What do travelers expect from a high-end cruise? Lines set themselves apart with elevated culinary offerings, butler service or crew-to-guest ratios. In the end, it might just come down to the “wow” factor.

BY ANDREA ZELINSKI of Travel Weekly

I stepped into my suite on the Crystal Serenity and the word “wow” crossed my lips. The room was larger than I expected, with a small table and a deep-blue couch in one room and a king bed in the other. The bathroom was so large I could have lain down in there and still had space to roll around, and the shower looked big enough to fit several adults.

My butler surprised me daily with healthy snacks like pineapple cubes and mini-sandwiches (and a few maybe-not-as-healthy — but delicious — chocolates). My dirty laundry would disappear, and I’d soon find clean outfits hanging in my closet.

This, I thought, is luxury.

Several high-end cruise lines insist that the luxury they offer is unparalleled: Regent Seven Seas Cruises claims, “the world’s most luxurious fleet,” while Seabourn Cruises and Silversea both call themselves the “leader” in ultraluxury and expedition cruising; and a new upscale line, Explora Journeys, is on a mission to “redefine luxury at sea,” according to its parent company’s chairman.

But with so many luxe cruise operators in the market, I wondered how travel advisors would define “luxury at sea.”

Is luxury measured by the size (or intimacy) of the ship? The expanse of its suites? Services such as personal butlers, or a dining menu curated by a Michelin-star chef? Is it linked to where the cruise sails and how long the ship stays in port?

“Luxury is so personal. It means a different thing for every single person. That’s why it is the most controversial topic” for luxury travel advisors, said Carlos Edery, CEO and co-founder of North Miami Beach-based Luxury Cruise Connections. What may communicate luxury to one guest may miss the mark for another, he said.

Personal Luxury

The challenge for luxury lines is exceeding expectations when each guest has a deeply personal and varying sense of what luxury is, Edery said. The value in booking through a luxury travel advisor is that they have developed expertise in matching the right guest to the right brand, they stay on top of ever-changing luxury trends, and they not only pay attention to the small details of emerging lines but keep track of how established lines evolve.

Suzy Schreiner, owner of Azure Blue Vacations, pays attention to differentiators among all the lines claiming to be tops in luxury: the amenities, stateroom sizes, dining options. Do butlers receive professional training? Are excursions limited to small groups?

How The Luxury Lines Stand Out

Cruise lines claim very specific areas where they believe they have an edge, said Carlos Edery, CEO and co-founder of Luxury Cruise Connections, an agency based in North Miami Beach. Here is his assessment of how the lines position themselves:

Azamara: Most time in port.

Crystal: Traditional elegance, dressier, larger ships than some competitors.

Oceania: Focus on cuisine.

Regent Seven Seas: Most all-inclusive, upscale experience, modern classic elegance.

Seabourn: A much more relaxed experience, less dressing up, no English butler.

Silversea: More classic elegance, with an English butler, dressier dress code than some competitors.

Viking: Consistency without having to think too much, good service and good logistics.

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