USD
6 Reasons Why Premium & Luxury Cruises Offer Better Value
Written by Annabel Fuller
With complimentary shore excursions, next-level dining and sailings in hard-to-reach destinations, luxury cruises make sure you get your money’s worth.
It’s easy to be surprised at the hidden value inherent in premium and luxury cruises. With inclusions like free-flow drinks, all-inclusive dining and gratuities included, when it comes to value-to-cost ratio they easily outrank mega-ships.
Only with a boutique-style cruise can you sail to otherwise impossible-to-reach destinations and discover new heights of cruising glory. Sail the world in unparalleled luxury and know that every dollar’s been well spent – with fine dining (and cocktails) at your beck and call, personalised service and once-in-a-lifetime onshore excursions, there’s nothing else in the world quite like it.
Luxury cruises take you beyond the beaten track
One of the benefits of cruising is the ability to reach destinations that are otherwise difficult to access. Smaller (and more luxurious) ships have the advantage of being able to journey to lesser-travelled ports, specifically those that cannot accommodate larger vessels. Reach hidden gems that are nearly impossible to access by land, such as Western Australia’s Kimberley Coast (with Heritage Expeditions). Navigate the slim canals of Europe aboard Riverside Luxury Cruises, or even travel to the Antarctic, a continent closed to tourists unless cruising aboard a purpose-built vessel like those of Albatros Expeditions.
Luxury cruises come with complimentary shore excursions
Once in port, exploring dream destinations can cost a pretty penny. On most ships shore excursions are at an additional charge, but luxury cruise lines Azamara and Regent Seven Seas are renowned for including excursions in their fare, with itineraries designed to fully immerse guests in their destination. Azamara features tours to Corfu’s colonial palaces and expeditions through Alaska’s Misty Fjords to view roaring waterfalls and sheer, vertical cliffs, while Regent Seven Seas Cruises offers helicopter tours over Alaska and personalised cocktail-making classes in the Brazilian treetops.
You’ll make friends for life aboard a luxury cruise
When exploring the world on a boutique ship you are guaranteed closer camaraderie with your co-sailors than you’d find on a massive cruiser. Become part of the intimate social circles that form when travelling on a smaller ship with like-minded travellers. Sleeping, dining and spending time at sea together for days, weeks or months allows lifelong friendships to form over shared indulgences and moments of repose, wanderlust and curiosity.
Luxury cruises let you dine indulgently
Gourmands, connoisseurs and hardcore foodies will delight in dining aboard premium and luxury cruise liners. Many premium ships include three meals a day in their fares, requiring only a reservation once on board. Boutique brands like Riverside Luxury Cruises offer fine dining with menus inspired by the regions of Europe visited. But even larger luxury brands like Silversea include white-cloth dining, with the option to pay for premium indulgences at restaurants like S.A.L.T., with its immersive ‘Sea, Land and Taste’ culinary program centred around authentic local cuisine.
Luxury cruise lines include deluxe drinks
As with dining, premium drinks packages are often included in your luxury cruise fare. Knowing you can order a steaming cup of artisanal tea or an expertly stirred cocktail at the wave of a hand adds extra extravagance to an already lavish experience. Try a whiskey or craft beer flight at one of Norwegian Cruise Line’s specialty venues without paying a cent or watch mixologists at Azamara’s Atlas Bar artfully construct cocktails using cutting-edge techniques. Of course, the best-of-the-best take it to the next level, with Riverside Luxury Cruises and Silversea offering unlimited free-flow champagne.
Luxury cruises take care of tipping for you
Luxury cruising aims to take you to spectacular places while providing lavish atmospheres to relax and unwind as you soak up the scenery. There’s no room for distractions like the question of appropriate gratuities, and that’s why luxury liners nearly always cover these costs for you. Rest assured your top-quality crew, from the butler to the maid to the maître d’, are being well compensated for their attentive service.
Discover Cruises
Looking for more inspiration? Check out 10 Hidden Cruise Ports You Need to Visit in 2024.
