Top Five Luxury Cruise Ships

 

Many cruise lines market themselves as luxury cruise lines, but which of the various vessels truly deserve this title? When considering luxury travel for myself or others, I consider not just room size or suite amenities but also service, cuisine and attention to detail as key factors. Here are the luxury cruise ships I would most highly recommend:

1. Crystal Esprit

In 2015, after extensive refurbishments to her original ship built in 1991, 62 passenger Crystal Esprit launched. She has itineraries to the Seychelles and Mediterranean that focus on activities from hiking to cycling to snorkeling and kayaking at every port stop. Guests have given rave reviews to this yacht's service, Michelin-level dining experiences, stateroom quality, activities programs and the number of guests per stateroom; an experience much richer than many larger ships can provide.

2. Silversea Silver Muse

The brand new Silver Muse can accommodate 596 passengers, making it the largest ship in Silversea's lineup but much smaller than mass market ships. With cruise itineraries spanning Asia, Mediterranean, Caribbean, North America and South America - perfect for experienced cruisers looking for modern ships for new discovery - Silver Muse makes an ideal option.

Silver Muse boasts eight restaurants, with six of them included in your cruise fare; La Dame French Restaurant and Kaiseki Japanese Restaurant require additional charges of $60 per person at time of writing. Being Italian owned, Italian cuisine at La Terraza as well as pizzas and gelato at Spaccanopoli are fantastic; other highlights include its beautiful pool deck, Arts Cafe which doubles up as an evening cocktail lounge, as well as included WiFi connectivity.

3. Crystal Serenity

 Luxury cruisers looking for amenities onboard larger ships such as entertainment and enrichment classes such as digital filmmaking, magic tricks, ballroom dancing or Tai chi will find that Crystal Serenity an excellent choice. With 535 staterooms, it can accommodate up to 1080 passengers. Penthouse with Veranda (367 square feet) or Penthouse Suite with Veranda (491 square feet), both featuring separate shower and jacuzzi bathtub as well as Butler service - including in-suite afternoon tea service, pre-dinner cocktails and canapes before dinner, assistance with dining reservations and shore excursion bookings, garment pressing and shoe shining services and garment pressing/shoe shining services - are ideal. Voyages range from 7 day Alaska cruises up to 112 day World cruises so there should be something suitable for nearly everyone!

4. Oceania Marina

Oceania Marina is highly esteemed among foodies for spending more per passenger on food than even most luxury cruise lines do. Furthermore, their Culinary Center provides hands-on cooking classes and culinary discovery tours at certain ports of call.

5. SeaDream 

SeaDream  and its sister ship SeaDream I are technically classified as mega yachts, accommodating 112 guests at most. As luxury becomes more personalised and the trend moves toward smaller ships, SeaDream  intimate experience may appeal to those wanting something more personalized than what can be provided on larger vessels with 600+ passengers. With 95 crew members that represent nearly 1:1 crew to passenger ratio and 95 crew members available per ship (so close to 1:1 ratio compared with most main cruise lines), SeaDream  provides an intimate yet luxurious cruise experience unlike anything found on main cruise lines!

 

SeaDream sailings provide nearly everything needed for an enjoyable journey: water sports, beach barbecues, room service, caviar and champagne, mountain bike rentals as well as crew-led shore activities such as hiking and biking as well as gratuities - with only shore excursions, premium wines or spa treatments being extra.