[VIDEOHITE]

I found myself reading this story about a 4 month long cruise. Now in the olden days you could get a 3 month world cruise for free. Ending up in Australia or the Bahama's. Now days it costs mega bucks for that kind of a cruise.

Fairly impressive looking boat if you ask me. Australians can live over seas (or on seas) for 180 days a year and not be liable for income tax. Thats about 6 months. Could I spend 4 months doing something like this? Perhaps. I don't know if I could stick it out on board the whole time. Maybe jump ship here and there and go overland a bit.

Robert Upe enjoys martinis and anecdotes on a South China Sea voyage whose guests include author Bill Bryson. Bill Bryson is grateful to have an audience of more than five. "Thank you for turning up on a Sunday morning for my little talk," the softly spoken American author and travel writer says on board Silver Whisper. "I'm still finding my sea legs," he confesses.

"It wasn't all that long ago that I did a bookstore reading to an audience of five people in Stratton, Pennsylvania. They only put out six chairs, so it was a good turnout. Of the five people, one was the manager of the bookstore so he didn't really count; two others were friends of my parents who had retired to Pennsylvania and just wanted to know how my mom was; the fourth guy was someone also named Bill Bryson who had driven a great distance from West Virginia so we could stand there and look at his driver's licence with the same name; and the fifth person was his wife who didn't seem to want to spend the evening with anybody named Bill Bryson."



With that, 100 people in Silver Whisper's lounge chuckle and give the self-deprecating writer a warm welcome. Silver Whisper is gliding in open sea on its way from Singapore to Ho Chi Minh City in southern Vietnam, the next port of call on a 115-day around-the-world voyage patronised by countesses, earls, playwrights and authors. The cruise director, Fernando de Oliveira, sidles up: "You know, many people on board earn nine figures a year. But they don't flaunt it, none of them shows off. We always have a good crowd on board and 90 per cent of them are repeat passengers." Still in hushed tones, he says. "One lady has arrived with 36 suitcases. Her husband only has eight!" Looks swish


It's also called Silver Whisper

Full story & pics @ the Age

[buchmausar]

I know i couldnt handle it because of where I worked was off shore for 20yrs and the sea .................it changes but it dont

[estelle]

According to the link its only $48,000 per person. Or 1 oz of gold (real value).

[Fgunehjf]

According to the link its only $48,000 per person. Or 1 oz of gold (real value).

But they get you with the drinks

[XIMHOTEP-X]

The cruise could be free but I'd still never be able to cover my bar tab and would wind up washing dishes for a year.

[juidizHusw]

i would need a separate suitcase just to bring enough weed for 4 months!!