The luxury cruise market is evolving all the time. Here is a look at what’s coming for clients with money to spend. By Jane Archer

 
All top-end cruise lines believe they are the best – let’s face it, it would be strange if they didn’t – but when one dares to tell the world it is building the world’s most luxurious ship, you sit up and take notice.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ new Seven Seas Explorer was dubbed – by the company – the most luxurious cruise ship ever built before the first pieces of steel had been cut. As it doesn’t launch until July next year, it will be some time before we can judge for ourselves but you can’t help but be impressed by some of the features that will be on board.

Picking up on the new trend for learning to cook at sea, it will have a hands on kitchen where chefs will teach up to 18 passengers how to prepare fish, desserts and regional dishes from the countries they are visiting. It will also have a gourmet French restaurant called Chartreuse, an Observation Lounge modelled on the Roaring Twenties and the largest suite at sea – a whopping 3,875 square feet – with its own spa with a sauna, steam room and treatment area (the treatments are included in the price).

But Regent can’t have it all its own way.

Seabourn reckons the Seabourn Encore will be tops for luxury when it launches in December next year – and passengers seem equally sure it will be a winner as its inaugural voyage sold out in two days. The ship (and sibling Seabourn Ovation, launching in spring 2018) is modelled on Seabourn’s Odyssey-class ships, but has an extra deck so it can hold 604 passengers instead of 450. It will have most of the features that are popular on the Odyssey-class ships, and also two new speciality dining venues, but so far that is all Seabourn has revealed.

Not to be outdone, following its acquisition by Genting Hong Kong in March, Crystal Cruises announced it will be building a new ship that will ‘set the highest standard in luxury cruise ships’. It is not the first time the company has talked of adding tonnage. When she took over at the helm in October 2013, president and chief operating officer Edie Rodriguez said she wanted to build the two-ship fleet into seven vessels. So far nothing has happened; instead the company, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, has ploughed millions of dollars into upgrading its two ships as well as enhancing the on board product with new features such as more overnights in ports such as Barcelona, Dubrovnik and Monte Carlo, and jogging excursions for those who want to see the sights on the run.

Fitness freaks should also check out Europa 2, which has a new training and nutritional programme in 2016. It’s been devised by Germany Winter Olympian Maria Höfl-Riesch, who will join cruises in May and November 2016 and train alongside passengers.

SIX STAR ALL INCLUSIVES

One problem for agents selling into the luxury cruise market is understanding the different levels of swankiness their clients can buy into and the endless permutations when it comes to what they get for their money. Regent, Seabourn and Crystal occupy the top of the market, along with Hapag Lloyd Cruises’ Europa 2, Silversea’s five classic ships (as opposed to its expedition fleet) and SeaDream Yacht Club’s two 112-passenger mega-yachts, which spend their summers in the Med and winter in the Caribbean. All sell themselves on small ships, personal service, gourmet dining and inclusive prices. They include gratuities in the cruise price, and all bar Hapag Lloyd Cruises serve complimentary soft and alcoholic drinks (on Europa 2 beer and soft drinks from the minibar are free but you pay for drinks at the bars).
All these lines also offer open dining in the restaurants – and most do not charge for speciality dining – on the grounds that luxury clients do not want to be told when to eat and who to sit with. The exception is Crystal, which also offers traditional fixed dining.

Crystal vice-president international sales and marketing Philip Ordever said about two-thirds of passengers opt for fixed dining.

“Past guests tend to prefer fixed dining, which is why we continue to offer it, while those who are new to Crystal usually choose our Dining by Reservation.”

Regent also includes most shore excursions, as well as flights, transfers and a pre-cruise hotel night abroad in the cruise price, making it the world’s most inclusive cruise line – a position Silversea is partly challenging this year by including shore excursions and wifi, but so far with Mediterranean cruises only.

A PREMIUM PRODUCT

Equally convinced that small is best, Azamara Club Cruises, Ponant, Oceania Cruises and the new Viking Ocean Cruises are a good alternative for clients looking for more affordable luxury because their prices are less inclusive.
As an example, Oceania Cruises offers an eight-night cruise from Piraeus (for Athens) to Venice next May costs from £2,669 per person including flights.

The same cruise, but in seven nights, with Seabourn costs £3,199 per person excluding flights, while SeaDream has a seven-night voyage from Venice to Dubrovnik in September from £4,072 per person, also excluding flights.

Of course it is vital clients understand they get what they pay for. Ponant, for instance, includes drinks but excludes gratuities, while Oceania Cruises excludes drinks and gratuities, but includes most speciality dining and flights.

Viking, which launched its first ocean-going ship in April includes flights, transfers, drinks with lunch and dinner, speciality dining and wifi. The line also includes one complimentary shore excursion per port (there are alternative tours but at a charge).

Viking Cruises chairman Torstein Hagen said: “Along with our privileged-access excursions and onboard enrichment, we have made the destination the true focus of our new ocean cruises.”

Viking will be taking delivery of another ocean ship in 2016 and one in 2017; also next year Oceania Cruises is taking delivery of Sirena, currently sailing as Ocean Princess for Princess Cruises.

CRUISING BY APPOINTMENT

If clients prefer their luxury in smaller packages, point them in the direction of Hebridean Island Cruises, which has just one ship, the 50-passenger Hebridean Princess. This is not one to sell to customers who are counting their pennies – a seven-night Hebridean explorer cruise departing September 22 costs from £3,800 per person excluding flights – or indeed those for whom luxury is synonymous with opulence. Instead, this has become the Queen’s favourite cruise ship for its understated luxury – upmarket country-house furnishings, a friendly atmosphere and everything bar travel to Scotland included in the price.
New for 2016, Hebridean has various themed cruises focusing on heritage, history, food and drink, whisky, architecture, gardens and classical music, as well as three Footloose walking cruises. Cruises are mostly around the Scottish isles, but there are also voyages to Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man.

A KING IS BORN

Hands-on cookery classes, a seafood brasserie called Sel de Mer and Grand Dutch Café decorated in blue and white are among new features on Koningsdam, the new Holland America Line ship launching in April 2016.
The 2,650-passenger vessel will also have 32 family cabins with two bathrooms that hold up to five people and 12 ocean view single rooms – the first accommodation in the fleet to cater for solo travellers, a new music Walk featuring three live music venues including the BB King’s Blues Club and Billboard Onboard.

Holland America president Orlando Ashford said: “We are taking the entertainment up a notch with this ship and it will be making its way into the rest of the fleet.”

He added that Dinner, a new farm-to-table dining concept in the ship’s Culinary arts Centre, will also be rolled out to other ships.
Koningsdam will spend its inaugural season cruising the Baltic and Norwegian fjords from Amsterdam between May and September.
Holland America Line, Cunard and Celebrity Cruises all offer a big ship five-star experience based on the standard cruising price model that includes dining room and buffet food and entertainment.