A short check of the itineraries of 5-star around the world cruises will show you that such a voyage transcends your imagination in the exotic sights and ports of call. Many of these cruises depart from Los Angeles and sail across the Pacific Ocean.

The ship is almost like a 5-star hotel in the amenities, cuisine and activities that are available for you to enjoy. This is luxury at its finest and one of the best and most convenient way to see the world without having to endure the hassle of long lines at airports and the travel delays that are inevitable.

There are nine cruise lines offering 5-star around the world cruises for the 2009 cruising season. Each of these cruise lines offers a distinct itinerary. If you have specific destinations in mind for your cruise, you should check these itineraries to find the one that best suits your needs. For example, take a look at the line up of destinations planned for the Holland America World Cruise.

With Holland America, you will travel on the luxurious MS Rotterdam for a 5-star around the world cruise that lasts 128 days. This ship will depart from Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 9 and starts with stops in Caribbean and South American ports of call.

Then you sail across the Pacific to see the sights of Tahiti, Hawaii, Australia and onwards to Asia. Experience the culture of Korea, Vietnam, India, Dubai and ports along the coast of Africa. Your return voyage across the Atlantic will include stops in other ports of the Caribbean before you disembark in Fort Lauderdale.

You can book segments of this type of upscale world cruise if the full length of the cruise involves more time that you have to spend on holiday. You will join the ship in a specific port and disembark in the one of your choosing that matches the amount of time you have available.

Explore the sample shore excursions offered to find out exactly what to expect in the various ports of call so that you will be informed about what sights the cruise has planned for you to see. Of course, you can always choose to explore each port of call on your own and make your own memories and adventures.

Whatever cruise line you choose for your 5-star around the world cruise, you will touch the four corners of the globe and visit cities in 5 continents in one voyage. You will have to do a lot of planning if you would like to undertake such a trip on your own flying to all the cities and making hotel reservations. The comfort and luxury of the cruise ships surpasses that of a 5-star hotel in the amount of amenities and world class cuisine that you have at your fingertips.

You can dine with the captain on a 5-star world cruise ship, choose your dinner partners and enjoy meeting people from all over the world. These ships are smaller versions of the large cruise ships, which make for a more intimate cruising experience.

Relax on the side of the pool, choose a good book from the library to curl up with as you relax on the balcony and enjoy state of the art fitness facilities. Try your luck in the casino, have a drink with friends and take in a Broadway type show along with many other forms of entertainment provided for your enjoyment. This cruise is one that you will surely remember forever and it may even make you want to take another in a future year.