How to Choose a Luxury Cruise Line That's Right For You

Overwhelmed and spoilt for choice? There are only a handful of true luxury cruise lines, and on paper they all promise the same things. Small ships, fine dining, impeccable service, ports the big ships can't reach. So how do you choose between them without spending a fortune, not really knowing, and just hoping for the best?

I'm Moira, founder of Avenzi Travel and a former British Airways long-haul crew member. I spent 20 years at the sharp end of how good travel works, and I now help people choose luxury cruises for a living. Trusted by pilots, and by a lot of experienced travellers who'd rather have an honest steer than a sales pitch.

This is how to choose a luxury cruise line the honest way. The way I'd talk a friend through it.

The mistake most people make is starting with the brand. They read a glowing review of one line, book it, and only afterwards discover it wasn't suited to how they actually like to travel. The better way round is to start with you.

Start With How You Travel

Before you look at a single ship, get honest about what you want from the holiday.

Do you want to be busy or unhurried? Do you love a long, lingering dinner, or would you rather be off exploring? Are you travelling as a couple, with friends, or solo? Do you want everything paid for upfront, or are you happy to make a few choices along the way?

Your answers matter far more than any "best luxury cruise line" list. The right line is simply the one that matches the way you like to spend your days.

Get that match right and almost any of the top lines will delight you. Get it wrong and even the finest ship afloat will leave you cold.

Know the Difference Between Luxury and Premium

This trips a lot of people up.

Premium lines like Celebrity and Azamara are excellent and stylish, sitting a step below true luxury on price, ship size and how much is included. Always remember: it's not what you pay to get ON the ship, it's what you pay to get OFF the ship.

Luxury lines are much smaller, far more inclusive and more personal, with a much higher crew-to-guest ratio. Silversea, Seabourn, Regent Seven Seas, Crystal, and the new kid on the block, Explora Journeys. You can relax once you board, knowing everything is taken care of and your only job is to enjoy it.

Neither tier is "better". A premium line can be the smarter choice for the right traveller, and I'll happily say so. But knowing which tier you're actually shopping in stops you comparing things that aren't comparable, and stops you overpaying for a label you don't need.

What true luxury usually buys you

• Under 1,000 guests, often under 600, and roughly one crew member for every guest
• All-suite accommodation, nearly always with a balcony
• Drinks included as standard, wine and spirits alongside the soft stuff
• Gratuities included, so no envelope maths on the last night
• Speciality restaurants at no extra charge, or close to it
• Small ports the 3,000-guest ships physically cannot enter

What premium gets right

• Genuinely good ships at a much lower entry price
• More choice of itineraries and departure dates
• More people on board, which suits travellers who want atmosphere and company
• You pay for extras as you use them, which some people prefer

Silversea: The Widest Reach in Luxury

Strengths

Silversea goes almost everywhere. Classic ocean ships, purpose-built expedition ships, the Galápagos, and world voyages. Butler service comes with every suite, which is unusual at this level and genuinely useful once you stop being shy about asking. The newer Nova-class ships carry around 728 guests and have changed the feel of the fleet, with far more glass, more outdoor dining and an asymmetric layout that gives you sea views from places you don't expect.

Their door-to-door fare option is worth understanding. It bundles flights, transfers and a pre-cruise hotel into one price, which takes a lot of admin off your plate.

Weaknesses

The fare structure changed and shore excursions are no longer broadly included the way they once were, so compare like for like before assuming it's the all-in option. The fleet also spans a wide range of ages and styles, so "a Silversea cruise" can mean very different things depending on the ship. Silver Whisper feels nothing like Silver Ray.

Best for

Travellers who want serious range in destinations, who like the idea of a butler, and who want one brand that can take them from the Mediterranean to Antarctica without dropping standards.

Seabourn: The Food and the Feel

Strengths

My personal standout for dining. The quality of ingredients shows in every venue on the ship, and Solis has been perfected into the event you look forward to all cruise. If the weather's good you can sit out on deck with the ocean as the backdrop to dinner.

Ships are small, around 450 to 600 guests on the ocean fleet and 264 on the expedition ships. Every suite is a suite, and the atmosphere is sociable without being loud. Caviar on request, anywhere on the ship, is not a gimmick once you've tried it at the marina.

And "inclusive" at this level goes further than people expect. On my last Seabourn sailing, the minibar in our suite was stocked with our preferences before we even boarded, and topped up all week. You stop thinking about where to have a drink. That's the standard you're actually buying.

Weaknesses

Shore excursions cost extra, and in some regions they're expensive. There's no dedicated children's programme, which is either a drawback or the entire point depending on who you are. Entertainment is deliberately low-key, so if you want a big production show every night, look elsewhere.

Best for

Anyone who plans their day around dinner. Couples, solo travellers who like easy conversation at the bar, and people who want small-ship intimacy without an expedition parka.

Regent Seven Seas: The One Where Everything's Paid For

Strengths

Regent is the only luxury line to include unlimited complimentary shore excursions, and it's wonderful if you never want to think about money once you've booked. More time deciding what to pack, no credit card surprises when you get home.

Most fares also include flights, a pre-cruise hotel night, all speciality dining, drinks and gratuities. Suites are the largest afloat by some margin, and the ships carry around 490 to 750 guests.

Weaknesses

You pay for all that upfront, and the sticker price frightens people who haven't done the sums. If you're the sort who'd rather do your own thing in port than join a group tour, you're partly paying for something you won't use. The décor leans traditional and opinions divide sharply on it.

Best for

Travellers who want absolute cost certainty, who enjoy organised touring, and who value suite space and a proper walk-in wardrobe. It's the one I most often recommend to first-time luxury cruisers who are nervous about hidden costs.

Explora Journeys: The Newcomer Worth Watching

Strengths

MSC's luxury brand, and they've spent properly on it. Around 900 guests, contemporary European design, and a much more relaxed dress culture than the older luxury lines. Nine dining venues, an unusually good spa, and four outdoor pools, which matters more than you'd think on a warm-weather itinerary.

Weaknesses

It's the biggest of the luxury ships, so it feels less intimate. The brand is still finding its rhythm and service can be inconsistent in a way the established lines have long since sorted. Fewer loyal repeat guests means less of that clubby feel some people are looking for.

Best for

Younger luxury travellers, anyone who bristles at formal nights, and people who want modern design rather than mahogany and brass.

Crystal: The Classic, Properly Back

Strengths

Crystal was reborn under Abercrombie & Kent and the refit was not a cosmetic one. Suite counts came down, space per guest went up, and Umi Uma remains the best Nobu at sea. Service is formal in the good sense, and the crew retention shows.

Weaknesses

Fewer ships means fewer itineraries, so you're fitting your dates around theirs. It skews older than Explora or Silversea's newer ships, and if you want an expedition element you'll need a different line.

Best for

Experienced cruisers who liked the old Crystal, anyone who values a proper enrichment programme, and travellers who want longer, slower itineraries. I've written a full Crystal Cruises review if you want the detail.

Oceania: For People Who Plan Holidays Around Dinner

Strengths

Oceania sits at the top of premium rather than in true luxury, and it's honest about that. The food is the reason to book. Jacques Pépin's influence is real, the speciality restaurants carry no surcharge, and the newer Vista-class ships are lovely. Itineraries are long and port-heavy, often with overnight stays.

Weaknesses

Drinks aren't included as standard on the base fare, so read what you're buying. Ships carry 670 to 1,250 guests, so it's a step up in scale from Seabourn or Silversea. Cabins on the older Regatta-class ships are small by luxury standards.

Best for

Serious food travellers, people who want to actually see the destination rather than the pool deck, and anyone who wants close-to-luxury quality at a price that doesn't sting.

Viking Ocean: Quiet, Adult and Very Good Value

Strengths

Identical 930-guest ships, adults only, no casino, no photographers chasing you round the atrium. One shore excursion per port is included, along with wine and beer at lunch and dinner, and the Nordic spa is included too. The design is calm Scandinavian and it's beautifully done.

Weaknesses

Spirits and premium wine cost extra, so the "included" story isn't as complete as Regent's. Every ship being the same is efficient and slightly characterless. Cabins are smaller than the luxury lines and there's no butler service.

Best for

Curious, culturally-minded travellers who want quiet, and anyone testing whether they like this style of cruising before committing to luxury money. Excellent value, and I say that as someone who is normally sceptical of that phrase.

Luxury Cruise Line Comparison at a Glance

Guest numbers are typical fleet ranges. Fares move constantly, so treat the per-night figures as a rough guide for planning rather than a quote. Ask me for live pricing on your dates.

You can see the full range of lines I work with here.

Ship Size, and Why It Decides More Than You Think

Smaller ships reach smaller ports, feel calmer and more personal. A 450-guest ship can tie up in Portofino or sail into Bora Bora's lagoon. A 3,000-guest ship anchors offshore and tenders you in, which costs you an hour each way and a lot of queuing.

Larger luxury ships give you more dining choice and more space to roam. Silversea and Seabourn carry fewer guests than Crystal and Explora Journeys, and for some people that detail alone decides it.

Expedition ships are a growing part of this. Seabourn and Silversea are both putting real focus into luxury expedition itineraries for 2027 and 2028, with proper ice class, onboard submarines and expedition teams who know what they're talking about.

One practical test: look at the crew-to-guest ratio, then look at the number of restaurants. A ship with near 1:1 crew and five dining venues will feel completely different from one with 1:2 and two venues, whatever the brochure says.

What's Actually Included, and What You'll Still Pay For

This is the big one, and it's where people get caught out.

Regent Seven Seas is now the only luxury line to include unlimited complimentary shore excursions, since Silversea amended its fare structures. Silversea and Seabourn include a great deal too, with a little more à la carte, such as speciality dining and signature wine tasting events as add-ons.

I've broken down exactly what Silversea's fares include if you want the detail on one line rather than the comparison.

Across the luxury lines you can generally expect these to be included:

• All meals in all restaurants, with occasional exceptions for a chef's table
• Drinks, including decent wines by the glass and spirits
• Gratuities
• In-suite minibar, stocked to your preferences
• 24-hour room service
• Onboard entertainment and enrichment talks

And these usually cost extra, even at this level:

• Shore excursions, unless you're on Regent
• Spa treatments and salon
• Fine wines above the house selection
• Laundry and dry cleaning, though some suite grades include it
• Wi-Fi above the basic included tier on some lines
• Flights and hotels, unless bundled into your fare

If certainty matters to you, this one factor can decide your line on its own.

What a Luxury Cruise Actually Costs

Most people fixate on the headline fare and then get a nasty shock. Work it out per night, all in, and compare properly.

Take the fare, divide by the number of nights, then add what you'll realistically spend. For a 10-night Mediterranean sailing, that means excursions at roughly £120 to £250 a day for two if you're going ashore with the ship, flights, a hotel night either side, and travel insurance that actually covers you.

A Regent fare that looks £2,000 more expensive than a competitor's often isn't, once you've added 8 days of excursions and a pair of business class flights. I do this maths for clients all the time and the answer surprises people in both directions.

Match the Line to the Destination

The "best" line also depends on where you're going.

Some lines shine in the Mediterranean. Others are built for expedition sailing in the Arctic and Antarctica, or for long, classic world voyages. A line that's perfect for Greek-island summers might not be the one I'd choose for a polar expedition.

• Mediterranean and Greek islands: Seabourn or Silversea, for the small ports and the late departures
• Northern Europe and the fjords: Viking or Regent, both strong on the culture side
• Caribbean: Seabourn, mostly for the marina days off the back of the ship
• Antarctica and the Arctic: Silversea or Seabourn expedition ships
• Japan and Asia: Silversea or Regent, for the longer overnight port stays
• World voyages: Crystal or Silversea

Decide roughly where you want to go, and the field narrows quickly.

Three Mistakes I See People Make

Booking the line instead of the ship. Fleets vary enormously. Ask which specific ship, what year it was refitted, and how many guests it carries. A 25-year-old ship and a 2024 ship under the same flag are different holidays.

Choosing the cheapest suite category and regretting it. On a small ship the difference between deck 5 forward and deck 8 midship is real, especially on a crossing. Spend the upgrade money here before you spend it anywhere else.

Comparing an all-inclusive fare to a bare one. Put both on the same footing before you decide. It takes 10 minutes and it's the single most useful thing you can do.

If you'd rather not make any of them, tell me how you like to travel and I'll narrow it down for you.

How to Choose a Luxury Cruise Line, in Short

Start with how you actually like to travel. Get clear on how inclusive you want the fare to be. Match the ship size and pace to your taste, then match the line to where you're going. The rest is detail, and it's the detail I'm happy to handle with you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between luxury and premium cruise lines?

Luxury lines carry fewer guests, usually under 1,000, and include far more in the fare: drinks, gratuities, speciality dining and often flights. Crew-to-guest ratios approach 1:1. Premium lines like Celebrity, Azamara and Oceania are excellent ships at a lower price, with more guests on board and more paid extras. The tier you want depends on how much you mind paying as you go.

Which luxury cruise line is best for first-time cruisers?

Regent Seven Seas, most of the time. Almost everything is included, so there's no anxiety about what you're spending, and the shore excursions being covered removes the biggest unknown. Viking Ocean is the other good starting point if you want to test the style before committing to luxury pricing.

Which luxury cruise line has the best food?

Seabourn, in my experience, for consistency across every venue on the ship rather than one standout restaurant. Crystal wins on a single venue, because Umi Uma is genuinely excellent. Oceania is the best value if food is the reason you're going.

Which luxury cruise line is best for solo travellers?

Seabourn and Silversea both handle solo guests well, with sociable bars, hosted tables and a crew that notices when you'd rather be left alone. Silversea and Regent run reduced single supplements on selected sailings, which is worth asking about before you book anything. Solo supplements are one of the areas where an advisor genuinely saves you money, because the good deals aren't advertised.

How much does a luxury cruise actually cost?

Roughly £250 to £1,100 per person per night depending on the line, the suite and the season, before flights. Work out the all-in cost per night, including excursions and flights, before comparing two fares. All-inclusive lines often work out cheaper than they look.

Which luxury cruise lines include shore excursions?

Regent Seven Seas includes unlimited shore excursions on every sailing. Viking Ocean includes one per port. Silversea, Seabourn, Crystal and Explora Journeys charge for them, though some fares include a credit. This is the single biggest variable in what a cruise ends up costing.

Which luxury cruise line is best for expedition cruising?

Silversea and Seabourn, both of which run purpose-built expedition ships with proper ice class and serious expedition teams. Silversea has the larger expedition fleet and the wider polar programme. Both are investing heavily for 2027 and 2028.

A Note on Doing It Well

A luxury cruise is a significant amount of money, and the difference between a good one and a perfect one is almost always the matching: the right line, the right ship, the right suite, the right itinerary, for you.

That matching is quiet, unglamorous work. It's reading between the lines of what someone tells me they want, knowing which ship handles a particular sea, knowing where the value really sits. It's also exactly what you don't get from a booking website or a call centre that only remembers you for as long as it takes to hand over your card details.

And I see it from an unusual angle. After 20 years delivering service at 38,000 feet, I notice what a crew gets right and what they're covering for, and that judgement goes into every recommendation I make.