Best for
Luxury cruise lines that suit travellers in their sixties and seventies: pacing, comfort, inclusive fares, accessibility, no-fly options and the ships we recommend most.
Travellers in their sixties and seventies are the heart of luxury cruising, and the lines know it. What varies is pace, formality and how much is included. These are the ships we recommend most often to clients at this stage, and why.
| Criterion | Regent Seven Seas Cruises | Seabourn | Silversea | Viking | Uniworld Boutique River Cruises |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regent Seven Seas | Everything included, excursions with seats and shade, elegant evenings. | ||||
| Seabourn | Small, warm, sociable; many repeat guests. Expedition ships for the adventurous. | ||||
| Silversea | Butlers, ambitious destinations, door-to-door fare with flights and transfers. | ||||
| Viking | Adults-only, calm, cultural, an excursion in every port, good value. No grandchildren. | ||||
| Uniworld and the rivers | No tenders, short walks, docked in town. Best for mobility concerns. |
Stars are Blackbury's editorial opinion, not independent ratings or customer reviews.
We check lift locations, accessible suites, tender versus docked ports and walking distances ashore for every proposal, and we pace itineraries with sea days and late starts. For those who prefer not to fly, Seabourn, Silversea and others sail from Southampton and Dover in summer.
Tell us who's travelling and what matters most. We'll say which of these we'd book for you, and why.
The lines
The most inclusive fare at sea, on all-suite ships that take elegance seriously.
Small, sociable, quietly luxurious ships, with a sister expedition fleet.
Butler-served suites, serious destinations, and one of the strongest expedition fleets afloat.
Calm, adults-only ships with Scandinavian design and an excursion included in every port.
Boutique river ships with lavish interiors and dedicated family sailings in the school holidays.
Good to know
River lines first, then Regent and Viking, whose ships are well laid out with accessible suites. We confirm the specifics for your ship and ports.
Keep reading
Explora and Silversea are both luxury, both largely inclusive, and suit quite different parties. We compare ship size, formality, children, food, destinations and price, then say which we would choose for whom.
Regent and Seabourn both sell small-ship luxury with most things included. Regent includes more and is a little grander; Seabourn is smaller, warmer and more sociable. We say which we would choose for which couple.
Which luxury cruise lines actually work when grandparents take the grandchildren: the ships with children's programmes and connecting suites, the ones to avoid, and how we would plan it.
Tell us who's travelling, where you'd like to go and what matters most. We'll recommend the ships we'd actually consider.