I Discovered What Ultra-Luxury Cruising Is REALLY All About 

You sold me when you said "no kids".

Very informative and eye opening. Your attention to explaining the differences has helped me understand that how I cruise now is exactly where I belong!

I think you didn’t mention one other thing and that’s the type of passengers you’re cruising with no drunken loudmouth no fights by the pool no men or women walking around wearing things that either they shouldn’t be wearing or haven’t fit in. The main thing for me though is service service service.

Great informative video, thank you !

Hi Virginia here from Montreal. I love your videos! Quite informative! A few comments about Luxury cruise lines and how they differentiate. I have sailed on Crystal Cruises a few times. One difference is in the quality and expertise of the daily lecturers. All specialists in their field and so very entertaining and professionally delivered. Crystal also offers Spanish classes, IPAD and Photoshop classes as well as and my favourite keyboard classes. These are not seen on non luxury lines. Also Crystal offers Dance Hosts for unaccompanied travelers. You are so spot on about the crew remembering your name and preferences... How do they do that? :-) Best to you Gary!

I think the pandemic has thought people the importance of multiple streams of income, unfortunately having a job doesn't mean security rather having different investments is the real deal

The only cruise company to come close to Silverseas is Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady, we had a rock star suite on VV.

Caviar is overrated

Please try to book Seacloud. That is ultra cruise experience.

The major thing Seabourn has going for is is size. However it is not what it used to be over the 22 years I have been cruising with them. My last cruise required a dedicated concierge. That did not happen. Your house maid is supposed to take the place of a butler. That was a useless exercise. With one specilaity restaurant, which will be gone in 2024 the replacement Solis will not work. When compared to Regent, their dining options are dismal. If you compare their dining options with Oceania, they do not even rate. Seabourn overall has had its day. I would suggets to all those that are joined by the hip to Seabourn, do your self a favour and tkae a cruise on Oceania and Regent.

Very nice

From our experience as regular cruisers on Regent, I would add Business Class flights included, butler, room restocked every day with alcohol of your choice, free night before the cruise in a luxury hotel, and outstanding, focused service.

As a solo traveler, yeah it's even more expensive. But the experience and the crew and passengers and other features made it well worth my money. Size was a big factor for me. I look at the ships with 3 - 6000 passengers and I know from prior experience that I would not be happy and isn't that what its all about?

I've never cruised or thought of it, but your video, with all of your energy, enthusiasm AND open-eyed honesty makes me reconsider. THANK YOU for creating these videos, it's something the industry would NEVER do. The information is much appreciated.

It’s definitely about the smaller ships, no children and personal attention to the smallest details. Our first experience was in the luxury river cruises and this translates to the seagoing trips as well. I’d rather do one luxury cruise than five on the mega ships surrounded by screaming kids.

I would rather have there be ultra luxury cruise lines, rather than seperation of passengers/classes on a ship!!

We are fans of Seabourn and you are right, small matters in the overall experience. It extends to port excursions. We have found Seabourn typically books 20-25 people per excursion versus 30 to 40 people on other lines. Another excursion plus - Seabourn treats you like an adult. If your excursion tickets says be on the bus at 8:50 am, just get off the ship and get on the bus. We hated our experience on other lines where everyone needed to queue up in the theatre and wait (and wait and wait) for their excursion number to be called. What a terrible way to treat your customers.

Once again, you have come through for the cruising community. My situation is not uncommon. I retired, worked all my life and started cruising on my honeymoon 43 years ago. I wanted to elevate my luxury experience as my taste changed. From inside cabin all the way to the Owners Suite on a Mainstream Cruise Brand. I finally got the ability to do a 7-day cruise on what is called a Luxury Brand. Your video was beyond accurate. What was the most obvious differences is the hardest to explain. Personalized service. It was wonderful. The food was also outstanding. What I learned was, that was not enough to justify the investment that was almost as much as a small SUV. The result was to realize, I was already getting the important aspects of a cruising experience in the VIP sections of Mainstream Cruise lines like NCL Haven, MSC Yacht Club and Celebrity Retreat. That is not everyone's take but it has become mine. Even then, there is a point when the price exceeds the value, and a nice balcony sure does give you extra money to spend on other things to make your cruise special. What I like about your video's is you say it like you see it. Bravo. Thanks for the time and effort.

You pay more for .... a smaller, more intimate ship / no fairground attractions / better class of passenger / less queuing and crowding / better, more personal service / no kids / better food / ....

I suspect, when It comes to cruising there is a greater diminishing return as you move up the....errrrr, quality ladder. The move from luxury to ultra luxury is probably so comparable that, that You are not paying for the slight improvement in on board soft product, but what you are really paying for is to be around the "right people". The ultra luxury price is essentially a poletax that keeps the unwashed and semi-washed out.

I have to say you hit the nail on the head. My sister her husband and my husband and myself are going on a cruise to Japan. We prefer a smaller ship and the exclusivity appeals. Why go on holiday if its not as good as home. I am a grandmother and holidays with them are totally different I want an adult experience and to be looked after for 2 weeks. Good to put yourself first once in a while.

The last thing... class of customers, from education, life experience, manners, and socio economoc status is very different aboard mass market, mid and ultra luxury, as you would expect due to the cost differentials.

I was surprised at your take. I cruise NCL and Celebrity with grandkids and sister and my husband and I only cruise on Regent. I don’t think there is anything even close to the luxury, service, food and feeling of Regent. I think it’s worth every extra dollar.

I was just a guest entertainer on Seabourn. It is really lovely!!

What’s great about smaller ships is that there are less people getting on and off the ship, destinations are less crowded. You don’t feel like a tourist. You also get to know more people. I also feel you’re not as welcome when 5000 people are getting of a ship at the same time

Thank You. Now I can stop wondering what I’m missing.

The other key point with the ultra luxury ships is that the passengers space ratio in the public rooms is greater, meaning there is more square footage per person in all the public rooms combined. For example most of the all suites ships have about 70 square feet of total public room space per passenger (at full capacity). The mass market ships often come in at 30 square feet of public room space per passenger and the premium ships 40 square feet or better. So the ultra luxury ships feel less crowded normally both due to the fewer number of guests and more public space per guest. And all that costs money

I do prefer children and some night life.....I 'll stay with the larger ships....I am 60 and do not like old stuffy people.

Gary, I was on Seabourn for 52 days sailing from Athens to Hong Kong. I agree with you, the crew provided extraordinary service. As a solo woman, they made sure I never dined alone unless I wanted to. It felt like home, surrounded by people who felt like family. One thing you missed was the caviar. Every evening at 5:00, they delivered a beautiful plate to me filled with it. From what I can tell, Seabourn is the only line providing unlimited caviar. (Of course, not everyone would find that special.) No request was difficult and always accompanied with a smile. There are experiences which can’t be quantified, but you know when they are missing. In all my time, Seabourn never overlooked the small things and went out of their way to make sure I had the best before I even realized I wanted it. As you can see, I love this little cruise line.

We completed a recent 14 day Greek Island cruise on Seabourn. We will never do a large ship again. The small size and crew experience made the trip. The small size of the excursions made the experience much more enjoyable. All the nickel and dimming on larger ships made the slight extra cost for the ultra luxury experience made it worth the cost. It was amazing how quickly the crew new our names and our preferences .

Very much enjoyed the video but honestly speaking... the cruise you just described was NOT luxury since luxury as much as any physical aspect lies in nights of peaceful slumbers. Assuming you were bothered by the cabin neighbor's loud TV as you explained then the cruise line has a major flaw in not controlling volume levels on the on board in room equipment to a level that does not permeate the walls of the cabins. That kind of noise in one's room is the type of thing that can make the cruise less enjoyable then staying at home.

Just got off a Seabourn Caribbean cruise after a month on and this was the best cruise I have ever experienced from being on the ship perspective (not the ports). We have taken 125+ cruises and have Diamond Status on SB. There were just over 100 guests and 360 crew, name another vacation where it is 1;3! The food was exceptional, entertainment first class. But it was the staff that made this not the best cruise vacation but the best vacation on the planet. I also don't think they are that much more expensive when you factor the lack of the tipping the real all inclusive drinks and service across all restaurants. There are also incentives with on board credits and therefore our bill at the end of 4 weeks including sessions in the spa and all trips came to $35! Apart from 2 Brits that hogged beds for reasons that cannot be worked out as there were so few people there, the passengers were all there to have a good time, socialise and get back to some form of normality. It was a truly brilliant vacation. Well Done to all Seabourn Oddessy Staff.

I think your neighbours did have the TV blaring loudly, but they weren't watching it ;)

Just give me my balcony, & I'm fine.

Caviar is extremely overated. Tastes a bit like seawater. Rather have some coldwater prawns.

Just wanted to say that my experience with the crew on Royal Caribbean recently was spot on. They knew my name immediately and would bring me my drink before I even asked and I got to know several of them very well. I think it just depends on how you talk to them.

I think you can add, you are paying for a better class of cruise mates.

My wife and I will soon be sailing with Regent Seven Seas for a 24 day swan through the Caribbean. For us what sets Regent apart for are the following: 1. We are brought in a day prior to the cruise and put up in a very nice hotel for the evening. Dinner is usually on our own, but breakfast is included in the fare. 2. Airfare is included in the price of the cruise including business class air on international flights. And if Regent's travel concierge makes the flight arrangements then Regent is responsible for getting us to the ship even if there is some type of air deviation. 3. Our laundry is done once a week so we don't have to pack as many clothes. 4. All ground transfers between the airport, hotel and pier are included in the fare. Truly once the final payment is made you don't open your wallet again unless you go to the casino, spa or one of the boutiques.

Hi Gary, love your videos. They helped me in deciding on which cruise line to choose for my first ever cruise (I am going to Alaska). I ended up choosing Silversea (with the help of a cruise agent) for the following reasons: 1) Itinerary - they were in the ports I wanted to visit for the most of amount time 2) Amount of fellow cruisers or lack there of. I hate crowds and the thought of 3000 (or more) other people in such a small place just wasn't for me. 3) The type of people who will be my fellow cruisers appear to be a more sedate and mellow crowd 4) Silverseas's 20% solo traveller premium seemed to be fair charge compared paying double on Celebrity Since I haven't been on any cruise, I hope I have chosen well.

If you have to tender on a small ship you also get ashore much quicker than on a large ship. There are more tenders per person and they don't wait to go until thy are full. One comes back, one goes. The ship will also anchor nearer the dock so the transit is quicker as well. Big plus.

Cruise ships all used to be that way, back in the day before mass market cruising. My first two cruises were on Commodore Cruise Line's "Enchanted Isle' and "Enchanted Seas", two sister ships that carried 700 passengers each. It's also what I like about Holland America's smaller ships. I've been on all of them. I have no interest in cruise ships that are over 80,000 tons with more than 1500 passengers.

It’s all about the Molton Brown toiletries, lol. I had never experienced ‘luxury’ bubble baths before! They were amazing! Generally, it was about space, and privacy. We swam alone in the pool after hours…we had the aft hot tub and deck entirely to ourselves…including on New Year’s Eve. Seabourn seems geared for ‘old money’. Zero cultural diversity anywhere. One distant Royal was there with a toddler, but she was the only child. They won’t sail away without you…in fact, I believe I held up a helicopter tour because I slept late…but they waited for me, which was nice. We never touched our luggage once, they even offered to help me pack. The noise of the anchor truly was awful…but the specialty dining was the best I have ever had. It was insanely expensive, though. Bucket-list or new inheritance kind of costs. Nice not being nickel-and-dimed to death…but I think the big ships have improved to compare. The entertainment is better on the big ships, but the loading and off-loading is so much better on the smaller ones.

Since we first sailed on Regent Seven Seas in 2014, we have not used any other cruise line. We love the smaller size and the fact that these cruises are indeed ALL INCLUSIVE. Covid has put us on hold for the last year and a half. We DO have three cruises booked on three different Regent ships for 2022 and 2023. I agree with all that you pointed out, Gary. Thanks for these interesting videos

I pay the extra $$$ for these cruises to avoid the dingbat twerking on the Lido deck at midnight and the 4 year old pissing in the pool.

In September 2022 my wife and I cruised the western Mediterranean on Celebrity. This May we will be cruising on Regent for the first time. The Regent cruise will actually be CHEAPER after you tally up all the things we paid extra for on Celebrity. What sold me on Regent is INCLUDED shore excursions as well as included valet laundry service.

In terms of size, I'd suggest that the ratio of Net Tonnage to passengers gives a good indication of the level of luxury. That number comes out in tons per passenger. Thus a larger ship like a Crystal may still have a high space ratio, even with a larger passenger count. The passenger to crew ratio is also a pretty good indicator of how the service is going to go. With more crew, esp. service crew, they can spend more time with each passenger. So far the best food we've had while cruising has been on Sea Dreams. Usually considered a 5.5 star line. I agree in part that the majors have improved their food experience, but it's still not all the way up there. Regent also includes airfare in their packages. I agree that the 6 star lines do cost more when everything is added together but looking at the "teaser" rates for a Carnival or Princess cruise does not come close to the actual cost. While looking at the "teaser" rates for a Regent or Seabourn comes much closer to being the actual cost. David

One major difference is the price itself; it acts as a "barrier to entry." Only a certain level of people can afford the more expensive cruise. This allows for the rich to self-select their shipmates. It eliminates the "hoi polloi" that one finds on a Carnival cruise, for instance. And it ensures that passengers are of the same socio-economic level. In effect, the price is not a deterrent - it's a benefit in and of itself.

I've never been disappointed with Viking after trying a couple other ocean cruises. Have another scheduled this winter.

Ultra luxury for me is being on a ship that has a max of 500 or less cruisers. Tenement ships are not for us. Also not interested in shows or gambling. I'm more interested in learning about the area in which we're cruising.

Here is the real value: You pay more not to have working class folks like me on board. Your pancakes maybe only average, you might miss a waterslide and you actually despise caviar but it is in fact the absence of certain folks you are willing to pay for ;-)

I sailed on a Silver Sea a number of years ago and it was the finest cruise experience of the dozen or so cruises I have been on. We were treated fabulously by the crew and the food was far better than any other experience. It was a small ship and I was able to not only get tremendous access to the ship, but was able to get to know my fellow passengers as well. It was awesome on all levels.

One is paying to avoid Walmart on the water.

Excellent video, as always, Gary. You are always so thorough with your explanations so that cruisers (or cruisers to be) can make informed decisions as to which cruise experience is best for them. Thank you.

In the eighties and early nineties nearly all ships were small. It was much easier to connect with people outside of your group because you saw them more times a day. We actually did things with people we had never met before like renting a small bus to go on our own excursion or just gather at a bar before dinner. Recently i was on the Aidanova and MSC Seaside and I almost never ran in the same people twice. I feld completely anonymous which I think is a pity...

Size of ship is the differentiator that matters most to me. Example: On a Regent cruise stop in Santorini, we took an (included) excursion started with shuttle service from the pier, after tendering in. Upon returning, saw huge line of people from a larger cruise ship waiting in line to take the cable car up to the town. I estimated they were waiting in line for 30 minutes to an hour.

All of that is so important to my wife and I but to us the most important is an enforced dress code. We got so tired of people on “gala” evenings showing up dressed for an evening at MacDonalds then dressed for a formal evening. We refuse to cruise with a ship line that won’t even enforce the lowest standards they set for themselves. They continue to define deviancy down. No thanks.

You've hit the proverbial nail on the head. For us, ultra-luxury cruising is about attention to detail, exclusivity, service, and an ADULTS-ONLY environment. There is far more to the value proposition than merely cost, which is the least important aspect of all. We're Seabourn customers and have zero interest in ever sailing with any other line, excepting only our latent curiosity regarding Cunard's transatlantic voyage. That said, if you told me that their Queens Grill product doesn't measure up to Seabourn in every way, I'd put it out of my mind entirely without regret.

The smaller ships would attract me.

How'd you go right into Ho Chi Minh city? It's two hours from the ocean. Did you take the Saigon river?

Can't afford an ultra-luxury cruise, but if I could, can easily say I'd go with the smaller ship option every time. Not having to mix with riff-raff of the large cruise ships that focus on the high volume, value-priced tourist is a huge difference.

I see the huge ships when I’m on holiday and they look like my idea of hell. These options look lovely, even my kids would enjoy them (they *hated* kids clubs/kid themed things even when small). (No idea why this vid came on my feed as we’ve never been cruise people.)

The six star lines , seabourn, regent and silversea are a cut above. The food, service and interiors are of luxury. You pay for what you get, no children, excursions, drinks WiFi etc. I think it’s wrong to compare them to 5-4 star lines, they are completely different. The experience you get on a silversea for example will be greater than your everyday p&O!

We have never been disappointed with Viking as well - but took our first Seabourn cruise last August and see the difference... and find we like it!

If you are a single male, do NOT go ultra-luxury or even premium and expect to encounter single women. These two types are for couples. Single women (be they widows or divorcees) travel on mass cruise ships. I gave ultra-luxury a try and there wasn't a single single woman on the ship. I gave premium three tries and on each ship, I could count the single women on one hand. But on mass ships, there has been hundreds of single women. The bigger the ship, the more they are on it. If the single women do have a lot of money, my experience is they just get more expensive suites on mass ships. Remember that many single women travel with their single female friends and commonly differ how much they are willing to spend on cabins. I met an insanely rich widow who only stays in inside cabins. I asked her why and she said nothing makes you feel more alone than staying in a massive suite. I totally agree.

I’m sorry Gary I don’t agree with you about quality of food. We stopped going on Holland America after dozens of cruises because we found the food had consistently deteriorated. Also dining in the regular restaurant on the Queen Mary was not good compared to the Queen’s Grill. I believe they do it on purpose so that you will pay for the restaurants. The food on Crystal and Seabourn is absolutely amazing.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on ultra luxury cruises Gary.. My wife and I like Celebrity Cruise line they're a good middle ground option.

We found that the people on the “ultra “ lines were more interesting and we had more in common with. We also really enjoyed the afternoon lectures, on sea days. The service is excellent and as you said nobody is trying to sell imitation watches, Pashmina, diamonds etc. To sum up I’d rather go on 1 Crystal (or Regent etc ) cruise than 10 Holland America etc cruises. Thanks I enjoy your videos

IMHO they can deny it until they’re blue in the face, but I believe that for 90% of the attraction for luxury cruisers is not having to mingle with the riff raff that can be found on regular cruise lines. For another thing, I would find the “smallness” as you refer to it as undesirable for me. I like full mega ships. It feels exciting.

What, exactly we’re you expecting? A ship is a ship. Weather can’t be controlled. Bad WiFi happens everywhere you didn’t actually say what it was that you thought should be different. What would have made a difference for you personally.

For me, it's all down to service, as you rightly point out, on most lines you will get good service, heck one of our best cruises service wise was on Carnival, however, the "Ultra luxury lines" take it to a different level. To give an example, the wife and I were on Sea Dream I, being an insomniac my wife is prone to going up on deck with her Kindle. One morning I wake up around 6am, no wife, I get out of bed, throw on some clothes and head on deck to find her, fully expecting to see her sitting in a chair reading. Nope, she was asleep on a bali bed, covered in a comforter, with one of the crew standing a few feet away next to a table with coffee and juices ready for her when she woke up. To be clear, there had been a crew member standing around ready to serve her drinks for 6-7 hours.

Let's admit it, the higher price fares are there mostly to keep us riff raff folks away

Just back from Odyssey of the Seas after 18 months without leaving Florida. Technical inventions of shows like The Book and being the first to experience The Effectors made it incredible. Yes the exclusivity of cruising in the 1970s is gone, but the innovative shows are a motive to cruise! No way Seaborne can compete, but yes your three differences are a reason to pay more for extra luxury! Looking forward to reaching our 150th cruise in November!

I like the good old days where everything seemed to be first class. Now you get the idea that planes buses ships are more like chicken carriers. I stay home

This was very interesting. I probably won’t go to this class of cruising because it’s just not worth it to me. I do want to try Oceania which is a lower category.

Thank you Gary, for another informative presentation. Excellent details and balanced analysis.

As a self professed 'budget cruiser' I almost skipped past this video but glad I stopped by. It's really interesting about small size equating increased luxury in some people's view. I used to cruise on Voyages of Discovery (small!) initially for an itinerary passing through the Suez Canal, then for its access to smaller ports, and it was routinely cheaper per night than mainstream 4000+ passenger ships. But maybe that's why it went into administration 🤔

For me, it is also the space per passenger- not worrying about finding a sun lounge or crowded venues. It is so much more relaxing to not have to plan your day with military precision, or get up much earlier than you would like to avoid queues or get sun loungers in your desired area. Even with places like the Haven on NCL, you have to deal with the crowds and queues every time you venture beyond that area.

The higher price obviously eliminates bargain-hunters. That alone might be considered by some as a luxury feature, as their cruise mates will tend to be those for whom cost isn't such a concern.

The biggest difference is there is not as many people on board which is why you would pay more. Big difference between a couple of thousand and 4600..

On German ultraluxury lines the staff is chosen from German 5star hotels. The passengers are basically the same you find in German 5star hotels.

Celebrity we found to be just right. The ultra lines include many things we just never utilize. Small ships have less entertainment. Our jobs require us to interact with people all the time. A ship like Equinox provides us with just the right level of service and entertainment. Vacation for “us” is chillaxin. Sorry Gary the food is way better on Celebrity than Carnival. One cannot debate that. Not we all have our tastes

Another great video Gary! But....I respectfully have to disagree on the price point. When comparing cost of mass market lines to the ultra lines, you have to ensure an apples to apples comparison. In other words, looking at the Norwegian Haven/Celebrity Suite Class vs. the ultra lines. I have found in many instances like cabins (when adding in all of the inclusions...air..potentially business class/excursions (more than one per port)/drinks/wifi/gratuities/room service/laundry/all meals...including all specialty dining/pre night hotel/porterage), the mass market lines to be more expensive than the ultra lines. The idea of getting on and off the ship and never paying an extra nickel is very nice not to mention the incredible itineraries that can be offered because of the size of the ships. In this day and age, I have to believe that is becoming more important for some.

I took a Regent cruise and I preferred it to the mass market cruise. For one thing everything was included. Most of my excursions were inducted. I could drink alcohol at any time, anywhere for free. There were no charges for any of the specialty dining or coffee drinks or ice cream or pizza. The ship provided transportation from some of the ports to the ship so if I wanted to stay in town after the excursion was over, I could easily get back to the ship. There was champagne in my room upon arrival. There were snacks in the lounges before dinner. People were far nicer and more polite. Giant ships are full of rude people,

Thank you for this excellent video. My preference is to cruise on ships of a modest size. I also like that it would a quieter experience that would emphasize quality rather than quantity. Vast 'glitzy' ships on offer these days have very limited appeal to me.

Thanks Gary. Another great video. Love them. 1 thing that I haven’t heard you mention yet about the smaller Ships, that I think is worth mentioning is the ease of off and on the Ship while in a port. It is so easy and nice to not have to deal with huge line ups at times that you may have to deal with the larger Ships. Also my Wife mentioned luxury lines exclusive events, which are unforgettable (an evening concert in Ephesus, exclusively opened for our ship) and the small ships often stay longer in ports after the mass-market ships depart, giving a quieter port experience.

when it comes to a cruise and any vacation it is what you make of it. in general any level of accommodation one can have a good times, its more of the mindset.

I would not call Holland America a "Premium Line". Quite the opposite.

I think one point that you may have felt funny to mention was the fact that people could feel they were cruising with wealthy successful people, rather than week to week paycheck people personally I love big crowded ships it feels like a party constantly even 3:00 in the morning at the snack bar

Thanks, Gary! I've been waiting for this topic. 😊

Thank you for this perspective. Your summary at the end is especially helpful. It seems like it comes down to the ambiance on board and whether or not you feel the higher level of service and exclusivity is worth the extra cost. Some will find it is worth it and others will not. The lack of children on board and the absence of "nickel and diming" would be very welcome.

Too many people on the big ships . It’s like a city . Smaller ships are like being on your own yacht . That’s the point for us .

Crystal is certainly ultra-luxury. The two current ocean ships may be slightly larger, but the personalised service and crew-to-passenger ratio gives the same experience as 400-600 passenger ships - with more amenities.

I guess it really depends on what you want in a cruise. This ultra luxury sounds Devine. I do prefer the mega ships, though. Great analysis, as usual.

You didn't mention that Regent includes airfare, most of which is Business Class, so that's a big plus. Really enjoy your videos.

2:44 Activities cancelled because of the weather? That is totally unacceptable. If you pay money for ultra-luxury cruising, the cruise line should control the weather. I'd demand my money back if I were you.

Nicely done Gary. As seasoned cruisers, we find ourselves edging more and more away from a suite on a large line and more towards the more attentive feel of exclusivity you elude to here. We recently had 8 cruises booked through to 2024 but have now adjusted to only 4 cruises with suites on Celebrity (Retreat); MSC (YC); Oceania Vista and Regent Seven Seas Grandeur. (We do have the Crystal Serenity booked for June but given their current situation, that likely won’t happen). Nice cruise-line. Hope they make it. To Gary’s point(s), while we’ll be paying about the same for 5 as we would have done for 8, it’s the overall experience we look forward to with each of the 5. In essence, we’ve become more selective. Choosing quality over quantity. Safe travels everyone ☺️

Must disagree with you with your comment on food. The vast difference of food quality between mass market ship to ultra luxury to people who understand food.

I've often found the difference between something for normal and "luxury" is just marketing. If you aren't rich enough to afford your own private yacht or yacht rental, then you're probably only a few tax brackets above the average middle class person who can afford to cruise. Real ultra luxury experiences either don't need to market or market in specialized ways that the average upper middle class (or even lower upper class) doesn't even have access to or awareness of. So, calling something "ultra luxury" usually just means they are catering to someone who probably doesn't cruise often (and so won't know the difference), but thinks of themselves as a bit more elevated above the rabble who cruise "normal" cruises. But both of those groups are still leagues away from the truly rich and true ultra luxury experiences.

If you have limited funds, ultra luxury is not a value add proposition. I guess it's like anything, what are you looking for: pampering or world experiences.

I think there are 2 big differences. First, in general, luxury cruise ships tend to be less crowded. Especially when carrying a larger capacity(more space per person and passenger to cruise employee ratio is smaller). And second, the amenities and butler service are a definite step above anything offered on less luxurious cruise lines.