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You know it’s true – it’s not just kids who love toys. Cruise lines have upped the ante to wow you. Here are some nice examples.
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Five star kennel
Equipment: Cunard’s flagship, the Queen Mary 2, is the only ship to transport dogs and cats across the Atlantic, housed in 24 kennels. The details: The pampered pets have their own uniformed handler, an exercise area with a Liverpool lamppost and a New York fire hydrant, and a lounge for the owner to socialize. The boast: You can make new animal loving friends and Fido can say that he too has sailed the ocean blue.
private pools
Equipment: Luxury suites with pools are almost a must on land but a rarity at sea. The duplex Edge Villas on Celebrity’s three newest ships (Beyond, Apex, and Edge) have private, three-foot-deep plunge pools that give land resorts a bang for their buck. The details: The pools aren’t big enough for laps, but they’re ideal for cooling off during Mediterranean and Caribbean cruises. There are six Edge Mansions on each ship, which include butlers. Pool cocktails, anyone? The boast: Swimming in your own “pond” outside your own “villa” while enjoying the ever-changing ocean views takes the overwater bungalow concept to a whole new level.
ice chambers
Equipment: Viking’s ocean fleet of nine identical ships has some of the best spas at sea. with oversized whirlpools, heated loungers, and—hey, cryotherapy enthusiasts—snow caves. The details: Embrace Nordic cold-warm therapy in a tiny, glass-fronted chamber, where you sit between rocks and real snow, before warming up in the sauna — and repeating. The boast: It’s no exaggeration to say that you threw a snowball into the middle of the sea while wearing a bathing suit.
submarines
Equipment: In this age of immersive travel, it’s not enough to see the sights above the water—you want to plumb the depths. Both the Seabourn Venture and Scenic Eclipse submarines seat six and can dive 300 meters below the surface of the sea – or, in Antarctica, under the ice. The details: These are no ordinary submarines! Both have comfortable leather-trimmed seats set into giant acrylic spheres for 360-degree views. Seabourn’s also has a champagne cooler. The boast: You watched penguins bombarding underwater while you sipped bubbly under the polar ice. (What on earth would Shackleton say?)
Underwater Lounge
Equipment: For those who don’t want to get wet or use a submarine, French luxury line Ponant has installed a multi-sensory “Blue Eye” lounge under the waterline of its six Explorer ships. The details: You’ll see marine life as well as hear via hydrophones on the ship’s hull. The Blue Eye seats up to 40 people (so you’ll want a front row seat) and has a bar. The boast: Describe how you sit back in the rippling blue underwater light, watching for the shadowy shapes of approaching whales and listening to their haunting song.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS TIP
Many luxury ships have impressive wine cellars – with corresponding surcharges. Silversea’s Connoisseur List, which includes more than 160 selected vintages, is sold at virtually cost. Some passengers even buy bottles to take home.
This story will appear in the Summer 2022 issue of City Country. SUBSCRIBE NOW
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