Want Cruising and Privacy? Pick the Right Ship and You Can Be as Antisocial as You Like
If you subscribe to Sartre’s view that hell is other people, avoid the Mediterranean in August. And consider these options:
Cross the Atlantic
Think big skies, empty horizons, and you ensconced on deck on a chaise longue. The ultimate booking? The Sandringham and Balmoral duplexes on Cunard’s flagship, the Queen Mary 2. Each has a deluxe condo vibe and a private aft-facing balcony. Or book all four interconnecting Royal Suites, named after queens Elizabeth, Mary, Anne, and Victoria, to create one space for up to 16. (This has been done. The crew still talks about a party from the Middle East who barely left their quarters except to shop at the ship’s jeweler.)
Choose to Charter
AquaExpeditions’ boutiquey Aqua Blu, Aqua Nera, Aqua Mekong, and Aqua Mare are eminently charterable, ranging from seven to 20 cabins. Belmond river barges in France (the Hirondelle, for example, which sails on the ridiculously scenic Marne, has just four cabins) also carry bikes onboard, for even more alone time. The two just-refurbished SeaDream Yacht Club ships are perfect for up to 112 of your nearest and dearest.
Get Thee a Balcony
Even on less intimate ships, private deck time goes a long way. Viking ocean vessels have all-balcony suites (you can’t go wrong). The Regent Seven Seas Splendor has 10 categories of balconied cabin, with even the most modest a decent 307 square feet. The Penthouse Spa Suites on Seabourn Ovation and Encore are on one of the highest decks, with dreamy views of the ship’s wake. The two-bedroom Royal Suites on Silversea’s Silver Moon come with 194-square-foot verandas. And the Owner’s Residence on Explora Journeys (launching May 2023) has a private pool on its balcony.
Score a Ship Within a Ship
Even larger vessels increasingly cater to family and friend groups with private “enclaves” of cabins and you-and-yours-only shore excursions. On Celebrity’s “The Retreat,” multiple cabins share a private deck, restaurant, and sometimes a pool. The two Iconic Suites on Celebrity Edge, with two bedrooms each, sit above the bridge—you’ll have a better view than the captain and a 689-square-foot terrace with hot tub, double daybed, and a butler who will arrange en suite dining and cocktails.
Go Big on Expeditions
Anonymity’s not easy on small ships that sail to remote corners of the world (unless you charter them). You’re with other passengers ashore all day, then you’re swapping stories at the bar and over dinner—usually in the one restaurant. Solutions? The megayacht-like Scenic Eclipse, which explores both polar regions and much in between, has nine eating spots. Silversea’s 100-passenger Galápagos ship, Silver Origin, has two, plus in-suite dining, as does the new Seabourn Venture. The 378-passenger Viking Octantis has five dining spaces (its Aquavit Terrace overlooks a series of pools).
T&C TIP:
Want the pros of European river cruising (the sights and easy trips ashore) without the cons (limited elbow room)? AmaWaterways’ Danube vessel, AmaMagna, is double the width of traditional riverboats, with 98 cabins measuring up to 710 square feet, four restaurants, and a spa.
This story appears in the Summer 2022 issue of Town & Country. SUBSCRIBE NOW
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