Luxury & All Inclusive Cruises
Most fine hotels around the world provide at least one presidential or ultra grand suite or villa where visiting dignitaries, wealthy clientele, or special VIPs can be accommodated with facilities that can house a small entourage, entertain guests, and provide extra services and amenities. The same is true on most luxury or all inclusive cruise lines. Luxury cruise lines offer some awesome accommodations measuring up to 5,000 square feet and with price tags has high as $6,000 per night. Therefore, it is not surprising that fine hotels at sea would offer similar luxury accommodations. Historically, the existence of ultra grand suites on luxury cruise lines has undergone a metamorphosis. During the era of the legendary superliners such as the Titanic, Normandic, and Queen Mary offering extremely large, ultra deluxe accommodations was de rigeur. However, during the period between 1970 to 1985, when cruise lines gained popularity with the mass market of vacationers, expensive suites were not a priority and cruise lines considered a 400 to 600 square foot stateroom more than sufficient for important clientele. The final decade of the twentieth century was a period of unprecedented growth for the cruise industry during which small companies were gobbled up by the major leaguers who raised funds to acquire and/or build new ships by selling shares of stock to the public. Millions of dollars were spent annually on advertising and publicity in an attempt to stay afloat with the competition and to create the image of having the most prestigious levels. Savvy cruise operators seeking top ratings from cruise ship reviewers as well as wishing to appeal to high-profile personalities and a wealthy clientele who could afford and demand the very best wisely included at least one or two special ultra deluxe suites in the 800 to 1400 square foot range on their new vessels at fare ranging from $750 to $1,200 per person per night. Cruise ships that offer regal staterooms such as these can justifiably call themselves luxury cruise lines. It is not uncommon for these grand suites at sea to include a master bath with a separate glassed-in shower stall; a large Jacuzzi tub; double vanities; toilet and bidet compartments; a second guest bathroom; an entryway; a large, elegantly furnished living room with a dining area; several giant televisions with VCR and CD attachments; a full-facility full stocked pantry where a chef can prepare meals; and one or more large verandas for alfresco entertaining or relaxing. Of course, rooms at the top vary from ship to ship, and some are neither at the top or the ship nor much more inviting than the deluxe category of suites otherwise available on luxury cruise lines. There is generally a special offering for the ultra wealthy whether it's a high-end digital television or a stately suite on a luxury cruise line. And with the numbers of wealthy people in America and the rest of the world growing, you can expect luxury cruise lines to offer bigger and better suites to the rich and famous. |
