Luxury Options for Cruise Ships

When I was growing up my mother used to tell me about the cruises she took to Europe with her parents.  Cruises were once elegant adventures where people dressed up for dinner.  Since those days cruise ships have had a steadily declining reputation but this article in the Miami Herald discusses new luxury cruise options. Like luxury goods, luxury services are becoming more widely popular and cruise companies are scrambling to lure in the big spenders.  Cruise lines are working to make the cruising experience more enjoyable by adding spas, more entertainment options and better dining choices. Like hotels, cruise ships are putting a flat-screen TV in every room and upgrading the linens and toiletries.  Some of the options to tempt people into cruising include trips that offer unique experiences such as a tour of Olduvai Gorge in Africa, visiting the wine country of France or riding in a MiG fighter jet.  Norwegian Cruise Lines, one of the mass cruise lines is now offering three-bedroom courtyard villas which include a private terrace, sauna, and private outdoor dining area with a babbling brook spanned by a tiny bridge for $26,000 a week.