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Luxury CruiseLuxury Cruise – the very sound of it gives you the feeling of pampering on-board an assortment of sumptuous luxury! Some of the World renowned Luxury Cruise Lines include: • Crystal Cruises Yes! These luxury cruise lines are the top shelf, the best (and most expensive) of the best, catering to discerning travelers who want to be pampered with gourmet cuisine and fine wines and ensconced in spacious suites with marble bathrooms, down pillows, sitting areas, and walk-in closets. Caviar is served on silver trays and chilled champagne in crystal glasses. Elegant dining rooms are dressed in the finest linens, stemware, and china, and guests dress up on formal nights (there will be some passengers in tuxes and ball gowns—others in dark suits and cocktail dresses) and wear suits and ties or nice outfits on informal nights. (Exceptions to this are Windstar Cruises, which offer a more casual kind of luxury and a more laid-back decor; and SeaDream Yacht Club, where the ultra-luxurious atmosphere requires no more than casually elegant attire.) Exquisite French, Italian, American, and Asian cuisine on these ships rivals that of the best shoreside restaurants and is served in high style by doting, gracious waiters. A full dinner can even be served to you in your cabin, if you like. Entertainment and organized activities are more limited as guests tend to amuse themselves, and enjoy cocktails and conversation in a piano bar more than they would flamboyant Vegas-style shows. Ship capacity ranges from 110 on SeaDream ships to 2,620 on the Queen Mary 2. All are big on service, with almost as many staff as passengers. You’re not likely to feel lost in the crowd, and staff will get to know your likes and dislikes early on. The onboard atmosphere is much like that of a private club, with guests trading traveling tales and meeting for cocktails or dinner. Although the high-end lines are discounting more than ever, they still can cost twice as much as your typical mainstream cruise. Besides early-booking discounts, many high-end lines give discounts to repeat cruisers and those booking back-to-back cruises, and sometimes offer two-for-one deals and free airfare. Many extras are often included in the cruise fares. Most people attracted to these types of cruises are sophisticated, wealthy, and used to the finer things in life. While many are well traveled, they’ve most likely not done overly adventurous or exotic traveling, sticking instead to the five-star kind. These ships are not geared to children, but a few (Crystal’s Symphony and Serenity and Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth 2 and Queen Mary 2) have children’s play centers. Every so often kids show up on the other ships, and babysitting can sometimes be arranged privately with an off-duty crew member. DRESS CODES On Seabourn, Silversea, Cunard, and Crystal, bring the tux and the gown—guests dress for dinner on the 2 or 3 formal nights on these cruises. Informal nights generally call for suits and ties for men and fancy dresses or pantsuits for ladies. Sports jackets for men and casual dresses or pantsuits for women are the norm on casual nights. Windstar espouses a “no jackets required” policy during the entire cruise, so men, bring nothing but dress slacks, chinos, and nice collared shirts (short or long sleeves); for women, casual dresses and slacks are fine for evenings. Casual elegance is also espoused on SeaDream, although most men wear jackets (without ties) at night. Radisson Seven Seas is somewhere in between, so bring the suit and nice dresses, but no need to lug the tux or fancy full-length gown on board if it’s not your style. There's no better way to spend a vacation than on a luxury cruise.
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