October 24, 2007
Expensive cruises and mineral water
Cruise ships are not only getting bigger, they seem to be getting more expensive as well. The cruise line Seabourn plans to introduce a new ship, the Odyssey sometime in 2009, described as the world’s most luxurious cruise liner, and built at a cost of around $250 million..
Cabins on the ship will begin at around $1200 per night and will cost as much as $7000 per night. That’s per night – not for the entire cruise! The more expensive cabins will feature such touches as luxurious marble bathrooms, flat screen televisions and a fully stocked mini-bar. The bathrooms will also contain separate showers and tubs – a rare thing when space is at such a premium.
The Odyssey plans to make its maiden voyage in June 2009, with a Mediterranean cruise originating in Venice. The inaugural season will feature several different cruises around the Mediterranean, with plans for a world cruise in 2010. The Odyssey is one of several huge or luxurious cruise ships – which have made their debut in the last few years.
Expensive as it is, the $7000 a night cabin on the Odyssey still seems like quite a bargain when compared to some of the world’s most expensive hotel rooms and suites.
And if you think the cost of looking at the water from a cabin on Seabourn’s Odyssey is expensive, you could try paying $42 to drink a bottle of the stuff. USA Today recently reported that a bottle of mineral water at London’s Claridge’s Hotel can cost just that. Although the water has come all the way from a spring at the bottom of an extinct volcano in New Zealand and is described as having a “pleasant smooth sensation”. The hotel offers over 30 different mineral waters from around the world on its new “water menu” although if you just ask for a drink of good old English tap water, it won’t cost you a thing.
Just think – if you take an Odyssey cruise and stay in one of the expensive suites, you may have all the mineral water you can drink included in the price of the cabin!
Guest entry by Mancunian
Posted by James Trotta at October 24, 2007 1:21 PM | TrackBack