Dropping anchor on the cruise of a lifetime
As the appetite for luxury cruising grows, seeking truly exceptional experiences comes with a ship-sized price tag
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A private driver arrives at your home to transport you to your cruise suite, where you are welcomed aboard with a glass of Dom Perignon and introduced to your personal butler — exhale, your luxury voyage has begun.
Welcome to a new level of luxury cruising where rare and remote experiences are the currencies and every opulence you thought you knew on land is also available at sea.
“The luxury experience at sea has started to fragment, it’s different things to different people,” says Joe O’Sullivan, managing director of small ship booking specialist, Cruise Traveller. “For some, it’s the whole ethos of the white glove service, the personal touches like the butler who remembers your favourite drink. But another big driver in the luxury market is experiences, the people who want to camp on the ice in Antarctica or paddleboard off the bow of the ship.”
We did all the hard work for you and found five of the most luxurious experiences you can have at sea in 2025 — and what they cost.
Live like a VIP at sea
Want to organise a private dinner for 12 in your suite? No problem. What about a night in a luxury hotel before the ship sails? Of course. A growing number of ships are offering that VIP treatment once reserved for world leaders and celebrities. And for the right price, your wish is their command.
The Owner’s Residence aboard an Explora Journeys ship is about as luxe as it gets on sea. We’re talking an outdoor terrace that extends the full width of the ship, marble ensuite with a large bathtub, private steam room and Dyson appliances and a butler that packs and unpacks, launders and presses your clothes like an old-school majordomo. Of course, this will set you back almost $200,000 per couple for a two-week cruise.
For a similar, though no less opulent experience, Explora Journeys have four categories of Ocean Residences below this.
“Explora Journeys is the luxury division of MSC Cruises, but don’t let the mass-market MSC brand put you off, this is like Volkswagen owning Porsche and Audi,” says Mark Trim, managing director of Flat Beds Tour + Cruise, who was lucky enough to spend two weeks in an Ocean Residence with his family earlier this year. “And whilst it is a small ship, there was a lot of space, and the wellness facilities, bars and shopping were also incredible, highlighted by the inclusion of the exclusive Rolex boutique on Deck 4.”
The VIP treatment aboard a Regent Suite on select Regent Seven Seas ships carries a price tag of around $16,000 a night. For this you get 413sqm of space (more than double the average ship suite) at the bow of the ship with ocean views from two wraparound balconies.
And forget an ensuite, in the Regent Suite, it’s called a master bathroom spa retreat and includes a treatment area, full sauna and multi-jet shower, heated relaxation loungers, a heated spa and unlimited, complimentary in-suite spa treatments.
You also get access to The Study, a Private Dining Room for up to 12 guests, and a night in a luxury hotel pre-cruise including breakfast and transfers.
A 14-day cruise from Monte Carlo to Rome in a Retreat Residence suite on Explora II departing May 2025 is from $22,650 a person twin share and from $74,000 a person twin share in an Owner’s Residence suite.
A night in a Regent Suite aboard Regent Seven Seas Explorer, Grandeur or Splendor is from $16,000.
Walk among penguins
There are a few things you can be sure of when you step onto remote Snow Hill off the east coast of Antarctica — you will be surrounded by thousands of Emperor penguins and you will be part of a select few to do so.
Getting access to Snow Hill, where up to 10,000 breeding penguins and their offspring live, is by helicopter only.
Five years ago, Scenic launched their discovery yacht class called Scenic Eclipse equipped with two onboard helicopters and a custom submersible to take travellers on these types of rare adventures.
“We’ve seen significant demand for immersive experiences, particularly for unique offerings like our helicopter excursions,” says Anthony Laver, Scenic Group general manager, sales and Marketing, APAC. “This growing interest reflects a broader trend towards intimate, immersive and ultra-luxury journeys that go beyond traditional cruising. And given its sleek yacht design, Scenic Eclipse is also capable of sailing into places many ships are not able to reach.”
The 22-day Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands itinerary departing Buenos Aires in February 2025 is from $32,020 a person twin share. Helicopter excursions operate from this cruise at an extra cost.
Meet the Inuit
Go hunting on dog sleds with Inuit masters, set off on a polar hike and experience the midnight sun. It may sound clichéd, but these are just some of the once-in-a-lifetime experiences you can have onboard Ponant’s first luxury hybrid electric polar exploration ship, Le Commandant Charcot.
“Unlike more standard polar cruise activities, travellers won’t travel on Zodiacs very much at all, as everything is done by dog sled,” says Ponant expedition experience director, Jose Sarica. “The charm of this voyage to the far north-west of Greenland is that it offers some very immersive experiences in icebound landscapes, including hiking and snowshoeing, traditional Inuit kayaking, beluga and narwhal watching and even snorkelling through the ice in a wetsuit.”
The 11-day Inuit Spring of Ammassalik aboard Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot departing May 2025 is from $26,180 a person twin share (polar trek experience $1550 extra).
The luxury of time
Is there anything more luxurious than time, philosophically speaking? What about if you combine it with a prolonged journey aboard a six-star ultra-luxury ship? Sign up for the experience with Silversea who feature a range of Grand category itineraries designed to let you immerse yourself in your destination.
One of their most popular voyages is the 47-day circumnavigation of Australia which visits 23 ports and includes door-to-door private transfers from your home, your own butler to cater to your needs at sea, as well as all shore excursions and business class airfares.
The 47-day Grand Australia voyage departing Melbourne in October 2025 aboard Silver Nova is from $51,200 a person twin share with door-to-door service.
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With interest booming, wellness experts and pool builders have seen more homeowners hoping to take cold therapy immersion into their own backyards.
4 min
Cold plunges have gone from fringe curiosity to full-blown cultural phenomenon, the wellness world’s equivalent of a headline-grabbing breakout star.
Adherents slip into icy water on a daily basis, chasing an electric jolt of clarity that feels like a flip has been switched inside your brain.
Dedicated cold plunge practices are everywhere from upscale fitness studios and pro sports locker rooms to renowned wellness destinations such as Mountain Trek Health Reset Retreat in British Columbia.
Considering the ever-expanding assortment of companies flooding the market with cold plunge tubs and other custom devices dedicated to achieving icy bliss—with costs potentially reaching into the tens of thousands—some homeowners are tempted to use their swimming pools as an alternative.
“We’re absolutely seeing more homeowners use their pools as year-round cold plunges, especially in colder climates,” said Nick McNaught, CEO and co-founder of Toronto-based Stay Unbounded, which offers cold exposure workshops, retreats and certifications.
“The motivation is often simplicity and cost. If the water is already cold, people see value in keeping the pool open longer or winterizing it differently to support cold exposure.”
Suzanne Vaughan, president of Massachusetts-based pool builder SwimEx, points out the inherent convenience that comes with taking a frosty dip out back.
“From what homeowners tell us, the appeal of a cold plunge at home is less about chasing extremes and more about having a simple ritual that’s always available,” she said.
“It’s quick, accessible and easy to build into a daily routine.”
Among new clients Vaughan works with, year-round cold plunge use is usually planned from the start rather than as an afterthought.
“More are choosing indoor pools or small attached structures because that makes temperature control, equipment protection and day-to-day use much easier in colder climates,” she said.
If someone is thinking about using an existing home pool as a cold plunge, the main questions are likely to involve practicality and protection.
“Larger volumes of water take more energy and time to keep at colder temperatures, and you need a plan to protect plumbing, finishes and equipment from freeze–thaw cycles,” she added.
“Whatever the design, you want a system that’s built for the temperature range you have in mind, and a pool professional who can help you winterize safely.”
One such professional is Hunter Gary, a certified master pool builder and owner of H2 Outdoor Living in Tennessee.
“Most everyone has a ‘number’ in degrees when it comes to cold plunging. When a client asks our company to design a cold plunge for them, I ask ‘what’s your number?’” Gary said.
“A smaller body of water or cold plunge vessel may be much easier for maintaining a balanced temperature…but if using a pool gets you excited about a more serious approach to inviting this wellness experience in your life, then go for it.”
Amy McDonald, owner and CEO of Under a Tree, a wellness consultancy, said transforming a pool into a plunge might not be worth time and investment
“It is almost impossible to retrofit a standard swimming pool into a cold plunge,” she said.
“The energy and money to do it properly is greater compared to just creating a complimentary contrast circuit.”
A proper setup needs to be exceptionally cold, she noted, so depending on where the pool is located it might not get chilly enough to provide optimal health benefits.
“That could work in northern areas of the U.S., but it takes a lot for a pool to generate and keep that kind of cold, not even considering if the pool ices over,” she said.
McNaught echoed those concerns, citing how home pools aren’t designed specifically for cold plunging, so temperature consistency, cleanliness, ease of access and safety become important factors.
“Dedicated cold plunge setups offer more control, smaller volumes and lower ongoing maintenance,” he said.
“For many people, a pool works as an entry point. Over time, those who commit to the practice transition to a dedicated setup because it better supports frequency, comfort and long-term use.”
Beyond geography and climate, industry experts pointed out other challenges homeowners are likely to face.
“Pools are saturated with chlorine and other chemicals that directly absorb into the bloodstream. The advantage of many cold plunges is that no chemicals are required for residential use,” said David Haddad, as the co-founder of Oregon-based BlueCube Wellness.
“Constant ozonation and filtration is enough to kill organic compounds without exposure to sanitizing chemicals.”
Most cold-plunge systems are monitored to stay between 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit—with experienced plungers often preferring lower temperatures.
While “the ultimate experience might be a glacial lake in Finland, unfortunately that’s a bit out of reach for most of us,” said Andreas Stelluti, co-founder at Texas-based Colderatti, whose vessels feature the world’s first chemical-free cold plunge technology, powered by a triple filtration system that removes 99% of impurities to provide a system with drinking-quality water.
“Having a cold plunge at home brings that experience to your backyard, making it very easy and accessible, so you have the ability to make it part of your lifestyle,” he added.
Stelluti noted that as spring arrives and clients’ home pools start to warm up again, they begin to miss the cool water.
“Many say ‘I really need this to be part of my lifestyle year-round’ and that desire for consistent, accessible cold immersion is what motivates them to invest in a dedicated cold plunge setup,” he explained.
“Unfortunately, you can’t use your pool as a year-round cold plunge during the summer. Especially not here in Texas.”
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