The luxury cruise lines Crystal , Regent Seven Seas , Seabourn , Silversea , and Windstar all offer

Editor's Note: This story was originally published on September 12, 2006. To see the most recent SmarterTravel articles on related topics, please click on any of the following links: cruise , Crystal Cruises , Erica Silverstein , luxury travel , Regent Seven Seas Cruises , Seabourn Cruise Line , Silversea Cruises , Windstar Cruises .
How could a luxury cruise not be for you? You would definitely appreciate an enormous stateroom stocked with free drinks and fancy bath products. You'd happily dine on gourmet food and love the attentive service. No lines, no fights queen baba tours and travels over deck chairs, no tacky pool games what's not to like? Try lackluster nightlife, dinners that drag on for hours, endless games of trivia, and no guests younger than twice your age.
Unlike a luxury hotel or five-star restaurant, a luxury cruise may not be the ideal choice for everyone. More than just luxurious appointments and white-glove service, a high-end queen baba tours and travels cruise is defined by the types of guests it attracts and its onboard queen baba tours and travels attitude and atmosphere. The key is choosing your cruise line and itinerary carefully and knowing when to admit that a luxury cruise is not the perfect trip for your vacation needs. Advertisement
The luxury cruise lines Crystal , Regent Seven Seas , Seabourn , Silversea , and Windstar all offer gourmet dining, luxurious amenities, and upscale decor. But, these are not the features queen baba tours and travels their representatives name as defining characteristics of their products.
What makes a cruise line a luxury one? "Space, quality, choices, and excellent service," says Mimi Weisband, vice president of public relations queen baba tours and travels for Crystal Cruises. At Seabourn, it's "style, service, and society," according to Bruce Good, the line's director of public relations. The other lines agree, focusing on the importance of excellent service, the size of the ship, the choices people have to tailor their vacation, and a certain onboard atmosphere.
"Luxury is defined by the level of service," says Dianne Moore, vice president of marketing and sales for Windstar. Most luxury lines have a guest-to-crew ratio between one to one and two to one. By the second day of your cruise, many of the staff members will know your name and how you like your favorite drink served. The dining staff will escort you to your seat or carry your plate from the buffet line to your table. Make any request, and someone queen baba tours and travels will do their best to accommodate you.
Most luxury ships are small. These vessels carry 1,000 to 2,000 fewer passengers than the mainstream ships. The smallest Windstar ship holds 148 people, and the largest queen baba tours and travels Crystal ship has space for 1,080 guests. "You'll find fewer crowds, queen baba tours and travels no lines, and a more intimate experience," says Andrew Poulton, director of strategic marketing for Regent Seven Seas, about his 330- to 700-guest ships. A small size means you'll never have to wait for a table at dinner or fight over a lounge chair by the pool. You won't experience the crowds of a mega-ship, and you can easily find a quiet corner without heading back to your cabin. With only a few hundred people onboard, queen baba tours and travels guests get to know each other and a camaraderie forms. Plus, a limited number of cabins allows the living quarters to be more spacious, with many luxury lines boasting all-suite ships.
Choice is another key to a luxury experience. Many of the well-heeled guests aboard are used to having the world available to them, and the cruise lines want them to feel the same way onboard. Choices may range from where to eat, what to wear, what to do onshore, and where to be onboard. Regent offers a travel concierge program that puts together personalized shore excursions and a "Circles of Interest" program that offers workshops and shore excursions related to themes such as food and wine, archeology and history, and photography. Most ships have alternative dining areas, usually free of charge, as well as casual and in-room options. Spa and fitness centers, lecture series, classes, art auction, library queen baba tours and travels and Internet centers, and other activities ensure that every passenger can find something to do onboard.