Best luxury ships

updated 4:15 p.m. ET Oct. 13, 2005

In looking at today's top luxury cruise lines, we've picked favorites that span an entire range of travel styles. While all fit the key "luxury" criteria -- outstanding cuisine and top-notch personal service -- some boast more sumptuous interiors, and some are more all-inclusive than others.

What's different these days about luxury cruise lines is that they come in all shapes and sizes, fitting a far wider range of passengers. Luxury can be experienced in the guise of sailing yacht-style vessels, or formal, near-mega ship traditional experiences.

If You Want All-Around Glamour ...
Try: Silversea Cruises' Silver Wind or Silver Cloud

Anchors away the "creme de la creme" of the seas, these 296-passenger twin sister ships provide flawless service, authentic gourmet cuisine, free-flowing wines, open bars, spacious suite-like staterooms (stocked with Frette terry robes), decks of balconied staterooms, friendly crew and gorgeous interiors.

If You Want Lots of Choices and Plenty of Mind-Bending Activities ...
Try: Crystal's Crystal Harmony, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity

These 960- to 1,080-passenger luxury liners redefine elegance with the company's "never say no" motto: extravagant butler-manned penthouse suites, gorgeous staterooms, irreproachable service, lavishly staged production shows and a floating Caesar's Palace casino. The ships' facilities are amazing, from a Feng Shui-inspired spa to the most exclusive collection of boutique restaurants (Prego by Valentino, Nobu Matsuhisu's Silk Road) at sea.

If You Want Your Own (Almost) Private Yacht ...
Try: SeaDream Yacht Club's SeaDream I and SeaDream II

Aimed at active, luxury-loving travelers of any age, sailing these 110-passenger yachts is the next best thing to having your own! Cuisine is superb, service is also superb, and the yachts' interiors are un-ostentatiously elegant. Each ship has a small but incredibly lovely Asian-influenced spa. There are no private verandahs (most yachts, after all, don't need 'em) but cabins are outfitted with sumptuous amenities, such as DVD players, cotton duvets and lovely bathrooms with showers for two. Another plus: This is one of the industry's most all-inclusive options. Everything from cocktails to gratuities to watersports fun off its platform is included in the price -- even the caviar, available around the clock.

If You Want Tropical Elegance ...
Try: Radisson Seven Seas Cruises' Paul Gauguin

The 304-passenger ship, which sails year-round itineraries in French Polynesia, offers casual, laid-back luxury, romantic ambiance, fabulous food, big, beautiful staterooms (many with verandahs), great service and amenities. What's particularly special about Paul Gauguin is that its interior was designed for French Polynesia -- and so the onboard art and ambiance very elegantly reflects the itinerary.

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