T
he word luxury is never overrated and you know that the moment you step aboard a truly luxurious cruise ship, with stewards at your command and hostesses at your service. You stroll around and find things, only the finest in their league, ready to dandle you over the next few days of your vacation, all in the middle of a beautiful blue ocean sprawled in front of your eyes. Suave accommodations, classy cuisine, bizarrely striking locales and, above all else, avant-garde service, all exquisitely refined and exclusively personalized for your personal gratification. Charming, indeed? But as every cruise line is unique in its grandeur, and attempts to dazzle you with its splendor with its own tricks and treats, not all might tickle your senses enough to allure you and then leave you craving for more.
Isn’t it then justified to splurge on the right one? You need to look for the perfect luxury cruise that goes beyond the obvious and satiates your every need by paying attention to detail. Here, we bring to you some of the best luxury cruises handpicked by us from all over the world. You can select one which suits your vacation needs more than the others. Because luxury is not just about materialistic oomph. It is, in reality, an experience to be vouched for. The swankily majestic Seven Seas Explorer was glorified as the “most luxurious ship ever built” on the day of its launch. And the promises do not echo hollowly either.
Elegant cuisine and impeccable service resonate rightly with the Explorer as much as they do with its parent line Regent. If you are looking for exceptional accommodations and a phenomenal cruise experience, look no further than this ship. Here you are bound to find no ordinary cabins, but imperial suites. If you have a thing for balconies, you must know that Seven Seas Explorer hosts some of the largest balconies in the industry, ranging from 55 to 995 square feet. (Yes, you might not have that kind of space in your apartment!) The public spaces are similarly aflush with beauty. You can marvel at the lavish use of granite and marble and the 500 chandeliers, of Czech crystal and glass, adorning the ceilings. Art lovers can rejoice as the ship hosts 2,500 pieces of art comprising of paintings specially commissioned by Spanish artist Eduardo Arranz-Bravo and works by Picasso.
Seven Seas Explorer winters in the Caribbean with 10- to 14-night itineraries, summers in Northern Europe and the Baltic, and spends spring and fall in the Mediterranean. If you are an avid traveler and love bumping into the most interesting and knowledgeable folks in the world, then Crystal Serenity is bound to give you a high. The cruise regularly hosts world-renowned authors, politicians and note-worthy dignitaries (think NASA astronaut Captain Scott Kelly and U.S. Marine Corps General (Ret.) Anthony Zinni) as guest speakers. Diverse tournaments are celebrated throughout the year. Don’t be surprised if you find a classical quartet being played during afternoon tea service or a jazz or Broadway singer in the lounge sipping pre- or post-dinner cocktail beside you. The entertainment doesn’t stop at dinner, there’s karaoke and dancing at Pulse Disco thereafter. The Palm Court is open for ballroom dance enthusiasts and Broadway-style productions are staged at the Galaxy Lounge. Silk Road (with the Sushi Bar located within) is the restaurant to watch out for as Chef Nobu Matsuhisa keeps his guests consistently enthralled with his highly revered Asian-fusion menu.
In summer 2016 Crystal Serenity completed a historic, 32-day journey through the Northwest Passage. The challenging voyage through the Canadian Arctic was a huge success and the line will repeat the voyage in 2017. In addition to the Arctic, Crystal Serenity sails Antarctica; the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America; South America; and the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. What makes this cruise ship stand out is the umpteen number of dining venues, it features so exuberantly. To name a few, the venues include the Grand Dining Room , the French bistro, Jacques, with menus designed by acclaimed chef Jacques Pepin; the famed steakhouse, Polo Grill, which serves USDA prime and dry-aged beef; the Italian restaurant Toscana, which is furnished with custom-designed Versace china; and the Red Ginger, which is hailed as its Asian classics. Each evening, 24 passengers can revel in a seven-course meal at La Reserve by “Wine Spectator.” This gleaming beauty also features a self-contained cooking school, Culinary Center, at sea that offers a hands-on experience at 12 individual cooking stations. Oceania Riviera spends its time sailing the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Greek Isles.
This upper-premium cruise ship beats other luxury lines at the inclusiveness of its fares, an endless number of spa options and wonderful design aesthetics. It has an open and airy feel to it which makes you wonder about the special care put into designing the space, in every corner, onboard. All accommodations include a verandah, and even the tightest quarters — the Deluxe Veranda and the Veranda categories — are satisfactorily sized at 270 square feet. Larger ones include the Penthouse Veranda at 338 square feet, the 405-square-foot Penthouse Junior Suite and the Explorer Suite, which spans more than 757 square feet. The Restaurant (the main dining room) and The World Cafe (buffet) serve international menus in comfortably-spacious venues, offering floor-to-ceiling open windows.The best restaurant onboard is Manfredi’s which offers Italian fare. If you’d like to experiment with Norwegian fare, there is Mamsen’s with its gorgeously topped waffles, open-faced sandwiches, and scrumptious bacon-and-pea soup — all inspired by the recipes of Viking chairman Torstein Hagen’s mother. The ships are sleek and modern and sail to some of the world’s most interesting ports They stay longer in port, even overnight , so passengers can truly explore the locality.
Seabourn Encore is the latest gem in the Seabourn’s popular Odyssey-class. The ship is designed by the renowned designer Adam D. Tihany and boasts of awe-inspiring interiors and intuitive spaces. It is well equipped with 300 suites ranging from 300 to 1,300 square feet and all are plush with magnetic interiors and stunning spaces to have a splash at breakfast, drinks or dinner al fresco. The icing on the cake is the Spa at Seabourn which has set a new standard in wellness at sea. Apart from the expansive spa, Seabourn Encore features The Retreat, a private, VIP-access-only outdoor lounge area on Deck 12. It has fifteen cabanas which feature flat-screen TVs, Evian misters and a mini-fridge, plump with beverages and fresh fruits. The cabanas are fascinatingly arranged around a hot tub, which is the focal point of The Retreat.
What is to be noted is that Seabourn offers The Grill by celebrity chef Thomas Keller fleetwide, including on Encore. Seabourn Encore offers itineraries to Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the Mediterranean, Greek Isles and the Middle East.
