Mari Marks

Have you experienced a luxury cruise before?  Fair warning: once you have, it will be close to impossible to want to do anything less! Luxury Cruises by nature offer smaller vessels, which means not only do you have more space and privacy, but you also get to access smaller ports getting you closer to where you want to be.

As an example, mass market cruises typically visit many major cities but need to dock where the container ships dock due to their size. This results in long transfers in each direction. When you are on a luxury smaller ship, you dock very close to the city center so your commute is typically just 10-20 minutes. Additionally, smaller ports rather than commercial ports truly give you a better feel of a city.  With the smaller luxury vessels, the number of guests under 750 passengers with very high crew to guest ratios which adds to the excellent service.

For the past decade, the only way I cruise is on a luxury cruise.  During one occasion when it was time to return to the ship after an exciting full day of exploration, it began raining heavily. As we boarded the ship, we were greeted by the cruise’s friendly staff holding umbrellas for us as they asked how our day was.  After embarking the ship, another staff member handed us a cup of delicious hot chocolate. We were in our gorgeous large stateroom relaxing as we watched very wet travelers arriving to their much larger multi-thousand passenger commercial vessel. These passengers were kept in line in the rain while they waited to board.

Another advantage to luxury cruises is just about everything is included – airfare, tours, gratuities, meals, and all beverages. 

I’ve been on over 40 cruises – both ocean cruises and river cruises, and definitely know the secrets of cruising. I can’t wait to share more with you and help you set sail with ease. Simply reach out and I’d be delighted to assist.