Pamper yourself on the high seas with a trip on one of these high end vessels.
1. Viking Ocean Cruises’ Viking Star
The first seagoing vessel in the new ocean line from Viking (previously only a river-cruising outfit), the 930-passenger Viking Star—with a balcony for every stateroom—launched this spring. Lauren Rottet, whose eponymous studio has recently reimagined New York’s Loews Regency and Miami’s Royal Palm South Beach hotels to great acclaim, helped conceive the modern Scandinavian scheme. From $1,999 per person for an eight-day cruise; vikingcruises.com.
2. Ponant’s Le Lyrial
For the design of the 122-cabin Le Lyrial, the fifth ship in its fleet of small, yachtlike cruisers, the Marseille-based company Ponant turned to Jean-Philippe Nuel. He has created some of France’s most notable new boutique hotels (not least of all the Molitor, which centers on an Art Deco former public pool). He took inspiration for Le Lyrial, which debuted in May, from the ship’s ports of call, incorporating the turquoise of the Mediterranean and the icy blue of the Arctic. From $3,000 per person for an eight-day cruise; ponant.com
3. Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas
One of the most high-tech and amenity-rich large ships out there—think robotic bartenders, a skydive simulator, and boutiques from Tom Ford and Bulgari—the months-old 4,000-plus-passenger Anthem of the Seas is the second of three planned massive ships in Royal Caribbean’s new Quantum class. Shown is one of the ship’s restaurants, American Icon Grill.From $799 per person for a five-night cruise; royalcaribbean.com
4. Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Escape
Launching this month, the 4,200-passenger Norwegian Escape is another epically sized ship, the first in Norwegian Cruise Line’s top-tier Breakaway Plus class. Of note here is the all-suite Haven section. It's a sort of ship within a ship (entry to which requires special key-card access), featuring its own restaurant and special amenities, such as 24-hour butler and concierge services. From $899 per person for a seven-day cruise; ncl.com
5. Aqua Expeditions’ Aqua Mekong
Having redefined luxury cruising in the Amazon, Aqua expanded to Asia last fall, with the 20-suite Aqua Mekong plying the waters of its namesake river in Cambodia and Vietnam, between Siem Reap and Saigon. The Vietnamese architecture and interiors firm Noor Design created the contemporary, Southeast Asia–tinged decor, while the food is by Australian David Thompson, whose Nahm was the world’s first Michelin-starred Thai restaurant. Pictured is one of the guest suites. From $3,315 per person for a three-night cruise; aquaexpeditions.com.
Read on for more of the world's top luxury cruise experiences.
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