SAIL IN STYLE THE ULTRA LUXURY CRUISE DIARY 2019 | 2020 STOWAWAY PUBLICATIONS THE RE-INSPIRATION OF CLASSIC Wellness elegance At Sea RELAX & RECHARGE FITNESS CLASSES, TOURS, VEGAN CUISINE & CANYON RANCH® SPA TREATMENTS Immerse yourself in the most comprehensive wellness programme at sea. Invigorate your body, mind and spirit with our holistic and integrative treatments, RE-INSPIR ATION vegan cuisine, wellness tours and complimentary fitness classes BY THE NUMBERS 66 Days | US$100 Million Dollars | 1,368 New Suites and Staterooms INDULGE YOUR SENSES 1,400 New Marble Bathrooms | 8,000 New Light Fixtures 12,000 New Sofas and Chairs | 1,000+ Artisans and Craftsmen 4 BETTER-THAN-NEW SHIPS INSIGNIA | SIRENA | REGATTA | NAUTICA Lose yourself in deep relaxation The Finest Cuisine at Sea™ includes Our exclusive shore excursion series, with a signature Canyon Stone Massage over 250 delicious plant-based options. Wellness Tours Inspired by Canyon Ranch, or become enriched at complimentary The tantalising collection of vegan dishes unify culture, alluring destinations and For more information or to book please call Cruise Select presentations on enhancing nutritional offered fleetwide composes the most healthy living into one to create a memorable balance and spiritual wellness. expansive vegan menus at sea. and rejuvenating travel experience. today on 01234 326758 or email [email protected] OC NEXT Luxury Cruise Diary 2xSinglePage.indd 2 01/10/2018 10:24 OC NEXT Luxury Cruise Diary 2xSinglePage.indd 1 01/10/2018 10:24 Crystal_LuxuryCruiseDiaryAd_Sep18.qxp_Crystal_LuxuryCruiseDiaryAd_Sep18 03/09/2018 19:21 Page 1 CONTENTS There has never been a better time to experience luxury cruising. More ships fully deserving of the luxury moniker are on order than ever and demand is growing among an increasingly affluent global population for holidays that deliver the very best experiences that money can buy. This Luxury Cruise Diary is the place to start, highlighting the standout features of the luxury and boutique cruise ships now available for an increasingly discerning traveller, with additional information on many of the most appealing ports and destinations. Keith Ellis, Publisher the CRYSTAL DIFFERENCE VOYAGE WITH T HE WORLD’S BEST CONTENTS Experience Luxury and Boutique Cruising ....6 Experience Themed Cruises .............................11 Experience Dining ................................................12 Experience Suites .................................................16 Experience Destinations ....................................22 Experience Wellness ............................................32 Who’s who..............................................................36 WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF CRYSTAL Brochure rack .........................................................39 Voted the World’s Best more times than any other hotel, resort or Published by ............................................Keith Ellis, Stowaway Publications 10 Tadorne Road, Tadworth cruise line in history, Crystal Cruises is more than just a luxurious KT20 5TD Surrey +44 (0)1737 81 2411, way to explore the world. It is an adventure, opening up the globe [email protected] Written and Edited by: ....................Jane Archer just for you. Whether by Ocean, River or Yacht, we are taking luxury [email protected] Creative ........ Andrew Reeves, Oddsock Design travel further than ever before. Welcome to the new Crystal. [email protected] Front cover image courtesy of Silversea Cruises STOWAWAY PUBLICATIONS 24 years 20 years ©2018 Crystal Cruises, LLC. Ships’ registry: The Bahamas. ABTA No.V8548 Stowaway Publications | 5 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Experience LUXURY AND BOUTIQUE CRUISING Champagne on tap, bar staff who know your favourite tipple, gorgeous suites you never want to leave. No wonder a cruise is heaven for sybarites. A ccording to The Longman Dictionary, Above all, they want to see wonderful luxury is “something relatively cities such as Rome, Barcelona and expensive adding to pleasure or comfort Florence (Who wouldn’t?) but also Why cruise but not indispensable”. enjoy luxurious experiences ashore in small ports away from the big ships and on an ultra- The description fits cruising to a tee. crowds of tourists. Well almost. It would take a brave travel luxury ship agent to tell clients who love their luxury Travel agents who want to succeed in holidays that they can live without them. this market need to understand your needs and give personal attention to • No worries about buying a What the definition fails to do is your travel plans. That means keeping round as drinks are mostly clarify what luxury actually is, no in touch with their luxury clients included in the fare. doubt because it is impossible to and making them feel extra special • Small ships can dock in pinpoint any one thing. Rather, it is a (remembering anniversaries and interesting little ports and collection of quality features, services birthdays is a good way). It means extra harbours. and experiences that combine to treat work, but as these clients will be paying passengers as individuals, cater for your top dollar for their cruise, it will be • With just a few hundred different needs and requirements, and worth it. passengers on board, leave you with memories that will last it’s much easier to make forever. A seven-night cruise from Barcelona friends. to Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) Narrowing that down to luxury cruise with Silversea in September 2019, for • Two crew for every three customers, it means a small ship (no more instance, costs from £3,060 per person, passengers so personal than a few hundred passengers), personal which equates to £437 a night – and that service is guaranteed. service, never being told when to eat, who is for the lowest category suite. Clients to dine with and what to wear, and prices upgrading to a Silver Suite will be paying that include drinks, gratuities and dining from £810 a night. so you don’t have to think about money while on holiday. A 12-night voyage around France and Spain on Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Those are people prepared to pay for Seven Seas Explorer in May 2020 costs spacious suites attended by butlers and from £7,559 per person for the lowest a choice of places to eat. They want to be category accommodation, which works made to feel extra special by crew who out at just over £629 a day. Clients know their name from the moment they booking the massive Regent Suite on board and room stewards who welcome that same cruise (there is just one, so them into their suite bearing a glass of early booking is a must) will be paying fizz and choice of top-brand toiletries. more than £4,000 per person per day. 6 | Sail in Style | October 2018 Stowaway Publications | 7 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION ULTRA-LUXURY LINES Scenic, which is launching its first It sounds a lot of money, but it is ocean-going ship in January 2019, important for agents to understand includes everything from flights and what is included in the price so they can transfers to drinks, gratuities, speciality create the perfect cruise for you. dining and shore excursions. However there will be a charge for trips in the And that is where things start to get ship’s submarine or helicopter. difficult because all the cruise lines in the ultra-luxury sector (and here we Regent also includes almost everything, are talking about Silversea, Seabourn, and throws in a free pre-cruise hotel Crystal, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Scenic night for those in Concierge or higher and Regent) do things a little bit suites, but it charges for some land differently. tours. In St Petersburg, for instance, Silversea, Seabourn and Crystal include canal cruises and trips to the Fabergé drinks and gratuities in the price but Museum and Hermitage are free but when it comes to speciality dining they an evening at the ballet and a trip to the all go their own way. Seabourn includes Catherine Palace followed by a city tour all dining, while Silversea charges for cost extra. two restaurants, La Dame and Kaiseki. Crystal allows passengers to dine once Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ includes for free in its speciality restaurants gratuities and speciality restaurants in but charges after that – except for the cruise price, and also drinks from passengers in the top suites, who can eat the in-suite mini bars, but charges for EXPERIENCE LUXURY in the speciality restaurants as often as beverages ordered at one of the public LIVING ON THE EDGE they like for free. bar or with meals. ➤ p10 When it comes to luxury cruising, Celebrity Cruises’ new ship Celebrity Edge breaks every rule in the book. It holds just under 3,000 passengers, standard fares exclude drinks, gratuities and speciality dining, and it can only call into big ports as having to tender ashore with all those people is not a joy. Celebrity calls it Modern Luxury, but it is world’s apart from conventional notions of luxury. So why is Edge featuring in a magazine devoted to luxury and boutique cruise ships? If you have to ask, you have not seen the stunning new Infinite Balcony cabins and spacious suites that will be on this ship. Conventional balcony cabins have French doors How to increase your luxury pleasure that sit within the wall on the sea side and open to the balcony. Most times, they are sliding doors, on • Don’t apologise for the price. Customers would not be asking for a luxury some ships they open outwards. On Edge, they do cruise if they couldn’t afford it. small bites and free drinks, and an exclusive restaurant neither. Instead, in what has already been hailed as called Luminae. • If price is important to you, remember steer the conversation to the quality a game-changing design in the cruise industry, at the of the service and small-ship advantages such as no queuing and being able to touch of a button an entire wall of glass folds back so The cabin and suite décor – a chic grey, cream and dock in ports and harbours away from the mass-market vessels.