I’ve sailed on two all-inclusive, ultra-luxury cruise ships. These are the 3 reasons I think they’re worth the cost.

Luxury cruises have some obvious and expected plus-sides, like an elegant ambiance and great food.

On Regent Seven Seas and Silversea’s latest ships, mediocre lunch buffets are replaced with endless raw fish. And instead of a “main dining room” with upcharged lobsters, guests can dine on complimentary caviar and foie gras.

I love fine dining. So, it might be a surprise to hear that I don’t think the free beef tenderloin is the best part about Silversea’s and Regent Seven Seas’ cruises.

Instead, I think the ships’ convenience, all-inclusivity, and suites make them worth the cost.

Cruises are popular in part for their ease of travel. What other fare includes dining, activities, accommodations, and the opportunity to see several destinations in just a few days — all without needing to plan logistics like hotels and ground transportation?

But if you think mass-market cruises are easygoing, just wait until you see their luxury counterpart.

If you’re willing to pay extra, you won’t even have to plan your flights.

Silversea offers three pricing tiers: door-to-door, port-to-port, and an “essential fare.”

The first, the most expensive option, is best for guests who want a truly all-inclusive package. It’s the only one that includes flights (with the option to upgrade to Business Class), private transfers between the airport and guests’ homes, and shore excursions.

One of Silver Ray’s cheapest door-to-door itineraries in 2025 is a seven-day cruise from Monte Carlo, Monaco, to Rome for $6,700 per person. The same itinerary’s port-to-port option, which doesn’t include flights or transfers, is $1,500 cheaper.

Regent Seven Seas’ cruises can also be upgraded to include the same services. However, doing so will cost an extra $1,100 per guest for Seven Seas Grandeur’s most affordable seven-night roundtrip Miami cruise in 2025, which already starts at $4,200 per person.

Planning the trip and getting to the ship could be your cruise vacation’s only two stressful moments.

If you’re flying to the port, should you arrive the day before or just a few hours in advance? When should you call your Uber to the airport? What if you miss your desired embarkation time because you mistimed your flight?

All these logistics could add plenty of unwanted stress to an otherwise stress-free trip.

So, if you detest the pre-vacation planning routine, the airfare upgrades that make these cruises truly all-inclusive could be worth the extra cash.

Many mass-market cruise lines are increasingly outfitting their new ships with irresistible pay-to-play amenities. Dinner at a specialty restaurant, an hour at the arcade, and a few glasses of wine later, and travelers could easily blow past their budget.

Ironically, guests on more expensive all-inclusive ships rarely face this problem.

The incessant and difficult-to-resist upcharges on Carnival Firenze left me more annoyed than relaxed.

The opposite can be said for Seven Seas Grandeur and Silver Ray.

You’ll have to pay extra when you’re at the casino or want a spa treatment, a fancier bottle of wine, or, in the case of Silver Ray, dinner at the Chef’s Table and French restaurants. Besides that, all the dining venues, bars, and activities are complimentary.

Free booze. Imagine that. There’s truly no cruise vacation more relaxing than one where you can’t overspend.

I’ve stayed in some dark and depressing cruise accommodations. My interior stateroom on Carnival Firenze looked like it belonged in a hospital, while my balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas had the smallest bathroom I’ve ever seen.

Ironically, smaller high-end cruise ships seem to have more spacious accommodations than the world’s largest vessels.

Even Silver Ray and Seven Seas Grandeur’s cheapest cabins have balconies and sumptuous amenities like a bottle of Champagne and high-end toiletries.

My 332-square-foot concierge suite on Regent Seven Seas’s ship was only 25 square feet bigger than the smallest option. And yet, it was one of the most spacious cabins I had ever stayed in, complete with a bathtub and L’Occitane en Provence toiletries.

Unfortunately, some of the decor looked dated for a brand-new ship. But a relaxing warm bath quickly helped me forget my design gripes.

But it did have a toiletries “menu” with Bulgari options, a separate pillow menu, a stocked mini-fridge with alcohol, and a butler.

Yes, butler. Every suite on Silver Ray has one who can help with tasks like packing your luggage, setting up a relaxing shower, and even delivering caviar.

Because if the suite itself didn’t convince you that ultra-luxury cruises could be worth the price, I’m sure the hand-delivered caviar — which you can eat on your couch while wearing a comfy bathrobe— might.