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Sand In My Suitcase

Ahoy Cruisers! 🚢 New Luxury Ships & Tips

Published about 2 months ago • 2 min read

Hello hello again!

Are you, like us, missing summer already? With fall on the horizon, it feels like the perfect time to start dreaming about a cruise. 🚢

The other night, friends told us over dinner that their daughter and son-in-law (both doctors in California) sailed on one of the new Ritz-Carlton yachts — and absolutely raved about it.

Indeed, luxury hotel brands like Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons and Aman are launching ships that look nothing like the cruises of old!

They’re part of an exciting new wave in cruising.

Think floating marinas with SUP boards and kayaks, sleeping under the stars on a Balinese bed on deck (on SeaDream Yacht Club) and splash-pool family suites with outdoor showers (on the new Four Seasons yacht coming in 2026).

Curious?

We’ve written two new guides to inspire your next cruise. And if you’re thinking of moving up from lines like Princess, Holland America and Celebrity? We highlight the best luxury (and “affordable” luxury) lines to look at.

10 New Luxury Cruises Too Glam to Resist!

Get ready to pack up your best resort wear!

Take a peek at the latest luxury ship launches (and some still to come!) — and see which one you’d love to sail on first.

(We've got our eyes on the superyacht Emerald Sakara, with included excursions like guided hikes and bicycle rides ashore.)

15 Luxury Cruise Hacks Savvy Travelers Swear By

Think luxury cruising is all white gloves and high price tags? Not quite.

💡 We’ve learned a few smart luxury cruise hacks over the years — like:

  • How to score those hard-to-get specialty restaurant reservations
  • How to enjoy wine upgrades
  • How to snag suite-like experiences without paying suite-level prices.

Whether you’re sailing Seabourn, Crystal, Silversea, Viking, Oceania, Windstar or other upscale cruise line, these tips will make your voyage even sweeter!

More Travel Inspo!💡

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BTW, we’re personally scratching our own cruise travel itch soon, with two sailings in the next couple of months — a Star Clippers trip from Nice to Corsica and a Crystal Caribbean cruise from Barbados. ☺️

Stay tuned! We’ll have plenty more cruising tales to share later.

Bye for now. And we’ll talk again soon...

​About | Places | Cruises​

113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205

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Sand In My Suitcase

By Janice and George | Luxury travel with a twist of adventure!

Hi! We’re award-winning travel writers (and former lawyers), published in outlets like USA Today, The Globe and Mail and Toronto Star. In 2012, we launched "Sand In My Suitcase," our luxury travel blog. We've explored all 7 continents (even Antarctica!) and share trip itineraries, cruise reviews and hotel finds so you can travel smarter and in style. Join thousands of travelers who follow our adventures — and get exclusive tips and fresh inspo delivered straight to your inbox!

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