Crowds can be a big turnoff for travelers who are considering a cruise. In a recent survey of about 200 readers, Afar asked what would convince those who had never been on a cruise to take one, and 23 percent said the cruise would need to be devoid of crowds. Good news for those would-be cruisers: There’s a way to avoid the masses, even on big cruise ships.
The key is to upgrade to a ship-within-a-ship space, almost like a private boutique hotel within the larger vessel, for access to big-ship amenities and a sense of privacy—a perfect option, as it turns out, for a three-generation family reunion to celebrate a big birthday.
Booking into the Retreat on the 3,000-passenger Celebrity Reflection for a packed three-night Easter holiday cruise out of Fort Lauderdale, nine of us, including my three grandkids (ages 4 to 8), found the experience akin to cruising in business class.
Even though our family cruise was quick and close to home, we were still going to see scenic Key West and CocoCay, a private cruise line island marketed by Royal Caribbean as Perfect Day at CocoCay, a highly rated Caribbean cruise experience. And we were doing it in style.
The business class of cruising
From the second we arrived at the terminal at Port Everglades, we knew we were in for an upgrade to the typical cruise experience. The porter wrote notes on our baggage tags to indicate we were staying in the Retreat (assuring quick delivery), and we entered the terminal through a special line reserved for Retreat suite guests. We were whisked through security and checked in at a private lounge with snacks, including chocolate-chip cookies. Going from the sidewalk to being checked in on board took less than 10 minutes.
We headed to our three suites and met our butlers. Personalized service is a Retreat perk, on a ship that already has an excellent crew.
The Retreat suites also come with exclusive dining in the elegant, intimate Luminae restaurant, with menus that include some dishes by acclaimed chef Daniel Boulud. Here you can dine at whatever time you choose each night; you’ll be seated immediately when you walk in (there are no lines like those you might encounter in the main dining room).
Another perk is access to the private Michael’s Club Lounge, with its leather seating, dark-wood decor, and well-stocked complimentary bar. The space also hosts special events for Retreat guests, including a trivia night (which—although the crowd was smaller than the one for trivia for regular guests, and although my team comprised my brainy kids and their brainy spouses—we did not win) and a cocktail party.
On Celebrity Reflection, you can access all the restaurants and public spaces that a large vessel allows for, and then “retreat” (so to speak) to the VIP Retreat area.
Photo by Michel Verdure/Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises
On newer, Edge-class Celebrity ships, Retreat guests have the added perks of access to a private sundeck, pool, hot tubs, and an outdoor bar, but that is not the case with the 13-year-old Celebrity Reflection. Instead, the recently refreshed ship, like its four sister ships, has a lawn on the top deck and an extraordinary contemporary art collection that on this ship includes a Jeff Koons Mirror Flower and, in its soaring atrium, an extravagant sculptural tree topped by a real ficus tree. The artworks are accessible to all guests, not just those staying in the Retreat.
Of course, we also had the rest of the ship to explore: We could dip in the two all-ages pools (there’s also a pool for ages 16 and up), attend Broadway show reviews, send the grandkids to the kids’ club, try our luck at the casino, head to the spa, or hang out in more than a dozen bars and lounges, along with everyone else.
Perks of the suite life
Staying in the Retreat is about space, amenities, and service. The suites are all-inclusive in that they come with unlimited drinks and Wi-Fi (which normally cost extra). Included, too, is a minibar stocked with bottled water, beer, and soda; a welcome bottle of champagne; premium seating at select shows in the theater; and no charge for a full breakfast in bed (or for any room service for that matter—you can order as much as you want to your suite).
Our butler, Michelle, brought me and my husband cheese plates and gorgeous arrays of fresh tropical fruits daily and, if we’d wanted, would have helped us unpack. She also made sure my husband’s shoes were well polished. My eight-year-old granddaughter declared her favorite experience on the ship was asking her butler to bring her chocolate-covered strawberries. My eight-year-old grandson and his four-year-old sister loved ordering room service and watching movies in their suite (ordering room service on a cruise was also a favorite activity for their 38-year-old dad on the numerous cruises he took with me as a kid).
The Retreat’s entry-level 300-square-foot Sky Suites with veranda, where my daughter and family stayed, start at about $1,400 per adult and $300 per child on a three-night sailing. My husband and I loved our larger Sky Suite (about 500 square feet, including the veranda) as it lived up to its name, located aft, with a large balcony with a table and chairs and a delicious view of the wake and the sunset both upon leaving the channel at Key West and upon arriving at CocoCay (the shipped back in at the pier, and we could see the whole island).
Celebrity’s Retreat guests can have dinner without having to wait at the Luminae restaurant, reserved exclusively for Retreat passengers.
Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises
My big-spending son, for his family of four, went with a Celebrity Suite, similar in size to ours but with a separate bedroom area and an L-shaped sleeper couch in the living area so that the kids could spread out and parents could have some privacy.
The even higher-end suites—such as the two-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,636-square-foot Reflection suites with a glass-enclosed shower cantilevered off the ship—also include dining at the ship’s for-a-fee specialty restaurants and other perks such as free laundry, complimentary access to the thermal suite in the spa, and exclusive sleepwear.
Making time together so much easier
An unexpected benefit of booking the Retreat as a larger group was that we avoided having to do a lot of pre-cruise planning. We trusted that the concierges working with suite guests would be able to accommodate our requests, and they did—for example, when, at the last minute, we decided we wanted a table for nine at the Tuscan Grille specialty restaurant, where the crew delivered a cake, and my family sang happy birthday.
In fact, we did no pre-cruise planning other than what we would do on our own in Key West, where we awed the kids with the live species at the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory (about a 25-minute walk from the pier) and ate Cuban sandwiches at Key West Cuban Coffee.
Leaving the guys in charge of the kids, my daughter, daughter-in-law, and I also broke away for some retail therapy, snagging colorful vases at Key West Pottery art gallery.
Having splurged on our suites, we decided to stick with free activities at CocoCay, skipping the for-a-fee Thrill Park with 13 slides and drooling over the pricey over-the-water family bungalows at the Coco Beach Club (cost varies by season, but they start at about $1,000 to rent them for the day and can be as much as $4,000).
My grandchildren loved CocoCay’s Splashaway Bay with its kiddie slides and water features, and when we managed to pull them away, we had no trouble finding lounge chairs in the soft sands of the family-friendly Chill Island beach. After an excellent lunch at the barbecue grill buffet with a taco bar and soft-serve ice cream, my daughter and I walked around the island while the others headed to pool time at the Oasis Lagoon, the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean (with a swim-up bar).
CocoCay, in the Bahamas, is a popular stop for cruise lines.
Rexjaymes/Shutterstock
My daughter and I snagged two hammocks hidden off the nature trail from South Beach that, luckily for us, came with views of a live peacock. Our outing was a chance to talk about life as mothers and daughters do.
Back on the ship, my preferred evening activity was dancing to a live band with my grandchildren. My older granddaughter and grandson both showed off some hip-hop moves, while my younger granddaughter wore a look of pure joy on her face on the dance floor.
To the ire of fellow guests, my grandson (with his dad) and daughter both won at Bingo. I came to watch and was shocked to hear the crowd shouting my grandson’s name. I also enjoyed watching my grandchildren’s eyes pop at the complimentary cake selection at the classy Café Al Bacio coffee bar.
Then there was enjoying a little alone time with my kids at the ice-topped Martini Bar, where my son grabbed me for a hug and put ice down my back, joker that he is.
Disembarking in style
On our disembarkation day, we avoided the crowds getting off the ship. We left our bags in Michael’s Club Lounge, had a leisurely breakfast at Luminae (the eggs in purgatory with quail eggs and tomato sauce are delicious), and when we were ready, at around 9 a.m., we were escorted through a secret door, cutting the lines. We felt like pampered celebrities on Celebrity.
Cruise lines that offer ship-within-a-ship experiences
Several other cruise lines with big ships also have ship-within-a-ship concepts. Typically included is butler and/or concierge service, VIP boarding and disembarkation, and access to a private lounge, pool, and dining areas, special amenities, and a dedicated crew. These include:
MSC Cruises’ MSC Yacht Club
The MSC Yacht Club includes access to a private restaurant, a lounge, a sundeck, and a pool.
The Haven on Norwegian Cruise Line
Book into the Haven on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship and your accommodations will be accompanied by a private pool and courtyard, an exclusive restaurant, and a lounge.
The Sanctuary Collection on Princess Cruises
Available on the two newest ships in the Princess fleet, the Sanctuary Collection includes a private restaurant, a dedicated lounge, and access to a sundeck with a pool.
Royal Caribbean’s Royal Suite Class
Available on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-, Quantum-, and Icon-class ships, the Royal Suite Class consists of three categories of suites with dedicated dining, lounges, and sundecks, and in the top category, Star Suite, the services of a “Genie,” in the role of butler.
