Poshest digs at sea – best in ultra-luxury cruise line family suites

DETROIT, MI – If intellectual and thought-provoking activities are what you desire from a family vacation, the Ultra-Luxury and Ultra-Premium cruise lines provide many outstanding choices.

DETROIT, MI – If intellectual and thought-provoking activities are what you desire from a family vacation, the Ultra-Luxury and Ultra-Premium cruise lines provide many outstanding choices. In addition to offering the very best in family accommodations, these lines also present the best in cultured and mind-expanding activities and programs.

Imagine taking your child to a ballet in Russia or the opera in Italy, or introducing them to charitable shore excursions and cultural immersions in foreign lands. They can hear from acclaimed presenters that include foreign dignitaries, lauded chefs, or celebrated performers… or experience programs like Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Club Mariner youth program, which works in conjunction with respected scientists and daring explorers to provide a new perspective on our environment, unique locations on our planet, and even destinations beyond Earth!


The experts have done the research for you, giving insight into some of the best posh family cabins available in the Ultra-Luxury and Ultra-Premium category. This is just a sampling of what the lines have to offer; however; there are many cabins, on many lines, that might be well suited to your family’s particular needs.

When looking at the Ultra-Luxury and Ultra-Premium lines, it’s important to remember that not all of them are well suited to sailing with small children, so be sure to reference the minimum sailing ages and cruise line children’s policies and programs before booking.

The cabins well suited to families on board the Ultra-Luxury Cruise Lines are as follows:

Crystal Cruises – Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Penthouse Suite with Verandah aboard Crystal Symphony is 982 square feet. The master bath features a heated floor, a spa flotation tub and a shower with a customized shower director and heated bench. The master bedroom has a queen-sized bed and a walk-in closet.

Amenities include 24-hour-a-day butler service, a complimentary welcome bottle of Cristal champagne upon arrival, complimentary soft drinks, beer and bottled water in the stock refrigerator; free Wi-Fi, fresh flowers and unlimited specialty restaurant dining.
Crystal offers a variety of enrichment programs. Be it film production, magic, bridge, golf or photography, you can choose a voyage that suits your interests.

Seabourn – The Wintergarden Suite features a personal suite stewardess, a dining area that seats six, two bathrooms and a glass enclosed solarium with tub and daybed. Amenities include complimentary internet, an in-suite bar featuring water, soft drinks, beer and your requested wines or spirits.

Seabourn invites individuals of particular interest and accomplishment in their fields to join their guests on board. Seabourn says, “Daring explorers, heralded chefs, learned scholars, celebrated performers and renowned experts from every arena of the arts, sciences, politics and the humanities share your journey” on their intimate ships.

SeaDream Yacht Club – SeaDream’s Commodore Suite sleeps up to five passengers and is 390 square feet. The suite features two full baths, a spacious seating area and plenty of storage.

SeaDream’s twin, luxury mega-yachts SeaDream I and SeaDream II feature teak decks, inviting seating and lounging areas with plenty of room to stroll or simply relax and watch the world go by. From the moment you are welcomed aboard by the Captain, it feels as if you are being welcomed onto your own private luxury yacht.

Seadream offers a variety of guest lecturers as part of their enrichment program.

Silversea – The two-bedroom Owner’s Suite is 1,264 square feet including the veranda. It features a living room, two bedrooms, a separate dining area, two bathrooms, a walk-in closet, a refrigerator and bar stocked with your preferences, free Wi-Fi and dinner for two in Le Champagne.

Silversea offers the Silver Perspectives® Enrichment Program that offers lectures by their highly qualified Expedition team and guest speakers onboard their cruises, as well as shoreside activities and an interactive epicurean program aboard their Culinary and Wine Voyages.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises – The Regent Suite is 2,917 square feet with a 958 square-foot balcony. It features two bedrooms, a living room, an in-suite spa, wraparound balcony, a private vista garden and two and a half marble- and-stone-detailed bathrooms.

Also included: butler service, free first-class air for domestic flights and free business-class air for international flights, free private transfers, a personal car to explore ashore, free unlimited spa services, free one-night pre-cruise hotel stay, free unlimited laundry, free Wi-Fi, discounts on wine, liquor and shore excursions, complimentary mini-bar with sodas, beer and bottled water.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Spotlight Series voyages focus on a particular subject that allows their guests to experience the music and dance of world-renowned entertainers, learn the fine art of pairing wine with food, or gain insight into world affairs at the hand of former ambassadors, politicians and other dignitaries.

And here’s a look at some of CruiseCompete’s favorite cabins for families on today’s Ultra-Premium cruise lines: Azamara Club Cruises, Cunard Line Ltd., Oceania Cruises and Windstar Cruises.

Azamara Club Cruises – Club World Owner’s Suite

The largest suite aboard Azamara’s ships – the Club World Owner’s Suite – features a living from with a separate bedroom. Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors lead to a private veranda, and the marble bathroom has a whirlpool tub.

Guest will enjoy butler service, 235 minutes of complimentary internet per guest, a free bag of laundry service, complimentary seating in specialty restaurants, plus a complimentary Insider Access℠ or Nights & Cool Places℠ Land Discoveries® excursion.
Enrichment activities onboard Azamara Club Cruises include: Seminars and lectures by Azamara’s own onboard experts, Land Discoveries® seminars to discuss particular excursions,wine tastings hosted by the sommelier, culinary demonstrations and computer classes in Excel, PowerPoint and Photoshop.

Cunard Line Ltd. – The Grand Duplexes

Your family can live like royalty aboard Cunard Line. The Grand Duplexes aboard the Queen Mary 2 are 2,249 square feet and feature an extensive balcony, a fully stocked bar and a dining area that seats eight. The master bedroom includes private exercise equipment, two dressing rooms with connecting bathrooms and a separate whirlpool bath. Amenities include personal butler service, complimentary bar set up with your choice of spirits or wine and soft drinks, access to the grills lounge and access to the Queens Grill restaurant.

Cunard offer some thought provoking and valuable learning opportunities on board its ships. One such program is CUNARD INSIGHTS ®, where writers, actors, film-makers, politicians, explorers, scientists, historians and even the occasional astronaut have been invited to inform and entertain.

Oceania Cruises – The Owner’s Suite

A possible consideration for families aboard Oceania is the Owner’s Suite, which is more than 2,000 square feet. Amenities include exclusive access to the Executive Lounge, 24-hour butler service, complimentary in-suite bar setup with six full-size bottles of premium spirits and wines, unlimited access to Canyon Ranch SpaClub® private Spa Terrace, free unlimited internet, and a refrigerated mini-bar with free and unlimited soft drinks and bottled water replenished daily.

Oceania Cruises offers voyages that investigate culinary, wine, music, health & wellness themes. Guests can experience seminars, hands-on classes, concerts, wine tastings and more. On some voyages, Chef Jacques Pépin, up-and-coming jazz musicians and noted editors may be special guests.

A family option aboard Windstar is the Owner’s Suite, found aboard the Star Pride, Star Breeze and Star Legend.

This 575-square-foot Owner’s Suite offers a separate living room and dining area, full master bath and a separate powder room.

Windstar Cruises is now offering themed cruise dates in partnership with the esteemed James Beard Foundation. Every James Beard Foundation Collection Cruise will feature a JBF host chef who will work in an interactive way with guests, providing local market tours, curated meals and tapas, culinary demonstrations and more.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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