Luxury Travel

Luxury travel isn’t about money.

Luxury travel is about the VIP treatment. It’s about comfort, pampering,  and amenities. My husband and I recently cruised on Harmony of the Seas in a Crown Loft Suite. Because we were in a suite, we received so many perks that I would imagine most people don’t even know about.

Luxury travel is about the VIP treatment

One of the great perks was being able to eat in a special restaurant. We were even able to attend cocktail hours in the adjacent lounge for drinks and hors d’oeuvres. As suite occupants, this is one of the items thrown in. Why is this attractive? Well, for one thing, I sometimes tire of dealing with the large crowds and noise in the “included” eating venues. Not only that, the menu in our “special” restaurant was a higher level than that of the main dining room. If you’re not a heavy drinker, the cocktail hour in the lounge might eliminate the need to purchase a drink package. You can always purchase a drink a la carte if needed. This is another feature that adds to the value of the suite.

The suite also included Wi-Fi. That meant we didn’t have to purchase a package separately. Like many people, we can’t completely disconnect from our technology. So, this was definitely a value-added service that came with the suite purchase.

Another benefit that was valuable to us, was preferred seating at the entertainment venues. We could show up a little early for the productions and be escorted to the VIP seating area. This included all the shows. We really appreciated having great seats for everything we attended.

But the most impressive perk of staying in a suite was the embarkation and debarkation process. While the cruise line splits up the time slots for these, it can still get a little crazy sometimes. Particularly the debarkation process. When you stay in a suite, you have a few time slots to choose from. Then you go to an exclusive area to meet your concierge. The concierge escorts you off the ship directly, past the lines, in a streamlined process right to the place where you pick up your bags. Customs is a breeze if they are implementing the facial recognition software. And you’re off and ready to head home in a fraction of the time, with no hassle, no frustration, and without fighting any crowds.

For us, it was a no-brainer. Once you travel in a suite on a cruise ship, it’s hard to go back to a regular cabin. Some say they don’t need to upgrade because they don’t spend much time in the cabin. But as you can see, there’s a whole lot more at involved than the time you are in your cabin. Although I have to say, that time is much better as well. An upgraded mattress, water bottles, twice daily cleanings, basically, the VIP treatment.

As we approach Valentine’s Day, you might also want to refer to this previous blog post. LOVE. It might give you some fresh ideas about the whole thing.

Looking for a “land version” of a VIP treatment experience? Check out this retreat location for June 2023. Those dates don’t work? Schedule a complimentary consultation call with me and we can look at alternative dates.