Ship-within-a-ship experience for the pickiest of premium passengers

There’s a new way for the crowd-averse to set sail—and it doesn’t require chartering your own yacht.

In an effort to woo one percenters from smaller luxury lines, a wide range of mainstream cruise companies are investing in all-suite cruise enclaves, creating a semiprivate ship-within-a-ship experience for the pickiest of premium passengers. These VIP areas currently make up a tiny proportion of the overall stateroom count. On MSC Cruises, the Yacht Club comprises just three per cent of the brand’s total inventory. On Princess, the Club Class Suites and so-called Mini-Suites make up four per cent of all cabins. And on