by Scott Laird of the Travel Pulse by Northstar
| Some cruise lines have closed off portions of some of their ships to return to the rarified atmosphere of first-class onboard boats of yesteryear. Oftentimes, these “ship within a ship” categories have their own lounges, sun decks, pools, restaurants, and cabins, but passengers in those classes can also help themselves to any of the amenities elsewhere on the ship as well. Celebrity The Retreat is Celebrity’s ship-within-a-ship for suite guests and comes with its own restaurant, the Daniel Boulud-helmed Luminae, The Retreat Lounge on Edge Series ships, and the exclusive Retreat Sundeck on Edge Series ships. Suites come with butlers (available via text in the Celebrity app) who can assist with packing and unpacking, premium coffee setup, stocked minibars, and a full room service menu, among other perks. Princess Cruises Princess is new to the ship-within-a-ship concept; in fact, it won’t launch until next month, when the new Sun Princess will start sailing in the Caribbean. Called The Sanctuary Collection, it will be exclusive to Sun Princess and her sister Star Princess, slated to launch in 2025. A select number of balcony cabins will be included in the category in addition to all Suites and select Mini-Suites. These categories will have the all-inclusive Princess Premier fare bundle, which includes alcoholic beverages, WiFi, specialty dining, and room service delivery. Guests will also have their own private restaurant with elevated dining, and access to the top deck Sanctuary Club (all ages can travel in the category, but the Sanctuary Club is reserved for guests 16+). Guests in Suites will also have access to the Suite Lounge—where they might even witness champagne sabering! Cunard Cunard all but invented the ship-within-a-ship concept with the original Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1969. Designed as an ocean liner that would double as a cruise ship, Cunard knew that traditional class divides would no longer work, so they simply varied the restaurant guests would dine in based on their cabin category. On today’s Cunard ships, Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria, and Queen Anne, that’s evolved into Cunard’s Grill Suites. Suite guests dine in the Queen’s Grill restaurant, while mini-suite guests dine in the Princess Grill restaurant, both single-seating restaurants with glittering furnishings and sophisticated menus. There are minor variations between Queen’s Grill and Princess Grill amenities, but all Grills Suite guests can access the Grills Lounge and Grills Terrace on all ships; Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth also have a Grills Courtyard. Grills guests also benefit from an onboard concierge to book onboard and shoreside experiences, and the option to dine in their suite with the same menu as their Grill restaurant. Norwegian On several ships, Norwegian offers The Haven, a ship-within-a-ship with a dedicated Haven Lounge, Haven Restaurant, and Courtyard & Sundeck. Suites also have upgraded amenities, including evening turndown service and L’Occitane bath amenities. The category is available for a variety of stateroom categories, from Deluxe Suite with Balcony up through the luxurious 3 bedroom Garden Villa. The Haven suites don’t technically have many of the added inclusions like drink packages that some competing products on other cruise lines do, but in practice, the best available fare typically adds these all on (open bar, specialty dining, excursions, and WiFi under the current ongoing Free at Sea promotion). Royal Caribbean This one’s a bit less like a ship-within-a-ship class—it depends on the ship. Royal Caribbean’s Royal Suite Class comes in three tiers, with amenities corresponding to the category of the suite. It’s only on select ships; however, the category really rises to the level of the ship within a ship. On the new Icon of the Seas, there’s a suite “neighborhood” with a dedicated sun deck and Coastal Kitchen, an elevated restaurant just for suite guests. To read the entire article go here. You may also enjoy the articles Defining Luxury at Sea, The Best Cruise Ships in the World and Cruise Etiquette |
| Note that a client recently went on a Celebrity cruise and stayed in the Retreat. Although it was nice it was still a big ship and they will go back to Silversea next time. |
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