I'M GOING TO SEA ...; PAMPER ME! : IS THE ULTIMATE LUXURY CRUISE TOO LUXURIOUS?

Byline: Arline Bleecker Orlando Sentinel 

When it comes to cruising in style, ultraluxury ships float in a pretty rarified realm. For the price of a single day on Seabourn, you could cruise for two weeks on Carnival.

And, folks, there is a difference between luxury and mass-market cruises...

Barely two days into a cruise several years ago on Seabourn's Pride, a passel of us pampered passengers already were swapping ``can-you-top-this'' stories about the ship's uncommonly attentive staff.

The tale we voted best was about the passenger who, earlier in the cruise, had whispered to her friend that, Pride's stellar cuisine notwithstanding, she craved potato chips (none are served aboard Seabourn). A passing steward must have overheard her, because when she returned to her suite an hour later, she found a silver bowl brimming with freshly made potato chips.

My favorite is a tale I still regale friends with: On a Pridecruise a year later, I was aboard less than an hour when the lounge steward - unasked - handed me my favorite drink of the year before. Probably such prestidigitation is done with computers, but it's impressive that the cruise line focuses on such details.

Of course, these days most deluxe ships (and even newer mainstream ones) duplicate to a large degree the outer trappings of luxury - opulent decors and trendy amenities. But make no mistake, ultraluxury ships are a class apart - particularly when it comes to service.

``It's the difference between a Hilton vs. a Ritz Carlton,'' said Miriam Rand, whose agency, Rand Field Travel in Beverly Hills, books cruises for actors and directors, an undoubtedly wealthy and pampered lot. Rand explained that the off-the-charts one-on-one service on such lines as Seabourn, Silversea and Cunard's Sea Goddesses, for example, is possible only on ships where the number of staff practically equals the number of passengers. Which makes sense, if you think about it. It's like having a personal servant.

Sky's the limit

If you're wondering what the deluxe trappings on luxury cruises are like, think caviar on demand.

Think ritzy: Eat off Limoges dinnerware on Silversea; have dinner in your suite - served one course at a time - on Seabourn. Tuxedoed butlers even come with the territory in Crystal's penthouse suites.

And, of course, think pampered. On most of these vessels, standard amenities in staterooms - excuse me, I mean suites - include plump terry robes, soft slippers and hair dryers (those on Crystal have two). Passengers sleep on Pratesi linens, under European duvet quilts. There are walk-in closets, marble baths, videocassette recorders, even personalized stationery.

If the appellation of ultraluxury is synonymous with the finest food and impeccable service, it also is about choices, with open seating for dinner considered among the biggest pluses.

Overall, the constellation of ships in this dazzling galaxy include boutique vessels carrying between 100 and 300 passengers, midsized vessels of about 750, and larger ships that carry just shy of 1,000 passengers.

If you're thinking ultraluxury is just for moneyed folks who already have been there, done that, consider that you conceivably could take one of these cushy cruises by nabbing a less expensive stateroom on vessels such as Crystal Symphony and Royal Viking Sun, which offer several categories of accommodations.

Luxury alternatives

You also could savor similarly superb amenities and palatial accommodations by booking top suites (as in, penthouse) on some ships, especially the newest, of Holland America, Princess and Celebrity cruise lines. Passengers booked in Veendam suites, for example, enjoy special alternative dining options and afternoon tea served privately in your suite, even preferential disembarkation privileges. The musically inclined may want to make this note: One suite on Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas has a grand piano.

In the opinion of most cruise experts interviewed, the short list in the ultraluxury lineup includes the ships of Seabourn and Silversea as well as Cunard's Sea Goddesses, Royal Viking Sun and QE2. To this list, others added the Crystal Harmony and Symphony, Radisson Seven Sea Cruises' Diamond and Song of Flower. Here's how the competition stacks up, in order of size:

Sea Goddess I and II are Cunard's 116-passenger all-suite twins. Their creature comforts attract an affluent, active and somewhat younger clientele (age 40 and up). For those who want to be pampered to death, each also boasts the famed Golden Door Spa At Sea. Fares average about $1,500 per day per couple, including gratuities, alcohol and air fare.

Radisson Seven Seas Cruises' 172-passenger Song of Flower offers luxury without the pretensions. For the fifth consecutive year, the yachtlike ship has been awarded ``best cruise value'' in the ultraluxury category by World Ocean and Cruise Liner Society. On all Asian itineraries, air fare, shore excursions, pre- and post-cruise hotel stays, alcohol and gratuities are included - for less than on most luxury lines. Fares average $450 per day per person.

Seabourn Cruise Line's 212-passenger all-suite triplets Pride, Spirit and Legend leave little to be desired in terms of food and service. However, these may not be everyone's choice, because all but a few staterooms lack private verandas, now a staple even on mainstream ships. Basically for the polo-pony crowd, fares average $1,000 per person per day, including air fare, gratuities and in-cabin bar.

Silversea Cruises' twin 296-passenger yachtlike vessels are ``the best pieces of hardware out there,'' said Boca Raton, Fla., travel agent William Jacob. In fact, readers of Conde Nast Traveler voted Silversea the world's top cruise line. Ships are about 30 percent larger than their closest competitors, and rates, averaging $700 per person per day, are among the industry's most all-inclusive, with round-trip air fare, transfers, port charges, beverages (including cocktails and wines), gratuities and precruise hotel.

Radisson Diamond is tough to categorize. In the opinion of many, this 354-passenger ship does not deliver a quite over-the-top level of ultraluxury - ``its two-hulled status being its most unique feature,'' said one connoisseur - but it does a ``great job'' on its transcanal cruises. Fares range from $300 to $570 per day per person, depending on itinerary.

Cunard's 758-passenger Royal Viking Sun is an elite traditional ship with many amenities, plus fine cuisine. It's rare to find a ship this size with single-seating dinner, but the Sun does it with amazing grace (although tables are assigned). The ship recently debuted an Italian-style alternative restaurant. Fares averaging $800 per person per day include gratuities.

Crystal Cruises' 960-passenger Harmony and Symphony are the largest of these luxury vessels, twin full-sized ships offering superb service and cuisine and a full complement of big-ship amenities such as stage shows. The ships' many public rooms and two specialty restaurants on each help maintain the illusion of far fewer passengers. However, many cruisers would prefer an open-seating dining policy to the existing two-seating dining.

The 1,850-passenger QE2, last of the great liners offering trans-Atlantic crossings, is in a class by itself. All passengers experience the heritage and tradition of sailing aboard this venerable oceangoing vessel. But you'll only get real luxury if you pay top dollar for cabins associated with the Queen's and Princess Grill categories. Through December, two-for-one fares are offered on trans-Atlantic crossings, starting as low as $1,995.

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Drawing: (Color) no caption (LUXURY CRUISE)

Jon Gerung/Daily News