High-end cruising on the high seas: one of the best ways to travel
Your floating penthouse awaits with these exclusive at-sea addresses. Here is how seven leading cruise companies deck out their splashiest cabins.
The most sought-after accommodations at sea are ultra-spacious, seriously glamorous and arrayed with lavish amenities – from butler services to private shore excursions. Here is how seven leading cruise companies deck out their splashiest cabins.
1. Fit for a Regent
Billed as the most exclusive address at sea, the Regent Suite on Seven Seas Grandeur looks as though it belongs on Central Park in New York. “We envisioned the space as a gallery where every single piece has been curated,” said Studio Dado designer June Cuadra. Behold intricate sculptures, twin chaises, a marble bar, and a faux fireplace with recessed monitor. The master bedroom is graced with a golden-hued four-poster bed, while the knockout bathroom comes with a glass-enclosed shower, marble tub and heated loungers – spa services included. A large balcony even has its own mini pool. A personal butler and your own insightful guide for shore excursions are among the extra flourishes.
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2. Queenly propriety
To approximate a distinguished residential haven aboard Queen Anne, the designers of the Queens Grill Suites weaved together a tapestry of jewel tones, whimsical artworks and recognisably British elements. In the Master Suite, that means a jade-green sofa, marble-topped tables, Art Deco-inspired lighting and a majestic all-marble bathroom worthy of a sovereign. Designed by David Collins Studio, the suites have a dedicated dining room, butler’s pantry, and spacious walk-in wardrobes. The furniture rotates depending on what you’re viewing, too.
3. Seafaring Viking
Viking chief Torstein Hagen is a man of discerning taste, so it’s only fitting that the cruise line’s Owner’s Suites are cosy and cultivated lairs. These elegant, 135-square-metre sanctuaries, composed of blond wood, leather and slate, have their own dining room, 12-seater boardroom and an oversized veranda replete with teak flooring and garden furniture where guest can savour the finest aquavit. Order in the fresh Norwegian salmon, the house special rib-eye or a slice of suksessterte cake, an almond and vanilla confection. Guests will relish having their own glass-encased dry sauna, Scandinavian homewares and Marius weave blankets to enjoy. The suite is also equipped with a selection of Hagen’s favourite artworks, books, music, games and personal memorabilia to discover. You’ll feel like an Onassis.
4. Scenic beauty
You may never want to leave the capacious terrace in the Owner’s Penthouse Suites on Scenic Eclipse I and II. The private veranda comes with a spa pool, sun loungers and the unrivalled views that stem from being positioned at the bow of the ship. Inside, guests are pampered with in-room dining for up to eight guests, a mist shower with colour light therapy and fully adjustable Scenic Slumber Beds, with electronic controls and pillow menu. A butler will deliver your morning macchiato, handle your laundry, and serve Champagne or cocktails while you’re lounging on the deck. Combine one of the two Owner’s Penthouse Suites with a Spa Suite to create a baronial eyrie with a whopping 245 square metres of space.
5. Ponant’s polish
Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot is committed to low-impact polar navigation but the vessel’s Owner’s Suite comes with high-impact embellishments. These include a butler service for packing and unpacking your clothes, priority bookings on all shore excursions and a premium bar studded with Veuve Clicquot on arrival. The handsomely decorated suite has a living zone, dining room and toasty steam fireplace with realistic flames. On the private outdoor lounge are deckchairs, a hot-tub, and additional seating. Like a Left Bank pied-à-terre, the suite is an ultra-chic landing pad for a discriminating couple.
6. Celebrity status
Ideally situated high above the bridge, the Iconic Suites on Celebrity Edge (and all Edge series ships) offer sweeping views, swanky fittings and more than 230 square metres of indoor and outdoor style, including two bedrooms and two bathrooms. British designer Kelly Hoppen is adept at creating calming, inviting retreats that recall a Zen-like urban residence. Plush seating, geometric rugs and cashmere mattresses are all tactile pleasures. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the ever-changing vistas, or you could also soak them up from the terrace fitted with a hot-tub and patio furniture, or the in-room Peloton bike available on request. Iconic Suite guests have access to a butler, concierge and priority embarkation and disembarkation. Celebrity Edge will arrive in Sydney in December for its inaugural sailing out of Australia.
7. Seabourn supremacy
Seabourn Venture is all about charting enthralling destinations, including Antarctica and the Amazon. Guests ensconced in the ship’s Adam D Tihany-designed Wintergarden suites will be similarly wowed by their generous dimensions, handcrafted furnishings and bronze-accented bathrooms. A two-storey Grand Wintergarden suite recalls an expansive apartment, with a sculptured staircase to the master bedroom; a second bedroom and bathroom are on the lower level. Thoughtful touches include a spotting scope, built-in heated jacket wardrobe and a bar stocked with rare Scotch whiskies. Slainte mhath.