By Sally Macmillan
The spa in the Regent Suite of the Seven Seas Explorer cruise liner.Credit:
EXPERT OPINION: Is luxury good value?
Jason Montague, president and CEO of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, was in Sydney this month to talk about the luxury line's 25th anniversary. He said that Australians make up the fourth-largest contingent of RSSC's passengers worldwide, after the US, UK and Europe, and there is plenty more room for growth in the luxury sector.
Which begs the question, why would you choose a cruise that is significantly more expensive than a similar one on a premium class ship?
RSSC's Seven Seas Explorer Compass Rose.
Assuming that a couple is looking at a week's cruise in the Mediterranean in May, staying in a balcony cabin, fares across NCL, Royal Caribbean and Princess are about $2000 per person, while Seven Seas Explorer would set them back about $6000 per person.
Ben Angell, vice-president of marketing for NCLH Australia (RSSC's parent company), has done some interesting sums for us on what is included on the RSSC cruise and how those costs can stack up.
"As regular cruisers would know, a straight comparison to the contemporary cruise lines of NCL, Royal Caribbean or Princess could be misleading as there are a myriad of harder to quantify factors which influence the RSSC guest experience," he said.
Riviera Cruises' Charles Dickens.
"These include the level of service, attention to detail, quality of product throughout, the benefit of a smaller ship (which may lack the economies of scale of a larger vessel), staff-to-guest ratio, and the size of the suite – and all suites have balconies on Seven Seas Explorer."
Factored into the RSSC fare are the following amenities, which you would pay extra for on a contemporary ship:
·Shore excursions (valued at $A1300, based on average cost by destination in sample ports, ie $US139 per person for the Mediterranean).
·Staff gratuities ($A150, based on average $US16 per person per day).
·Specialty restaurants ($A450, based on three nights in a seven-night voyage at $A150 per meal).
·Unlimited Wi-Fi ($A700, based on one hour a day at $A100).
·Unlimited alcoholic and soft drinks, including "specialty" coffees and teas ($A980, for fine wine and premium spirits at $115 per person per day including 15 per cent gratuity; soft drinks, bottled water, tea/coffee and minibar replenished daily at $A25 per person per day including 15 per cent gratuity).
·Government fees and taxes: $A604.
That adds up to $A4184. Of course, not everyone wants the luxury experience and one of the big attractions of a cruise holiday is the range of choices now available. However, it is always worth checking out the value – to you – of what you're paying for.
SHORE THING
THE PORT: Cape Town, South Africa
WHO GOES THERE: Cunard, MSC Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, Silversea
WHY WE LOVE IT: It's a socially diverse, picturesque, vibrant port city that still offers Aussie travellers excellent-value shopping and waterfront dining.
TAKE A TOUR OR GO IT ALONE? Make sure you have at least a full day or preferably two pre or post-cruise to do Cape Town and its surrounds justice. There are half-day tours that take in either the cable-car trip to Table Mountain or a scenic drive along the Atlantic coast to Chapman's Peak; or take the hop on hop off bus around the city and waterfront and visit Robben Island independently. Local non-profit company AWOL Tours runs guided bike rides around the townships. If you have time, take a day to visit the fabulous Cape Winelands – Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl – for tastings and lunch, or a safari experience two hours drive from the city.
MUST SEE: Table Mountain, Robben Island, the colourful historic Malaysian quarter Bo-Kaap, Boulders Beach in Simon's Town to see (or swim with) African penguins, Victoria and Albert shopping/restaurant complex.
MUST EAT: Cape Malay bobotie and curries, super-fresh seafood (local fish include snoek, yellowtail, hake, pole-caught tuna, and kingklip), biltong (dried beef and game meats), and a braai (barbecue) featuring boerewors (Afrikaans-style sausage).
NEED TO KNOW: As in any big city, don't flaunt valuables, seek local advice about no-go areas (particularly after dark) and use only metered taxis.
ESSENTIALS www.southafrica.net
CRUISE SCEPTIC
Is cruising just for old people? No! According to the latest CLIA Australasia figures, about 32 per cent of Australia's 1,281,159 cruisers are under 40. About 15 per cent are 70-plus, while the rest are in their 40s, 50s and 60s.
Great European Trifecta
River cruisers can tick off three rivers and seven countries in Cruise Traveller's 28-day fly/cruise/stay extravaganza next July. The appealing new itinerary combines a cruise from Porto along Portugal's peaceful Douro, onboard MS Douro Elegance; a Danube cruise from romantic Budapest onboard MS Charles Dickens; and a cruise along the Rhine from Germany to Switzerland onboard MS Oscar Wilde. Each cruise lasts seven nights and together they cover some of the most memorable and magnificent sights in Europe. Between cruises, explore Budapest, staying three nights there in a four-star hotel. Enjoy a night in Porto, with its lively bars and medieval centre, and two nights in Germany's great cathedral city of Cologne. The ships are all new and belong to UK company Riviera Travel's fleet. From $14,995. See www.cruisetraveller.com.au [cruisetraveller.com.au].
Garden of Eden
Celebrity Cruises' newest ship, Celebrity Edge – due to start cruising from Florida in December 2018 – is set to shake up traditional cruise ship design. The latest feature the cruise line has revealed is the spectacular three-deck Eden, a vast, multi-purpose space that will boast nearly 350 square metres of glass to maximise ocean views. It will have a cafe, cocktail bar and restaurant and activities will vary according to the time of day. From yoga in the mornings to wine-tastings, cocktail-making classes and aerialist displays in the afternoons to culinary-art fusion events in the evenings, Eden promises a very different experience. Similarly, traditional shipboard entertainment gets a big shake-up as Queen of the Night creators Variety Worldwide come onboard. See www.celebritycruises.com.au [celebritycruises.com.au].
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