.
ROUND-THE-WORLD CRUISE 2025/26 ON VASCO DA GAMA
Follow your dreams! It is time for discoveries
Discover the world with us as it really is: breathtaking, unique, fascinating! On our world cruise on board VASCO DA GAMA, we take the time to visit the places you have always longed to visit and to immerse ourselves in the local cultures there. We allow plenty of “time to discover” as we visit Tahiti, Malaysia and many other places that you may up to now only have dreamed of.
EVERY DAY A NEW EXPERIENCE
08.11. – 11.11.2025 Relaxation at sea with diverse activities
12.11.2025 Leixões (Porto)/Portugal 07:00 17:00
13.11.2025 Relaxation at sea with diverse activities
14.11.2025 Funchal/Madeira 07:00 22:00
15.11.2025
17.12.2025
AND CENTRAL AMERICA
14:00 20.12.2025 Relaxation at sea with diverse activities
21.12.2025 Manta/Ecuador 08:00 15:00
22.12.2025
23.12.2025
Guayaquil/Ecuador 09:00 17:00
Relaxation at sea with diverse activities
24.12.2025 Callao/Peru 15:00 18:00
25.12. – 29.12.25 The perfect Christmas programme at sea
30.12.2025
31.12.2025
01.01. – 02.01.26
Hanga Roa/Chile (Easter Island) 13:00 –
Hanga Roa/Chile (Easter Island) – 18:00
Relaxation at sea with diverse activities
03.01.2026 Adamstown/Pitcairn Islands 08:00
04.01.2026 Adamstown/Pitcairn Islands – 15:00
05.01. – 06.01.26
Relaxation at sea with diverse activities 07.01.2026 Fakarava/French Polynesia 10:00 18:00 08.01.2026
Wine, beer and soft drinks will be provided free of charge with all main meals. A service that literally leaves nothing to be desired.
Embarkation and disembarkation
Whether you opt for the Grand or the Compact World Cruise, you will always have priority when embarking and disembarking.
Laundry service
You will not have to worry about looking after your wardrobe during your dream cruise – a laundry and ironing service will be provided for you free of charge.
Voucher for photo gallery
The package also includes a voucher for our photo gallery: €150 per person on the Grand World Cruise and €80 on the Compact World Cruise.
Onshore excursions
On the Grand World Cruise, you will receive a half-day excursion free of charge at every port where passengers leave or join the ship. An ideal opportunity to get to know the places where we drop anchor.
Wellness voucher
The perfect way to unwind! With a wellness voucher of €350 per person (€150 for the Compact World Cruise), you can treat yourself to the ultimate relaxation.
Compact World Cruise
Compact World Cruise
Compact World Cruise
Grand World Cruise
Compact World Cruise
Grand World Cruise
Compact World Cruise
Grand World Cruise
Compact World Cruise
Grand World Cruise
Hamburg
Invite your nearest and dearest**
Get your family and friends on board!
On the Grand World Cruise, you will be given two extra cabins free of charge on a selected route (one cabin in the case of the Compact World Cruise). (For details see page 59 in the catalogue* *)
Chef’s Table
As a Grand World Cruise participant, you will enjoy a gourmet evening at our Chef’s Table, with a 9-course menu and accompanying beverages.
Internet package
So that you can stay reachable and informed at all times, the Grand World Cruise includes an internet package with 1 GB per person per route.
A perfect blend of culture and indulgence amid the Atlantic Ocean
With the southern sun as your travelling companion, your world tour begins at the furthest end of Europe – quite in keeping with our “time to discover” motto. Before crossing the Atlantic, however, we stop to enjoy the many delights of Portugal’s Porto. On Madeira, which is also an autonomous region of Portugal, you’ll experience eternal spring. Prepare to be enthralled by the deep volcanic craters, dense laurel forests, rugged black beaches and spectacular views on the Canary Island of La Palma. It’s no wonder the two islands are regarded as dream destinations by mainland Europeans. These island worlds in the middle of the Atlantic are quite simply special!
Madeira · Portugal
Typical Portuguese treats in Portugal
Santa Cruz de La Palma · La Palma · Canary Islands
Dreamy Caribbean and vibrant Central America
Life in the Caribbean and in Central America feels totally different to life back home. That’s why VASCO DA GAMA offers you plenty of “time to discover” nature’s paradises, vibrant cities and millennia-old cultures.
AND CENTRAL AMERICA
17.11. - 18.12.2025
Travelling through paradise on Earth
Out of this world! That’s the best way to describe the experiences that await you on your dream cruise from Europe to the Cape Verde Islands to the Caribbean, and down the coast of Central America. During the cruise you’ll have time to soak in the endless expanses of the Atlantic before we reach the idyllic waters of the Caribbean. Picture-perfect white sand beaches, crystal-clear water and exotic islands such as Barbados and St Lucia await you here. The impressive Pitons and the unspoilt nature of Montserrat are just two of the many highlights you’ll discover with VASCO DA GAMA. Our next destination is Central America, where the fascinating Maya civilisation has left an indelible mark on Mexico. Memorable moments also await us in Honduras and in Guatemala. Explore the antique Maya ruins and succumb to
the irresistible appeal of the area’s cult sites and unique nature reserves. The appeal of Costa Rica lies in its dense rainforests and biodiverse national parks, while the vibrant atmosphere of Colombia and Panama is steeped in a rich colonial history. The highlight of your cruise: a breathtaking, daylong voyage through the famous Panama Canal to reach the wide expanses of the Pacific Ocean. This cruise is seasoned with lavish contrasts and offers relaxation and adventure in equal measure. As we sail through the Panama Canal, you’ll know for sure that this is truly the cruise of a lifetime. Let’s hope your suitcases are big enough for all the memories you’ll be taking home with you!
Route R2
17 days | Gran Canaria • Cape Verde • Barbados • St Lucia • Dominica • Montserrat • St Kitts • Jamaica 17.11.– 03.12.2025
Route R3
16 days | Jamaica • Mexico • Belize • Guatemala • Honduras • Colombia • Costa Rica • Panama Canal • Panama City 03.12. – 18.12.2025
Underwater world · Caribbean
Music is in the air on the Cape Verde Islands
The South Seas and Oceania in all their glory
Experience your own paradise in the South Seas. Immerse yourself in the picturesque landscapes of the Pacific: turquoise water, pure white sandy beaches and palm trees that sway gently in the breeze. On this cruise, the South Sea images you’ve always conjured up in your imagination turn into reality before your very eyes. Discover the mystical Easter Islands with their enigmatic stone sculptures, the crystal-clear lagoons of French Polynesia and the lavish vegetation of the Cook Islands. Visit Tonga, unique in the south Pacific for never having been colonised. The Fiji islands, New Zealand and Australia await you with breathtaking landscapes and fascinating experiences. On board VASCO DA GAMA, your dreams will come true. Enjoy every moment of this cruise and take your time to explore the world’s most beautiful regions at a leisurely pace.
18.12.2025 - 27.02.2026
Route R4
23 days | Panama City • Ecuador • Peru • Easter Island • Pitcairn Islands • Tuamotu Archipelago • Tahiti
18.12.2025 – 09.01.2026
Route R5
16 days | Tahiti • Bora Bora • Moorea • Cook Islands • Tonga • Fiji • New Zealand • Auckland 09.01.– 25.01.2026
Route R6
19 days | Auckland • New Zealand • Tasmania • Kangaroo Island • Portland • Melbourne • Sydney 25.01.– 12.02.2026
Route R7
16 days | Sydney • Townsville • Cairns • Cooktown • Darwin • Komodo • Bali 12.02. – 27.02.2026
Great Barrier Reef · Australia
Bora Bora · French Polynesia
South
Sea
paradises and the fascination of Oceania
The South Seas? Polynesia? Or Oceania? It doesn’t matter what you call the group of islands between New Zealand and the Easter Islands. The names are just placeholders for paradise!
Colourful Asia and the magic of the Orient
Fill your holiday suitcase with memorable experiences gathered along the way in Singapore, Dubai and Athens.
SOUTH SEAS
38 days ASIA AND THE ORIENT
Take a voyage in time through the millennia in Asia and the Middle East
Vibrant metropolises and remote wastelands, endless sandy beaches and uninhabited deserts, spectacular palaces and ancient temples –your dream cruise along the coast of Asia and the Middle East offers all of these and more! On this trip, you will have the opportunity to visit legendary places that you may only have seen in picture books.
As you journey to the places of your dreams in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, you’ll rediscover just how enchanting the world is – an experience you’ll repeat in the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Greece. En route, you’ll enjoy many of the places that people spend their whole lives dreaming about. These include Borobudur, a Buddhist temple site in Indonesia, the holy city Kandy in Sri Lanka, and the incomparable Maldives, where you can enjoy aromatic southern fruits at their freshest and finest. You’ll also have time to steep yourself in the fairy-tale atmosphere of the Orient, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt with all their rich cultural heritage.
Route R8
22 days | Bali • Java • Singapore • Malaysia • Phuket • Sri Lanka • Maldives • Oman • Dubai
27.02. – 20.03.2026
Route R9
16 days | Dubai • Oman • Saudi Arabia • Egypt • Rhodes • Crete • Athens
20.03. – 04.04.2026
Woman wearing a sari
Borobudur Temple Compounds · Indonesia
Unforgettable moments in the Mediterranean Sea
As we sail through the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic, along the west coast of Europe, you can immerse yourself in the complex history of Europe and see pivotal sites with your own eyes –Olympia, where the world-famous Olympic games were held for the first time, the ancient city of Rome and Barcelona in all its glory and vibrancy, to name just three of our many destinations along the Mediterranean Sea route. And to reinforce just how colourful and diverse Europe is, we even give you a brief taste of the United Kingdom – in the shape of its overseas territory Gibraltar.
Sailing in the Atlantic along the west coast of Europe, one famous city and region follows the next, each with its uniquely distinct flavour and flair. Cities such as A Coruña in Spain and SaintMalo in France offer two intriguingly opposite impressions of life on one and the same continent. That is precisely what makes a cruise on VASCO DA GAMA with stops in Greece and Italy, Spain, France and the Netherlands so unique: On this cruise, you’ll experience Europe with all its rich heritage and colourful diversity and store up a well of unforgettable memories.
15 days | Málaga • Gibraltar • Cádiz • Vigo • A Coruña • Bilbao • Port Médoc • Saint-Malo • Amsterdam • Hamburg 17.04. – 01.05.2026
Park Güell · Barcelona · Spain
Mont-Saint-Michel · France
Unforgettable moments in the Mediterranean Sea
A Mediterranean cruise is always a trip through Europe’s past. With the popular VASCO DA GAMA you will explore Europe from its most beautiful side – the sea side. You will visit many of the most important locations whose history and stories have made the continent a colourful melting pot of different peoples and cultures.
DISCOVER THE BEAUTY OF OUR WORLD IN 175 OR 112 DAYS!
Cruise fare per person in euro
* If your booking includes 3 or more guests, those sleeping in the connecting cabin pay €80 per person per night. Limited availability. For further information, please see page 186. ** Limited availability.
