Show Me the Money
Just as William Shakespeare's Juliet said: “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”, luxury by any other name would feel as “suite”. It's true. Luxury embodies the finest quality in everything. And it's not lost on cruise travel. A luxury suite on a cruise ship is the envy of most cruisers.
Yet, it comes at a price right? Well...yes and no! It may surprise you to learn that when all that's included is factored in to the total cost, a luxury cruise voyage holds it's own compared to other less “high end” competitors. Let's take a closer look.
The following comparison is courtesy of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, an all inclusive luxury cruise line:
ALASKA
7 Nights
Regent Cruise Lines® Other Luxury Cruise Lines Premium Cruise Lines
Seven Seas Explorer® (averages) (averages)
Guest Capacity: 750 Guest Capacity: 527 Guest Capacity: 3,225
Suite Size: 415 sq ft Suite Size: 376 sq ft Suite Size: 411 sq ft
Cruise fare: $7,499 $5,370 $3,934
per person
Round trip: Included $867 $1,466
Econ Air
Transfers: Included $198 $168
Shore: Included $596 $447
Excursions
WiFi: Included Included $157
Gratuities: Included Included $117
Bar Drinks: Included Included $538
& Wine
Alt. Dining: Included $60 $96
Govt. tax: Included $213 $226
& fees
TOTAL $5,299 $6,408 $4,799
CRUISE
FARE*
Per Diem: $530 $641 $480
*Alaska Luxury and Premium Comparison fares and costs shown are valid as of 2/25/2020 and based on the following voyage: Seven Seas Explorer® 7/14/2021. Luxury cruise lines used for average costs include Seabourn and Silversea. Premium cruise lines used for average costs include Princess and Celebrity. All details were obtained from individual cruise line websites and reservation centers at time of printing. Assumptions have been made as follows: Shore Excursion values are based on Regent Seven Seas Cruises average cost by destination sample ports - $179 for Alaska. Dining in specialty restaurants 2 times during 7-Night voyage. Air fares shown are from
Dallas/Fort Worth Airport and include carrier imposed surcharges and other taxes. Ships’ Registry: Marshall Islands & Bahamas. ©2020 Regent Seven Seas Cruises
In conclusion, a suite on an all inclusive luxury cruise is without a doubt a very good value. Does that mean the only reason to choose a luxury suite for your cruise is it's value in dollars? By no means! A plethora of reasons lend themselves to choosing a luxury suite. We'll explore those other reasons another day.
About the writer:
Nancy Holmes Ploener is a Luxury Cruise Advisor with Suite Dream Cruises, LLC, an affiliate of Gifted Travel Network- a Virtuoso member agency. She works one-on-one with clients who want to enjoy the journey as much as the destination. Her specialty is helping her clients see the world from the vantage of luxury cruising.