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Crystal Serenity at Geiranger Fjord - Norway
 

Luxury afloat
Published in the October-December 2009 issue.

If you dream of cruising in ultimate luxury, now is the time: some fabulous voyages on some of the world’s finest ships are on offer, finds Maggy Oehlbeck.

If you thought the allure of ocean voyages on elegant liners belonged to an bygone era, consider this: the maiden voyage of Cunard’s new ocean liner, Queen Elizabeth, sold out in a record 29 minutes, making it the fastest-selling voyage in the cruise line’s 170-year history.

Queen Elizabeth is poised to make her maiden voyage next year, sailing from home port Southampton on 12 October 2010, and more than 220 Australians have signed up so far.

Afternoon tea is served on Queen Mary 2
 

Meanwhile, the legendary line is giving Australians the chance to experience the luxury of a Cunard cruise closer to home, with five new fares on offer for savings of up to 50 per cent for passengers sailing to or from Sydney on board the magnificent Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria in 2010, across select cruise sectors.

So, why not farewell financial gloom and set sail on a luxury cruise? With present market conditions, there could hardly be a better time, and the market is awash with choice. While not exactly recession-proof, the cruise industry shows few signs of slowing down – in fact, it continues to expand, with new ships great and small being built. And in the short-term, significant discounting on published fares and all manner of enticements – on-board spending credits, complimentary shore excursions, even reduced international airfares, are available.

Perhaps the ultimate luxury experience is The World, largest private yacht to sail the seas. It weighs in at 43,000 tons, is almost 200 metres in length and has two pools, four restaurants, a casino, tennis court and golf simulator. Its enormous studios and apartments are decorated in sumptuous style, about a third of which are placed in a rental pool for cruisegoers. This superbly comfortable ship sails just about everywhere, having already called in at some 120 ports worldwide, and in December and January this year will be cruising Australian waters.

A taste of sushi with Crystal Cruises
 

Doubtless due to its ‘royal pedigree’, one of the most eagerly anticipated of the new builds is Queen Elizabeth. Carrying 2,092 guests, the ship is the second-largest Cunarder ever built and the third new ocean liner to be introduced by the cruise line in six years. Along with fabulous entertainment, there will be activities inspired by the era of the first Queen Elizabeth: country house parties, Ivor Novello-style piano evenings and period dancing, from traditional ballroom styles to jitterbug and jive – all within the setting of this 21st-century ship. The Queen’s Room, with its ballroom, orchestra and tea dances, will continue a Cunard tradition also observed on big sisters Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria.

Even bigger is Royal Caribbean International’s 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas, which sets sail for the first time in early December 2009. Oasis, set to be based in the Caribbean, is 50 per cent larger than Queen Mary 2. More than a purpose-built ocean liner, she’ll be akin to a floating city, with a capacity of 10,000 passengers.

Another is Celebrity Cruises’ 2,850-passenger Celebrity Equinox, which made its inaugural voyage on 27 July this year. Among Equinox’s celebrity appointments is its AquaSpa by Elemis, which offers a range of luxurious indulgences including a 24-Karat Gold Facial, ‘red-carpet’ make-up applications and a comprehensive range of medi-spa services, from Botox treatments to teeth-whitening. You could return from your cruise looking years younger.

Regent Seven Seas in Alaska
 

Meanwhile, competition among mid-size and small luxury ships is as fierce as it is for the Leviathans of the sea. One of the leaders is Oceania Cruises, with finely appointed suites and staterooms (some with private butler service and teak verandahs) and some impressive cuisine in its restaurants: the legendary chef Jacques Pépin is the executive culinary director. Among its cruises are a 40-day ‘Grand Circuit of South America’ and European trips such as the 10-day ‘Pearls of the Riviera’ between barcelona and Rome and 14-day ‘Vineyards and Vistas’ between Barcelona and London.

Entering service this year mere months apart are Yachts of Seabourn’s Seabourn Odyssey and Silversea Cruises’ Silver Spirit. Odyssey features the most exclusive all-suite accommodation available at sea, with 90 per cent of its 225 suites offering private verandahs, and each top-of-the-range suite also including a private solarium. Odyssey claims the largest spa at sea – it has a two-deck-high waterfall and a thalasso-therapy pool.

Silver Spirit makes its debut in lavish style with a grand inaugural voyage: sailing on 21 January 2010, the 91-day Spirit of South America cruise has many highlights: a visit to Rio de Janeiro in time for Carnival, a journey around Cape Horn, the Mexican Riviera, and a visit to the Big Apple, via the Panama Canal. Guests will be invited to attend the ship’s naming ceremony and gala dinner on the eve of departure and exclusive shore-side events, and will receive special commemorative gifts and AU$2,570 (US$2,000) in spending credits, per suite, for the duration of the voyage. 

Life on deck with Seadream
 

Silver Spirit will indulge its 540 guests with the largest suites in the fleet – 95 per cent with private verandahs. The décor in the ship’s public spaces pays homage to 1930s Art Deco; the indoor/outdoor spa has three whirlpools – two adjacent to the outdoor pool, one in the spa area – and passengers can choose from six dining venues including Seishin, a Japanese restaurant and the innovative Stars Supper Club, featuring live music, dancing and nightclub-style entertainment.

Silversea can also assist guests in designing their own unique experiences ashore through its new Silver Shore Concierge service. This concierge-at-sea service can help guests arrange special sporting activities, customised tours and exclusive access to designer stores, museums and cathedrals. If you are so inclined, it can also rustle up a Champagne picnic and hot-air balloon ride over Tuscany, access to a designer’s atelier in Venice, or a journey through Alaska’s glacier-carved fjords by private catamaran.

For many seasoned cruisers, Regent Sevenseas’ 700-guest Voyager and Mariner and the 490-guest Sevenseas Navigator are the apogee of luxury cruising, delivering five-star facilities and service with laidback flair. The three Sevenseas’ ships are all-inclusive luxury products, with complimentary beverages, butler service and gratuities included. These are the only all-suite and (with the exception of Navigator) all-balcony ships in their category, and they’ve emerged from a recent makeover more elegantly chic than ever.

The pool deck of Seabourne Odyssey
 

Among Sevenseas value-for-money enticements are free shore excursions and two-for-one saving on all voyages, plus additional savings of AU$1,284 (US$1,000) to AU$2,570 (US$2,000) per suite.

Next year marks Crystal Cruises’ 20th Anniversary. To celebrate, the cruise line is offering a tantalising range of special promotions and dramatic savings – such as reduced fares of AU$3,858 (US$3,000) per couple on all Mediterranean and Northern Europe voyages booked by 31 December 2009. Crystal’s all-inclusive, ‘As You Wish’ concept of shipboard credits allows up to AU$2,570 (US$2,000) per couple to spend on spa treatments, fine wines, a Vintage Room experience with friends, gratuities for a favourite waiter, perhaps, or a customised Crystal Adventures shore excursion.

For luxury on a small scale, Cruise West’s Spirit of Oceanus offers space to just 120 passengers and, equipped with stabilizers, opens up whole new horizons for up-close, casual small-ship cruising. The company’s flagship boasts comfortable outside suites, each with a picture window or porthole, while 15 suites on the Sun and Sports Decks feature private teak balconies. Other cabin amenities include a walk-in closet, large marble bathroom, and lounge area. The ship deploys all over the world, so no matter where you want to go you’ll get the chance to experience its comforts: Asia, North Africa and the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the Norwegian fjords all feature. So do Panama and Central America and, closer to home, the South Pacific.

Luxury mega-yachts SeaDream I and SeaDream II, each of which carries a maximum of just 55 couples and a crew of 95, belong to SeaDream Yacht Club, the world’s number one operator in the luxury small-ship category. The SeaDream yachts have released Mediterranean sailings between May and October 2010 priced at AU$5,683 (US$4,426) per person, twin-share – less than half the normal fare – for those who book early. The seven-night fare includes all gourmet dining on board including wines with meals, bar drinks, nightly cocktail gatherings, power and sail watersports where permitted by local authorities, use of an onboard 30-championship course golf simulator, gratuities, port charges and taxes.

Sailing into the big blue with Seadream
 

Itineraries available at these prices might include Istanbul to Athens, Athens to Venice, Civitavecchia (Rome) to Corsica return, or Monte Carlo to Civitavecchia, with highlights such as Dubrovnik and Korcula in Croatia, and transiting the Corinth Canal and the islands of Greece.

Other Mediterranean itineraries aboard SeaDream I and SeaDream II are also available during the 2010 Australian winter at slightly varying prices, with savings of 40 to more than 50 per cent on many scheduled cruises. So, for instance, 15 nights on SeaDream II – nine nights from Dubrovnik to Istanbul, followed by six nights from Istanbul to Athens – in September/October 2010 starts from AU$11,755 (US$9,152) per person, twin share, instead of the original AU$22,204 (US$17,300).

With so many ships and itineraries from which to choose, the question is not can you afford to go, but can you afford not to. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a top-of-the-line cruise at a budget price. •



Photography courtesy cruise lines.

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