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1. Silversea Cruises
The Restaurant on Silver Explorer
Ultra-luxury cruise line Silversea operates a fleet of 13 ships, of which five are smaller expedition ships. Silversea’s offering is the last word in luxury afloat, with butler service, fine dining in a choice of restaurants, and everything you could imagine included, from champagne and caviar round the pool to a scented bath run by your butler and strewn with flower petals.
Silversea sails all over the world. The expedition ships Silver Explorer, Silver Cloud, Silver Wind and Silver Endeavour visit the poles, while the sleek Silver Origin is based year-round in the Galapagos. The classic fleet (ships that don’t offer expeditions) sails the Mediterranean in summer, with long cruises in winter that circle the globe.
What’s included? Silversea has two price bands. “Door-to-door” includes a chauffeur-driven car to the airport, business-class flights, transfers, all dining on board (except the fancy French restaurant La Dame, which costs £50pp), an open bar, crew tips, wi-fi and a choice of excursions. “Port-to-port” pricing includes all this apart from the chauffeur and flight.
Price £££
2. Marella Cruises
Entertainment on a Marella Cruises ship
TUI
Part of holiday giant Tui, Marella operates four older cruise ships, aimed at a price-conscious British market. Three are family-friendly, while Marella Explorer 2 is for adults only. A fifth ship, Marella Voyager, joined the fleet in 2023. Its ships are friendly and relaxed, but Marella’s biggest selling point is the fact that it includes flights from several regional UK airports. Destinations include the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, with new departures in 2023 from the USA.
On board, expect a mix of cabin grades and sizes; these are older ships, built before the days when almost every cabin had a balcony. Food and entertainment are geared to British tastes. A plus on Marella Explorer and Marella Explorer 2 is a huge Champneys spa, the only such collaboration at sea.
What’s included? Meals in the main dining venues, open bar, crew tips, some classes in the gym, kids’ clubs, flights and transfers. Excursions and speciality dining cost extra.
Price £
3. Uniworld
Nobody could accuse river line Uniworld of operating cookie-cutter ships. Each of the line’s “Super Ships” is done out in an extravagant, opulent theme — from ornate baroque on SS Maria Theresa, plying the Danube, to tinkling chandeliers and Fortuny art deco on SS La Venezia, which sails the Venice lagoon. On board, everything is included, with creative shore excursions offering activities such as pasta-making in Bologna, or cycling in vineyard trails around Bordeaux.
The line has 17 ships, including vessels on the Mekong, the Ganges and the Nile, as well as a ship on the Amazon operated in an arrangement with Aqua Expeditions.
What’s included? All meals, open bar, crew tips, wi-fi, excursions and activities, use of bicycles (most ships) and airport transfers. Flights are also included in some fares.
Price £££
4. Celebrity Cruises
On a Celebrity expedition in the Galapagos Islands
Celebrity Cruises operates a fleet of 12 big ships, the newest of which are decidedly swish, with interiors by Kelly Hoppen, cool pools featuring private cabanas and a roof garden bar and grill, among many other speciality restaurants. Three smaller ships are based year-round in the Galapagos. Its 16th ship, Celebrity Ascent, launches in autumn 2023.
Celebrity recently introduced the option of “All Included” fares, which means you don’t pay any extra for drinks, crew tips or wi-fi. Some charges remain — for example, speciality dining and excursions — but these new fares are a good deal if you enjoy a couple of cocktails in the evening and wine with meals.
What’s included? Meals in the main dining rooms, drinks up to a certain value (including soft drinks, beer, wine and cocktails), crew tips, wi-fi, some classes in the gym, kids’ clubs.
Price ££
5. Azamara
Dessert in an Azamara restaurant
TIM FAIRCLOTH
Azamara, which owns four stylish, mid-sized ships, provides destination-intensive cruises that spend longer in port than those of any other line. The ships are older, built around 1999, but have had multiple refits and passengers love their cosy, compact size. Food on board is excellent, with drinks included, although unless you’re staying in a suite, there’s a cover charge of £25 for the two speciality restaurants Prime C and Aqualina.
There are also a couple of weekly treats. Every cruise includes a spectacular “AzAmazing” event, which might involve ferrying all 690 passengers to a lavish cultural event ashore, or taking over a port or a venue for a festival of local food, drink and culture. The line is also known for its dazzling White Nights deck parties, which include a magnificent barbecue, flowing drinks and dancing under the stars.
What’s included? Dining, open bar, wi-fi, crew tips, AzAmazing events, some classes in the gym. Some fares include flights and transfers, too.
Price ££
6. Regent Seven Seas Cruises
All dining options are covered on a Regent all-inclusive trip
Regent’s ships are very grand and reminiscent of opulent hotels, with lavish decor, sweeping staircases and elegant lounges. Seven Seas Splendor and Seven Seas Explorer also feature some of the most expensive suites at sea, the poshest of which even includes its own spa. The line has a loyal following, mainly mature Americans, and sails all over the world, from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean, Australia, Alaska and Asia.
What’s included? Everything on board — dining, including the various speciality dining restaurants, open bar, crew trips, wi-fi and valet laundry — and a choice of complimentary shore excursions plus, on some voyages, bolt-on land programmes. Fares include flights and often a pre-cruise hotel stay too.
Price £££
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Times Holidays
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7. SeaDream Yacht Club
SeaDream’s two small yachts, taking just 112 passengers each, sail the Caribbean in winter and the Mediterranean in summer. Because they’re so small, SeaDream I and SeaDream II can easily fit into fashionable small ports and anchorages like St Barts, Bequia or Hvar. Both vessels have had a significant upgrade so while you won’t have a balcony cabin — these being older ships — the decor is infinitely Instagrammable.
On board, the vibe is very much that of a house party on a private yacht. Life is informal — there’s no dress code beyond superyacht chic, and you can even sleep on one of the squashy Balinese beds on deck if you want. Water sports equipment is carried on board and there’s a marina platform at the back of the ship for swimming. No detail is spared in the excellent food.
What’s included? All meals, drinks, wi-fi, water sports, use of bicycles, most gym classes and crew tips. Travel and excursions are extra.
Price £££
8. Scenic
Use of e-bikes is a feature of a Scenic all-inclusive deal
Australian-owned Scenic operates a fleet of state-of-the-art river ships in Europe and Asia, and has two ocean-going ships, the superyachts Scenic Eclipse and Scenic Eclipse II, which launched in 2023. Both have ice-class hulls, which means they can sail in Antarctica and northern polar regions, but they offer warm-weather cruising, too. And while they’re small, carrying just 228 each, you’ll find a surprisingly impressive range of speciality restaurants on board, from Asian to French, as well as 24-hour room service.
Scenic’s ethos is to be the most inclusive cruise line out there, so you can put the wallet away the minute you board — unless you want a ride in the helicopter and submarine on the expedition ships, that is. Expect a multinational audience that includes a lot of Australians, and a laid-back vibe on board.
What’s included? Cruise fares include all meals, drinks, gratuities, wi-fi, flights, a choice of excursions, and use of water toys and e-bikes.
Price £££
9. Seabourn
Seabourn restaurants serve grill classics
Seabourn’s seven ships are small, sleek and chic, with a vibe that’s more private yacht than luxury cruise line. Expedition vessels Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit both come complete with two submarines. Seabourn’s ships sail all over the world, from summer in the Mediterranean and Baltic to winter in the Caribbean, South America and Asia. Its expedition ships, built for polar cruising, explores Antarctica and, in summer, northern polar regions; it also offers warm-weather expeditions to destinations including the Amazon.
There’s a lot to love on board, from grill classics by renowned chef Thomas Keller to a wellness programme in collaboration with health guru Andrew Weil. The food and service are exceptional and the cabins, almost all with balcony, are spacious, with abundant Molton Brown goodies in the bathrooms.
What’s included? All meals, open bar, wi-fi, most classes in the gym, and crew tips. Most prices include flights and transfers. Excursions are extra, apart from on the expedition ships.
Price £££
10. Ponant
Visiting Paradise Bay in Antarctica with Ponant
STUDIO PONANT-LAURENCE FISCHER
Ponant provides an all-inclusive cruise experience with more than a dash of French panache, thanks to partnerships with Veuve Clicquot and Charles Heidsieck champagne, chef Alain Ducasse, Diptyque and Brittany-based cheesemaker Jean-Yves Bordier.
The line operates 13 ships, which vary from smart expedition vessels to the six Ponant Explorers, built for tropical cruising and each featuring a multi-sensory underwater lounge. There’s also a hybrid-powered icebreaker, Le Commandant Charcot, which explores deep into Antarctica and offers regular expeditions to the North Pole in summer. The passenger mix is international, with a high proportion of French guests.
What’s included? All dining, open bar, wi-fi, classes in the gym, kids’ clubs on some ships. Flights are included on some cruises, often from Paris, while most activities are covered on polar expeditions. Other excursions cost extra, as do crew tips.
Price ££-£££
11. Viking
A Viking ship at Dubrovnik
As well as its popular river fleet, Viking operates a fleet of ten elegant ocean-going ships, and two smart expedition ships, both built for polar expeditions. The ships sail all over the world, from Europe and the Caribbean to Asia and Australia, with cruises varying from the standard seven days to grand world voyages of more than 120 days.
What’s lovely about Viking’s ships is the thoughtful decor, all soothing, Scandi-inspired chic and light-filled lounges, plus touches such as an infinity pool, a cool little nightclub, a lavish suite of saunas, steam and an ice grotto in the spa that’s free to use. Every cabin has a balcony, too.
What’s included? All dining, drinks with meals, crew tips, wi-fi, excursions, flights, transfers, access to the spa thermal suite, some classes in the gym. Some excursions cost extra.
Price: ££-£££
12. Emerald Cruises
Emerald is best known for its smart, contemporary riverboats but has recently launched its first ocean-going ship, Emerald Azzurra, with a second ship, Emerald Sakara, launched in February 2023. Destinations include the Adriatic, Aegean, Middle East, Caribbean and Central America.
If you like the idea of a very small ship, carrying just 100, with the feel of a private yacht in its elegant lines, infinity pool, Missoni Home amenities and top-deck cocktail bar, this could be the one. There are no butlers or speciality dining, but pretty well everything is included — and you can’t put a price on occupying the best moorings in town alongside other superyachts, rather than in the wilderness of a cruise port, along with the 5,000-passenger ships.
What’s included? All dining, drinks with meals, crew tips, basic wi-fi, some excursions, flights, transfers, use of water toys and e-bikes.
Price ££
13. Saga
The Nepalese restaurant on Saga’s Spirit of Adventure
Unapologetically geared towards the over-50s market, Saga is the cruise line to choose if you want to enjoy a relaxed experience in a blissfully child-free environment. It has a small fleet of four relatively new ships — the oldest debuted in 2017 while the newest first sailed in 2022 — plus boutique vessels that it charters for selected European sailings.
Unique to Saga are the thoughtful extras, like travel insurance, unlimited luggage and door-to-door transfers and porterage. On its ocean-faring vessels, Spirit of Adventure and Spirit of Discovery, guests also enjoy a private balcony, and access to spa facilities including hydrotherapy pool, infrared sauna and steam room as standard. It sails to well-trodden destinations, from the US and the Caribbean to the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea, with departures from the UK.
What’s included? All meals (including speciality restaurants) and drinks on board, 24-hour room service, wi-fi, excursions at selected ports, door-to-door transfers and travel insurance.
Price ££
14. Explora Journeys
The new kid on the sailing block is Explora Journeys, MSC Group’s foray into the luxury market. Its first ship, Explora I, made its maiden voyage in August 2023 and Explora II, III and IV are on the way.
The experience is inspired by the ocean and, to that end, the public spaces inside and outside are designed to maximise the sea view, with floor-to-ceiling windows. Multigenerational travel is also encouraged by way of 78 connected suites. Elsewhere, there are six restaurants with one featuring a guest chef, and a sumptuous spa with a hydrotherapy pool, Finnish sauna and salt cave.
What’s included? Food and drinks (with upgrades available), wi-fi, gratuities, wellbeing programme onboard and in destination, and transfers from port to the city.
Price ££
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Additional reporting by Qin Xie and Imogen Lepere
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