Design Time: Suites at Sea

Dig These Digs

Feast your eyes on these amazing suites at sea.

By Sherri Eisenberg

As cruise ships steer closer to the best in home and hotel design, the top accommodations at sea have become increasingly impressive. Read on for the top 10 most remarkable suites at sea.

Regent Suite

Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Explorer

This 3,026-square-foot two-bedroom suite stretches across the aft of the ship, overlooking the wake from a 1,417-square-foot terrace that features a dining table, lounge chairs, and a whirlpool tub. Step inside the suite’s double doors and you’ll find a pair of Picasso lithographs hung on either side of the entrance. Designed by Tillberg Design of Sweden, the suite boasts furniture that’s a mix of colors and textures, as well as playful touches such as lamps made of brass bird statues. Other highlights include a dramatic golden Murano glass chandelier in the living room, a custom Savoir king bed, a custom Steinway piano by Dakota Jackson, and a lavish master bathroom.

Owner’s Suites

Oceania Cruises’ Riviera and Marina

These dramatic suites look like the Manhattan apartments of your dreams: Susan Bednar Long, formerly of Ralph Lauren, said she was also inspired by the elegance of ocean liners. Inside the 2,500-square-foot suites (there are three in each of the line’s two purpose-built ships) you’ll find entryways with faux Zebra-framed mirrors as well as black-and-camel mosaic tile insets surrounded by black carpeting, mahogany walls, vintage black-and-white photographs, Ralph Lauren furnishings (including a striking Highbridge desk), ebony baby grand pianos, and bedrooms with cashmere-covered walls and 1,000-thread-count linens.

Grand Wintergarden Suites

Seabourn’s Seabourn Encore

These two two-bedroom suites on Seabourn’s new 600-passenger luxury ship have two terraces and two-and-a-half bathrooms and — with nearly 1,500 square feet out indoor and outdoor space — a truly indulgent amount of space. The look and feel has designer Adam D. Tihany’s understated, quietly elegant look, designed for comfort rather than splashiness, but the attention to detail remains in everything from the walk-in closets to the Molton Brown amenities and the in-room library.

Garden Villas

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Dawn

The two Garden Villas on Norwegian Dawn, which was refurbished in 2016, are perhaps the line’s best-kept secrets. At an unbelievable 6,694-square-feet each (plus a 4,455-square-foot balcony) these three-bedroom villas are easily the biggest accommodations at sea. There’s also a living room, dining room, and private garden with hot tub. The design — which, post renovation, feels clean and modern — gives you a feeling of privacy that’s rare on large, mainstream cruise ships.

Owner’s Suite

Viking Ocean Cruises’ Viking Star

Each of Viking’s ocean ships have a 1,448-square-foot Owner’s Suite, designed to chairman and founder, Torstein Hagen’s, specifications and filled with some of his favorite things. (It’s actually not listed in the brochures, but is available to book when Tor isn’t on board.) On the line’s first oceangoing ship, Viking Star, you’ll find modern.…

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^{Photo: Royal Caribbean International}