Many readers will admire the chutzpah of octogenarian veteran journalist Benjamin and his wife as they head off in early 2026 on a quest to complete their lifelong travel bucket list. Via three different cruise ships, the Benjamins traveled from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Australia, Crete, and back to Florida, stopping at intriguing islands and many famous ports along the way. The author includes a log of their journey, which provides readers with tips on choosing staterooms (go big), what to see (avoid cruise line excursions), and ensuring that one has a good Wi-Fi connection. He also includes recommendations for dining options along the way—information that’s surely shaped by his wife’s experience as a food reviewer. Midway through the trip, the Middle East exploded into war, shutting off the only cruise route that would have allowed the couple to access the high points of their list—the Egyptian pyramids and the United Arab Emirates. Still, they return home with many engaging experiences to share, including staying in an over-water bungalow in Bora Bora and being detained by Omani police for photographing a building hit by an Iranian drone. To reach these fascinating details about 21st-century tourism in a world at war, however, readers must first wade through nine chapters about researching and making travel plans, changing those plans, and making packing decisions (including navigating pre-trip prescription drug procurement); the book also has two chapters about unpacking, closet difficulties, and how to get a ship’s staff to build additional closet space in a stateroom. Younger readers are likely to find such details laborious, but a wealthy, older readership may find it invaluable.