The right ship
We understand the real differences between the lines, and we'll say which suit you and which don't.
Luxury cruises
Luxury cruising, properly arranged.
We plan luxury cruises for couples, families and generations travelling together, from choosing the right ship to arranging flights, suites, transfers, hotels and every detail around the voyage.
Free initial consultation · Personally planned · No obligation
What we handle
Everything around the voyage, not just the voyage.
The right suites
Deck, position, layout and connecting options, planned for the whole party at once.
Flights
Everyone there, ideally the day before the ship sails.
Hotels before and after
No dash from airport to gangway; a night to settle in, and time to extend if you want it.
Transfers
Airport to hotel to ship and back, sized for your group and luggage.
Excursions
Appropriate for grandparents and children, private where it helps.
Dining and celebrations
Tables, preferences, birthdays and anniversaries arranged with the ship in advance.
Support
One specialist to call before and during the trip if anything changes.
Who is this for?
Choose the page that sounds like your party.
Three generations
Grandparents, parents, teenagers and small children on one ship, with the suites, pacing and excursions planned around all of them.
Grandparents
Whether you are hosting the grandchildren or travelling as a couple, a specialist who understands what a good week at sea looks like at this stage of life.
Families
Ships that genuinely welcome children, suites that connect, and a specialist who has checked the kids' club runs on your dates.
Couples
Yachts, small elegant ships and ambitious itineraries for two, with flights, hotels and the detail handled.
First-time cruisers
Most people who say they would hate cruising have never been on the ships we recommend. We help you choose one that will change your mind — or tell you honestly if none will.
Travelling with three generations?
Connecting suites, different activity levels, dining that works for everyone, and transfers that suit grandparents and toddlers alike. The best family suites go first, so start early.
Blackbury Picks
The sailings we'd recommend first.
Explora I: a Western Mediterranean week for three generations
Barcelona to Rome with connecting suites, a real kids' programme and nobody dressing for dinner.
Seven Seas Grandeur: Greek islands with everything included
Athens round trip with excursions, drinks, speciality dining and flights in the fare.
Evrima: the Riviera and Corsica on a Ritz-Carlton yacht
Nice to Rome by yacht, with a marina off the stern and a children's programme that makes it work for families.
In pictures
The ships and the ports, as they are.
Licensed photographs of the actual ships and harbours we sell, not brochure renders.
Seabourn Encore, sister ship to Ovation, approaching Dubrovnik Photo: Wolfgang Fricke · CC BY 3.0 
Explora II alongside in port in late-afternoon light, her dark hull and tiered decks catching the sun Photo: Jacopo Tofani · CC BY-SA 4.0 
Regent's Seven Seas Explorer in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, mountains rising on both sides Photo: Paavo01 · CC BY-SA 4.0 
Silver Endeavour in the Gerlache Strait, Antarctica, among ice and mountains Photo: Virtual-Pano · CC BY-SA 4.0 
Oceania Cruises' Riviera, sister ship to Vista, seen from the quay Photo: Piergiuliano Chesi · CC BY 3.0 
Uniworld's S.S. Joie de Vivre moored on the Seine in Paris Photo: Artvill · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cruise lines
Which line is right for you?
Honest ratings on every line, including who each one isn't for. Or answer seven questions and we'll point you at the lines we'd start with.
Explora Journeys
Modern, relaxed, generous with space, and genuinely happy to see children.
- Best for: Three-generation groups who want modern comfort and plenty of room
- Not for: You want a traditional, intimate ship
- Included: dining across most venues; drinks and minibar
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
The most inclusive fare at sea, on all-suite ships that take elegance seriously.
- Best for: Grandparents hosting adult children, and couples who want a fully inclusive, elegant week
- Not for: Your party includes young children or you want a casual atmosphere
- Included: all-suite accommodation; shore excursions in every port
Silversea
Butler-served suites, serious destinations, and one of the strongest expedition fleets afloat.
- Best for: Couples and well-travelled grandparents, and families with teenagers on an expedition
- Not for: You need a kids' club or a big, lively pool scene
- Included: butler service in every suite; drinks and dining
Seabourn
Small, sociable, quietly luxurious ships, with a sister expedition fleet.
- Best for: Couples and adult groups who value calm, warmth and a small ship
- Not for: You are bringing children
- Included: all-suite accommodation; drinks and dining
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
Hotel-style luxury on yachts of roughly 300 to 450 guests, with a surprisingly warm welcome for children.
- Best for: Design-led families and couples who want yacht privacy with real service
- Not for: You want to go somewhere remote or spend two weeks at sea
- Included: all-suite accommodation; dining and most drinks
Four Seasons Yachts
The newest entrant at the very top of the market: hotel-brand luxury on a yacht of around 200 guests.
- Best for: Couples and small parties who want the most spacious suites afloat
- Not for: You want a proven product or a lively family ship
- Included: all-suite accommodation; dining and selected drinks
Ponant
French small ships and a true polar icebreaker, with a children's programme in the summer holidays.
- Best for: Families and couples who want small-ship adventure with a French accent
- Not for: You want a large suite and a resort atmosphere
- Included: dining and drinks; wi-fi
Scenic
All-inclusive discovery yachts with helicopters and a submersible, plus a well-regarded river fleet.
- Best for: Adults who want expedition with helicopters, a submersible and nothing to pay on board
- Not for: You are travelling with children
- Included: all dining and drinks; excursions and expedition activities
Ways to cruise
Yacht, small ship, larger ship, river or expedition?
The first decision is not the destination but the kind of ship. Each suits a different party; we will tell you which is yours.
Yacht-style →
Couples and small parties who want a private-club feel, small harbours and the least 'cruise' of any cruise. Few children's facilities.
Small ships →
Grandparents, couples and adult families: calm, polished, ports the big ships cannot reach. Limited provision for younger children.
Larger luxury ships →
Three generations at once: real children's spaces, more restaurants, connecting suites and room to disappear. Still all-suite and quiet by design.
River →
First-timers and anyone who dislikes open sea: a new town every morning, no tenders, and the whole boat small enough to feel like a house party.
Expedition →
Antarctica, the Arctic and the far north with a luxury ship under you: zodiacs and naturalists by day, a proper dinner by night. Best for active grandparents and older teenagers.
Destinations
Where to go, and when
Mediterranean
The easiest great cruise there is: short flights, famous ports, and a ship for every kind of family.
Greek Islands
Small ships, island overnights, and a late season that runs into October.
Adriatic & Croatia
Venice, Dubrovnik and Kotor in a week, on ships small enough for the old harbours.
Caribbean
Winter sun for the whole family, on ships that make Christmas and half-term easy.
Norwegian Fjords
No long flight, dramatic scenery from your terrace, and a season made for grandparents.
Baltic & Northern Capitals
Copenhagen, Stockholm, Tallinn and Helsinki in a week, with culture the whole way.
Alaska
Glaciers, whales and bears from a small ship, with a pre-cruise stop in Vancouver.
Iceland & the Arctic
Expedition comfort around Iceland, Greenland and Svalbard, without giving up the butler.
Flying a long way? See how we plan the nights before and after the ship →
When to go
Planning around a date? Start here.
Summer, August, half term, Christmas: the windows most families have to work with, and how we plan each one. Or start from the calendar: where we would sail in every month of the year.
Luxury summer cruises 2027
The Mediterranean, the Greek Islands, the Fjords and Alaska — planned now, while the suites that suit a family are still open.
Luxury cruises in August 2027
The month most families have to travel. Here is how we make it work, and the ships we would choose.
Luxury family cruises for the summer holidays
Six weeks, one window, the whole family. The ships that make a summer-holiday cruise feel like a holiday for the parents too.
Luxury Christmas and New Year cruises
The one week a year everyone can get away. Spend it somewhere warm, with the cooking done by someone else.
Luxury cruises for October half term
A week of warm sea, quieter ports and lower prices than summer. One of the best weeks of the year to cruise with children.
Luxury Mediterranean cruises 2027
The Riviera, Italy, the Greek Islands and the Adriatic on the ships we would actually choose for 2027.
Luxury Alaska cruises 2027
Glaciers, whales and the Inside Passage with grandchildren old enough to remember it.
How it works
What happens after you enquire
No obligation. No pressure. Just a conversation about what would work for your party.
Tell us what you're thinking
Two to five minutes online, or a call. Who's travelling, roughly when, and what matters most.
We call you
A cruise specialist talks it through: the party, the occasion, the budget, and anything that worries you.
We shortlist the right ships
Not forty options. Two or three we'd actually recommend, with the reasons, and the ones we'd avoid for you.
We build the trip
Cruise, suites, flights, hotels before and after, transfers, excursions, dining and any celebration on board.
You approve it
Nothing is booked until you're happy with the plan and the price.
We handle the rest
Documents, confirmations, requests to the ship, and one person to call before and during the voyage.
Cruise guides and inspiration
Read before you book.
Our planning notes: which ship for which family, how many cabins, when to go, and the questions nobody asks until it is too late.
The best cruises to take with your grandchildren
Which ships work when the party spans seventy years, what to look for in a children's programme, and the itineraries we would start with.
How to plan a multigenerational cruise
The order to decide things in, the questions that save arguments later, and what a specialist does that a booking site cannot.
Seven luxury cruise myths, dispelled by people who sail them
Crowds, buffets, seasickness, feeling trapped, dressing for dinner, children underfoot and the price. What is true of a 3,000-guest ship is mostly untrue of a 300-guest one. Here is what we tell first-time guests.
Worth knowing
If you're travelling with six or more, start early.
None of this is pressure. It is simply how luxury ships work, and why the planning is worth doing properly.
Plan Our Family Cruise- The best family suites and connecting cabins are the first to go, often many months before departure.
- Peak Mediterranean and school-holiday sailings fill early on the small luxury ships; there may be only a handful of suites that work for a large party.
- Connecting suites are limited on most ships, and some lines have none at all.
- The right cabin can matter as much as the ship: deck, position and layout change how a week feels.
- Flights and pre-cruise hotels for six or more people are easier, and cheaper, when planned together and early.
Good to know
Luxury cruise FAQs
How much does a luxury cruise cost?
As a planning figure, a week on a genuinely luxury ship usually starts around £3,000 to £5,000 per person for a veranda suite, and rises with ship, suite, season and region. Expedition voyages and the yacht-style lines cost more. Every price on this site is a guide for planning; your proposal carries a firm price for your dates, suite and party.
When should I book?
For school holidays, Christmas or a specific suite category, nine to twelve months ahead is sensible, and earlier for connecting suites or parties of six or more. Outside peak dates there is more flexibility, and occasionally good value closer to departure.
Do you arrange flights?
Yes. We arrange flights, and we usually recommend arriving the day before the ship sails so that a delay cannot cost you the voyage.
Do you arrange transfers?
Yes: airport to hotel, hotel to ship, and ship to airport, sized for your party and luggage.
Can you book multiple cabins together?
Yes. For families and groups we plan the cabin configuration as a whole: which deck, which suites sit next to each other, and who is where.
Can you arrange connecting suites?
Where the ship has them. Connecting suites are limited on most luxury ships and absent on some, which is one reason we ask early about who is travelling.
Can you arrange hotels before or after the cruise?
Yes, and for most sailings we recommend at least one night before embarkation. We also plan post-cruise stays if you want to extend.
Can you arrange excursions?
Yes, both the ship's own programme and private arrangements ashore, chosen around the ages and energy levels in your party.
Do you charge a planning fee?
The first conversation and first recommendations are complimentary. If a trip needs extensive research or itinerary design beyond the initial proposal, we agree any fee with you in writing first.
What happens if the cruise changes?
Itineraries can change for weather or operational reasons. We explain the cruise line's terms before you book, and we are your point of contact if anything changes before or during the voyage.
Do you book for families with children?
Yes. We know which ships welcome children well, which have kids' clubs and connecting suites, and which are better left to adults.
Can you arrange accessible travel?
Yes. Tell us about mobility or medical needs at the start and we plan around them: accessible suites, tender ports to avoid, transfers and hotels that work.
Tell us what you're looking for. We'll do the research.
Don't spend thirty hours comparing forty ships, cabins, dates, flights and hotels. Give us five minutes and we'll narrow it down to what is worth considering.