Scottsdale woman completes 9-month ultimate world cruise

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily)—A Scottsdale woman is back home after a nine-month cruise that took her all over the world. Royal Caribbean offered 'The Ultimate World Cruise,' which set sail last December. Leslie Nilson was one of the hundreds of people who went on the journey.

"This became our home," Nilson said. "We would come back from a port and they would say welcome home."

The trip began in Miami, Florida and took passengers to world wonders and all the continents. Nilson returned to Arizona last week and says her head is still spinning as she thinks about the journey.

"It gave me the opportunity to see the world and a lot of places I would never imagined going or ever being able to see. If they had asked if I wanted to do it again, I would have stayed. I would find a place to hide, like a janitor's closet," she said.

Nilson documented the trip with videos she posted on her social media and YouTube accounts . Her favorite spots included Antarctica, New Year's in Rio, and Petra, Jordan.

"This was not vacation. This was travelling. It's such a crazy experience it's going to take me a long time to put it all together," Nilson said.

She and her partner stayed in a cabin that was less than 200 square feet. They could do laundry on the ship, which helped with their nine-month wardrobe. They also said the chef created a rotating 28-day menu so they weren't eating the same things on the ship over and over again.

The trip was active. Nilson said she walked more than 1,300 miles. As they were busy on land, she grew to appreciate 'sea days' so they could rest on their way to the next port.

Nilson said there were families and people working on the ship as passengers. With the internet, parents could homeschool kids on board during sea days as they saw the world.

"The world is big and its out there and its waiting for you so getting the chance to travel just go," she said.

Nilson said the cost of her cabin with a balcony, food, drinks and tips for the 273 day journey was $75,000 per person.