Cruise mode

The best ships to suit all types of seafarers. By Alex Greig.

Luxury

The small fleet owned by Regent Seven Seas Cruises (rssc.com) is all-suite and all opulence. Its ships ply seas from the wilds of Alaska to the glittering Mediterranean. And the newest vessel, Seven Seas Explorer, is billed as the most luxurious ever built: think lobster served on Versace crockery in view of a Picasso.

Families

With Disney characters on deck, themed parties and animatedmovie marathons, Disney Cruise Line (disneycruise.disney.go.com) ships are a kids’ paradise. Rooms are designed with adults and children in mind, as is the dining, including Eye Scream Treats for ice-cream and the Disney Princess-inspired Royal Court.

Small-ship cruising

Not as big as typical cruisers, Seabourn liners (pictured) can access the world’s smaller, most fascinating ports. While there’s a relaxed elegance on board, each Seabourn (seabourn.com) journey is carefully engineered to include innovative experiences. Its Evening at Ephesus tour, for example, allows guests to enjoy a candlelit concert among ancient ruins in Turkey.

Wellbeing

Silversea (silversea.com) offers Wellness Expeditions that are like a health retreat, only with ever-changing scenery. The program includes fitness classes (yoga, Pilates and gym sessions) and nutritious menus. You can also sign up for dietary counselling and pampering spa treatments.

Food-lovers

Oceania Cruises’ (oceaniacruises. com) claim to culinary fame is Jacques Pépin. The international chef oversees all things food, such as the cruise line’s cooking school and topnotch Parisianstyle bistro Jacques. In addition, Oceania’s Culinary Discovery Tours enable passengers to shop at food markets, visit wineries and learn local cooking techniques.

River tours

Each morning, open the curtains of your Uniworld (uniworld.com) suite to behold picture-perfect castles along the Rhine, terraced vineyards in Portugal’s Douro Valley or fields of tulips in the Netherlands’ Keukenhof garden. Or tour the Seine, Danube and Rhône rivers. White-gloved butlers, Hermès bathroom products and a farm-to-table menu round out the experience.

Megaship journeys

With its latest ship designed to carry more than 6000 passengers, there’s one word to describe a Royal Caribbean (royalcaribbean.com.au) cruise liner: vast. Equipped with impressively tall water slides, ice-skating rinks and a skydiving simulator, ships are divided into “neighbourhoods” that resemble small water-bound cities. The dining options alone (20 in total on Harmony of the Seas) may be impossible to fully explore on a short cruise.

For the full story, “The 10 best cruise lines in the world”, visit travelinsider.qantas.com.au.