As the appetite for luxury cruising grows, seeking truly exceptional experiences comes with a ship-sized price tag
4 min
A private driver arrives at your home to transport you to your cruise suite, where you are welcomed aboard with a glass of Dom Perignon and introduced to your personal butler — exhale, your luxury voyage has begun.
Welcome to a new level of luxury cruising where rare and remote experiences are the currencies and every opulence you thought you knew on land is also available at sea.
“The luxury experience at sea has started to fragment, it’s different things to different people,” says Joe O’Sullivan, managing director of small ship booking specialist, Cruise Traveller. “For some, it’s the whole ethos of the white glove service, the personal touches like the butler who remembers your favourite drink. But another big driver in the luxury market is experiences, the people who want to camp on the ice in Antarctica or paddleboard off the bow of the ship.”
We did all the hard work for you and found five of the most luxurious experiences you can have at sea in 2025 — and what they cost.
Want to organise a private dinner for 12 in your suite? No problem. What about a night in a luxury hotel before the ship sails? Of course. A growing number of ships are offering that VIP treatment once reserved for world leaders and celebrities. And for the right price, your wish is their command.
The Owner’s Residence aboard an Explora Journeys ship is about as luxe as it gets on sea. We’re talking an outdoor terrace that extends the full width of the ship, marble ensuite with a large bathtub, private steam room and Dyson appliances and a butler that packs and unpacks, launders and presses your clothes like an old-school majordomo. Of course, this will set you back almost $200,000 per couple for a two-week cruise.
For a similar, though no less opulent experience, Explora Journeys have four categories of Ocean Residences below this.
“Explora Journeys is the luxury division of MSC Cruises, but don’t let the mass-market MSC brand put you off, this is like Volkswagen owning Porsche and Audi,” says Mark Trim, managing director of Flat Beds Tour + Cruise, who was lucky enough to spend two weeks in an Ocean Residence with his family earlier this year. “And whilst it is a small ship, there was a lot of space, and the wellness facilities, bars and shopping were also incredible, highlighted by the inclusion of the exclusive Rolex boutique on Deck 4.”
The VIP treatment aboard a Regent Suite on select Regent Seven Seas ships carries a price tag of around $16,000 a night. For this you get 413sqm of space (more than double the average ship suite) at the bow of the ship with ocean views from two wraparound balconies.
And forget an ensuite, in the Regent Suite, it’s called a master bathroom spa retreat and includes a treatment area, full sauna and multi-jet shower, heated relaxation loungers, a heated spa and unlimited, complimentary in-suite spa treatments.
You also get access to The Study, a Private Dining Room for up to 12 guests, and a night in a luxury hotel pre-cruise including breakfast and transfers.
A 14-day cruise from Monte Carlo to Rome in a Retreat Residence suite on Explora II departing May 2025 is from $22,650 a person twin share and from $74,000 a person twin share in an Owner’s Residence suite.
A night in a Regent Suite aboard Regent Seven Seas Explorer, Grandeur or Splendor is from $16,000.
There are a few things you can be sure of when you step onto remote Snow Hill off the east coast of Antarctica — you will be surrounded by thousands of Emperor penguins and you will be part of a select few to do so.
Getting access to Snow Hill, where up to 10,000 breeding penguins and their offspring live, is by helicopter only.
Five years ago, Scenic launched their discovery yacht class called Scenic Eclipse equipped with two onboard helicopters and a custom submersible to take travellers on these types of rare adventures.
“We’ve seen significant demand for immersive experiences, particularly for unique offerings like our helicopter excursions,” says Anthony Laver, Scenic Group general manager, sales and Marketing, APAC. “This growing interest reflects a broader trend towards intimate, immersive and ultra-luxury journeys that go beyond traditional cruising. And given its sleek yacht design, Scenic Eclipse is also capable of sailing into places many ships are not able to reach.”
The 22-day Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands itinerary departing Buenos Aires in February 2025 is from $32,020 a person twin share. Helicopter excursions operate from this cruise at an extra cost.
Go hunting on dog sleds with Inuit masters, set off on a polar hike and experience the midnight sun. It may sound clichéd, but these are just some of the once-in-a-lifetime experiences you can have onboard Ponant’s first luxury hybrid electric polar exploration ship, Le Commandant Charcot.
“Unlike more standard polar cruise activities, travellers won’t travel on Zodiacs very much at all, as everything is done by dog sled,” says Ponant expedition experience director, Jose Sarica. “The charm of this voyage to the far north-west of Greenland is that it offers some very immersive experiences in icebound landscapes, including hiking and snowshoeing, traditional Inuit kayaking, beluga and narwhal watching and even snorkelling through the ice in a wetsuit.”
The 11-day Inuit Spring of Ammassalik aboard Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot departing May 2025 is from $26,180 a person twin share (polar trek experience $1550 extra).
Is there anything more luxurious than time, philosophically speaking? What about if you combine it with a prolonged journey aboard a six-star ultra-luxury ship? Sign up for the experience with Silversea who feature a range of Grand category itineraries designed to let you immerse yourself in your destination.
One of their most popular voyages is the 47-day circumnavigation of Australia which visits 23 ports and includes door-to-door private transfers from your home, your own butler to cater to your needs at sea, as well as all shore excursions and business class airfares.
The 47-day Grand Australia voyage departing Melbourne in October 2025 aboard Silver Nova is from $51,200 a person twin share with door-to-door service.Â
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The Matildas captain has joined one of the world’s most exclusive luxury watch brands, sharing candid insights into the sacrifices required to succeed at the highest level of world football.
3 min
Australian football superstar and Matildas captain Sam Kerr has joined one of the world’s most exclusive luxury watch brands, reflecting on the sacrifices behind a career at the pinnacle of professional sport and revealing she only signed with her new club last week.
As Richard Mille’s first and only Australian partner, Kerr has joined an elite group of global athletes, artists and innovators associated with one of the world’s most prestigious watchmakers.
Speaking in Sydney, the 32-year-old reflected on her next chapter, the extraordinary growth of women’s football and the personal sacrifices required to reach the top of the game.
Founded in 2001, Richard Mille has built a reputation for producing some of the world’s most technically advanced and exclusive timepieces. The Swiss watchmaker is renowned for its use of ultra-lightweight materials, Formula One-inspired engineering and limited-production watches that often sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars and, in some cases, more than $1 million.
Its ambassadors include tennis great Rafael Nadal, Formula One stars Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris, actress Michelle Yeoh and sprint champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
During the Sydney event, Kerr wore the Richard Mille RM 07-04 Automatic Sport, a lightweight model featuring a pink case, blue strap and skeletonised movement. Designed for active lifestyles, the watch reflects the brand’s philosophy of combining high-performance engineering with luxury craftsmanship.
For Kerr, becoming the brand’s first Australian partner is a source of considerable pride.
“Of course, being the only Australian is incredible to me,” she said. “I am very proud to be Australian and I like to put Australia on the map.”
The announcement comes as Kerr prepares for the next stage of her football career following her departure from Chelsea after six-and-a-half years.
While speculation around her future has been mounting for months, Kerr revealed a decision was only finalised recently.
“Everyone thinks that it was decided and I’ve known that (it was) reported that I’d signed somewhere in April, but honestly, I only signed my contract on Wednesday last week,” she said.
“I really hadn’t decided what I was going to do until last week.”
Kerr said she expects details of her new club to be announced around the beginning of July once her Chelsea contract officially concludes.
Despite her excitement about what lies ahead, she admitted leaving one of the world’s biggest football clubs has been emotional.
“I am really sad about it,” she said. “It’s been my home for 6.5 years. I have so many good memories there. I have so many amazing teammates. I’m sad to leave.
“It sucks to leave such a big club like Chelsea too, but it comes to an end to everything, right?”
The 32-year-old also reflected on the transformation of women’s football during her career, describing the Matildas’ rise from relative obscurity to household-name status as one of her proudest achievements.
“What the Matildas have done over the last four or five years has been incredible,” she said.
“The most important thing for me is that you leave the game in a better place.”
Kerr noted that when she began playing, there were few professional pathways for women, limited sponsorship opportunities and crowds that bore little resemblance to those regularly attending matches today.
“We are a part of that generation that still knows what it was like when there was no one in the crowd,” she said.
Today, she said, crowds of tens of thousands remain something the team never takes for granted.
“Even last night we had 20,000 on a Tuesday night nearly. That’s special to us,” she said.
“We feel very lucky that people come out and spend their money and come to a game and watch us.”
Yet behind the accolades, sponsorships and sold-out stadiums, Kerr said there have been significant personal sacrifices.
“I’ve been living out of home since I was 17 years old. I’ve missed a lot of my family’s life,” she said.
“I’ve missed a lot of weddings. I’ve missed funerals. I’ve missed so many things that people don’t see.”
Kerr revealed she was unable to return home for her grandmother’s funeral last year because of football commitments.
“You have to love what you’re doing. You have to want to sacrifice,” she said.
“Everyone makes sacrifices, of course, and what I do is a massive privilege, but there comes a lot of sacrifice with it.”
Away from football, Kerr said Australia remains central to her identity despite spending much of her adult life overseas.
“I think we take for granted in Australia the beaches, the ocean, the open spaces,” she said.
As she prepares for a new club, a new season and a new role with Richard Mille, Kerr said she remains motivated by the same passion that first drew her to the game as a teenager.
“It was really organic,” she said of her relationship with the luxury watchmaker.
“It’s a real family brand.”
