Top 5 Luxury Cruise Lines

Here at Cruise Planners-Unique Family Adventures, we pride ourselves on working with travel partners that represent the best of the best that the world has to offer. We work with discerning travelers who appreciate the attention to detail and level of service they receive with luxury travel.

When it comes to cruising, we have five preferred partners who we believe represent the best of the best on the sea when it comes to cuisine, service, amenities, itineraries and other intangibles that sets them apart from other cruise lines. We enjoy preferred status with these lines, and our clients benefit from this as well.

Oceania Cruises
Oceania tends to focus on port-intensive itineraries that offer longer days in port. When on board, you’ll enjoy a more relaxed and unpretentious atmosphere that appeals to travelers who want to maximize the cultural experiences available on their sailing.

Photo ©Oceania

Another hallmark of Oceania cruises is outstanding food in a relaxed atmosphere.  Each of their ships features open seating dining and the specialty restaurants are not an extra charge like you may have experienced on the mass market line. Since most guests plan to spend most of their day ashore while in port, Oceania has a more relaxed dress code for dinner. There is no need to race back to the ship to prepare for formal dress each night.

Whether you choose to sail on one of their smaller, more intimate ships or one of the larger vessels, you are sure to find the high level of service and care. Emphasis is always placed on excellent cuisine paired with exciting and fascinating worldwide itineraries. Keep an eye out as I will be doing a blog about my recent sailing on the Oceania Riviera.

Guess who in the picture? Not me, but the gentleman. He's been Oceania's Culinary director since the beginning.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Regent Seven Seas cruises are by far the most all-inclusive of the luxury cruise lines. Your cruise fare includes a stateroom with private verandah (with a few exceptions on their smallest ship, the Seven Seas Navigator), flights, shore excursions, drinks, meals, WiFi and gratuities. And don’t think that means second rate options! Their ships feature a relaxed style, a variety of dining options, and genuinely top-notch excursions. 

Chartreuse dining room on board the Seven Seas ExplorerPhoto ©Regent

Including excursions in your cruise fare means that every port adventure receives the same level of care, efficiency, and attention to detail that luxury cruise guests have come to expect. Be sure to experience the Regent Classic excursions that will provide you with behind-the-scenes access and truly exclusive cultural experiences. While these excursions do come at an additional cost, they are well worth the added expense!



Crystal Cruises
One of the features that sets Crystal apart is the cutting-edge design of their ships. They have recently begun expanding into river, yacht and expedition cruising in addition to increasing their ocean cruise fleet with three new “Diamond Class” ships in 2022.


The beautifully revamped Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony ships feature Crystal’s world-class service, luxurious and tasteful atmosphere, and thoughtfully planned itineraries that feature multiple overnights in port paired with blissfully relaxing days at sea.

atrium onboard the Crystal Serenity Photo ©Crystal

If the yachting lifestyle intrigues you, the 62-guest Crystal Esprit is a perfect choice! This gorgeous ship has had travelers raving about their experiences visiting destinations such as the Adriatic and the Seychelles.       

Crystal has made their mark on luxury river cruising in Europe as well. The Crystal Bach and Crystal Debussy are enchanting guests on leisurely journeys on the Rhine and Moselle. The Crystal Mahler and Crystal Ravel captivate their guests with a selection of carefully crafted itineraries on the Rhine, Moselle, Main, and Danube. No matter which ship you select, you’ll find spacious and beautifully decorated staterooms, welcoming guest spaces, and award-winning wine and cuisine.



Seabourn Cruises
If your dream cruise includes sailing on modern and ultra-luxurious ships with lots of space and unparalleled levels of highly personalized service, then look no further than Seabourn.


You’ll find a stylish and relaxed atmosphere with plenty of space on board each ship in the Seabourn fleet. The ships seemed to be designed to provide passengers with a real connection to the sea, something you won’t find on just any cruise ship.

Earth & Ocean at the Patio” onboard the Seabourn OvationPhoto ©Seabourn

They even feature opportunities for enjoying dinner al-fresco. With “Earth & Ocean at the Patio” dinner, guests dine on meat brochettes quick-fired or grilled; beef brisket slow-cooked or braised, and traditional Chinese-style filled bao buns. Seabourn’s President, Richard Meadows says this unique experience provides “guests a culinary voyage to far-flung regions of the world served in a remarkably welcoming and relaxing open-air space.”


Seabourn offers a variety of worldwide itineraries and features shorter sailings as well as the opportunity to combine a series of cruises to create longer more extensive voyages.



Silversea Cruises
Silversea offers guests the option of their classic small ship luxury cruises (their ships range in capacity from 300-600 passengers), or for those adventurous guests, they offer off-the-beaten-path options through their Silversea Expeditions fleet.

No matter which option you choose, you’ll enjoy their industry-leading service and incredible hospitality. For 2021 Silverseas is having 2 world cruises, one expedition and the other classic. For 2020 their world cruise will stop at all 7 continents.

Superior Verandah Suite onboard the Silver SpiritPhoto ©Silversea 

We often recommend Silversea to our most well-traveled clients. The fantastic experiences they provide make it no surprise that most of our clients become repeat guests (and Silversea is known for taking exceptional care of their repeat guests!). Our clients appreciate the full range of itineraries they offer, especially when it comes to bucket-list destinations such as Bangladesh, the Russian Far East, and West Africa.


With five new ships joining the fleet by 2021, there will be even more exciting adventures to be had.





Selecting the right cruise line, ship, and itinerary can feel overwhelming at times. Scheduling a cruise consultation will allow us to provide you with customized recommendations based on our expertise and experience with the varied options available.



Click here to request a time for us to meet. We’ll discuss the details and what you are looking for. We’ll give you our suggestions and explain how we can best work together to plan an unforgettable luxury cruise vacation.

Mediterranean Cruise Travel Tips

             The idea of a Mediterranean cruise brings to mind blue waters, sunny beaches, major cities and small villages, world famous museums, ancient churches and ruins, great food and interesting cultures.  For the enterprising traveler, a cruise ship - which cuts down on travel time, and essentially provide you a floating hotel - a creates a convenient way to experience the Mediterranean and all the history and culture and beauty she has to offer.  Its no wonder that after the Caribbean and Alaska, the Mediterranean is the most popular cruise destination for Americans year after year. Traveling on a cruise to the Mediterranean at first look,  may seem a little daunting, with the different languages and cultures.  But with a little planning  and understanding your options, you can ensure you will have the most satisfying cruise experience.


When to Go
       Weather in the Mediterranean is marked by warm dry summers and wet winters.  So summer is the traditional season for Mediterranean cruises, when the sun is warm and the weather makes shore excursions enjoyable, but also the season for of the highest demand by far.  If you go in the summer book your cruise as far in advance as possible and use transportation where available when on shore.  If you can't deal with the crowds at the Colosseum in Rome during the summer heat, you can avoid the crowds and the heat by booking cruises early in the season - April and May -- and later, after Labor Day till early October.  You will save money on cruise fare and airfare by traveling in shoulder months.

What Itinerary to Choose
       Routes in the Mediterranean depend on the cruise line you select and the length of your stay.  The cruise lines separate the Mediterranean into two areas, east and west.  Western Mediterranean cruises stop in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and France.  They tend to offer a wider variety of on-shore options, ranging from sunny beaches to cultural and historic hot spots.  You should pay attention to the size of a ship cruising to the western Mediterranean.  Big ships tend to focus on the largest ports, while smaller ships dock in more out of the way towns and villages.
       Eastern cruises travel to Greece, Turkey, and Croatia.  Most of them emphasize Greece for its combination of ancient culture and inviting islands; other destinations in the area focus more on museums and ruins, with less attention on the beaches.  Because the Mediterranean offers so many options, focus on a few specific areas you absolutely want to see and book the cruise that covers those areas, leaving the remainder of the region for another trip.

Which Cruise Line
       At the same time you're considering which countries to visit, check out the offerings of your favorite cruise  line.  In selecting a cruise line for a Mediterranean vacation, first-timers might ask themselves some questions about their expectations.  If your traveling with children, you might consider family friendly Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line or MSC Cruises.  If your more interested in good food, luxurious accommodations, adult activities, smaller ports and extended shore excursions; try a premium cruise line like Princess, or Celebrity, or luxury brands such as Oceania Cruises or Azamara Club Cruises.  Another decision you need to decide is on the atmosphere of the ship.  If you want more of an American themed ship, with English only language spoken and American themed meals and entertainment then sail on ships from American based lines like Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, or Princess.  These lines run a limited number of ships on limited routes mostly on a seasonal basis.  If you want a more international cruise experience, with announcements made in multiple languages, and the blend of passengers more mixed, then a European based line like MSC or Costa Lines is for you.  Plus these cruise lines sail year round in the Mediterranean and offer more trip options than the American lines do.

Norwegian Cruise Line's Upscale Bid

        Norwegian Cruise Line, just announced an agreement to acquire the privately held Prestige Cruises International, the parent company of Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, for $3.025 billion.  The deal combines one of the world's biggest  and fastest growing mass-market lines with two leaders of the upscale side of the cruise industry.  In contrast to Norwegian's multi-thousand passenger ships, Oceania and Regent operate more intimate ships that carry 490 to 1250 passengers and offer a more luxurious and expensive experience.

       According to Norwegian CEO Kevin Sheehan, "The acquisition of Prestige represent an extraordinary opportunity for Norwegian Cruise Line to expand our market presence by adding two established, award-winning brands in the upscale cruise segment with loyal followings.  Sheehan also added that the combination would "pave the way for new cross-selling opportunities, cross-brand collaboration, and cross-business support".  Even after the acquisition, Norwegian will remain the third largest cruise company in size with 21 ships.  The industry leader Carnival, has 100 ships among its 10 brands; and Royal Caribbean Cruises who has 42 ships with its six brands, including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara.