When you call your newest cruise ship “the most luxurious ship ever built,” you must be able to back it up. So what sets Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ 750-guest, 55,254-ton Seven Seas Explorer apart … and is it truly above and beyond?

There are the obvious features. Consider that the Regent Suite, the biggest and most opulent on the ship, measures a whopping 4,443 square feet. Not only does it boast a $250,000 custom-designed Steinway Arabesque grand piano, the bed is worth more than many homes. It has a Savoir No. 1 mattress worth $90,000, and between linens, the duvet, pillows and installation, the bed alone ended up costing about $150,000.

While those are over-the-top luxury features, the important thing is that the luxurious feel extends throughout the ship, not just in the fanciest suite.

Cunard’s flagship ocean liner Queen Mary 2 arrived in Brooklyn, New York, on July 6 all spruced up after a $132 million facelift that gave her new contemporary interior designs and passenger experiences — many of which take their design inspiration from the original Queen Mary, which debuted in New York 80 years ago.

There was much pomp and circumstance at her arrival with a VIP guest list that included Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corp., who spoke at the occasion. “More than any other ship in our Carnival Corporation fleet of more than 100 ships, Queen Mary 2 is the most famous, the most recognizable and certainly the most unique. It was the dream of our chairman Micky Arison to build the Queen Mary 2 almost 15 years ago. He aspired to recreate that luxurious ocean liner experience from the past and Queen Mary 2 is the glorious result.”

Super luxury line Silversea is expanding its popular Silver Select platform to a dozen more voyages during 2017. The creative program allows passengers to personalize their voyage with a choice of three savings options such as a $1,500 per suite on board spending credit that you use for spa treatments, shore excursions or boutique buys (tips and drinks are included in Silversea fares). You can also score a two-category suite upgrade, or 50% off a second suite. For select expedition voyages, the line is offering the choice of a two-category suite upgrade or 50% off a second suite.

It’s not your grandpa’s riverboat, no siree. Luxury travel company Crystal Cruises has revealed the latest wow factors of the first of seven super-elegant riverboats, the highly innovative Crystal Mozart.

The new ships, set to launch in spring and summer of 2017, is expected to set a new standard for luxury river cruising experiences. Crystal River Cruises' new river yachts will showcase stylish and elegant design, creative itineraries and experiences ashore, and unmatched genuine service, the cruise line says. 

Better start saving that vacation time: Regent Seven Seas Cruises has announced a new 137-night Navigate the World cruise for 2018 on the luxe 490-passenger Seven Seas Navigator. 

Beginning and ending in Los Angeles, the 38,528-nautical-mile, five-continent voyage departs on January 18, 2018, and is focused on the southern hemisphere, with stops in 28 countries and 64 ports of call.

After a gala at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, the ship will sail for Hawaii, French Polynesia, American Samoa, and Fiji; hit several ports in Australia and New Zealand; and then head to Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia.

Next up are several stops in South Africa, followed by Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil in South America, and Aruba and Curacao in the Caribbean. Finally, the ship will make its way through the Panama Canal and up the Central American coast to Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Guatemala before docking in L.A on May 25, 2018.

It may have been the best night's sleep I've ever had. Setting sail aboard the Star Flyer out of Athens in the middle of the night was serene and dreamy.

Windstar Cruises has reinstated a year-round ship in Tahiti

I stood waist-deep in the ocean while several stingrays silently glided by; one even brushed my leg. I wasn’t afraid, though — I was captivated.

I was in Bora Bora, participating in one of Windstar Cruises’ special shore excursions during the seven-day “Dreams of Tahiti” itinerary onboard the Wind Spirit sailing yacht. Our guide, Roberto, informed us that stingrays don’t sting unless they are provoked. As he assuaged our fears and encouraged me to pat one, Roberto slowly broke off pieces of tuna and suet to give to the rays, who were behaving like puppies looking for a snack.

I reached out to touch a passing stingray and felt its sleek, wet skin.

“You see?” Roberto said. “They are very friendly.”

So is the entire crew of Wind Spirit, a 440-foot-long, four-masted ship that doubled as my home for the week.

There are few more aspirational travel experiences than a six-month vacation that hits upward of 30 countries.

Sure, the first round-the-world sailing trip back in 1521 didn't go as planned -- legendary Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan died, along with 50 of his crew during the 1,082-day voyage.

Thankfully, today's global journeys are infinitely safer and more comfortable.

In fact, on many ships, you'd be forgiven for thinking you've checked into a five-star hotel suite, such are the levels of luxury on offer.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises announced that it had partnered with Norwegian Cruise Line’s entertainment team to help develop an entertainment lineup for its newest ship, the Seven Seas Explorer.

When the Seven Seas Explorer debuts, it will feature four new shows in its the Constellation Theater. Some of the shows include Peggy Lee (an homage to American jazz singer Peggy Lee), Burn the Floor (a tribute to the British Invasion), Paradis (Parisian-style entertainment) and A Day in Hollywood (Tony Award-winning movie-themed show).

The shows will be performed by a cast of 12 singers and dancers with a live seven-piece orchestra, but the upgrades don’t just apply to the Seven Seas Explorer. Regent Seven Seas Cruises is also investing in entertainment upgrades for its entire fleet.

If you need an incentive to book Crystal River Cruises' Mozart — the LA-based luxury travel company's soon-to-debut super-extravagant river yacht (following Esprit, which launched in December) — here’s your moment of Zen. During sailings after the ship debuts in July, passengers on Crystal Mozart will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience an exclusive event at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna, one of Europe’s most stunning baroque landmarks and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

It will be an evening to remember with private access to the highlights of the palace’s astonishing collections of art, including the greatest collection of the works by Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka and Egon Schiele, with guidance from the palace’s representatives.

Seabourn announced last year that it was partnering with celeb chef Thomas Keller in offering fresh cuisine on-board its ships. Now the time has come to taste it.

The small-ship cruise line recently revealed what's on the menu on for Seabourn's Odyssey, Quest and Sojourn ships.

Keller, the chef known for his French Laundry restaurant in Yountville, Calif., and Bouchon in Beverly Hills and Las Vegas, developed recipes for comfort food items like barbecue ribs served in the Colonnade and Keller's signature Napa Burger served at the poolside Patio Grill.

Scuba divers will love this offering from Silversea Expeditions, a branch of luxury cruise line Silversea. On certain voyages this year and next, the line is featuring free scuba trips on 20 voyages in of some of the world’s most remote areas and top diving sites in the western Pacific and Indian Ocean.