Check Out These Luxury ‘Ship Within A Ship’ Cruise Options

Image: Sun Princess Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: Princess Cruises)

by Scott Laird
Last updated: 8:55 AM ET, Mon September 9, 2024

In the early days of the cruise industry, the ship layout was a departure from what had previously been the norm in shipping. Until the 1960s, passenger ships were rigidly class-divided, meaning that each class of ticket had dedicated spaces on the ship they were meant to stay within for the entire voyage. They had their own restaurants, public spaces, and cabins in set portions within the same boat.?

The cruise industry turned that sideways. Different categories of cabins were available, ranging from simple inside cabins to spacious suites, but passengers otherwise had the run of the ship's facilities from stem to stern—and that's how most cruise lines continue to operate today.?

However, some cruise lines have closed off portions of some of their ships to return to the rarified atmosphere of first-class onboard boats of yesteryear. Oftentimes, these "ship within a ship" categories have their own lounges, sun decks, pools, restaurants, and cabins, but passengers in those classes can also help themselves to any of the amenities elsewhere on the ship as well.?

We've included a couple of "ship within a ship" options from some top cruise lines below. While many cruise lines offer elevated perks for suite guests, we've generally kept the list to those with a true "ship within a ship" product, offering at least a dedicated restaurant and some public areas specifically for suite guests.?

Celebrity

The Retreat is Celebrity's ship-within-a-ship for suite guests and comes with its own restaurant, the Daniel Boulud-helmed Luminae, The Retreat Lounge on Edge Series ships (some ships may have a differently named alternative), and the exclusive Retreat Sundeck on Edge Series ships. Suites come with butlers (available via text in the Celebrity app) who can assist with packing and unpacking, premium coffee setup, stocked minibars, and a full room service menu, among other perks.?

MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises Yacht Club is like the first class of yesteryear, with an entire keycard access section dedicated to staterooms designated in that category. However, it's not just for cruisers booking suites – there are standard balcony staterooms (although they're a bit larger than the norm) and even inside staterooms available on many ships, making the value add available for passengers booking more modestly sized rooms.?

Add a private pool and sun deck, an exclusive three-meal restaurant, lounge, and 24-hour butler service, and you have a truly VIP product. Yacht Club guests even receive wristbands identifying their status so staff can escort them to the shortcut lines for theatre seating, disembarkation and embarkation. When it’s time for shore excursions, guests wait in the Yacht Club lounge to be escorted directly ashore by a butler.

Princess Cruises

Princess is new to the ship-within-a-ship concept; in fact, it won't launch until next month, when the new Sun Princess will start sailing in the Caribbean. Called The Sanctuary Collection, it will be exclusive to Sun Princess and her sister Star Princess, slated to launch in 2025. Like MSC, a select number of balcony cabins will be included in the category in addition to all Suites and select Mini-Suites.?

These categories will have the all-inclusive Princess Premier fare bundle, which includes alcoholic beverages, WiFi, specialty dining, and room service delivery. Guests will also have their own private restaurant with elevated dining, and access to the top deck Sanctuary Club (all ages can travel in the category, but the Sanctuary Club is reserved for guests 16+). Guests in Suites will also have access to the Suite Lounge—where they might even witness champagne sabering!

Cunard

Cunard all but invented the ship-within-a-ship concept with the original Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1969. Designed as an ocean liner that would double as a cruise ship, Cunard knew that traditional class divides would no longer work, so they simply varied the restaurant guests would dine in based on their cabin category. On today's Cunard ships, Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria, and Queen Anne, that’s evolved into Cunard’s Grill Suites.?

Suite guests dine in the Queen’s Grill restaurant, while mini-suite guests dine in the Princess Grill restaurant, both single-seating restaurants with glittering furnishings and sophisticated menus. There are minor variations between Queen's Grill and Princess Grill amenities, but all Grills Suite guests can access the Grills Lounge and Grills Terrace on all ships; Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth also have a Grills Courtyard. Grills guests also benefit from an onboard concierge to book onboard and shoreside experiences, and the option to dine in their suite with the same menu as their Grill restaurant.

Norwegian

On several ships, Norwegian offers The Haven, a ship-within-a-ship with a dedicated Haven Lounge, Haven Restaurant, and Courtyard & Sundeck. Suites also have upgraded amenities, including evening turndown service and L’Occitane bath amenities. The category is available for a variety of stateroom categories, from Deluxe Suite with Balcony up through the luxurious 3 bedroom Garden Villa. The Haven suites don’t technically have many of the added inclusions like drink packages that some competing products on other cruise lines do, but in practice, the best available fare typically adds these all on (open bar, specialty dining, excursions, and WiFi under the current ongoing Free at Sea promotion).?

Royal Caribbean?

This one’s a bit less like a ship-within-a-ship class—it depends on the ship. Royal Caribbean’s Royal Suite Class comes in three tiers, with amenities corresponding to the category of the suite. It's only on select ships; however, the category really rises to the level of the ship within a ship. On the new Icon of the Seas, there's a suite "neighborhood" with a dedicated sun deck and Coastal Kitchen, an elevated restaurant just for suite guests.

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