Biirdee · Luxury Cruise Desk
Regent Seven Seas, Silversea, Seabourn, Explora Journeys, the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and Four Seasons Yachts all sell “all-inclusive”. They do not mean the same thing by it, and the biggest variable in the real cost of the trip — how you get to the ship — is the one their brochures gloss over.
Biirdee books the suite at the same fare as the line, prices business-class flights to the port against the line’s own air, and handles the hotel, transfers and perks as one itinerary.
6
ultra-luxury lines compared honestly
Same fare
as booking with the line
Up to 70%
off published business-class fares
24/7
WhatsApp concierge on the trip
The luxury tier is small enough to know well. Regent includes the most — economy flights, unlimited shore excursions, premium drinks, specialty dining, Wi-Fi and gratuities — and prices accordingly; it suits travellers who want a single number. Silversea includes drinks, gratuities and butler service on every suite, sells air as a credit you can decline, and runs the most interesting itineraries, including its expedition ships. Seabourn is the classic small-ship product: open bars, no assigned dining, a relaxed and social atmosphere on ships of about 450 to 600 guests.
The newer entrants changed the look of the category. Explora Journeys, from the family behind MSC, sails modern hotel-like ships with large suites and no formal nights. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection runs yacht-scale vessels with the hotel brand’s service culture and a younger crowd. Four Seasons Yachts is the newest name, built around residential-scale suites. Several of these lines now also offer business-class air packages or upgrades; whether they beat the fares we can book is a route-by-route question, not a rule.
A simplified view of the standard inclusions on each line as of 2026. Promotions change constantly, which is exactly why a concierge who watches them is useful.
| Line | Ship size | Air | Drinks & gratuities | Shore excursions | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regent Seven Seas | 490–750 guests | Economy included; business upgrades offered | Included | Unlimited, included | Everything-in, classic luxury |
| Silversea | 100–730 guests | Credit you can take or decline | Included, butler on every suite | Included on most sailings | Itinerary-led, expedition arm |
| Seabourn | 260–600 guests | Not standard | Included | Selected included | Small-ship, social, relaxed |
| Explora Journeys | About 900 guests | Not standard | Included | Extra | Modern, residential, no formal nights |
| Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection | 300–450 guests | Not standard | Included | Extra | Yacht scale, hotel service culture |
| Four Seasons Yachts | About 200 guests | Not standard | Included | Extra | Residential suites, newest fleet |
The Mediterranean from April to October is the deepest luxury programme, with port-intensive seven- to fourteen-night sailings between Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Rome, Athens and Istanbul. Northern Europe and the Norwegian fjords run May to September. The Caribbean fills the winter, often with longer sailings from Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Asia, from Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo, is where the flights matter most and where our business class flights desk earns its keep. Silversea and Seabourn also take their expedition ships to Antarctica and the Arctic, covered on our expedition cruises page.
It depends on what luxury means to you. Regent Seven Seas includes the most and has the largest suites in the category. Silversea has the strongest itineraries and butler service on every suite. Seabourn is the most social small-ship experience. Explora Journeys and the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection feel like a modern five-star hotel at sea. Four Seasons Yachts is the newest and most residential. Biirdee compares them for your dates rather than defaulting to one.
Add up what a premium line charges for drinks, specialty dining, gratuities, Wi-Fi and excursions on a suite booking and the gap to an all-inclusive luxury fare is often smaller than the headline suggests, especially for two people who would spend on those things anyway. For travellers who do not, a premium line’s suite programme can be the better buy. We run that arithmetic for you.
Regent includes economy air and sells business-class upgrades; Silversea offers an air credit; others sell air packages separately. Whether the line’s business-class offer beats the unpublished fares Biirdee books depends on the route — on long-haul flights to Asia, Australia or South America it usually does not. We show both side by side.
On most luxury ships every cabin is a suite with a veranda, and the entry category delivers almost all of the experience. Moving up buys space, a better location and sometimes a bigger balcony rather than better service. Where a specific suite is genuinely worth it — a corner aft veranda, a suite that avoids a noisy deck — we will tell you.
The best suites on peak Mediterranean, Alaska and holiday sailings often go nine to eighteen months ahead, and the small ships sell out faster than the big ones. Booking at launch usually secures the best cabin choice and the line’s opening fare; Biirdee then watches for price drops.
Biirdee · Cruise Desk
Or just the sea. A concierge replies within hours with the sailings that fit, the flights priced alongside, and every inclusion spelled out.
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