The best part of a truly refreshing vacation is the chance to totally unplug—and nothing is more remote than a vacation at sea.
Whether you’ve been dying to travel the Mediterranean or explore the Arctic, you have the chance to do it in style. We're not talking about the usual cruise line with embarassing kareoke and busy buffets. We're talking about floating in next-level luxury while taking in the sights of the world's most beautiful and daring locales.
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If you're ready for a real adventure with all the trappings of the highg life, these beautiful cruise liners offer the vacation of a lifetime. From relaxation to expeditions, these cruises have something for every type of vacationer—if you've got the budget, that is.
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Price: $845 to $13,840 / Website
From fine dining to fresh hair-dos, Emerald Cruises offers an all-inclusive experience on its ships. Follow your trip to the hairdresser with a massage or facial, or just sit on your balcony and take in the salty scent of the sea air. The ships go anywhere from Central America to the Red Sea. If you're in for the long haul, try the 22-day cruise that lets you "Discover the Pearls of Croatia, Greece and Turkey." This incredible sail starts in Athens and heads through Rhodes, Mykonos, Delphi, Corfu, Dubrovnik and Split before finishing in Venice, Italy.
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Price: $5,000 to $49,995 / Website
Viking Ocean Cruises' small luxury ships offer comfortable and relaxing tour of the globe. With only a 378-passenger capacity, these ships are designed to be your home away from home. The ships, Octantis and Polaris, take their passengers on tours of New Zealand, Australia, Asia and The Americas. Sit back and relax in your complimentary robes and slippers, and keep your routine in the fitness center, should you be so inclined. You can also enjoy a tasty meal at one of the restaurants on the first two decks, as well. If you're ready to really let loose of your land-lover lifestyle, Viking's top-of-the-like expeditions will take you all around the world, literally! Sail for 65, 70 or 75 days on trips that start in the northern United States and sail all the way south to Antarctica, exploring nine to 10 different countries along the way. Dubbed the Longitudinal World Cruises, these packages start at $49,995, come with free business class airfare and can be customized to your exact preferences.
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Price: $1,030 to $50,550 / Website
Ponant Cruises offers stunning and intimate luxury ships with passenger capacities of just 32, making the experience very personal indeed. When you’re not getting to know your shipmates on the deck, you can enjoy the comfort of your stateroom with the ease of room service. The ship offers butler service, laundry and a pillow menu—you heard that right, a pillow menu. Take part in a three-night getaway or cruise for nearly a month-long escapade. Expeditions go as far and wide as Australia, Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, Scandinavia, the Red Sea and so much more, but the heftiest price tag takes you all around the Arctic for a maxed-out, 28-night journey that starts in Ushuaia, Argentina, and finishes in Lyttelton, New Zealand.
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Price: $999 to $51,799 / Website
Oceania Cruises are your chance to get creative and enjoy the breath-taking views of the wide-open seas. Name a place on the globe and Oceania probably takes its passengers there. Whether you are more into the warm sun of the tropics, or enjoy the icy landscapes of the Arctic, you can plan the perfect sea-fairing festivity with Oceania. Even when you aren’t docked, there is something exciting to explore. From the artist’s loft where you can paint and draw, to the country club that's perfect for socializing with your shipmates, there is never a dull moment for its passengers. Travel for a quick but relaxing seven days, or stay for a full 218-day globe-trotting takeover of the seven seas. If you're ready to go all in, Oceania's Supreme Sojourn is a 214-day journey that literally covers the globe. It begins and ends in Miami with stops in the Cayman Islands, through the Panama Canal, on to Central America and south to Peru. It stops in Antarcita and Brazel before hitting the African coast, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Islands, Japan, Alaska and back to the continental U.S.A.
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Price: $1,699 to $79,399 / Website
Seabourn’s intimate ships create a warm and cozy atmosphere for its passengers. The all-inclusive experience offers more than just a vacation. It’s a chance to reset. Similar to the Silversea experience, you never have to think about a thing, because the suites come with personal hosts and attendants. Enjoy a performance on the deck, read a book in the library, or expand your knowledge with a port lecture or enrichment program. The small ships travel the Amazon, Alaska and Northern Europe, among many other expeditions. The top dollar program? It's a 145-day World Cruise dubbed "Extraordinary Horizons" that leaves from Los Angeles and travels through the south Pacific with stops in Hawaii, Australia, the Phillipines, all along the Asiatic coast through to western Africa and the Middle East before coming to its final port in The Mediterranean: Athens, Greece, to be exact.
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Price: $3,000 to $114,000 / Website
Silversea is an all-inclusive endeavor that takes passengers around the globe. Its small ship size allows you to live like a local and dock where the bigger ships can’t. Take in the views from spacious and bright suites, recuperate in the spa and partake in complimentary drinks throughout the ship. You don’t even have to worry about your drive to the airport. Silversea provides a chauffeur for the drive and butlers in each suite to make sure your trip is as smooth as possible. Sail for a sweet five-day escape, or ride the waves for a sweeping 140-day expedition. The most expensive package? The Grand Voyage departs from Puerto Williams in Chile and sails to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, during a period of 131 days. It's a pole-to-pole journey aboard the Silver Cloud with stops in South Africa, Oman, Greece, Portugal, Ireland and more, and it starts at $114,400 per guest.
Looking for more of a hybrid travel experience? Check out these packages that add a private jet experience to your sea-fairing adventure, or maybe luxuriate on land at one of these must-see glamping destinations.
Photography by: Buena Vista Images / Getty
