Posts Tagged ‘Luxury cruises’

What Does It Take For a Cruise To Be Luxury?

January 26th, 2010

There are now so many different types of cruise that anybody and everybody can find something that suits them. Some might last a month, whilst others are but a few days long. You can visit anywhere from the far east to tip of scandinavia. The greatest variety however is provided by the cost of certain cruises. You can find cruises that cost you very little and some that are the reserve of the rich and famous. Below we discuss at what should you look for in luxury cruises.

Service. Above all else, it is the service that makes a cruise luxury. There is only so much material provisions that money can buy, but service can keep getting better. From the moment you step foot on the boat to the moment you hit dry land again at the end of the trip, you should be treated to first class service all the way on a luxury cruise. On certain 5 star cruises, you may even get your own butler.

Food. Being served high quality food and drink is something that made lots of people fall in love with cruising in the first place, but with some of the newer ‘no-frills’ cruises the food isn’t as good as it probably should be. On the upper end of the cruise ship scale, your food and drink is often made up by world class chefs and award winning barmen and women. Additionally, for the cost of luxury you should also be granted more flexibility in terms of the foods you can order and the times of day you can order it.


Entertainment & Facilities
. This is another area where you will really notice the difference in quality. The top end cruises are able to offer their customers the highest level of facilities including dining and leisure facilities, but additionally provide world class shows at the same time. The top performers often strive to work on the best ships such as Oceania Cruises, so it most often the case that the best professional performers and directors are snapped up by luxury cruise lines and provide real quality entertainment.

Silversea Cruises Embody Italian Passion and European Style

January 21st, 2010

Originally founded by the Lefebvre family of Rome, Silversea cruises use specially designed ships as elegant as some of the finest European hotels and as warm and inviting as gracious stately homes. Intended to be a luxury home from home on the oceans of the world, Silversea’s ships are spacious in feel and appearance, but are small in comparison with mass-market vessels, making them easily docked in less-visited, more exotic destinations.

Silversea cruises are most definitely the pinnacle in the ultra-luxury cruise market. You don’t simply cruise with Silversea!  You experience a very special lifestyle that encompasses art and culture as well as unique on board activities and amenities, exploring great wines and culinary styles and romantic destinations. With Silversea, cruising is genuinely elevated to an art form!

The fleet of Silversea Cruises five-star luxury vessels consist of the Silver Wind which can accommodate 296 guests, Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper that will house 382 in opulent comfort, and the Prince Albert II which can take 132 guests on authentic expedition experiences with an ice-strengthened hull while still offering unmatched levels of luxury.  Largest vessel in the fleet, the Silver Spirit, can entertain and pamper 540 guests.  This ship extends the meaning of luxury cruises with a choice of six dining venues, a resort-style pool, four whirlpools, and the largest private suites with private verandas in the Silversea fleet.

The elegant Silver Spirit also offers an on-board spa experience with the latest cutting-edge anti-ageing beauty therapies adding another dimension to luxury and personalised wellness.At 8,300 square feet, it’s the largest in the Silversea fleet and is operated by Steiner Leisure Limited, a leading international provider of spa services.  It features a beauty salon, fitness centre, nine spa treatment rooms, two sauna rooms and two steam rooms.  A Thermal Suite with heated lounge chairs connects to a private Hammam (Turkish bath) Chamber while an outdoor relaxation area is open to all guests and provides complimentary fruit smoothies, champagne or cocktails.

Oceania Cruises for Informal Style and Comfort

January 21st, 2010

Established in 2002 by luxury cruise veterans Frank Del Rio and Joseph Watters, Oceania Cruises are aimed at couples who enjoy good food and style with excellent service.  The vessels in Oceania’s fleet are elegant, provide excellent food and amenities and offer extensive award-winning shore excursions. They all feature a country club-casual ambiance.The flagship MS Regatta was launched in mid-2003 and provides true Five-star luxury. Since then,  Oceania Cruises has launched two further 5-Star ships (the MS Nautica and Insignia) with another mid-size ship (the MS Marina) due to start cruising early in 2010.

oceania cruises reputation for luxury and style has been endorsed with the “Conde Nast Traveller Gold List” award for the third year running and Travel & Leisure Magazine’s “World’s Best” for the fourth year running. That’s hardly surprising as the concept of luxury cruises has essentially been redefined by this company.  The flagship MS Regatta and her three sister vessels have several points of distinction. Regatta features spacious 1,000 sq ft suites with their own private Jacuzzi and a 42- inch flat-screen TV with Bose surround sound system.  There’s even a second bathroom for guests.The suites features a queen-sized “Tranquillity Bed” designed for ultimate comfort while glass doors reveal spectacular views from the wraparound teak veranda.Guests even have the benefit of a fully inclusive butler service and a welcome bottle of champagne!

Oceania Cruises has several award-winning pre-bookable shore excursion packages. The Discovery Collection is an excellent way to get a taste of each port visited and a perfect choice for the first-time visitor. The Explorer Collection is a more in-depth package for the seasoned traveller featuring full-day or evening events.

The décor on board the vessels harks back to 1920’s and 1930’s grand ocean liners, with wrought iron staircase railings, rich carpets and trompe l’oeil ceilings  and while the surroundings are  luxuriously formal, the style of dress is not – country club casual is the dress code on board.Dining is equally sumptuous, but relaxed, with smaller restaurants and grills as well as a Grand Dining Room. Oceania Cruises itineraries can include ports of call that the larger ships cannot reach, so a range of dining out options on shore is also available.