1. ATTENTIVE AND ANTICIPATORY SERVICE

Expect 5-star service on a luxury cruise line. Truly exemplary service is what makes luxury cruising so distinctive and magical. The ship’s crew won’t merely wait for guests to approach them, but will go out of their way to anticipate your needs. It could be extra water bottles to take with you into port or drawing a bath for you upon your return from a day exploring ancient villages. Unlike other cruise lines that leave you seeking out assistance, luxury cruise lines pride themselves on having their staff stay vigilant for you and any other guests that require their assistance.

?Luxury lines can achieve this exceptional level of service by having a passenger-to-crew ratio as low as one crew member for every one-and-a-half guests, with some ultra-luxury lines getting close to one crew member for every single passenger. Mainstream cruise lines, on the other hand, generally have a ratio of around one crew member for every two-and-a-half passengers, or even more. Lower passenger-to-crew ratio simply means there are more crew members to serve guests, meaning they have more time to attend to a guest’s needs. ?

Natalia, our butler, and I in the Royal Suite

?On one of our voyages, our butler noticed we didn’t eat any of the canapes he left with the afternoon service but we did enjoy the chilled shrimp and cheese. After the second day, he took notice and brought a plate of chilled shrimp in a circle with cocktail sauce, along with cheese and crackers, and that’s what we got each day for the rest of the cruise. If we were in the room, he asked if we wanted any of the other hors d’oeuvres, just in case something tickled our fancy.

?On another voyage, we informed the butler that we are not coffee drinkers; rather, we drink several sodas in the morning to wake us up. On all of our cruises, we tell the butler we like Diet Coke for myself and Coke Zero for my husband for the mornings, and Sprite Zero in the evenings (I can’t drink caffeine in the afternoon). The butlers gladly load up our refrigerator with our requests and keep it stocked throughout the cruise.

?On luxury ships, you’ll notice your waiters and bartenders will almost immediately learn your name, specific preferences, and even make recommendations based on what they know you enjoy. This high level of pampering allows you to enjoy the ride, knowing you’ll be taken care of throughout your voyage.

3. A SOPHISTICATED AND TRANQUIL ATMOSPHERE

Seabourn Encore

The overall design of luxury cruise ships tend towards the calming and serene. The décor and furnishing are upscale, refined, and elegant compared to the cheaper and more ruggedly-built furnishings designed for extra wear and tear you find on mainstream lines. Suite bathrooms tend to have designer products such as creams, soaps and lotions. Pillow menus are normally available, and bed linens may be made of Egyptian cotton milled in Milan.
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Luxury ships are filled with fascinating sculptures and artwork, and have quiet, peaceful nooks where you can escape with a treasured novel and get lost for the afternoon. You’ll hear few, if any, announcements over the public address system during your voyage. If there is music it is soothing and tranquil, played in public areas or around the pool.

?4. GREATER OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOCIALIZING

Seabourn Colonnade

Luxury and ultra-luxury ships tend to be more intimate than their 5,000+ passenger counterparts. Most of the passengers onboard are successful and accustomed to meeting new people. Many of the luxury lines (with the exception of Oceania) include alcoholic beverages in their cruise packages, so it is common to see guests chatting over cocktails, sharing the adventures of the day and their life stories. With cocktails and wine included, you can mingle with fellow guests without having to worry about picking up the tab. It removes a barrier to making acquaintances and kindling new friendships. And because drinks are included, more guests are willing to visit bars and lounges after dinner or shows, creating a lively and more energetic evening atmosphere onboard.
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Luxury ships are filled with fascinating sculptures and artwork, and have quiet, peaceful nooks where you can escape with a treasured novel and get lost for the afternoon. You’ll hear few, if any, announcements over the public address system during your voyage. If there is music it is soothing and tranquil, played in public areas or around the pool.

5. FINE DINING AND 5-STAR CUISINE

Crystal Prego Restaurant

For us, the quality of our food is critical. We appreciate fine dining, and this is a key area where luxury lines truly excel, presenting guests the opportunity to experience more complex and engaging dishes. If you enjoy the specialty restaurants on mass-market and premium cruise lines, you’ll appreciate the greater quality and variety of cuisine offered on luxury cruises. Many luxury lines offer menus reflecting the authentic flavors of the ports on your itinerary. The majority of menus are created by Michelin-starred or internationally recognized chefs.
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We had dinner in a specialty restaurant on the first evening of a cruise we experienced a few years ago, and everything tasted off. We mentioned it casually to a crew member who, unbeknownst to us, informed the Food and Beverage Manager. He in turn tracked us down and asked what exactly was wrong. He apologized and was emphatic that our experience was not what should have happened. He scheduled another dinner for us at the same restaurant. When we arrived, he personally greeted us and sat us at our table. The waiter arrived and recommended several dishes to us. In addition to what we ordered that evening, we also received the appetizers and main course that were prepared incorrect the night before. This time everything was cooked to perfection. And the fish entree recommended by the waiter, well it was the best fish I’ve ever tasted anywhere in the world. They wanted to prove to us the excellent quality of their food. We were thankful and appreciative. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal. On luxury ships, the dining experience is truly first-class. If you ever have a problem with your meals, let them know and they’ll gladly make it right.

6. ENTERTAINMENT AND EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS

Luxury and ultra-luxury ships are smaller, so they can’t offer the large Broadway productions of the mega-ships. Although Crystal’s larger ships do have more production shows, most luxury lines offer very small shows. Comedians, smaller band, and solo performers are more common for entertainment. Music selections can hearken as far back as the 40s and 50s, with some more contemporary music thrown in.
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Instead of huge productions, many of these lines bring in expert lecturers as part of their enrichment program. These experts share their knowledge about ports on call, their history and culture and offer tips on how to get the most out of your experience. Unlike most mass-market and premium lines, these talks are given by experts in their field, not the ship’s crew promoting various shops and sites. Like most guests who have an interest in expanding their awareness of the world, we have found these lectures to be especially interesting, insightful, and educational.

8. ADULTS-ONLY

Luxury ships are primarily designed for adults, although a few like Crystal Cruises do have children’s programs. Most of your fellow passengers will be other successful business people who are seasoned and sophisticated travelers. For the majority of guests attitudes are checked, and no one is going out of their way to impress.

Your fellow guests will typically be over 50 with some younger adults onboard, an active crowd interested in learning, discovering and experiencing all the ship and its destinations have to offer.

?9. WIDER SELECTION OF DESTINATIONS

?Thanks to their smaller size, luxury cruise ships can visit exclusive destinations that larger ships have to sail past. You can cruise the Northwest Passage, explore the Galapagos Islands, or take Kodiaks to the ice shelves of Antarctica. You’ll visit smaller ports on the Adriatic, Mediterranean, and even the Caribbean that you’ve not been able to reach before!

While most large ships pass by the Amalfi region, we spent a day in this small town enjoying the old charm, climbing up ancient steps built into the hillside and traversing the brick paths linking homes up the mountain. A large ship with 5,000 people would totally overwhelm this small picturesque village, which is why they aren't allowed to visit.