The Luxury Side of Cruising
by Paul Motter
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When it comes to travel, there is nothing to compare to the levels of service one receives aboard any cruise ship in the world - even the ones we refer to as mass-market. So, to take the concept of luxury even a step further, what could possibly be more luxurious than the level of food and service you get on the world's top luxury cruise lines? Which Are the Luxury Cruise Lines?
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In alphabetical order: the lines that CruiseMates puts into the luxury category are  |
Looking for Luxury What constitutes a top-end cruise line? Gourmet cuisine, tips & drinks included, exotic ports and more. The latest in a series. |
| The Luxury Lineup - Part 1 An in-depth comparison of two luxury cruise lines with the largest luxury ships at sea, Crystal Cruises and Regent Seven Seas. Both great cruise lines, with enough differences to take note. |
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| The Luxury Lineup - Part 2 Seabourn, SeaDream, Silversea. Our in-depth luxury cruise lines comparison continues, including our number one pick! |
| The Luxury Lineup - Part 3 Cunard, Oceania Cruises and Windstar: honorable mention for different reasons. Includes our personal favorite. |
Two Important Luxury Cruise Spotlight Articles
| What is the Luxury Cruise Appeal? | |
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Why do some people happily pay higher cruise fares for inclusive options they may never use?
07-16-12 |
| Comparing Cruise Cost: Luxury to Mainstream | |
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You can actually choose either cruising experience for the exact same price.
10-21-11 |
Additional Luxury Cruising Articles
| Silversea Features Top Winemakers | |
| By Janice Wald Henderson
Here is a rare chance to rub shoulders with the "Superstar Winemakers" of Napa Valley at sea
4-23-13 |
| Cruiser's Culinary Cheat Sheet | |
| by Janice Wald Henderson
Have you ever been stumped by a word on a cruise ship menu? Here is your cruiser's culinary cheat sheet.
Go> 3-25-13 |
| Crystal Cruises Culinary Coups | |
| by Janice Wald Henderson
In today's luxury cruise market a ship must whip up culinary razzle-dazzle to keep fans.
2-25-13 |
| Nobu to Sail on Crystal | |
| By Janice Wald Henderson
Nobody does it better than master chef Nobu - to sail on special Crystal cruises
2-21-13 |
| Oceania - a Wave of New Cuisine | |
| By Janice Wald Henderson
Grand Dining Room menu will introduce 85 New Dishes
2-21-13 |
| Seabourn Sells Three Ships | |
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Seabourn will build a fourth larger ship and sell its three smaller, original ships to Windstar Cruises
2-19-13 |
| Seabourn Cruises to Antarctica | |
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Seabourn will offer luxury cruises to the southern Polar Region beginning this November, 2013
2-12-13 |
| Take Your Sweetie to Tahiti | |
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A special cruise line incentive for a romantic cruise to give as a gift for Valentine's Day
2-4-13 |
| Class Act Cooks on Silversea | |
| By Janice Wald Henderson
Learn to Cook in free classes from Relais and Châteaux on Swank Cruise Line
1-18-13 |
| Oceania Cruises Celebrates 10 Years | |
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The scrappy and independent upstart, Oceania Cruises, is actually growing up!
1-8-13 |
| Luxe Lunch Aboard Crystal | |
| By Janice Wald Henderson
Taking a tour for a taste of the "luxe" Crystal Symphony while she is in port in Los Angeles.
12-6-12 |
| Crystal Offers Solo Cruiser Discounts | |
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Single supplements as low as 10% make certain Crystal 2013 sailings very attractive to solo cruisers
11-08-12 |
| Silversea Brings Back Best-fare Guarantees | |
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The new "Silver Privilege" program offers guests a guaranteed, simple to understand, low-fare price structure with best price guarantees if the fare goes even lower.
11-01-12 |
| Silversea Launches Silver Galapagos | |
| by Janice Wald Henderson
Silversea's second five-star expedition-focused cruise ship combines luxury with green tourism
11-01-12 |
| Azamara Going All Inclusive in 2013 | |
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The "upscale" cruise line now includes on-shore adventures, beverages and gratuities in the cruise fare.
10-02-12 |
| "Oceania Club" Loyalty Program Expanded | |
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Oceania adds a new level for beginners and adds new perks to the upper levels of the Oceania Club
10-01-12 |
| Silversea to Host Michelin-Star Chefs | |
| By Janice Wald Henderson
CruiseMates Culinary Editor
Silversea's guest chefs have serious cooking credentials on an international scale.
09-07-12 |
| Crystal Taps Celeb Chefs Down Under, 2013 | |
| By Janice Wald Henderson, CruiseMates Culinary EditorThe luxury cruise line will take Aussie culinary stars on its Down Under cruises 8-14-12 |
| Welcome Viking Ocean Cruises | |
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The new luxury cruise line now has financing in place to build two or three new ships
07-13-12 |
| Crystal Discounts for Solo Cruisers | |
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Crystal Cruises has single supplements as low as 110-percent for Mediterranean cruises this fall.
06-26-12 |
| Oceania Brings Us the Riviera | |
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With two brand new ships now comprising the majority of capacity, Oceania has been transformed into a completely new cruise line.
05-25-12 |
| Oceania's Riviera Delivers Cuisine | |
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The Bon Appétit Culinary Center on Oceania's new ships delivers a cooking experience no other line can match.
05-10-12 |
| Oceania Riviera - First Report | |
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Oceania hits another home run with Riviera, the follow up sister to Marina, the best of breed "Up-scale" ships in the world
05-08-12 |
| Oceania Cruises Says "Bon Appétit!" | |
| by Janice Wald Henderson
Set sail on two fine food and wine voyages onboard the upcoming Riviera and Marina.
05-04-12 |
| Sailing Oceania's Riviera | |
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Casual elegance meets style and sophistication aboard the newest vessel from upscale Oceania Cruises.
04-20-12 |
| Regent Adds Fine Italian Dining | |
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By Janice Wald Henderson
Regent Seven Seas will now feature full service Italian dining nightly across the fleet.
03-14-12 |
| Oceania 2013 European Cruises on Sale Now | |
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Oceania Marina and Riviera bookings in Europe 2013 just opened yesterday with 2 for 1 fares and free air.
03-08-12 |
| Foodie Cruise, French-Style | |
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by Janice Wald Henderson
Le Boréal Superstar Chef Sailing
will appeal to the most demanding fans of Michelin-starred French cuisine. 02-14-12 |
| Oceania Marina: Best Cuisine at Sea | |
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A gourmand's delight, the Marina proudly prepares a cornucopia of culinary creations that rival the food offerings on luxury lines. 01-26-12 |
| Crystal Cruises' Notable Nobu News | |
| by Janice Wald Henderson
Nobu Matsuhisa, will grace a Crystal Serenity sailing with his presence, personally preparing dishes and teaching a cooking class. 01-24-12 |
| Silversea Steps Up Entertainment | |
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Brand new shows from proven hit makers are making their debuts on Silversea ships right now. 01-23-12 |
| Calculating Passenger Space Ratio | |
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Exactly how useful is this industry standard? In some cases not useful at all. 01-10-12 |
| Crystal Cruises Redefined | |
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Crystal is ready to give its rivals a run for their money as the cruise line pairs its luxury excellence with all-inclusive fares.
01-05-12 |
| Crystal's New Year | |
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by Judy Cuervo
In 2012, Crystal Cruises embraces the all-inclusive model found aboard many of its competitors. 01-02-12 |
| Crystal Symphony's Pacific Sunsets Cruise | |
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by Judy Cuervo
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas 12-24-11 |
| Seabourn Sojourn First Cruise | |
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My first time on The Yachts of Seabourn, long known as one of the best cruise lines in the world, and my first New England – Canada journey.
11-04-11 |
| First-time Seabourn Cruiser | |
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My first sailing experience with Seabourn Cruises finally fills a gap in my cruise experience that has haunted me for the last five years. So, how did it go? 10-28-11 |
| Seabourn Adventure Begins | |
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From the food to the venues, preliminary impressions onboard Seabourn Sojourn delight.
10-13-11 |
| On Seabourn with Newt Gingrich | |
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The Gingriches enjoy a well-deserved cruise vacation despite some silly media rhetoric.
7-30-11 |
| Silversea Silver Wind Makeover | |
| by Janice Wald Henderson
Cruise ships are like Hollywood actors; they often get facelifts when they grow old. Personally, I like stars to mature naturally, and ships to undergo the knife.
Go> Sept. 7, 2010 |
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Silversea: More than a Cruise The luxury cruise line's attention to detail made the difference on our cruise to Egypt and Petra. |
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The Yachts of Seabourn: The Best Things in Small Packages. A contributed article by past president of Seabourn, Deborah Natansohn. Written Sept. 25, 2006 |
| Cruising in Style on Crystal Serenity | |
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It's hardly your typical luxury line -- not that there's anything wrong with that.
Go> 7-13-09 |
| Seabourn Odyssey: New Luxury Standards | |
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The first in a new wave in luxury ships debuts this week in Venice.
Go> 6-24-09 |
| Trading Up to Regent Seven Seas | |
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Regent Seven Seas Cruises makes All-Inclusive so affordable it's time for cruisers to consider trading Up.
Go> 8-10-09 |
| Silversea's Prince Albert II | |
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This small expedition vessel offers all the luxury and charm of Silversea, but in more exotic -- and challenging -- settings.
Go> 7-06-09 |
| Silversea Presents Culinary Cruises | |
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Silversea presents 11 culinary cruises featuring world-renowned chefs preparing regionally inspired dishes on special itineraries.
Go> 4-8-09 |
| Silversea's New Prince Albert II | |
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A new cruise ship review by CruiseMates staff features arguably the most luxurious expeditionary vessel afloat.
Go> 8-06-08 |
| My Cruise on Silverseas' Silver Cloud -- Part I | |
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In Part 1 of this two-part review, CruiseMates contributor E. Schlenk gives us some insight into luxury cruising on the Silver Cloud.
Go> 4-29-08 |
| My Cruise on Silverseas' Silver Cloud -- Part II | |
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In Part 2 of this two-part review, CruiseMates contributor E. Schlenk continues his detailed review of his recent cruise on the Silver Cloud.
Go> 5-01-08 |
| On Cloud Nine Onboard the Silver Cloud | |
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| Cruisemates' community member Judi Cuervo discovers the joys of luxury cruising aboard Silverseas' Silver Cloud. 12-03-07 |
| Regent Seven Seas: Delighting in the Details | |
| Regent Seven Seas delights in those little details that make cruising extra special. Read more about what's in store for Regent's lucky passengers. 9-05-07 |
| Hands-on Haute Cuisine from Regent | |
| Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Le Cordon Bleu workshops reveal the secrets of world-renowned chefs.4-03-07 |
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The Seabourn Experience Our correspondent discovers the difference in service and style on a 200-passenger luxury ship. |
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Seven Seas Mariner: The Long Cruise Challenge Regent's all-suite vessel keeps demanding guests satisfied on a 20-night voyage. |
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It Pays to Wait Our reporter learns the advantages of a late-season Med cruise on Oceania's Insignia. |
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The 2006 Luxury Lineup The six high-end cruise lines have a wealth of new ports and itineraries next year. |
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The Silversea Difference Our reporter finds out what makes this luxury line unique. |
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Crystal's Award-winning Entertainment The luxury line targets nighttime fare to its upscale passengers. |
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Crystal's Entertainment: Part Two Part Two. More on Crystal's award-winning entertainment. |
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How Suite It Is! Lines are competing to offer suite guests more than just extra space. |
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Haute Cuisine on Crystal Serenity Two new gourmet restaurants enhance the vessel's dining diversity. |
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Exploring the Globe Aboard Prinsendam Explore new ports on the Prinsendam as it sails in Europe and around the world. |
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We Can't Wait for Queen Mary 2 The latest pictures from the shipyard plus a cutaway rendering of the entire ship interior. |
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Spotlight on the QM2 All of our Queen Mary 2 coverage: pictures, feature articles, ship cutaway and more. |
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Aboard the Queen Mary 2 -- Part 1 Our correspondent, a QE2 repeater, evaluates the new Cunard ship on its maiden voyage. |
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Aboard Queen Mary 2: Part 2 Our correspondent tries out some of the new ship's many restaurants and lounges. |
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Queen Mary 2's Maiden Voyage � Part 3 Our reporter continues his evaluation of facilities on the massive liner. |
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Queen Mary 2: Final Thoughts Our reporter lends his final impressions to his evaluation of Cunard's historic new liner. |
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Cuisine on the QM2 Cunard taps Todd English to bring gourmet dining to its new ship. |
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The Luxury Difference Kuki gets a taste of the high life on Radisson Seven Seas Voyager. |
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Silver Whisper's Cuisine Our 'foodie' reporter offers reviews and a couple of recipes from Silversea's kitchen. |
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First Look: Crystal Serenity Our reporter finds that Crystal's new vessel lives up to its luxury reputation. |
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Oceania Cruises' Regatta Pix A pictorial of Oceania Cruises' new Regatta, now sailing in Europe. |
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First Look: Seven Seas Voyager Radisson Seven Seas Cruises launches a luxurious all-suite sister ship to Mariner. |
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Cruising Russia's Rivers Part 1: Viking River Cruises' Moscow to St. Petersburg. |
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Cruising Russia's Rivers Part 2: Viking River Cruises' Moscow to St. Petersburg. |
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HAL's New Prinsendam Holland America refits the former Royal Viking/Seabourn Sun for upscale global itineraries. NewPrinsendam.cfm |