The Telegraph Travel

Butler? Check. Champagne? Check. Ocean views and a sea breeze? Check and check. Picture: Silversea Cruises Source: Supplied
THE butler’s at your beck and call, the champagne’s on ice and the views are ready to impress.
Welcome to cruise ship life at the top end of town.
It’s a few rungs up from bunk-bed berths where the only luxury is peering through portholes.
We’re talking suites bigger than houses – and prices almost as large.
From swish spas to fancy fittings to gourmet in-suite dining options, these top-class cruising options let you kick back and enjoy the spoils of your splurge in some of the best digs on offer at sea.
And since everything is brought to you, you won’t even need to find your “sea legs” in one of these well-serviced suites.
Queen Mary 2
Grand Duplexes
There’s champagne and strawberries on arrival and a nightly pillow chocolate provided with turndown service. But the little luxuries are the only thing little about this suite experience. You’ve got 685sq m over two storeys to spread out in (about three times the size of an average Aussie home) – with huge private balconies to enjoy. There’s butler service, exclusive access to the Queens Grill Lounge and in-suite dining from Queens Grill menu. Fit for royalty, these residences-at-sea are aptly named the Balmoral and Sandringham suites.
Sample price: $95,000 for a 14-night Transatlantic crossing for two ($6800 per person per night).

There’s ample space for entertaining in one of the Queen Mary 2’s Grand Duplexes. Picture: CunardSource: Supplied

No need to visit the gym – there’s exercise gear in the Grand Duplex. But with an area of 685sq m, this suite is so big, just getting around it may be exercise enough. Picture: Cunard Source: Supplied
Crystal Symphony
Crystal Penthouse
Can’t decide between relaxing in the bath, staring at the horizon or watching telly? Never fear, the Crystal Penthouse has you covered with its ocean view bathrooms, which feature jacuzzi tubs and TVs. These 300sq m suites are attended by a penthouse attendant and butler and are kitted out with glamorous furnishings such as a Swarovski chandelier and crystal pedestal sink in the powder room.
Sample price: $43,500 for an eight-night China-Japan cruise for two ($2700 per person per night).

The bathroom – complete with TV over bath – in the Crystal Penthouse suite. Picture: Crystal CruisesSource: Supplied

The Crystal Penthouse’s fittings include a Swarovski chandelier. Picture: Crystal Cruises Source:Supplied
Oasis of the Seas
Royal Loft Suite
If music (and money) is your thing then you’ll probably be expecting a piano in your suite and the Royal Loft doesn’t disappoint, with a baby grand part of the deal. Spread over two levels totalling 148.6sq m, these suites feature panoramic views, a 81.2sq m private balcony with jacuzzi, a wet bar and two dining areas.
Sample price: $24,000 for a seven-night Caribbean cruise for two ($1700 per person per night).

There’s plenty of space on the Oasis of the Seas, one of the world’s biggest cruise ships, for a super-spacious couple’s bathroom in the Royal Loft Suites. Picture: Royal Caribbean InternationalSource: Supplied

The Royal Loft Suites are right ready for you to stage a sea shanty singalong round the baby grand. Picture: Royal Caribbean International Source: Supplied
Seabourn Odyssey
Wintergarden Suites
Seabourn specialises in luxury and these suites are among the top of the range. These 102sq m suites feature ocean views, glass-enclosed solarium with tub and day bed, bathroom with whirlpool bathtub, guest bath, a pantry with wet bar and dining for six, with service provided by a personal suite stewardess.
Sample price: $48,000 for an 11-night Mediterranean cruise for two ($2200 per person per night).

Take your pick in the Wintergarden Suite solarium area – tub or daybed. Picture: Seabourn Cruise Line Source: Supplied

Fruit, flowers and flowing bubbles – all part of the service in the Wintergarden Suites on the Seabourn Odyssey. Picture: Seabourn Cruise Line Source: Supplied
Celebrity Reflection
Reflection Suite
Nothing says luxury like being able to flaunt your naked self in a glass shower that juts out over the side of a ship. And that’s exactly what the sea-view bathroom in this swish two-bedroom suite on the Celebrity Reflection offers. There’s also veranda tubs with rain shower, butler service, customisable mattresses, iPad and in-room specialty dining options.
Sample price: $26,500 for a seven-night Caribbean cruise for two ($1900 per person per night).

Guests can let it all hang out while hanging over the edge of the ship in the sea-view bathroom shower in the Reflection Suite. Picture: Celebrity Cruises Source: Supplied

The Reflection Suite dining table sits 10, alongside panoramic ocean views. Picture: Celebrity Cruises Source: Supplied
Silver Spirit
Owner’s Suite
Basic butler service is standard on board Silversea’s luxury ships but if you opt for the top-of-the-range Owner’s Suite, the service is stepped up to include such extravagances as organising in-suite cocktail parties, serving afternoon canapes and drawing a scented whirlpool bath. Owner’s Suites, either one or two-bedroom, start at 120sq m, with a large teak veranda, separate dining area, marble bathroom with double vanity and whirlpool tub, powder room and bar stocked with your preferences.
Sample price: $24,500 for an eight-night Pacific Islands cruise for two ($1530 per person per night).

Silversea ships maintain a staff-to-guest ratio of nearly one to one. Picture: Silversea CruisesSource: Supplied

Living and dining in the Owner’s Suite on the Silver Spirit. Picture: Silversea Cruises Source:Supplied