So what does lux -u- ry mean when it comes to Cruising?

So what does lux -u- ry mean when it comes to Cruising??I’ve had just over 800 nights at sea in my travel career and for me it’s the state of great comfort.?

Now that doesn’t mean it has to be something 5* plus, (but it helps) as so many wonderful cruise lines offer luxury especially at the top end of their suite offerings.,

I’ve reflected on the word luxury these past 6 weeks as I’ve had the privilege to sail with one of the world’s luxury cruise lines, Regent Seven Seas on two amazing voyages.?Firstly ,one we booked 2 years prior in the midst of the darkness of Covid, Lisbon to Capetown – West Coast of Africa and the second a close to home cruise Singapore to Sydney over Christmas.?

Luxury I’ve come to realise after years @ sea is an experience without hassle or compromise. ?The booking process with a luxury cruise line should offer options and choice and the ability to rethink decisions to have the ultimate cruise experience.?This should also be a part of the online experience making it easy to navigate your booking being able to secure shore excursions and dining in speciality restaurants.?

All luxury operators include the essentials like prepaid gratuities and unlimited quality beverages including wine and spirits and French Champagne.?At the booking stage some cruise lines offer complimentary transfers or pre hotel nights or indeed land voyages pre or post the cruise – this is true value to the cruiser and it takes the hassle out of getting to/from the cruise.?Some cruise lines offer reduced business class airfares better than anything in the market place so it’s often easy to offer?a cruise around an airfare., not the other way as it’s so often been in the travel industry.

I often get asked why or how do we sell so much luxury cruising.?Well that’s quite simple, once you’ve experienced it first hand it’s easy to think of your valued clients who would love the experience and often they have never cruised with a luxury cruise line but they have taken a suite on a contemporary ship or a land side resort. They like some space and they like some value added extras.,?Cruising offers this choice with the luxury cruise lines.?When you are able to place the client on the right ship/cruise line, then the business manifests itself as when they are happy and onboard they will more than likely re book and that booking comes straight back to you to manage .,

But don’t be fooled by thinking luxury is about a brand new build ship, luxury is about the feel of the ship as the people who work that ship will make that ship.?

So it’s time to embark, this is where you start to feel?luxury , no queues, no long lines, simple and efficient port side procedures, straight on to the ship, straight to a nice lunch and often straight to your suite.?

It’s time to unpack and a luxury cruise liner with invariably have a walk in in closet, loads of hanging space and in Regent’s case, free laundry.?Yes that means you don’t have to travel with so much as it’s put out in the morning and back the following evening.?That feeling that everything is fresh and well cared for is luxury.??Globally Butler’s are popular for higher suite categories, personally I don’t think Australian’s really care about this, it’s an added bonus but not part of their luxury buying choices.,

You enter the bathroom that is sizeable, often a separate shower and bath (not a shower of bath) with great amenities – Regent has L’Occitane.??You are tired and you eye off the bed, Regent’s are so popular they sell their Elite Slumber beds and deliver them to your home.?Can see the Australia ?Post note now, you have a parcel to collect!!! Then there is the pillow menu, choice to suit everyone on the bed made up with 100% Egyptian cotton 1000 thread count.?, and by now you haven’t left the suite.?

The mini bar is stocked with your personal choice alcohol or non alcohol, there’s?a French Champagne?fine Belgian chocolates a beautiful flower arrangement or orchid and fresh fruit.?Most ships are moving to being sustainable in all they do so we have VERO water, and water bottles so that wherever we go on the vessel we can top up our water bottles (no plastics).?What Regent didn’t think about was making the water bottles insulated which would make them more use able by the guests in keeping their water cool during a hot or humid shore excursion and they would be something they would take home instead of leaving behind in the staterooms as they disembark.

After unpacking it’s time to see about connectivity.?Most luxury cruises offer complimentary wifi – read the fine print. , many are per person in the suite for the duration of the cruise, some are both guests with high loyalty days.?Regent is not so smart here for first time cruisers to Gold level as it’s one for the suite and then USD24.99 per day for the second account.?If you like to read you will also know to head to a ships well stocked library of books and games., daily newspapers etc.?Nightly on your bed will be your latest news from home, Australian News – it’s delivered to all the nationalities onboard .

Luxury means as you move around the ship your key card is simply to get you into your suite.?Everything is included and you don’t have to keep showing that to have a drink as it’s open bars and lounges around the vessel.?You do have to pay to your ship account boutique purchases, casino/bingo, spa treatments.

Regent has included unlimited shore excursions., that means you can (if you have a min of 75mins between) enjoy a morning tour and an afternoon tour or a full day tour of choice.?The range of tours that are complimentary are extensive and there are other more unique offerings?(Regent Choice) you can pay surcharges for.?The important thing to remember is that these should be booked online before arrival and this can be done up to 7 days prior to embark.?It’s easy onboard to speak with the Destination Services to change, add to or even cancel a tour.??Tours are then smaller numbers per coach, ferry, train etc making them more personalised. The pre tour booklet on line should be printed as it has valuable information on duration, difficulty of the tour, inclusions , if meals are included, if they are local Tours (go local) or accessible for those who need some extra care and attention and the FREE tour price $0.00 and it shows the retail price if you had to purchase – real?value most being around USD$125 pp for a half day tour.?

Luxury is also that personal touch.?Within 24hrs I’m greeted with ‘good morning Mrs Sinfield’.?The care and attention is second to none from the deck hands to the Maitre d’Hotel or even the Master as he dines amidst the cruisers for lunch or dinner. Luxury is being able to mingle and communicate without the question ‘what do you do’! , ‘what did you pay’!

Whatever your diet or mood, dining is always about you, whenever, wherever?and with whomever.?Table for two , no issue.?Share a table, by all means.?Feel like a night in and don’t want to leave the suite how about complimentary room service, served from the appetizers, main courses and desserts of the main restaurant Compass Rose. Regent offers , depending on the vessel, ?a myriad of choice of restaurants and quality beverages with each meal.?Special requests around dietary needs expertly handled with the minimum of fuss to embarrass.??

Compass Rose is the main dining room for breakfast, most lunches and nightly dinner.?

La Veranda is buffet style for lunch and dinner and by night become Sette Mari with authentic Italian dishes.???

Pool grill popular on our cruises with warm days, casual for lunch and dinner out under the stars.?

The speciality restaurants are available for all to experience., Prime 7 is the steakhouse and seafood place to go., Chartreuse is classic French fare and Pacific Rim is Pan Asian.?These restaurants have no surcharge.?

Entertainment onboard any luxury cruise line is some of the best in the world.?You will always have guest lecturers speaking about the region you are cruising.?Love Bridge, then you’ll have bridge instructors you organise daily bridge sessions.?Things to do around the vessel , a lot of choice especially on sea days and come night time it’s elegant casual dress, which simply means out of your day clothes (shorts and thongs) and into something like you would go out to dinner in at home.?Night entertainment begins at 6pm across the vessel, bars and lounges and main theatre room.?Quality entertainers from around the world.

So don’t be frightened about luxury – you have the clients already somewhere on your desk.?Choose one luxury provider and reach out to the BDM and start to work on a plan to build the business , it starts with you experiencing the product and the perfect time is now, as the ships return to Australia there would often be capacity to allow that short sector for the first hand knowledge you need., - and finally if you are not a CLIA member join, their training will enhance your ability to successfully sell and enjoy the luxury cruise experience., -

These are personal observations, - Robyn Sinfield, Home Travel Company – Penguin Tasmania 12/12/2022.,