In February’s Luxury and Spa issue, we gave you a sprinkling of cruise lines offering luxury accommodations and amenities, from butler service to private lounges and top-of-the-line comforts. Here are two more cruise lines, PONANT and Oceania Cruises, that don’t skip on the exclusive onboard offerings for today’s savvy cruisers.
News on PONANT
PONANT is introducing its newest ship to the PONANT fleet this spring, Le Lyrial; and located on the ship’s elite Deck 6, is the 581-sq.-ft. Owner’s Suite with 24-hr. butler service, a master bedroom and living room, a dining room, and two bathrooms—one with a jacuzzi and a 129-sq.-ft. private balcony.
Le Lyrial is the fourth sister ship in the line’s series of yacht-style vessels. The inaugural season, beginning this May, will have Le Lyrial sailing to the Mediterranean, Adriatic and Aegean, before heading to Antarctica in November and South America and the Amazon in spring 2016.
Le Lyrial will have 122 staterooms and suites, all with ocean views; 95 percent will feature private balconies. Other amenities on the ship include two restaurants offering casual to fine dining; a bar lounge and 24-hour, in-room dining; a full-service spa associated with the French salon, SOTHYS; an outdoor pool with a bar; a library with Internet stations; a 250-seat theatre for live entertainment, film screenings and presentations; and a fleet of expedition Zodiac boats with satellite tracking. For more information, visit https://en.ponant.com/.
Oceania’s Luxury Suites
Oceania Cruises’ Riviera and Marina ships will be the first to offer luxury suites completely decked out, from the furniture and fabrics to lighting and bedding, in the Ralph Lauren Home Collection.
The 2,000-sq.-ft. Owner’s Suite boast a large living room, two walk-in closets, indoor and outdoor whirlpool spas, a second bathroom for guests, and a music room with a piano. These suites also include exclusive card-only access to the private Executive Lounge; priority ship embarkation with luggage delivery; 24-hr. butler service; complimentary in-suite bar setup and welcome bottle of Champagne; Bulgari gift set and toiletries; and a complimentary Oceania Cruises logo tote bag and personalized stationery, just to name a few.
Along with elegantly designed suites, passengers on board the Riviera and Marina ships can learn all about fine wines at La Reserve by Wine Spectator. The new wine-tasting center features wines selected by the connoisseurs at Wine Spectator magazine. The center is also where passengers can take a series of educational seminars and tastings to better understand the wines and varieties in the regions where the Marina sails. Also, on select evenings during each trip, 7-course, gourmet-tasting menus are paired with fine wines; there is no charge for the food and service. For more information, visit www.oceaniacruises.com.
For more on luxury onboard experiences, check out In the Lap of Luxury, at Sea.
