A 670-passenger ship called Regatta left Rome on September 1 carrying a record: the world's longest cruise. The 371-day voyage — the launch of Explorations by Norwegian, Australia's newest cruise line — will call at more than 220 ports across 62 countries and all six continents.

Among those on board for the full circumnavigation are Sunshine Coast retirees Mark and Ingrid Dudley, whose previous longest cruise was a mere 22 days. For them, the next year includes Christmas, birthdays and New Year aboard the same ship, with the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, the Amazon, the Pacific and the Caribbean rolling past the portholes.

The itinerary reads like a greatest-hits list: Northern Lights spotting, a Panama Canal transit, Greenland and Iceland, safari in southern Africa, plus stops at Madagascar and Zanzibar. On board, guests get a pool deck, spa, library, two specialty restaurants and — a detail that suddenly matters on a year at sea — free self-service laundry. Historian Dr Dean Allen serves as resident Explorations Ambassador, briefing passengers on each destination, while shore excursions split into classic sightseeing, immersive local experiences and active options like hiking and kayaking.

The new line is a homegrown project: My Cruises, part of Gold Coast-based Ignite Travel Group, which is owned by Flight Centre, chartered Regatta from the Oceania Cruises fleet in partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line. Full-year fares started at $99,990 per person and topped out at $249,989, with business-class flights, a Rome hotel stay, drinks, specialty dining, Wi-Fi and gratuities bundled in.

Here's the part that makes it interesting for normal travellers: you don't have to commit to 371 days. The world itinerary is sliced into individual sectors, so you can sail as little as eight days, chain a few regions together, or go the whole way. Current packages include a 23-night Sydney-to-Bangkok trip from $5990 per person with flights and a city stay included, a 26-day California and Panama Canal sailing from $14,990, a 37-night New York-to-Paris run via Greenland and Iceland at the same price, and a 38-day South America and Amazon package from $19,990.

There's also a family-friendly quirk: book five or more sectors and you can gift legs of the voyage to relatives, so one person does Europe and someone else picks up the ship in Asia or Australia. More than 10,000 Australian and New Zealand passengers are expected aboard over the inaugural season.

Demand is clearly there — the first two sectors sold out before departure, and sailings through Christmas had limited availability. My Cruises has committed to a second year, with Explorations departures bookable into 2028.

If you've ever been tempted by a world cruise but balked at the four-month-plus commitment or the megaship crowds, this flexible, small-ship format is worth a look. Just move quickly on the popular sectors.