The eight most expensive cruises in the world

If you hate cruises, maybe it’s because you haven’t found your cruise. Those floating megacities that arrive at port and disembark 5,000 passengers in one go, saturating a city for several hours without spending a euro because they have everything included on board, are the most stereotypical image of the sector. But there are many types of journeys, from small expedition cruises through remote areas where, instead of dancing the conga, you attend lectures from experts on zoology or glaciology, to the hyper-luxury cruises suitable only for wealthy pockets. There, you will not have to fight for a sun chair at the pool or wait in line for a dry burger from the buffet.

I once attended one — for work reasons — with only 600 passengers. Every eight or ten cabins shared a private butler. Ours was named Igor, and he told me that I could order whatever I wanted for a snack. “Even caviar?” I asked jokingly. “Even caviar,” he replied very seriously. So every afternoon, at five o’clock, Igor showed up with a bottle of champagne and a generous tray of Russian caviar, enough to eat by the spoonful. My taste buds still remember it.

Here are eight of the most expensive cruises in the world. They all have some common characteristics: luxury suites, many of them with a private terrace, and 24-hour restaurant service, as well as, of course, the gym, heated pool, sauna and spa, as well as bathroom products from brands like L’Occitane and Hermès. Cheer up, dreaming costs nothing!

1. Around the world in 145 days, 72 ports and 28 countries

This 145-day voyage departs on January 11, 2024, from Los Angeles and ends on June 5 in the port of Piraeus, in Athens. It is aboard the Seabourn Sojourn, a hyper-luxury cruise ship, where the lucky ones who can pay €75,499 ($79,777) will spend half a year traveling half the world through the Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean. You can buy intermediate routes at more “affordable” prices: from €10,000 to €40,000 ($10,567 to $42,269).

2. Europe through seven rivers and 14 countries

A month and a half sailing through the main rivers of central Europe! The joke costs somewhere between $24,999 (based on double occupancy per cabin) to $55,998 for the most luxurious suite. Yes, you read correctly: more than $1,000 per day. The ship sets sail from Arles, France, and ends în Giurgiu, Romania, after passing through Holland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania. The voyage lasts 45 nights. It is organized by AmaWaterways and the next departure is scheduled for April 20, ending on June 4, 2024.

3. The Arctic, from Norway to Canada

For those who like frozen landscapes, cold seas and remote places, this 30-day Silversea cruise between Trømso, Norway, and Churchill, Canada, is the cruise for you, as long as you have the €32,700 (about $34,500) per person that the simplest cabin costs. It makes stops in the Svalbard Islands, in Iceland, in various points in southern Greenland and in various ports in Nunavut, the Arctic province of Canada. The price includes everything, from a private transfer that picks up the passenger at their home, until it returns them to their home. Only departure, June 15, 2024.

4. Around the world from Barcelona

Depart from Barcelona on January 13, 2024, to go around the world on one of Costa Cruise’s ships, the Costa Deliziosa. In total, there are 115 days of travel across the seven seas, crossing from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the Panama Canal and visiting from Japan to Chile, passing through Australia, India, the Fiji Islands and the French Polynesia. Starting at €18,409 ($19,457) euros, the journey ends on May 6, 2024, in Savona, Italy.

5. From Alaska to Japan

On board the luxury ship Seven Seas Explorer, the shipping company Regent Seven Seas Cruises offers a 20-day tour that begins its voyage in Vancouver, in the Canadian province of British Columbia, and sails through the Inside Passage to Ketchikan and Icy Sound, Alaska. After crossing the imaginary International Time Line and another four days of sailing through the Pacific, the ship will enter Japanese waters, stopping in Kushiro, Hakodate, Sendai, and Yokohama (Tokyo). For €10,379 euros (nearly $11,000), you can join the departure on September 17, 2025.

6. Destination Hawaii

From Vancouver (Canada), the Explora I ship, from the Explora Journeys company, will sail five days through the North Pacific towards Hawaii to stop at some of its main destinations: Hilo, Honolulu, Lahaina and Nawiliwili. On your way back to Canada, before finishing back in your departure city, you will stop in Victoria. In total, the 19-day trip, which departs on April 18, 2024, has a cost from €9,650 to €20,850 ($10,000 to $22,000), depending on the cabin.

7. Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand

You can backpack through Southeast Asia with four euros, or you can feel like a king on this cruise aboard the Seabourn Encore, which goes from Hong Kong to Singapore, crossing the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. It has stops in Vietnam (Halong Bay, Hue Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh), Cambodia (Sihanoukville) and several islands in Thailand. It’s 14 days of luxury for €6,199 ($6,500). Departures scheduled for January 20, 2024.

8. The Caribbean and Panama

Anything for warmer waters? The Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours depart from Montego Bay, in the north of Jamaica, to go to the Colombian Providencia Island and the Nicaraguan Corn Islands. It then heads to Panama, where it will stop at Boca del Toro, the San Blas archipelago and San José Island, ending at Fort Amador in the Panamanian capital. It lasts nine days. Departures begin on October 31, 2023, and costs start at €7,523 (nearly $8,000) per person.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition