One Vacation Club | Cruise Vacations / Luxury Suites

Once, there were just standard staterooms with a handful of bigger rooms for celebrities and the seriously wealthy. Now there are all types available, from practical family suites to rooms opening on to private swimming pools. here is our guide to some of the best cruise suites currently afloat.

More and more passengers are upgrading from basic staterooms to suites and you can feel like royalty, and enjoy that feeling of being special, on you cruise holiday and save whne you book through OVCruise with your Visa Card.

Norwegian Cruise Lines

Norwegian Cruise Lines have embraced the idea of suites with gusto. Their cruise ship, Norwegian Epic, has the biggest suite complex at sea, with 60 suites and villas on two private decks.

The Garden Villa Suites situated high on Deck 14 of six of their existing ships are among the roomiest of cruise accommodation at 5,750sq ft. That is bigger than many houses. Using the three bedrooms and extra 'roll-out' beds in the lounge, a suite could sleep up to eight adults and three children. Guest enjoy a private rooftop deck with pool, two steam rooms and hot tub. Extra services include a private butler.

If you squeeze eight into The Garden Villa Suites, theUS$20,255 bill for a week's cruise will work out at $364 each a night..

Cunard

The two-story Grand Suites on the Queen Mary 2 are more like expensive city apartments. Not surprisingly, their cost is closer to a mortgage than a cruise ticket.

Two spacious floors linked by an elegant curved staircase with a two-story glass wall overlooking the sea attract the rich and famous. Upstairs is a master bedroom with two dressing rooms, en suite whirlpool bath and gym. Downstairs is the vast lounge, dining area for eight, bar, office area and balcony.

Fares to cross the Atlantic start at nearly £30,000 per couple with each suite featuring three marble bathrooms, free champagne and strawberries, fresh flower arrangements and a butler. Other luxuries include a pillow concierge offering nine pillow options.

All five Grand Suites on the QM2 can be combined if you are looking for even more luxury. Cunard decline to publicly reveal the price.

P & O

The two elegant, front-facing cabins spanning two decks on their ten-year-old cruise ship Aurora are P&O's best suites.

The Penthouse Suites have an open spiral staircase rising to a sleeping 'loft' with king-size bed, full en suite bathroom with Jacuzzi and a private balcony.

Downstairs there's a dining table for six, bar area, guest powder rooms and another balcony.

The main difference between the two suites is that one features a grand piano, the other a library.

The Penthouse Suites are booked until May next year. After that prices start at £5,437 per person for a 13-night Baltic cruise.