LUXURY CRUISE COLLECTION

Cruise Advice

New To Cruising?
Don’t worry if you have never set foot on a ship before - this is a safe, secure world of guaranteed luxury and top-quality service, where the ultra-deluxe lines go that bit further to ensure their guests feel special and cosseted from first moment to last.

The first thing to know is that a cruise is always the right choice, simply because there is such a wide variety, you can always find the right size, ambience and location to suit your own tastes perfectly.

You will travel in supreme style; you need pack and unpack only once; everything you need is laid on with almost effortless ease; you will enjoy an ever-changing vista of different scenery and ports of call; and you benefit from the mystique, magic and romance that modern cruising has inherited from its golden heritage.

No other holiday type offers the combination of modern creature comforts, fine service, almost constant dining opportunities - many of them of the very finest kind - and excellent entertainment.

There are also three main kinds of ship to look out for - the large, more amenity-orientated variety, which offer a full range of creature comforts, including big-name Spas, glamorous casinos and big-stage show productions, catering for 900-plus passengers; the medium-sized version, with fewer amenities but more focus on service and dining, for up to 900 passengers; and the small-scale boutique version, with 100 or fewer passengers, where the accent is primarily on service and personal ambience.

You can visit the high spots of the world - from the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Caribbean to Alaska, Hawaii, the Amazon, Indian Ocean and the Far East - in your ‘mobile resort’.

Along the way, you can watch whales leap, flying fish soar and dolphins frolic - all from the deck of your chosen ship. Or just chill out on the ultimate luxury of your stateroom’s private balcony, watching the horizon roll by and the silky wake recede into the distance.

For, more than anything else, cruising offers the kind of luxurious holidaymaking you would struggle to find anywhere else, and with far greater convenience and value for money.

Read on to discover our Beginners’ Guide to all that the wide world of cruising has in store...

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What cruise should I look for?
This really depends on what kind of holidays you enjoy. Are you looking for a cultural experience, epic scenery or just blissful beaches and water-sports, somewhere to chill out and re-charge the batteries?

They are all on offer, ready to provide the perfect tonic to everyday, landside cares and worries, because being on a cruise is all about taking you away from the norm and providing a wonderfully stylish environment, be it up-tempo or laid back.

You just need to make sure you make the right selection from the huge menu of choice which modern cruising lays out for its pampered customers.

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Where should I go?
As we’ve already intimated, there are ships sailing to pretty much every maritime destination in the world and there is a veritable A-Z of ports of call, from Alaska to Zanzibar. It is more a case of where do you want to go?

The main cruise regions are the Western and Eastern Mediterranean; the Baltic Sea and Norwegian fjords; and then the year-round sun of the Caribbean, the Canaries and Madeira. You can also cruises the US East Coast (around New England and Canada); the Mexican Riviera; the US West Coast (from San Francisco to Alaska); the intriguing Pacific Ocean; South America and the amazing Chilean fjords; the Middle East, Red Sea and Suez; even the polar extremes, from the Arctic Circle to stunning Antarctica, can be cruised in deluxe comfort.

Your cruise destination is probably your most important choice, so make sure you give it plenty of thought, then weigh up all your options of the cruise lines sailing in the areas you are most interested in.

Our Cruise Consultants at The Luxury Cruise Collection are true experts in all the regions on offer, and which of the luxury lines offer which area, so they can advise you exactly of what each one entails and the range of attractions therein. And don’t forget you do not need to stick to ocean-going voyages, either. There are now ultra-deluxe choices for river cruises, too, especially on the main rivers of Europe.

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Who should I cruise with?
This is your next key question and is where you should seek the most advice and information on the vast array of options. There are roughly a dozen or so cruise lines which we would genuinely rate as ultra-deluxe, or truly 'luxury' (a word which many lines bandy around but which few actually achieve).

Their combined fleet numbers around 30 cosseted liners, varying from the immense size of Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 (all 150,000 tons of her, with 2,600 passengers), where the top-level suites deliver a fabulous experience, to the tiny-by-comparison vessels of Hebridean Island Cruises (both with less than 100 passengers).

They also vary from the primarily American atmosphere of Crystal Cruises, Seabourn and Oceania Cruises, to the Italian influence of Silversea, the German style of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, the more Anglo-American approach of Cunard and Regent Seven Seas and the purely British feel of Hebridean International. You can even opt for the Australian sophistication of Bora Bora Cruises and Orion Expedition Cruises.

You also need to decide if you are looking for a more energetic style, with plenty of onboard choice, as provided by the bigger ships, or if you want the quieter, more refined approach of the smaller vessels, which tend to do things at a slower and more sedate pace.

This is also where the expert knowledge of The Luxury Cruise Collection staff comes into play, proving an in-depth breakdown of the choice and advising which line might be the right match for you.

You can also seek out other sources of information to help do your ‘homework’ and take advantage of the great online resources to refine your selection. Europe’s top magazine on the subject is World of Cruising, which is published quarterly and can also be viewed at www.worldofcruisingmagazine.com while the best annual guide to cruising is produced by American expert Steven B Stern, called Stern’s Guide to the Cruise Vacation, which is available from www.pelicanpub.com

Here at The Luxury Cruise Collection, our expert consultants can also be asked questions in person on the discussion boards of www.cruiselineforum.co.uk, an invaluable resource for everything to do with cruising. Or simply pick up the phone and call us on 0800 008 6677, and any of our Cruise Consultants will be happy to advise on any aspect of your cruise choice.

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How do I choose my cruise accommodation?
This important question raises the main difference between selecting a hotel and a ship. There is a lot more to choosing your stateroom or suite on board a ship, and you need to be aware in advance of a few variations in terminology.

The main things to keep in mind are as follows:

Inside or outside: cruise ship accommodation divides into two basic types, outside staterooms, i.e. rooms with an outside view, and inside ones, with no window or sea view. This is simply a function of the way large ships are built, to best use the available internal space. Inside staterooms are cheaper than outside ones and are usually just as comfortable, using clever lighting and mirrors to avoid any feeling of claustrophobia. If the lack of an outside view might bother you, though, make sure you select an outside stateroom (few of the truly deluxe lines feature inside rooms, however).

Balcony or no balcony: if you have selected an outside cabin, your next choice concerns whether to go for the true luxury of your own private balcony or not. This often provides a wonderful extra dimension to your voyage (unless you are cruising in wet or cold areas), affording the chance to enjoy the view on your own terms, perhaps with a morning tea or coffee, a pre-dinner drink or even main course dining a deux, a splendid additional possibility on the luxury lines.

Suite or penthouse: while most staterooms vary little in terms of size and facilities, you can opt for a suite or penthouse, which provides more space and amenities. Most will have a separate living room as well as a bedroom, and some feature kitchen and dining facilities. The most elaborate offer additional features such as a grand piano, balcony Jacuzzi, high-tech entertainment centres and wet bars. Butler service is often a notable extra with these top-of-the range accommodations.

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Formal or not-so-Formal?
The final criterion to bear in mind is how much formality you enjoy on your holiday. Many people still enjoy the glamour of dressing for dinner, in which case there are several of the luxury lines which will appeal to you.

However, if you prefer total informality or even just a smart-casual, Country Club ambience, then there are other choices which may well suit you best.

And please cast out any out-dated notions of cruising somehow being boring or dull. The range of onboard entertainment these days is quite breathtaking, from full Broadway-style stage shows to classical music recitations, cutting edge computer classes and world renowned lecture programmes.

Also, with a great range of ports of call, multiple options for dining, the addition of facilities like Spas, casinos and water-sports, there is never any reason to think a cruise won’t be as exciting as you want to make it.

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Can you categorise the cruise types?
As a final look at this deluxe end of the cruise market, we can also provide a quick guide to the different array of cruise types we have alluded to so far.

Big Ships - these are all vessels of 50,000-plus tons, and which feature the widest range of onboard facilities and amenities, with a more resort-style and atmosphere. They include Cunard Line and Crystal Cruises.

Medium Ships - these are more in the 5,000-50,000-ton range, with fewer facilities but a higher degree of service, more luxurious accommodations and the finest food. They include Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, Silversea, Oceania Cruises, The World of ResidenSea and Hapag-Lloyd.

Small ships - this category consists of just the handful of one-off, boutique-style ships that cruise in specific areas. They are Hebridean International, Bora Bora Cruises and Orion Expedition Cruises.

Formal ships - these all feature a more notably ‘dressy’ style, including jackets and ties, or dinner suits, at dinner (at least on several evenings per cruise). They include Cunard, Crystal, Seabourn, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas and Hapag-Lloyd (on board their Europa only).

Informal ships - these are more relaxed in dress style, varying from Country Club casual to totally informal. They include Oceania Cruises, The World of ResidenSea, Hebridean International, Bora Bora Cruises and Orion Expedition Cruises.

River cruises - several river cruise companies are worth seeking out for the more luxurious touch. They include Peter Deilmann River Cruises, Orient Express, Amadeus Waterways and the new Jewel River Cruises.