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When comparing the price of a luxury cruise with a more traditional cruise holiday, the difference can seem significant. But the headline fare rarely tells the whole story.
Luxury cruise lines often include many of the things you might ordinarily pay extra for, from speciality dining and premium drinks to Wi-Fi, gratuities and even shore excursions. Exactly what’s included varies between cruise lines and fares, so understanding the detail is important when deciding which offers the right experience and value for you.
So, what can you expect to be included in a luxury cruise?
Exceptional food is one of the hallmarks of luxury cruising, and many cruise lines include a choice of restaurants within the fare.
This can extend to speciality dining venues that might attract an additional charge elsewhere, giving you the freedom to try different restaurants throughout your holiday. In-suite dining may also be included, whether that means breakfast on your balcony or dinner in the privacy of your suite.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Seabourn, for example, include speciality dining without additional restaurant charges. Some luxury cruise lines take the experience further by connecting what you eat with the destinations you visit. Silversea’s S.A.L.T. (Sea and Land Taste) programme brings regional ingredients, recipes and culinary traditions on board, with destination-inspired dining at S.A.L.T. Kitchen complemented by hands-on experiences at S.A.L.T. Lab.
However, not every dining experience is necessarily included on every cruise line, so it’s always worth checking the details of your chosen fare.
Premium wines, spirits, beers, soft drinks and speciality coffees are commonly included by luxury cruise lines, although the selection and any exclusions will vary.
Some also provide a complimentary in-suite mini-bar, replenished throughout your voyage. EXPLORA Journeys includes unlimited beverages as part of its experience, while Regent Seven Seas Cruises includes premium beverages and a replenished in-suite mini-bar.
It means there’s less need to think about drinks packages or the cost of individual orders once you’re on board.
Shore excursions are one of the areas where luxury cruise lines differ most significantly.
Some charge separately for experiences ashore, while others include selected excursions or make them a significant part of the fare. Regent Seven Seas Cruises, for example, includes unlimited shore excursions across its voyages.
If exploring ashore is an important part of your holiday, this can make a considerable difference to the overall value of a cruise.
Luxury cruising can also offer a different way to experience a destination. Smaller ships are often able to visit ports inaccessible to larger ships, while longer stays and overnight calls can give you more time to explore.
And your time ashore doesn’t have to be limited to the cruise itself. A Luxury Cruise & Stay holiday can extend your journey with time in a destination before or after you sail, whether that means a few nights in a city, a relaxing hotel stay or travelling further into a country or region. Our Luxury Cruise Concierges can bring these elements together to create a journey that goes beyond the itinerary offered by the cruise line.
Whether flights and transfers are included depends on the cruise line, fare and itinerary you choose.
Some luxury fares include return flights and transfers between the airport and ship, while others are cruise-only, allowing you to make your own arrangements. Certain suite categories or fare types may also come with additional flight benefits.
A Luxury Journey can go further, bringing the different elements of your holiday together, from flights and private transfers to hotels, stays ashore and your cruise itself.
When comparing fares, it’s therefore important to check that you’re genuinely comparing like with like.
A butler is one of the services most closely associated with luxury cruising, but it is not something every luxury cruise includes. Some cruise lines provide a dedicated butler regardless of which suite you choose, while others reserve the service for higher accommodation categories.
Silversea is one of the most comprehensive examples, with dedicated butler service included for every suite across its fleet. Crystal also provides butler service across its suite accommodation, while Scenic offers butler service to all suite guests aboard its ocean and river ships.
Elsewhere, the level of service depends on the suite you book. Regent Seven Seas Cruises provides a personal butler for guests staying in Penthouse Suites and above, while Oceania Cruises includes butler service with its upper suite categories, including Owner’s, Vista and Oceania Suites.
What a butler can do varies between cruise lines, but the service might include arranging restaurant reservations, looking after your in-suite bar, serving meals in your suite, helping with special requests or simply making sure everything is prepared the way you like it.
The appeal is often less about having somebody waiting on you and more about the ease that comes with having a dedicated person who gets to know your preferences. Combined with the smaller guest numbers and high levels of staffing found aboard many luxury ships, it can create a style of service that feels genuinely personal.
Gratuities are included by many luxury cruise lines, removing another potential addition to your onboard account.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn and EXPLORA Journeys are among the luxury brands where gratuities form part of the cruise fare. This allows you to simply enjoy the service without having to consider what should be added at the end of your holiday.
Complimentary Wi-Fi has become increasingly common within luxury cruise fares, making it easier to stay connected, share photographs or check in with home while you’re away.
The package included can vary, however, particularly when it comes to the number of devices, streaming and connection speeds. Internet performance at sea can also depend on the ship’s location.
Some luxury cruise lines include access to spa or thermal facilities, while treatments such as massages, facials and beauty services usually cost extra.
EXPLORA Journeys, for example, includes access to its spa thermal area within the fare. Fitness facilities are also typically complimentary, although particular classes and wellness experiences may carry a charge.
It may not be the first inclusion you think of, but complimentary laundry can be particularly valuable on a longer voyage.
Some ultra-luxury cruise lines include laundry services within their fares. Regent Seven Seas Cruises, for example, offers complimentary valet laundry. Elsewhere, laundry may be chargeable or included with particular suites or loyalty benefits.
The term ‘all-inclusive’ needs a little context when it comes to luxury cruising. A fare can be extremely inclusive without absolutely everything being covered.
Depending on the cruise line and fare, you may still pay extra for certain premium wines and spirits, spa and beauty treatments, private or premium shore excursions, some flights and transfers, shopping, casino spending and selected onboard experiences.
There is no single definition of an all-inclusive luxury cruise, which is why looking closely at what a particular fare includes is so important.
No. Different luxury cruise lines take very different approaches to what they include.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises sits towards the ultra-inclusive end of the spectrum, with speciality dining, premium beverages, gratuities, Wi-Fi, valet laundry and unlimited shore excursions among its inclusions.
Seabourn combines intimate, all-suite ships with included premium drinks, gratuities and dining, while EXPLORA Journeys takes a contemporary approach to ocean luxury, with dining, unlimited drinks, Wi-Fi, gratuities and access to its thermal spa area among its inclusions.
Other luxury cruise lines take their own approach, so the question isn’t necessarily which includes the most. It’s which includes the things that matter most to you.
If exploring ashore is a priority, included excursions could be particularly valuable. If food is a highlight of any holiday, the choice and quality of included dining may matter more. The best luxury cruise is the one that most closely matches the way you want to travel.
Comparing headline prices alone can be misleading.
A lower cruise fare may become considerably more expensive once you add drinks packages, speciality dining, Wi-Fi, gratuities, shore excursions and other extras. A luxury fare may include many of these from the outset.
That doesn’t mean a luxury cruise will always work out cheaper, nor should price alone determine your choice. Instead, consider the complete experience: what you’ll actually spend, the accommodation you’ll have, the service you’ll receive and what’s included throughout your holiday.
Sometimes the difference between two fares looks very different once you compare the complete picture.
Start by looking beyond the headline price. Check what’s included in the fare, particularly drinks, dining, Wi-Fi, gratuities, excursions, flights and transfers, and consider which of those inclusions you will actually use.
Accommodation matters, too. A spacious suite with a private veranda isn’t necessarily comparable with an entry-level cabin elsewhere, just as a smaller luxury ship can offer a very different atmosphere and itinerary from a much larger ship.
Most importantly, think about the holiday you want to have. The greatest number of inclusions doesn’t automatically make one cruise better than another.
There’s no universal answer to what a luxury cruise includes, and there’s no single luxury cruise line that’s right for everyone.
You might want an ultra-inclusive voyage where almost everything is taken care of before you leave home. You may prefer contemporary luxury with greater flexibility, or perhaps your priorities are exceptional dining, more time ashore, a particular style of suite or a smaller ship.
Our Luxury Cruise Concierges understand the differences between the world’s leading luxury cruise lines, from what’s included in the fare to the experience you can expect on board. By taking the time to understand what matters to you, they can compare the options and help you find a luxury cruise that feels right for you.
Call our Luxury Cruise Concierges on 01246 813 133 and start planning your next getaway.
