Vacations are all about unwinding, indulging in leisure, and even enjoying a touch of luxury. Long, uncomfortable car rides hardly set the stage for a memorable trip. Instead, imagine sailing on a cruise ship offering gourmet dining, lavish suites, and exceptional service. Here are 15 luxury cruise lines you might wan to consider for your next getaway.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Regent Seven Seas cruise ships travel to over 450 places, basically covering all the seven seas—hence their name. They are also dedicated to providing superior all-inclusive service to their guests, which includes fine dining, unlimited trips to the shore, Wi-Fi, high-grade refreshments, and personal consultants to help with scheduling their entire trip.
Silversea Cruises
Every room in Silversea Cruises is a dream suite that provides comfort and 24-hour personalized butler attendance while guests enjoy the luxurious services. Fine dining, excursions to the shore, beverages, and gratuities are already covered by the fare for a deluxe, seamless experience. Their ships are also designed for visiting legendary and remote ports for that visit of a lifetime.
Seabourn Cruise Line
Established in 1986, Seabourn Cruise Line boasts an intimate, yacht-like ambiance throughout the voyage. Their suites face the ocean so there can never be a bad view. Aside from personalized services, guests also experience gourmet food, luxurious spirits, and other in-cruise activities. Their voyages traverse remote destinations supervised by experts and specialized equipment.
Oceania Cruises
This cruise line is especially known for its luxurious dining that offers various specialty restaurants without additional costs. The choices for living accommodations include luxurious staterooms and suites, both of which have options for a private veranda. Their itineraries are focused on the destinations with a highlight on immersive activities, port calls, and overnight lodging.
Crystal Cruises
Comfort is their ultimate goal for the guests with their large staterooms and suites, which also have exclusive verandas. Activities such as lectures, workshops, and fitness programs during the voyage also provide entertainment. The cruise line also has more staff than guests, ensuring that their services are personalized, committed, and tailored to each passenger.
Azamara
Making sure that guests fully enjoy the destination throughout the voyage is Azamara’s primary objective. They offer longer stays and more frequent overnight lodging to maximize the guest experience. Their ships are average in size, but their intimate ambiance and personalized customer service make up for it. Their fares already include gratuities, some beverage options, and shuttles for selected ports.
Viking Ocean Cruises
Their name pays homage to Norse seafarers, which is also seen in the Scandinavian aesthetic and build of their ships. For each destination, they offer lectures, performances, and shore excursions so that guests can get to know the places they will visit. The fares already include shore trips, Wi-Fi, dining, and beverages while aboard.
Ponant
Ponant is the French term for “west” in naval contexts, giving a nod to the cruise line’s French roots and exploratory nature. Indeed, its destinations are mostly remote places for an adventurous and rare experience. Guests also enjoy exquisite French cuisine, wines, and ambiance during the voyage. The best part about this cruise line is that it has sustainable and eco-friendly practices and also uses advanced technologies to minimize its impact on the environment.
Explora Journeys
Explora Journeys cruise line has large suites with private terraces that overlook the expansive ocean during the voyage. They also offer various cuisines from all over the world, giving their guests extensive options to choose from. One of their other priorities is the wellness and relaxation of their passengers—that’s why they also provide fitness classes and spa access while aboard.
SeaDream Yacht Club
A combination of the luxuries offered by the two mega-yachts SeaDream I and SeaDream II, SeaDream Yacht Club boasts a personalized experience with a guest-to-service-crew ratio of 112:95. Their yachts explore the Mediterranean and Caribbean through seven- to 15-day long voyages. Additionally, their fares already include fine dining, beverages, gratuities, and water sports activities.
Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours
Created in 1986, the Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours cruise line offers an all-inclusive ocean cruise experience across the globe. It also has innovative fleets called “Space-Ships” that sail through rivers and “Scenic Eclipse” that course through oceans. Such voyages are expertly provided with helicopters, submarines, and comprehensive tours for an unforgettable travel experience.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
For Arctic and Antarctic expeditions, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is the way to go. Its journeys are guided by experts and cater to both German- and English-speaking passengers given the line’s German origins. Their expansive amenities include wellness centers with saunas, fitness studios, and beauty treatments, mini bars that offer wines, spirits, and champagnes, and large suites with walk-in wardrobes. And as the cherry on top, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises also officiates legal weddings!
Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
An extension of the Ritz-Carlton brand, this cruise line’s yachts are custom-built and can easily board 298 passengers. Its fare covers inclusive amenities such as large suites with exclusive verandas, various entertaining activities, multiple dining places, and interactive shore excursions. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection also visits isolated places and allows extended stays for a memorable experience.
Paul Gauguin Cruises
Named after the French post-impressionist painter Paul Gauguin who portrayed Tahiti and its people in his works, this culture-laden cruise line highlights the islands of French Polynesia, Tahiti, and the South Pacific all year-round through its voyages. Its accommodations include refined dining with complimentary beverages and water sports activities from the ship’s marina. To educate guests about the culture of the South Pacific islands, the cruise line also offers lectures, excursions, and programs that explore the traditions and history of the islands.
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise line sails across Asia, Egypt, Russia, and Europe. The ships used to sail through the destinations are customized based on the cruise’s destination. Its fares cover fine dining, unlimited beverages, shore trips, entertainment, and even gratuities while aboard. Passengers can also be assured of personalized service given the high staff-to-guest ratio.
