Smooth Sailing
Luxury Lines and Specialty Ships
Barbara Philps

While the megaships of the mainstream lines carry upwards
of 2,000 passengers, luxury lines and specialty ships tend to
provide a more intimate, not to mention considerably more
expensive, experience – one that’s often savoured by older cruisers.

“These lines attract boomers by offering great enrichment
and entertainment programs, memorable above-the-grade
service and dining experiences, and itineraries that are more
global,” says Mary Jean Tully, chairman and CEO of The Cruise
Professionals in Mississauga.“ They offer new and exotic
destinations that weren’t even thought of as ports 30 years ago,
such as the Middle East and India.”

For all of these reasons and more, says Tully, Crystal Cruises –
for which The Cruise Professionals is the top producing agency –
Regent Seven Seas, and Seabourn are the top luxury picks among
baby boomers today.

Los Angeles–based Crystal Cruises has been voted World’s Best Large-Ship Cruise Line for 14 consecutive years by readers of Travel + Leisure magazine, and according to Tully, it offers the best educational seminars, one of the big selling points today for knowledge-seeking boomers.
 

“Not only will they have a guest speaker on board to lecture
about an upcoming port of call or regional destination,” says
Tully, “but they also provide guest speakers to give general lectures on world events, the arts, media, history, and more.”
 

Arguably even more intimate than the luxury lines are the
specialty, or adventure, lines, which carry even fewer
passengers, typically no more than 200. If you’re not interested
in poolside lounging, spa treatments, formal dinners, or an
active nightlife, these may be just the ticket for you. Even more
than the luxury ships, they’re all about stimulating enrichment
programs and outdoor adventure.



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