Is luxury an overused word? There are luxury cruises and ultra-luxury cruises. Luxury has been a feature of cruising for decades. Most of our cruising experience has been with Cunard, however these luxury touches are probably found on many other cruise lines. As an FYI, we travel in regular cabins, not suites. We have experienced these luxury touches on every voyage.
- Breakfast in bed. Before you turn in for the night, you can fill out a breakfast order form which gets hung on your cabin door handle. You specify what you want for breakfast and when you would like it to arrive. We usually order rolls, juice and coffee as a pre breakfast.
- Your bed made daily. You might be a tidy person at home. Perhaps you make your bed every morning before leaving for work. On your cruise, your cabin steward comes in, makes your bed, changes towels if necessary and cleans your cabin. Unless you have daily room service, all this is not getting done at home.
- Nightly turndown service. When you return to your cabin after dinner, a show and dancing, there is a soft light beside your bed. Your blanket has been turned down. There is chocolate on your pillow. Soft music might be playing. This happens every evening.
- Luxury toiletries. Cruise lines often invest in luxury brands of soap and shampoo. Check out what they put into your shower. Take a photo of the label and see what these brands cost back home.
- The napkin in your lap. My wife and I talk about this all the time. When we sit down for dinner, neither of us stands alongside the other, unfolding a cloth napkin and dropping it into the other’s nap. This happens at every meal in the Cunard dining rooms.
- Treats after dinner. This varies by evening. Sometimes it is chocolate-covered mints or crystallized ginger. Other times it is small cakes called petit fours. This is a treat that arrives after coffee, as if we have not had enough to eat already!
- No bill presented after dining. Yes, cruise ship dining is similar to dining in a fine restaurant back home (with the exception of alcohol). There is no black folio presented with a bill, awaiting placement of your credit card. Your server is not expecting a tip before you leave the table.
- Formal nights. Some people don’t like them. We love them. It is fun to get dressed up. These are evenings, announced in advance, when you pull out the tuxedo and jewels and make an entrance into the dining room. Unless you entertain formally at home, this may only happen if you attend charity galas.
- Dressy cocktail parties. Most cruises have one or two. They have different names. It might be the captain’s welcome, the returning passenger party or a gathering of longtime loyalty club members. All the drinks and canapes are free. What a luxury!
- Afternoon tea. This is a Cunard tradition. Other cruise lines likely do it too. You sit at a low table as a white-gloved waiter pours tea into a china cup. Another server brings a tray of finger sandwiches. Classical music plays in the background.
These are all little touches of luxury that make cruising a great way to take a break from the fast pace of modern life.
Editor’s Notes:
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