The lines between cruise categories continue to blur. Traditionally, in order of increasing price and inclusions, cruise lines were generally placed into the following categories: Standard (also called “contemporary mainstream”); premium; upscale (sometimes called “upmarket” or “upper premium”) and luxury (or, hyperbolically, “ultra-luxe”).
But now, cruise lines are increasingly pushing the boundaries of their own value propositions.
In the case of premium lines such as Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line (HAL) and Princess Cruises, that means new pricing tiers that bundle inclusions into the fare, more or less depending on client preferences. (By comparison, other premium brands — such as family-friendly Disney Cruise Line and kid-free Virgin Voyages — offer flat rates that remain consistent across the board).
The former approach conveniently permits customers to pay only for as much, or as little, as they actually plan to use. What’s more, they could potentially receive a price cut by choosing it.
Below, we break down tiered offerings from Celebrity, HAL and Princess.
Celebrity Cruises: Cruise-Only, All-Included, AquaClass and The Retreat
In the case of Celebrity, the line now offers four cruise fare options: Cruise-Only Rates, All Included, AquaClass and The Retreat.
As its name implies, a Cruise-Only Rate comes with just that: the base rate for a variety of stateroom categories (inside, ocean-view, veranda, Concierge Class or AquaClass stateroom), with the option to add on drink and Wi-Fi packages later. Alternatively, All Included will bundle in Classic Drinks (a selection of beers, spirits, cocktails, liqueurs, frozen drinks, wines and non-alcoholic beverages) and basic Wi-Fi access at a savings of $200-800 for the same cabin categories.
Meanwhile, AquaClass rates include exclusive access to the clean-cuisine Blu restaurant, the Sea Thermal Suite at the spa, and also free fitness classes and discounted spa packages. Included with all suites is “The Retreat” — Celebrity’s ship-within-a-ship concept — which extends to include access to the Luminae restaurant, exclusive lounge space and sundeck, plus concierge service and a personal butler. Luminae now has a rotating dinner and dessert menu including new signature dishes from Daniel Boulud, and guests in Royal Suites and higher categories will receive free laundry service and pressing.
Also newly announced is that access to said butler will be available via Butler Chat, a service that allows guests to connect with their butler (using their personal devices) from anywhere onboard or ashore. Guests will also be able to reserve theater seating, take advantage of a dedicated shore excursions expert (dubbed The Retreat Destination Experience Specialist) and enjoy suite-to-car escorts for Private Journeys.
Holland America Line: Base Fare, Have It All and Club Orange
First introduced as the brand’s Club Orange experience (its own ship-within-a-ship concept), HAL has expanded its pricing options to encompass the base fare, the Have It All package or the aforementioned Club Orange benefits.
Have It All adds, depending on cruise length, a $100-300 shore excursion credit; the Signature Beverage package with a selection of included wine, beer, spirits, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks; one to three nights of specialty dining; and a Wi-Fi Surf package.
By joining Club Orange for an added cost, guests onboard are treated to a complimentary upgrade to the best available stateroom within a category (if not available, an alternative perk will be provided); priority access to check-in, specialty dining reservations, disembarkation and tendering onshore, as well as express lines at the guest services and shore excursions desks; exclusive dining at the Club Orange restaurant onboard certain ships; expanded menus and room-service offerings; and an invitation to a special event.
Princess Cruises: Base Fares, Princess Plus, Princess Premier or the Sanctuary Collection
Meanwhile, on Princess, cruise base fares can be sweetened with either Princess Plus, Princess Premier or the Sanctuary Collection of perks.
For $60 per day, per guest, (considered a savings of $93), the Plus tier provides Wi-Fi access (for one device per passenger); a selection of included non-alcoholic drinks, along with wine and beer up to $15 each (plus 25% off bottles of wine); included gratuities; two casual (but otherwise added-cost) meals; two fitness classes per sailing; two premium desserts per day; the OceanNow onboard delivery service; and unlimited room service.
The Premium tier offers the same for $80 per day, per guest, (a savings of $148) but upgrades Wi-Fi access to four devices per guest; premium drinks up to $20 each; and unlimited casual meals, premium desserts and fitness classes; along with two specialty meals per sailing; unlimited professional photos; reserved theater seating; and included Princess Prizes during casino hours.
Next to roll out will be the new Sanctuary Collection of benefits, which will first be available on Sun Princess in October 2024 and its sister-ship Star Princess in the fall of 2025. Those clients booking a Sanctuary Suite, Sanctuary Mini-Suite or Sanctuary Balcony stateroom will get included access to the Sanctuary Club sun and pool deck reserved for those ages 16 years and older; private Sanctuary Collection restaurant and Suite Lounge use; and all the perks of Princess Premier.
