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Putting on the Ritz
For when only the best will do, luxury cruising lets passengers channel their inner millionaire, writes Maggy Oehlbeck.
Cruise ships come in all shapes and sizes and, as Goldilocks discovered, one size doesn’t fit all. One person’s definition of luxury may be the polar opposite of another’s. Some adore the ritual of black-tie dinners or a deckchair on the promenade deck of an ocean liner like the Queen Mary 2, while Her Majesty royally rides the waves on a classic crossing from Southampton to New York.
Others may baulk at the very idea of formal dress; for those people, luxury is not wearing a tie. Then there are those who don’t even sniff the sea air. They spend their time in the spa, gym or casino.
Large Ships – 1,200-4,000 passengers
In December, Queen Victoria, the second largest Cunard Line ship ever built (after the Queen Mary 2) will make her maiden cruise. She then embarks on a world cruise which will see her visit Australia in February 2008 as the youngest-ever liner to do so.
Like her big sister, Queen Victoria will offer guests the classic liner experience - Cecil B DeMille-style staircases, chandeliers, stylish afternoon teas with string quartets, vast decks for promenading, lavish theatrical productions, one of the largest spas at sea and multiple dining options. But like QM2, (and Cunard’s much-loved “Queen Mother”, the QE2), Queen Victoria is not all luxury accommodation although the Queens Grill category is definitely first class.
Holland America Line’s Ms Eurodam will debut in June 2008. With 2,044 passengers, she is the largest cruise ship ever constructed for the highly-esteemed line. Her décor is described as encompassing a “Euro-classic aesthetic”, featuring fresh colours and textures in staterooms along with premium amenities. There will also be an expanded Greenhouse spa with thermal suites, hydro-pool, and the largest gymnasium on a Holland America Line ship.
Medium Ships - 500-1,200 passengers
Although rated in the medium-size category, Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, (around 1000 passengers) border on large. The Crystal sisters appeal to sophisticated travelers who want contemporary comfort and fittings with flair. But they still love the colonial-style Palm Court Lounge, Avenue Saloon for the late-late crowd, and the Connoisseur Club (for cigar and cognac fanciers). Specialty restaurants include Wolfgang Puck-selected menus and outstanding Japanese and Italian restaurants.
There is also a Computer University@Sea facility, Creative Learning Institute, golf clinics and a tantalising portfolio of port calls.
Regent Seven Seas ships, the all-suite, all-balconies Mariner and Voyager (700 passengers) and their cordon bleu cuisine definitely fulfill all luxury parameters.
Full marble baths and walk-in closets are ideal for longer voyages. In January 2008, Seven Seas Voyager will make a 115-day world cruise to some of the most exciting (and seldom-visited) ports ever.
Pitched between luxury and upper-premium, many discerning cruisers swear that Oceania Cruises’ fleet of medium-size ships (684 passengers), Regatta, Insignia and Nautica, offer unequalled value.
The trio, formerly utilized by the now-defunct Renaissance Cruises, have been beautifully re-fitted, provide outstanding cuisine and offer longer stays in some of the most alluring and unusual ports in Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America. Oceania also offers exceptional service, and the dress code is country club casual.
Small Ships - 200-500 passengers
Since 2001, Hapag-Lloyd’s pedigreed Europa, (408 passengers) has been the only ship to score a perfect five-plus star rating by Berlitz. Others come close, but no-one has closed the gap yet.
So what is the point of difference? According to Gerd Wilmer of Landmark Travel, “It is the culture. The ability to deliver the unexpected – like bicycles for use ashore, free shuttle bus services in port perhaps, or whisking guests off for an unscheduled zodiac ride”.
Then, too, there are Europa’s spacious staterooms, their haute cuisine and service, sometimes visible in white gloves and tails, and always present in courtly manners and perfect timing.
Europa is famous for her theme cruises. A case in point is a fabulous Garden & Golf Cruise. Among the highlights are visits to the famous gardens of Sissinghurst Castle, and 18 holes at London Golf Course.
When it comes to the sleekest fleet afloat, Silversea Cruises’ deluxe all-suite, (approximately 382 passenger) Silver Whisper, Silver Shadow, Silver Cloud and Silver Wind can’t be bettered. Silversea ambassador, Isabella Rossellini, would hardly put her name to anything less.
Their new 2008 brochure has just been released and the four, all-suite, all-inclusive ships will visit nearly 340 different ports in 116 countries.
On-board dining flexibility features menus prepared to the exacting standards of Relais & Chateaux, bottomless bottles of Moet & Chandon, copious quantities of caviar and a discrete Davidoff humidor for cigar connoisseurs.
Boutique Ships - 50-200 passengers
The Yachts of Seabourn - Seabourn Pride, Seabourn Legend, and Seabourn Spirit (208 passengers) - are designed to pamper. The three all-suite motor yachts offer discerning travellers the highest level of indulgence including free champagne on arrival, a continuous open bar, massages on deck, gourmet cuisine overseen by celeb chef Charlie Palmer, and open-seating restaurants.
Don’t duck “the rounds of the kitchen” on a Seabourn yacht; the galley brunches are sensational. Seabourn is also renowned for creative shore excursions, including a perfume making course in Cannes or attending a gala evening in ancient Ephesus.
Sea dreaming becomes reality on board the SeaDream Yacht Club ships, SeaDream I and SeaDream II (110 passengers). With their Monte-Carlo style glamour, they chart high in the laid-back luxury stakes. Being small, they can access tiny bays and inlets that often occasions a spontaneous barbecue, or playing around on SeaDream’s sailboards, waterskis and waverunners.
There are no ties or floor shows, but movies under the stars, a piano bar and small casino, fitness centre and spa, hammocks and Balinese-style dreambeds. And if the Captain sees fit, he will linger longer in an exotic location if everyone is seadreaming.
If you prefer to bask in the balmy waters of French Polynesia, Bora Bora Cruises has just the ticket. Their two stunning super yachts each carry 74 passengers plus crew of 40. These perfectly-groomed beauties are more akin to a private floating island fragrant with Tahitian tiare flowers, well-placed traditional art and fine décor throughout. Dine on deck beneath a starry canopy then be lulled into dreamland by the gentle lapping of the lagoon waters.
No doubt royalty carries clout. A case in point is the Hebridean International Cruises’ Hebridean Princess (49 passengers) which was recently chartered for a week by The Queen. This Princess clearly met HM’s expectations.
Hebridean Princess’ interior is classy country house, with swag-draped bed-heads, Gould bird prints, and other approved refinements. She quietly explores the inner secrets of Scotland’s coastline where guests can go ashore by tender, or have a second serve of porridge with a wee dram at breakfast.
Bigger sister Hebridean Spirit (96 passenger) bows in where the revered Swan Hellenic bowed out, and offers a similar product with an outstanding lecture program by world-renowned experts, and amazing explorations of the ancient world.
Expedition cruising is all the go these days. Again, Hapag-Lloyd triumphs with Hanseatic (184 passengers), the only five-star expedition ship capable of following the tracks of legendary explorers in the Arctic.
Closer to home, Australian-based expedition ship, Orion (106 passengers), excels. Her elegant interiors reflect her exotic destinations in colour, texture and mood. And few could fault the menus devised by star chef Serge Dansereau (of Sydney’s Bather’s Pavilion) in the Constellation restaurant. The ultimate luxury, however, is Orion’s itineraries including the Kimberleys, Arnhem Land, New Guinea, Lord Howe, New Zealand and Antarctica.
Some adore the romance of open sea and open sky under billowing sail but also want their comforts. No salt-beef and sea biscuits for them! Nor will they find any on Sea Cloud Cruises’ superb Sea Cloud I and younger sister, Sea Cloud II (64 passengers). These aristocratic ladies sail the Aegean, Cote d’Azur, Tyrrhenian and Black Seas, and are the only square-rigged cruisers in the world sailed by hand. They offer every conceivable comfort plus outstanding freshly-sourced regional fare.
Other cruisers feel more comfortable with the combination of computer-controlled cruise and sail that companies such as Windstar Cruises and Star Clippers offer.
Travel Facts
Bookings for many cruise lines
can be made through your local travel agent. Check out itineraries via their individual websites. In certain cases, smaller or more exclusive lines may have sole representation with the companies listed below:
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