Luxe cruise services and amenities

Video compliments of the Travel Channel

Not all cruise ship vacations are budget nightmares with lackluster services and amenities. Cruises can be highly luxurious—think on-deck massages, all-you-can-eat caviar buffets at any hour of the day or night and ocean views from, well, everywhere. These perks, along with an endless parade of qualified, at-your-service staff have become almost expected aboard these floating country clubs. But what does real luxury feel like on a cruise liner? How can Joe Average feel like Don Trump?

Start with a personalized experience: You won't feel like the onboard V.I.P. you're shooting for if everyone is enjoying the same amenities. An evening in a reservations-only, upscale restaurant—offered on most luxury liners—is a good place to start. Check with your ship to see if it offers any private events. Silversea Cruises (www.silversea.com) hosts celebrated chefs on some voyages, which means a chance to take cooking lessons at the hands of a master and then sample the chef's work during a special multi-course meal at dinner. You may have to shell out a wad of benjamins, but it's worth it for the finest meal offshore.

Back in the days when the Love Boat was prowling the shores of Acapulco, spas were unheard of on cruise ships. Now just about every cruise line has a luxury spa—some of which are designed and branded by top onshore spa companies. The Queen Mary 2 (www.cunard.com) has a Canyon Ranch Spa, complete with the luxury spa brand's hot stone massages, herbal saunas, steam rooms, and pampering facial treatments. (Besides views of the sea through the spa's windows, you'll never know you're on a ship.) Regent Seven Seas (www.rssc.com) cruises are also in the high-end spa game, with concept spas by Carita on all ships.

If you find you've forgotten something at home (or simply can't wait until you pull into port to go shopping), you can browse the spate of luxe boutiques that have been tucked on board newer high-end cruise ships. The Queen Mary 2 has brands such as Harrods, Hermes and Chopard to choose from, while Silversea's shops feature everything from French perfume to designer jewelry.

Size always matters, but in the luxury cruise industry, the smaller the boat, the steeper the price tag. Why share a ship with thousands of other vacationers? Follow the trend of ultra-luxe vessels, with fewer passengers (200 or less) to give you the most intimate on-water experience. Celebrity's Xpedition (www.celebritycruises.com) combines personalized, boutique service—only 98 passengers board this "yacht-style" boat at one time—with conveniences like steamy hot tubs, gourmet buffet options (sans cafeteria slop) and on-deck telescopes. Equally small, "all-suite" vessels, like those offered by Silversea and the Yachts of Seabourn (www.seabourn.com), reach ports that larger boats can't; accommodate longer, leisurely port stays; and include the ultimate amenity: unscheduled port drop-offs and pick-ups for specific guests. Try doing that on a 2,500-passenger liner.