Luxury cruises can be more than quadruple the cost of an average ship. But before you click away, hear me out — the higher-end vessels are worth the splurge.
The world's largest and most popular ships are beloved for their exciting, family-friendly amenities. But if you'd rather trade the VR arcades for complimentary cocktails and rock climbing walls for some time in the sauna, luxury cruises could be a great option — especially if you prioritize convenience over cash.
I attended complimentary, non-revenue sailings on ultra-luxury cruise lines Regent Seven Seas and Silversea's latest ships, Seven Seas Grandeur and Silver Ray. The latter and more expensive of the two starts at a cool $400 per person and day for a weeklong cruise in 2025.
Not cheap, compared to Carnival's equally new Firenze ship, which starts for as little as $82 per guest and day next year.
But you get what you pay for. And in the case of the cruise industry, money does, in fact, buy happiness.
If you think spending hundreds of dollars a day for a small ship sounds unreasonable, I have three good reasons you should reconsider.
Chartreuse served dishes like beef tartare with sturgeon caviar.
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Luxury cruises have some obvious and expected plus-sides, like an elegant ambiance and great food.
On Regent Seven Seas and Silversea's latest ships, mediocre lunch buffets are replaced with endless raw fish. And instead of a "main dining room" with upcharged lobsters, guests can dine on complimentary caviar and foie gras.
I love fine dining. So, it might be a surprise to hear that I don't think the free beef tenderloin is the best part about Silversea's and Regent Seven Seas' cruises.
Instead, I think the ships' convenience, all-inclusivity, and suites make them worth the cost.
1. Their convenience is unparalleled, even by industry standards.
Silver Ray is 54,700 tons.
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Cruises are popular in part for their ease of travel. What other fare includes dining, activities, accommodations, and the opportunity to see several destinations in just a few days — all without needing to plan logistics like hotels and ground transportation?
But if you think mass-market cruises are easygoing, just wait until you see their luxury counterpart.
If you're willing to pay extra, you won't even have to plan your flights.
Close your Google Flight tabs. Silversea and Regent Seven Seas will book your roundtrip pre- and post-cruise airfare for you, although at a cost.
Silversea's port-to-port only includes the latter, while the cheapest "essential" option, which Silversea launched in March, offers none.
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Silversea offers three pricing tiers: door-to-door, port-to-port, and an "essential fare."
The first, the most expensive option, is best for guests who want a truly all-inclusive package. It's the only one that includes flights (with the option to upgrade to Business Class), private transfers between the airport and guests' homes, and shore excursions.
But with this comes a fairly stark price difference.
Silver Ray's cheapest seven-day door-to-door itinerary in 2025 is $6,700 per person for a cruise from Monte Carlo, Monaco, to Civitavecchia, Italy, near Rome.
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One of Silver Ray's cheapest door-to-door itineraries in 2025 is a seven-day cruise from Monte Carlo, Monaco, to Rome for $6,700 per person. The same itinerary's port-to-port option, which doesn't include flights or transfers, is $1,500 cheaper.
Regent Seven Seas' cruises can also be upgraded to include the same services. However, doing so will cost an extra $1,100 per guest for Seven Seas Grandeur's most affordable seven-night roundtrip Miami cruise in 2025, which already starts at $4,200 per person.
It's worth it if convenience is your top priority.
Seven Seas Grandeur has 503 chandeliers.
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Planning the trip and getting to the ship could be your cruise vacation's only two stressful moments.
If you're flying to the port, should you arrive the day before or just a few hours in advance? When should you call your Uber to the airport? What if you miss your desired embarkation time because you mistimed your flight?
All these logistics could add plenty of unwanted stress to an otherwise stress-free trip.
So, if you detest the pre-vacation planning routine, the airfare upgrades that make these cruises truly all-inclusive could be worth the extra cash.
2. No need to worry about onboard spending when you don't have much to spend on.
Prime 7 is the Seven Seas Grandeur's steakhouse.
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Many mass-market cruise lines are increasingly outfitting their new ships with irresistible pay-to-play amenities. Dinner at a specialty restaurant, an hour at the arcade, and a few glasses of wine later, and travelers could easily blow past their budget.
Ironically, guests on more expensive all-inclusive ships rarely face this problem.
Yes, the upfront fare is higher. But once onboard, you'll never have to reach for your wallet.
Silver Ray's Dolce Vita has "free-spirited" cocktails like the Pink Lady, prepared with Lyre's London Dry Spirit and Orange Sec, lemon, egg white, and grenadine.
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The incessant and difficult-to-resist upcharges on Carnival Firenze left me more annoyed than relaxed.
The opposite can be said for Seven Seas Grandeur and Silver Ray.
WiFi, alcohol, and access to the spa are all included in the base fare, as are almost all excursions if you opt for Silversea's door-to-door fare.
Silver Ray's complimentary sauna and steam room are separated into a women's and men's area. Both sides meet at the gender-neutral thermal pool.
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You'll have to pay extra when you're at the casino or want a spa treatment, a fancier bottle of wine, or, in the case of Silver Ray, dinner at the Chef's Table and French restaurants. Besides that, all the dining venues, bars, and activities are complimentary.
Free booze. Imagine that. There's truly no cruise vacation more relaxing than one where you can't overspend.
3. You'll never be stuck in a windowless interior cabin.
My interior cabin on Carnival Firenze was ugly but spacious.
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I've stayed in some dark and depressing cruise accommodations. My interior stateroom on Carnival Firenze looked like it belonged in a hospital, while my balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas had the smallest bathroom I've ever seen.
You won't have to worry about cramped cabins on a luxury cruise.
All travelers receive a welcome bottle of champagne.
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Ironically, smaller high-end cruise ships seem to have more spacious accommodations than the world's largest vessels.
Even Silver Ray and Seven Seas Grandeur's cheapest cabins have balconies and sumptuous amenities like a bottle of Champagne and high-end toiletries.
My suites on both ships had spacious balconies, walk-in closets, and espresso machines.
The concierge suite has a balcony, walk-in closet, and bathroom with a separate tub and shower.
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My 332-square-foot concierge suite on Regent Seven Seas's ship was only 25 square feet bigger than the smallest option. And yet, it was one of the most spacious cabins I had ever stayed in, complete with a bathtub and L'Occitane en Provence toiletries.
Unfortunately, some of the decor looked dated for a brand-new ship. But a relaxing warm bath quickly helped me forget my design gripes.
Silver Ray's 357-square-foot Deluxe Veranda suite didn't come with fancy products.
My Deluxe Veranda suite in Silversea's latest ship, Silver Ray, was one of the most luxurious cruise cabins I've ever stayed in.
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But it did have a toiletries "menu" with Bulgari options, a separate pillow menu, a stocked mini-fridge with alcohol, and a butler.
Yes, butler. Every suite on Silver Ray has one who can help with tasks like packing your luggage, setting up a relaxing shower, and even delivering caviar.
Because if the suite itself didn't convince you that ultra-luxury cruises could be worth the price, I'm sure the hand-delivered caviar — which you can eat on your couch while wearing a comfy bathrobe— might.
