Tuesday, April 2, 2024

The 9 best luxury cruise lines for elegance and exclusivity

nicest cruise ships

Onboard lounges are wonderfully intimate, with no mass-market anything. When you rest your head, it's on a luxury mattress topped with the finest linens. Suites are also a highlight, with more than enough space plus personal butlers and large bathrooms complete with bathtubs and separate showers. All cabins also have a neat hidden TV feature -- flat-screen televisions are embedded into huge mirrors, and when they're turned off, you can't even see them. Seabourn's newest ship, Seabourn Ovation, is the second in the line's Encore Class, the next generation of Seabourn's popular Odyssey-class ships. Regent Seven Seas Cruises once again aimed for “Luxury Perfected” with the 2020 launch of Seven Seas Splendor.

Best Caribbean cruise for megaresort fans: Royal Caribbean

More ships leaving from a specific port means more competition, which can drive prices lower. Mardi Gras' new sister ship, Carnival Celebration, is also a fantastic option in this category, offering a nearly identical experience (with just a few changes in the names and themes of specific venues). Don’t miss out on world class upscale dining that delights the palate and expertly mixed cocktails sure to keep you in high spirits. A Specialty Dining or Deluxe Beverage package can help you enjoy all the sophisticated sips and delicious dishes on deck.

nicest cruise ships

Seven Seas Splendor, Regent Seven Seas Cruises

If it's swanky digs you're after (and you have the money to spend), you'll find plenty of options on these ships. Norwegian Encore is also the setting for one of the biggest go-kart racing tracks at sea. The racecourse also features a middle-of-the-track observation area where your family and friends can cheer you on to victory — and even shoot you with "lasers" that'll give you a boost of power.

World Navigator — Atlas Ocean VoyagesArrow

To help narrow it down, we asked a panel of cruise industry experts to nominate their top picks for cruise lines and ships across 12 categories. All-inclusive rates start from $2,622 and include Wi-Fi, gratuities and unlimited beer, wine and cocktails. Cruise-only rates start from $1,999 (and exclude taxes, fees and port expenses). The line's 10-day Eastern Caribbean sailing from New York City on Carnival Venezia is a solid choice for budget-minded travelers seeking an affordable Caribbean escape. Passengers can swim with graceful stingrays in Gibbs Cay or tour historic Cockburn Town during a port call in Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos. In Amber Cove, Dominican Republic, you can take an exciting ATV tour through the lush backcountry.

The Best New Cruise Ships and Itineraries for 2024 - Condé Nast Traveler

The Best New Cruise Ships and Itineraries for 2024.

Posted: Thu, 30 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Scarlet Lady — Virgin VoyagesArrow

They're also clustered around the exclusive Studio Lounge, which has its own private bar and a television area where solo travelers can mingle at daily hosted happy hour gatherings. Notably, the public areas that include these restaurants feel more spacious than many of the other ships in the Norwegian fleet. Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva were built with a higher ratio of space to passengers than earlier Norwegian vessels, which itself is an upscale touch. The ships also have a higher crew-to-passenger ratio than many Norwegian ships, leading to better service. You can also lounge on a float or admire the glittering, yacht-dotted harbor from a large foam flotation island.

Best Caribbean cruise for solo travelers: Norwegian Cruise Line

APT's pre- and post-cruise hotel stays were excellent add-ons to the voyage and are worth paying extra for. Both the Park Hyatt in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and the Sofitel in Siem Reap, Cambodia, were five stars deluxe with stunning rooms, pools and impressive staff and cuisine. “I hope you enjoyed Culebra today because it’s quite hard to get in, through a very narrow channel,” O’Leary said at a supper-hour briefing.

Best Cruise Ship for Dining: Carnival Horizon - Carnival Cruise Line

Many of Mardi Gras' standard cabins sleep at least four people, and the ship offers connecting cabins. There's not a bad seat in the house in the Theatre, featuring state-of-the-art floor projection technology to immerse cruisegoers in acrobatic performances with stunning visuals, as well as Broadway and West End musical sets. The Club hosts gaming, live DJs and various evening productions, or stop by the Jazz Joint hosting belting jazz vocalists, dancers and specialty acts.

The six 490- to 750-passenger ships in the Regent fleet get fancier as they get larger. On the three newest, Seven Seas Explorer, Seven Seas Splendor and Seven Seas Grandeur everyone stays in a roomy suite with an oversized balcony and marble bathroom. Perks included in the cruise fare may include beverages, Wi-Fi, fresh flowers, extraordinary pampering and, in some cases, butler service. Silversea also loves to throw a good soiree and does so on every warm-weather cruise in the form of its deck party. Chefs spend the day preparing for this pull-out-all-the-stops event at which they serve roast suckling pig, carved meats, pasta, salads and an array of mouth-watering desserts. Seabourn Ovation also features The Retreat, a private, VIP-access-only outdoor lounge area on Deck 12 that's unique to the Encore Class.

Dine at any of the 29 restaurants, bars, and lounges on board, including Eden, a lush green oasis that will tantalize all of your senses. Unwind at the Resort Deck, where you can take a dip in a martini hot tub, relax in the adults-only Solarium, or admire the view from the expansive Rooftop Garden. The line's Dominican Haze five-night itinerary to Bimini, Bahamas and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, sails out of Miami on the 2,700-passenger Scarlet Lady. With two sea days, the sailing offers a good mix of onboard shenanigans and port-of-call exploration. Party by the pool or swim with stingrays during your day at Virgin Voyages' Bimini Beach Club. Chill out on a powder-white beach or go waterfall hunting in the jungle in the Dominican Republic.

Holland America offers spacious midsize vessels that carry no more than 2,700 passengers, providing a relaxed and intimate cruising experience ideal for pairs seeking quality time at sea. Known as Studio cabins, the tiny solo rooms in these complexes measure just 100 square feet. I sailed solo in one of the cabins on Norwegian Epic, and I was smitten. I particularly loved its futuristic "Jetsons"-like design and the multicolored mood lighting.

Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. For small ships, Scenic's yachts still manage to offer five gourmet dining venues, plus additional private dining options (such as a chef's table or teppanyaki grill), room service and culinary masterclasses in a show kitchen. All restaurants are included in the cruise fare on Viking Venus, except The Kitchen Table. The Restaurant (the main dining room) and The World Cafe (buffet) serve international menus in light-filled venues, with options to open floor-to-ceiling windows on balmy days. Manfredi's is arguably the best restaurant onboard andoffers Italian fare, while you can sample Norwegian dishes inspired by the mother of Viking chairman Torstein Hagen at Mamsen's. The cabins measure just 100 square feet but are superbly designed to maximize storage space.

nicest cruise ships

During your time at sea, embrace the opportunity to relax, recharge, and relish a luxury cruise vacation like no other. There are so many reasons to get excited about a Royal Caribbean® cruise. Choose from itineraries that take you to top-rated holiday destinations, from sun-soaked Caribbean isles to ancient temples in Asia and everywhere in between. No matter which ship you choose to sail on, this is a fleet filled with incredible feats. First-class service, fine wines and gourmet cuisine, picture-perfect itineraries, and high crew-to-passenger ratios are just some of the hallmarks of the best luxury cruise ships. But cruise ships -- even the world's most luxurious -- have their own unique personalities and some will be more suited to your vacation style than others.

Kids can order off special menus in the complimentary main dining rooms and join in their waiters' rollicking dance performances just when they start to get antsy sitting still. Choosing a Carnival cruise ship is no simple task, especially if you're new to cruising. As one of the largest cruise brands in the world, Carnival Cruise Line has more than two dozen vessels in its fleet, offering everything from megaship adventures to smaller-ship experiences. Many variables — price, embarkation dates, travel companions, ship size and amenities, and destination — can shape the way you make your choice. The Avalon Envision is among the more recent additions to the Avalon Waterways fleet.

Paul Gauguin Cruises operates just one ship, but it is exquisite, hosting 330 guests and sailing only in the South Pacific to destinations like Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga, and the Cook Islands. The ship is small enough to access private ports at remote beaches and take travelers well off the beaten path. Named the best small-ship ocean cruise line in T+L's 2022 World's Best Awards, Golden said the line is known for Tahitian-inspired massage techniques in the onboard spa and noted that cruisers particularly love the wonderful staff.

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