Courtesy Silversea cruises
The pioneer of all-inclusive cruises has added new extras to build upon an already stellar program. These cruises now include door-to-door transfers, which means you’ll get picked up from your home by a private chauffeured vehicle and driven up to 50 miles to the airport or directly to the ship (and the same goes for the return home). And starting on classic voyages, shore excursions are now included too. There’s at least one free excursion in every port, but often many to choose from, including an Iditarod Dog Camp experience in Alaska and seal-watching trips in Iceland.
What’s included: Executive private transfer service, gourmet dining with local and international cuisine, butler service, onboard entertainment, premium alcoholic beverages, complimentary shore excursions, airfare, pre-cruise hotel stays and a wide array of activities at sea, including dancing and cooking lessons.
Where you can cruise: Ten small to medium cruise ships traverse the entire globe. You can sail Silversea to the Galápagos Islands and the British Isles for one week, or explore Asia, Africa, the Arctic and Greenland for longer vacations at sea. Additionally, if you book an all-inclusive World Cruises, you can sail for upward of 140 days and discover small corners of the planet at sea and on land. Whether you cruise for 7 or 140 days, it’s important to know the things polite people never do on cruises.
via tripadvisor.com
Holland offers older Americans a refined experience at sea, with fine dining, complimentary fresh fruit and ice service in their cabins, luxurious bathrobes and bath amenities, and excursions that honor the diverse interests of their guests. Thanks to a new premium package, any sailing of six days or longer can become all-inclusive cruises with food, drinks, shore excursions and Wi-Fi access included.
What’s included: Holland America has never been known for offering all-inclusive cruises, but that changed in April 2021 with the “Have It All” premium package. This Having It All now means that passengers on all itineraries of six days and longer can get everything they want in one simple cruise fare, including shore excursions (from ziplining to historical explorations), beverages, specialty dining (the number of specialty dining experiences will be determined by the length of the cruise) and unlimited Wi-Fi. The Signature Beverage Package that’s part of Have It All includes a vast array of wine, beer, spirits, cocktails, soda, coffee and more, up to a maximum of 15 drinks per day, with bar service charges included too.
Where you can cruise: Most cruise aficionados agree that Holland America offers the best cruise ships and itineraries for exploring Alaska, although Holland ships also visit Hawaii, the Mediterranean, Australia, Canada, Asia and Europe.
Via Tauck.com
The Tauck small ship and river cruise experience is an all-inclusive cruiser’s dream, with free use of bicycles while in port, pleasant pickup and drop-off at airports before and after sailing, and private, exclusive on-land events arranged and scheduled only for Tauck passengers. These cultural journeys are all-inclusive cruises that allow refined travelers to experience the world’s most fabulous, famous and still-under-explored towns and cities, with an intense focus on local history, culture, food and wine.
What’s included: Every travel expense is bundled up into the price of these all-inclusive cruises, from airport transfers, all hotel and ship accommodations, entertainment, delicious local cuisine, shore excursions, luggage handling, most all of the taxes, local guides and tour directors and all gratuities.
Where you can cruise: Small-ship cruises visit Arabia, Iceland, the Great Lakes, Antarctica and destinations in the Baltic, while Tauck river cruises sail the Danube, Rhine, Douro, Rhône and more rivers in Europe, with themed all-inclusive cruises visiting the Christmas markets of Germany and the Oberammergau Passion Play. If you find themes exciting, make sure to check out the ones that made our best themed cruises list.