Holidays are all about taking time out from the everyday grind to enjoy the finer things in life, whether that’s returning to your room to find your bed has been expertly made, or the waiter who remembers exactly which wine you do (or don’t) like. As the name suggests, a luxury cruise delivers all this and more, helping create those incredible moments that live on in our memories for all the right reasons.
So, spritz yourself with that perfume you save ‘for ‘best’, and join us as we run through just five of the top reasons to choose a luxury cruise.
Fewer guests, more space
Sometimes it pays to start with the obvious, and with luxury cruises, it’s the fact that the ships are smaller and therefore hold fewer guests. In what might seem like a bizarre statement, less space doesn’t mean they are not spacious – quite the opposite, in fact. The space-to-guest ratio on some of these ships is nothing short of incredible, meaning there’s plenty of room to swing that proverbial cat in your suite, and the need to jostle fellow guests out of the way for a prime spot in a lounge will be frankly non-existent.
Shore experiences included on a luxury cruise
Love them or loathe them, shore excursions are part and parcel of a cruising experience. With a limited time ashore in most destinations, getting under their skin can prove a logistical nightmare if you decide to go it alone. Many luxury cruise lines will include a smattering of shore excursions in your cruise fare, boosting their appeal in the value-for-money stakes. So, if you have your sights set on wine tasting in a Croatian vineyard, clambering into the Cu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam or marvelling at the largest cashew tree in the world in Brazil (yes, really), prepare to be amazed.
Uncovering those hidden gems
While we’re on the subject of size, with smaller ships comes the opportunity to access lesser-known ports of call. If you pride yourself on reeling off where you’ve been, only to be met with cries of “I’ve never heard of it, ” luxury cruising may be the one for you. Granted, you will still visit headline ports of call, but it’s often the case that those smaller, hidden gems will plant themselves firmly in your list of top holiday hotspots.
Stellar service, with a smile
Wide-smiled crew and ever-so-attentive waiters are the people who truly make a cruise special and, as you’d no doubt expect, this is certainly the case when you ‘go luxury’. These cruise lines pride themselves on letting you know exactly what the guest-to-crew ratio is once you’re on board, which in simple terms means only one thing – you’re guaranteed attentive, personalised service you’ll be left wishing you could take home with you.
Exceptional cuisine
To say the food is essential on a cruise is an understatement, and with a luxury cruise, it’s probably fair to say you’re expectations will be higher than usual. But fear not. If you think you’ve tasted exquisite food on the ocean waves, then just wait until you step on board a five or even six-star ship. Think Michelin-standard restaurants, cosy cafes serving more types of coffee than you ever thought possible, and swanky bars with crystal-cut glassware; these ships may be small, but boy do they make up for it with quality.
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