Ship Within a Ship
The best of both worlds.
The best of both worlds.
Enjoy everything a larger ship has to offer, with somewhere more exclusive to call your own.
Ship-within-a-ship experiences combine the dining, entertainment and facilities of a larger cruise ship with enhanced accommodation, personalised service and access to exclusive spaces.
But they are not all the same. Some create an almost completely separate private enclave, while others give you selected exclusive spaces and benefits alongside the wider ship experience.
Ship within a ship could be right for you if...
- ✓You enjoy the choice and entertainment of a larger ship
- ✓You value more personalised service
- ✓You want access to exclusive spaces
- ✓You appreciate priority benefits and additional inclusions
- ✓You want somewhere quieter to retreat to
- ✓You still want to enjoy everything happening across the wider ship
Experiences to explore
MSC Yacht Club
European elegance.
MSC's wider cruise experience is lively and resort-style, with extensive entertainment, dining and activities. Yacht Club provides a more exclusive counterpoint.
Its private restaurant, butler and concierge service and panoramic Top Sail Lounge create a genuinely separate environment, while most ships also offer a private pool and sun deck.
The Top Sail Lounge is one of its particular strengths. Positioned forward on the ship, it offers expansive views and somewhere genuinely enjoyable to retreat to throughout the day.
- ✓Premium drinks, Wi-Fi and UK gratuities included
- ✓Interior Yacht Club suites available on selected ships
- ✓Panoramic, forward-facing Top Sail Lounge
- ✓Butler and concierge service
- ✓Priority boarding during embarkation, at ports and disembarkation
- ✓Reserved seating for all theatre shows
Best suited to
Guests who want a strong private-club experience, excellent value and generous inclusions while still enjoying everything a large ship has to offer.
Worth knowing
On Caribbean itineraries visiting Ocean Cay, Yacht Club privileges continue ashore with access to a private beach area, Ocean House restaurant and bar, and butler service on the island.
The Haven by Norwegian Cruise Line
Entertainment powerhouse.
Norwegian's ships are designed around entertainment, dining and choice, and The Haven provides somewhere more private to retreat to when the pace becomes too much.
The suite selection is a major strength, with exceptionally spacious accommodation available on selected ships, including three-bedroom villas.
There are important differences between ships. Some Haven pool and sundeck areas are enclosed or have limited views, while the newer Prima Class ships offer a particularly attractive outdoor experience, including an infinity pool with wake views.
- ✓Priority reservations for dining and entertainment
- ✓Butler and 24-hour concierge service
- ✓Exceptional choice of suite accommodation
- ✓Priority embarkation, disembarkation and tender access
- ✓Priority access to the Aqua Slidecoaster on applicable ships
Best suited to
Guests who want Norwegian's exceptional choice of entertainment, dining and accommodation, but value having an exclusive retreat within the ship.
Worth knowing
Your butler can arrange in-suite dining from speciality restaurants around the ship, allowing you to enjoy dishes from selected venues privately in your suite.
The Retreat by Celebrity Cruises
Contemporary luxury.
Rather than simply providing an exclusive enclave within a large ship, The Retreat enhances an already premium, contemporary cruise experience.
Celebrity is particularly strong for guests who value food, design and service. Luminae provides dedicated suite dining, while The Retreat adds personalised service, concierge support and enhanced benefits.
Suite accommodation ranges from Sky Suites to some of Celebrity’s most spacious and distinctive suites, with the experience and included benefits varying by suite category.
- ✓Direct access to your butler via Butler Chat
- ✓Priority tender access
- ✓Complimentary in-suite dining
- ✓Dedicated destination experience support
- ✓Reserved theatre seating on special evenings
Best suited to
Guests who want a more sophisticated overall cruise experience, with excellent food, contemporary design and highly personalised service.
Worth knowing
The Retreat experience varies by ship. The Retreat Sundeck is available on Edge Series and Revolutionized ships, but not across the entire fleet, and facilities vary between ships.
Sanctuary Collection by Princess
An exclusive experience.
Sanctuary Collection is currently available only on Sun Princess and Star Princess.
It combines the choice, entertainment and facilities of Princess’s newest ships with a more exclusive experience, including private dining, priority boarding and Princess Premier.
At its heart is the Sanctuary Club, an adults-only (16+) pool and sundeck with dedicated service, drinks, light bites and live entertainment, while the Sanctuary Restaurant provides exclusive dining for Sanctuary Collection guests.
- ✓Princess Premier included
- ✓Adults-only (16+) Sanctuary Club
- ✓Exclusive Sanctuary Restaurant
- ✓Balcony, mini-suite and suite options available
- ✓Suite Lounge with panoramic wake views for full-suite guests
Best suited to
Guests who enjoy Princess and want an elevated experience with exclusive outdoor space, extensive inclusions and an adults-only pool and sundeck.
Worth knowing
The Sanctuary Club even has a Champagne Wall, where white-gloved concierges serve chilled glasses of champagne through a wall of greenery.