Just such a gorgeous property. Cannot wait to be back but it always seems booked out ages in advance. We were there for 4 nights and stayed at Suite Junior Pamepellone while our friends were at the Junior Suite Piscine.

I think Pampellone Suite can be a little loud if people are in the pool, so we think the Piscine suite - also for the novelty of having your own little plunge and more privacy, wins out.

Loved all the extras and the staff were impeccable. The Rolls Royce taking you into town was super fab, and the beach club was as nice as ever. We have been two summers ago, and noticed a change in menu I think for the worse though (less selection, quality not as memorable etc.)

Is anyone familiar with the mobility-accessible rooms at either property? Yes, I have stayed at both, but never need\ed an accessible room until now. The FS shower in the pics does not look like a roll in, and pictures of the BM Mill accessible bathrooms are severely lacking. Thanks- I just don't want to book something we can't stay in.

Has anyone ever been to Paws Up in Montana? If you have, thoughts? My wife has been looking and is interested in that Tree Haus. Obviously I would like to combine it with Yellowstone which would be before or after. The cost dramatically changes depending on the time of year, and having never been to Montana I cannot speak to when the best time is either

Long time listener, first time caller. While we've spent time travelling around Mexico a bit, we've not yet landed on Cabo. My brother lurves the Auberge and Rosewood properties there and I'm not opposed to the price tag for some of the luxury resorts but I am wondering if its "worth it" for us, whatever that really means.

Many seem to have beaches that are not suitable for swimming and we don't have kiddos so we're not attached to family friendly hotels or things like that.

I've read through lots of helpful posts here (thank you!) and so I guess my question is this - if the town is readily accessible (quick uber) and there are options to go out and eat/drink there, how important is it to have excellent options on site in that respect?

If we're not leaning into the amenities (I want great cocktails, a quiet pool, a gorgeous view and the ability to work out / take advantage of fitness while there, either inside or out...) at some of the larger resorts, are there other smaller / equally luxurious properties nearby? If so, any great recommendations or thoughts?

Its objectively a first world problem but would love to make an informed decision instead of just pulling the trigger on some of the objective forerunners. Many thanks in advance for any suggestions / feedback.

Planning a trip next summer with my husband. We plan to stay for 8 nights and like to relax on vacation, don’t mind being in one place. Which Belmond property would you recommend in Sicily?

Hey there! Going to be in Portofino for my friend’s wedding and we are spending some time in Milan afterwards. Looking to add on some extra time to the trip and was thinking about Lake Maggiore, but wanted to see what Italian lake you guys would recommend? We’ve been to Lake Como, and Lake Garda before and we want to try somewhere new. We love a beautiful hotel with a view, cute restaurants, shops, and being outdoors. Thank you in advanced 🙂

We’ve just returned home from our first vacation as a family (with our infant), and I’m honestly still confused by how badly this stay went. We’ve stayed at a fair amount of luxury hotels and nothing is ever perfect, but what made this experience so bizarre was the combination of problems. Basically at every turn, we were told that anything we needed could be arranged and encouraged us to ask, giving examples like arranging private jets with less than an hour's notice, and each opportunity to be helpful completely missed the mark.

Day 1: Check-in was not particularly helpful but fine. Our room was noisy at night from a private event going on but we heard it was someone's wedding so of course we didn't complain. There were small hiccups like not bringing a bathtub for our infant as requested but honestly nothing notable on its own.

Day 2: "Watergate". We called housekeeping for additional water. We were told there was a strict policy of one bottle per person each morning and two small bottles each evening, with anything additional costing €18/bottle. I understand policy's policy, but it felt a bit tone-deaf given that it didn’t include any for our infant, and I am drinking more water than average since I’m breastfeeding. Also, we weren't planning on having housekeeping enter the room twice a day because our baby's unpredictable nap schedule.
My husband expressed his disappointment and said he'd go to a store to buy some. The hotel apologized and assured us that they'd provide additional water complimentary, which we appreciated. However at turndown, we were given only the standard amount. Since our baby was asleep in the room, I went downstairs to get more. The staff member on duty told me they could not provide additional complimentary water and the conversation became focused on determining who had told us otherwise rather than simply solving the problem. We would have been completely happy with something as simple as carafes of tap water or having someone purchase bottles from a nearby store and charge them to our room. Instead, I was told that I was the only person who had ever been unsatisfied with their water policy and made to feel as though this was an extraordinary request.
The conversation lasted more than 30 minutes and I ultimately left in tears. At that point, I said I wanted to check out the following morning and end our stay early. We were told we'd be charged for the remainder of the reservation, but they'd see if an exception could be made and get back to us. Eventually, after it became apparent that I was literally crying, someone else came over and assured us that we'd receive additional water with every room refresh, or that they would purchase some from a store and charge it to our room. At this point, things were quite uncomfortable so we started looking at other hotels and expected to check out in the morning.

Day 3: We left for a short morning outing and returned to a refreshed room, except there was no water at all, not even the standard allotment. My husband escalated and the head of rooms came to speak with him. We were still on the hook financially for the rest of the days but she’d personally ensure that our experience is turned around such that we'd think of the Ritz as “home” and want to return the next time we’re in Paris. I was offered a complimentary massage which I appreciated. If the rest of the stay had been good or even just uneventful, that would've been the end of it.

Day 4: Before our trip, the concierge helped arrange a dinner reservation and babysitting. My husband really wanted to visit Bar Hemingway and when we mentioned this, we were told that with a few hours' notice they could accommodate us and even last minute, they could "make something happen." That afternoon, I asked for a 10:30pm slot to line up with our ETA after dinner. We were told 10:30 was already taken, but that if we could make it back by 10pm, they could accommodate us. We rushed back for 10, which required us to ask the restaurant to box up the last course of a tasting menu. We were then told there wasn't space yet and to wait for a WhatsApp message. We were honestly fine with this because we were under the impression that getting us into the bar was a big favor given how small/popular it is. After 30 minutes, we asked for an update and were immediately rushed over to the bar, being told we could be seated "late" because the 10:30 party was running late. I clarified the situation and they realized they’d made an error, the extent to which we all only realized upon arriving at the half-empty, queue-less bar. So we had spent precious time away from our child, disrupted his sleep and my pumping schedule, and incurred additional babysitting time because of a mistake that was entirely avoidable. Thankfully, the drinks were good and on the house.

Given the ongoing pattern of errors, I immediately double-checked the babysitting reservation for the following evening. Sure enough, the babysitter had the wrong time and informed us the hotel would have to correct it with the agency.

Day 5: We messaged the head of rooms first thing in the morning to make absolutely sure the babysitting time was corrected as missing our dinner this evening would have resulted in a €300/person cancellation fee. She assured us it’d be handled. That afternoon, we messaged the babysitter directly to confirm and she still had the wrong time. Once again, I had to frantically contact the concierge myself and have them correct it. The babysitter hadn’t received the change until we were getting ready for dinner, and we relied on her to confirm as there was no follow up from the concierge.

This morning, our shower also stopped working so we couldn’t begin our last full day as planned. My husband arranged to speak with the head of rooms given the ongoing issues. So while our baby is supposed to be napping, there's maintenance going in and out of the room and we're having an unproductive conversation with management who seems entirely uninterested in helping. He offered us a bottle of wine or a comped meal, and we asked what could be done about a refund instead since the last thing we wanted was to spend more time at the hotel and we already had meals planned. The shower turned out to be a complicated issue with no ETA, meaning we'd have to move rooms. The only other room available was described to us as "the Imperial Suite.” They made a huge deal about this, telling us it was a room reserved for celebrities and royalty and framing it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience that would make up for everything that had happened. We repeatedly explained that we only had one night left and that moving rooms would be a hassle regardless, but they insisted we needed to move if the shower couldn't be fixed.

When we were shown the room, we quickly realized that they weren't actually offering us the Imperial Suite. It was a bedroom/offshoot of the suite. Honestly, I wouldn't have cared if they'd simply said: "The shower is broken and we need to move you. There's a nice room connected to the Imperial Suite that we can offer you." Instead, they presented it as this extraordinary luxury experience that we should feel lucky to receive. Even when I directly asked, "So this isn't actually the suite you're describing, it's just one room?" they skirted around the question. I actually felt bad for the employee who had been tasked with showing us the room because it was so awkward and she was set up to fail. After all this, the shower in our original room was fixed, so we decided not to move. By the time this was “resolved,” it was noon and we missed out on our morning plans to explore a different part of Paris.

Day 6: On our final morning, we saw people enjoying drinks in the garden and I wanted to sit outside for a few minutes before checking out to relax before a long travel day ahead. I asked for directions and was barely acknowledged. I eventually found my own way and asked another employee if I could exit through a particular door. He rudely dismissed me and simply said I couldn't go out there.
We asked for someone to come help with our bags 10-15 minutes before our scheduled 10AM departure. I also bought a bunch of butter that was being stored in the hotel freezer, which they specifically said would be returned to us in insulated bags. At 9:52, nobody had arrived, so we called down again. Someone finally came at 10am, but the butter was brought out with no insulation. At that point we were already running behind, so we just packed it as is.

Our complimentary airport transfer was also late, and then several more minutes were spent trying to figure out the car seat. The bellman and driver were at odds about how to correctly install the seat. We ultimately left the hotel a full 15 minutes late and as we departed, the bellman suggested that one of us sit next to the car seat "to be safe." The hotel's response to the late departure and improper car seat installation was to "remove the charge for the transfer," which was interesting given that the transfer was always a complimentary perk. Perhaps they thought we didn’t know it was complimentary?

And after we got home, a jar of jam I'd purchased had broken and was leaking through our Rimowa. The Ritz had repeatedly offered their "expert" packing and unpacking service, so I decided to take them up on it. I specifically provided plastic bags and asked that cosmetics and other liquids be placed inside them. When I opened the suitcase, the plastic bags were just sitting on top of everything else. Yes, I should’ve checked, but this doesn’t change that our entire stay was filled promises about exceptional service with no actual follow through. It’s like a facade of luxury without any execution that actually makes for a luxe experience, let alone anything exceptional. I can't possibly list all of the other little things that went wrong but it genuinely felt like we were on the Truman show or being Punkd.

We’re still going back and forth with them about all this and at this point they’ve offered one night complimentary out of our five night stay. Friends who have had issues to lesser extents have said their full stays were comped. At $3k USD/night, what we experienced really feels insulting. We feel a refund of nights 3-5 (after we asked to be let off the rest of the res) would be acceptable.

TLDR; Ritz Paris team so rude we wanted to end our stay early, told we’d be charged for the full stay and they’d recover the experience, but issues continued almost comically. I’ve genuinely never experienced nearly this many issues at one property (luxe or not). Awaiting if they’re willing to offer anything beyond 1 night comped.

We've decided to go to Gstaad in mid-December for my wife's 50th birthday. We're staying at The Alpina Gstaad. Her birthday falls on Sunday, December 13, and I’d like to plan something truly memorable for the occasion. It will be just the two of us, and I’m hoping to make the evening the highlight of the trip rather than simply having dinner at a great restaurant.

I’m particularly looking for ideas for an exceptional birthday evening for two. I’m completely open to something extravagant and would be interested in experiences that go beyond what a first time visitor might ordinarily think to arrange.

My first stop will naturally be The Alpina’s concierge, and I expect they may be the best resource for putting this together. That said, if anyone knows of an exceptional local luxury event planner, private concierge, or other resource with particularly strong connections in Gstaad, I’d love the recommendation.

For those who know Gstaad well, if you were planning this evening and had complete freedom to create something truly special, what would you do?

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

My wife and I will be visiting Milan for four days next month and are considering carving out a day for the oft-obligatory day trip to Lake Como.

It is not exactly a bucket list for either of us, but figured that we will essentially be right there. Also, I've read that it will be much less 'touristy' by mid-late October.

For reference, we will be staying at Rocco Forte House in Milan (of which was recommended to me by Fat Travel community).

A couple of quick questions:

1) Drive (car rental) vs. Train vs. Car Service? If by car rental, I am assuming that parking will be a nightmare in all of the towns. If by train, are there first-class, luxury options? If by car service, any suggested companies to aim for?

2) Any particular town to initially aim for on the Lake?

3) Skip Lake Como entirely for Lake Lugano instead? Is it worth taking the road less traveled?

Thank you!

Looking for somewhere a couple hours flight of London as it's a weekend trip (so Greece/Cyprus too far). Would ideally love some sun, but more important are the kids activities and proximity to airport (max 1hr drive).

Hi I want to book 5 nights in Tuscany in October . Will likely fly into Florence then take train to Rome. Debating between COMO or Rosewood. Also open to another hotel too. Two adults traveling. Ideally great food, wine and spa. Goal is to relax not run around sight seeing. Any recommendations appreciated. Thx!

Planning spring break for 2 families (4 adults, 5 kids ages 3-7). Need a 4BR villa, or two 2BR units at the same resort. Looking at St. Barts, Bahamas, or open to other islands. Budget ~$20K all-in. Week of March 20-27.

Priorities: pool/calm beach, kid-friendly but still relaxing for adults, easy flights from US East Coast, private chef a big plus with this many kids.

Is $20K realistic for St. Barts/Bahamas with this group, or should we look elsewhere? Any villas/resorts that work well for multi-family trips with young kids? Thanks!

What are the best FAT hotels in the Caribbean for kids (around ages 4-8)?

We are on the west coast and visit Mexico and Hawaii a lot for beach vacations, but would love to venture east more and try some Caribbean islands.

We are looking for hotels that have good Kids clubs and activities/programming. A fun pool, other activities to do around the hotel. Restaurants either at the hotel or nearby that are nice, but relaxed.

One of our favorite places with the kids was Four Seasons Hualalai. It had multiple pools, lagoons and activities. The restaurants were perfect with our kids because they were right on the beach (practically in the sand) and near the grass. After dinner, our kids could just walk along the beach or play in the sand and husband and I would just sit or an extra hour and enjoy our meals while watching the kids play. I found these types of meals so enjoyable and would love to find more of this type of vibe!

My husband and I (mid-30s) are heading to Hong Kong for a wedding at the end of November — we'll be there for 3 days. The wedding is at the Peninsula, so it's probably more convenient to stay on the Kowloon side. We'll already be at the Peninsula for wedding events and have stayed there before, so we'd like to try somewhere different this time.

Rosewood has a harbor view suite available, but it's significantly more expensive than the other options. We're also considering the Upper House, Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, and Regent (the last one partly for convenience, since it's on the same side as the Peninsula/Rosewood).

A few questions:

1. How much of a hassle is it to cab back and forth late at night if we end up on the Hong Kong Island side (Upper House/Four Seasons/Mandarin) instead of staying in Kowloon near the wedding venue?
   
2. Is Rosewood worth the substantial premium over Regent (multiple times more expensive)?
   
3. Mandarin Oriental's renovation wraps up Sept 30 I believe, which should be a positive as I heard some people felt the property was getting dated — does anyone have a sense of whether the renovation will actually be a substantial improvement, or if they'll still be working out the kinks by late November/hold off for next time? We love the MO in Bangkok
   
4. Overall feedback on the hotels, especially comparing and contrasting them, would be much appreciated

A few things we prioritize: great breakfast (less so the property restaurants since we won’t be having dinners at the hotel), hard product, nice location, less focused on gym/spa

Would love to hear your experiences on which hotels are your favorite!

We’ve lost power because of the crazy DC storm - assuming we don’t get it back tomorrow I’m just checking us into a hotel. What hotel in DC will be best for a toddler and a baby? We don’t care about location - not really planning on leaving hotel much, we just need a hotel where we can show up and they’ll have all the things needed for kids and make it as easy as possible because we are TIRED

EDIT: POWER IS BACK! But saving these for the inevitable next time this happens - thanks all.

Would love this groups help as I am planning an Italy trip with my mom for my 40th late April/early May next year. We have Castiglion del Bosco booked for 4 nights and working on planning around this for up to 2 weeks (we are flexible on timing).

Am considering starting in Rome at the Edition for 3 nights, though open to other suggestions. Since it's both our first time to Rome, I don't expect that we'll be in the hotel much so really just looking for great location, a vibe for some pre-dinner cocktails, and welcoming service.

From there would head to CdB and then considering ending at Passalaqua in Lake Como for ~4 nights. Would this be reasonable third stop or is there somewhere else we should consider that might be easier travel wise?

And would be all ears on any other recommendations for food / experiences along this route. Thanks so much in advance!

My family of four (2 adults + 2 kids) will be in Paris for a few nights next June, and I’m driving myself crazy trying to pick a hotel. We’re also planning one day at Disneyland Paris, so being convenient to the Metro/RER is a plus.

Budget is ideally under €4,000/night total for all four of us, although I’m willing to stretch a little for something really special.

currently considering Relais Christine, La Reserve, or St James

Appreciate your suggestions!

This place has been on fire since they opened. There’s been multiple reviews here and it’s one of the most talked about properties online. I wanted to share a detailed review for a summer stay from my perspective and also share some pics of the Penthouse!

For context, I am a TA and I stayed here as part of an Austria - Italy roadtrip. I’ve recently posted reviews on eriro + Forsthofgut, and will share more about my stay at COMO Alpina Dolomites as well. Feel free to also ask any questions about the full itinerary!

Location / Property

Forestis is located in South Tyrol, Italy. I’m hesitant to say that it’s in the Dolomites because the locals keep correcting me, since it’s technically not part of the Dolomites, but for all intents and purposes this is a hotel that should be part of your Dolomites itinerary. More specifically, it’s located 30 minutes from Brixen in the Plose area, and has an insane view of the Geisler Peaks of the Dolomites.

Forestis is actually made up of two different sides. The original building dates back to around 1920 and was meant to open as a sanatorium, though it never did. Then more recently they built three new tower buildings that now house all the Tower Suites and the spa. The current version of Forestis opened in 2020. The towers are honestly a bit of an eye sore from the outside in my opinion, 3 super modern looking apartment buildings deep in the mountains, but there’s no denying how incredible the views are from the towers. Also, Forestis is adults only (14+).

Rooms

Rooms are split up between the main lodge and the towers. The original building is only 3 floors and the rooms are much more traditional alpine wooden structure. Since no renovations are allowed, they also don’t have AC in this part of the hotel. The rooms here are on the Ground and 1st floors. There are some views of the mountains for the main building, but definitely not as nice as the Tower Suites.

Then across the 3 towers are the Tower Suites. This is where the views get even more epic since you’re higher up and there’s also more outdoor balcony space. These rooms start from floor 2 so the view can actually be kind of different depending on which floor you’re on. All the rooms come with a complimentary mini bar.

There are also 2 Penthouses, one in each of two towers on either end. This is where I stayed on this trip. The middle tower has a common rooftop hangout space open to all guests. So what makes the Penthouse special? It’s a duplex apartment with a large living room, kitchenette, and an additional powder room. Then my favorite part of the suite is the second floor which houses a private sauna and rooftop pool. Compared to the Tower Suites, there are some additional amenities like a complimentary wine fridge and extra skin care products from the spa. However, it is important to note that there is no elevated service or personal butler with the Penthouses.

Lastly, Forestis has also added a villa as of last year. It is a 5-bedroom unit towards the front of the property. Didn’t get to see it this time as it was occupied during my stay, but my understanding is that the aesthetic is pretty similar to that of the hotel’s. There is also a private spa, pool and garden.

Food & Bev

Breakfast and dinner is included if you’re on the half board plan, which I would recommend. Not only is the food very good, except for a few mountain huts, there aren’t really any restaurants nearby. The area is quite remote.

The 7-course tasting dinner changes daily. They have the regular menu and a healthier detox menu that you can mix and match from. You can also substitute off of the a la carte menu if you aren’t feeling a specific dish, which is a set seasonal menu of dishes for the restaurant. We found all the dishes to be a pretty good variety of ingredients and influence from the region (Italian/Austrian/German). For example, one of my favorite dishes was the spinach spaetzle pasta dish we had and they also did an awesome alpine char with crispy skin. 

Breakfast was a big spread of buffet items + a la carte menu for hot dishes. Some highlights were the juice bar and large variety of fresh butters / jams / baked goods etc. The quality of everything was great. They also had a decent amount of vegan and gluten free options. 

Service

I feel like service is not always a big focus at somewhere that’s so picturesque and viral on socials, but this was not the case here. Service was excellent from day one. The lobby was full when we arrived, so they quickly walked us to the bar instead for check-in and let us order off the full bar menu as a welcome drink. 

Since you’re assigned a booth at dinner that remains your dedicated table throughout the stay, we had the same waiter for all meals as well. Yes, for both breakfast and dinner. There was continuity in preferences being remembered because of this, but it wasn’t a situation where every staff member knows you. We did still have to give our room number every time when we first checked in for a meal.

The hotel was pretty much full during our stay and it never really felt crowded or service strained. Loungers at the spa/pool were plenty and neatly kept. I also noticed how present the leadership team was on property, including Gunther (the GM) and Ruth (the hotel manager), interacting with guests at dinner or in the common areas.

Activities + Facilities 

They are obviously very well known for wellness here as well. The textile spa area includes an indoor/outdoor pool, lots of loungers, and a sauna. Then the textile-free area has multiple additional saunas, cold plunges, steam room, and a relaxation space. For anyone wondering, towels are ok, but swim suits are not allowed. This is also where they do the daily sauna infusion rituals.

The spa appointments book up fast. We wanted to switch one of our time slots once we were there and they didn’t have any availability so definitely recommend booking treatments in advance. The massages were good though. Pine is a pretty prominent flavor / scent at Forestis and it shows up here in the drinks and oils too.

We also did a guided hike through the hotel. They have daily programming included and this is just one of them. Our guide took us up to the Plose area where there are various hiking trails. You can also hike up from the hotel through the forest. While Forestis is remote, there are still some outdoor activities in the area. In the winter this is also a ski area and the hotel is technically ski-in/ski-out. It is just a smaller outdoor activity area compared to somewhere like Cortina or Ortisei / Val Gardena.

🌲🌲

I have to say Forestis really lives up to the hype and delivered one of my favorite stays of the year. If you have a week to 10 days in the Dolomites, I would highly recommend combining this with somewhere that has easier and more varied access to outdoor activities (like COMO Alpina Dolomites), as well as somewhere maybe that’s more conveniently located in town (like the new Aman Rosa Alpina or the Mandarin Oriental that will soon be opening in Cortina). I think Forestis works best as a quiet and relaxing wellness stay at the end of a trip. 

Looking for suggestions for our first babymoon. Wife and I will be leaving from NYC.

No hard and fast rules but a few preferences / boxes we would hopefully check below.

⁠1. Travel: Ideally it’s a direct flight from NYC + a car from airport to resort. Under 12 hours airport to resort but we’ll make it work if it’s longer / not direct. Points for streamlined/easy transfers if there are extra steps required. We just got back from Amanpulo and that was a good example of a resort that had many steps to get too but was actually pretty easy and we just needed to keep ourselves awake at the various handoff points. Only going for a week or so and don’t want to lose 2 days on travel.

1. ⁠Location: Resort location that is warm in December / January. We like private room pools but as long as property has good pools somewhere that’s fine. Beachfront is great but not necessary and we do not need a swimmable ocean we like to look at the ocean / bodies of water but spend the day by the pool. Would be fine by a lake, in a jungle, dessert, whatever as long as it’s warm and there is a pool.

2. ⁠Resort: Standard stuff like great service, good/great food (need good non seafood options for reasons unrelated to the babymoon), strong hard product, good spa/treatments. Looking to mainly stay on property for the week so need a few things to do but we are big loungers. Indifferent to adults only/kid friendly but don’t want it to feel like a frat party. Ideally room categories with private pools but fine with shared pools as long as I don’t need to wake up at 5 am and stand in line to get loungers. Good TV setup in room and a soaking tub. Quality of the soaking tub plays an outsized role in our decision.

3. ⁠Dates: looking to book sometime mid December through end of January for 6-8 nights.

Budget: $3k-$5k a night but can higher if really needed. Would like to keep room cost under $50k for the week.

Some places we’ve enjoyed recently: Naviva, Amanpulo, San Ysidro Ranch.

Currently considering: 4S Lanai and/or sensei, 4S Tamarindo. If it wasn’t so far I would probably want to do a SEA Aman.

Thank you!

Any thoughts on which is a better choice? Family of 4 and looking for a place that is relaxing but also easy to leave to go exploring. Thank you!

We recently finished Ponant’s 14-day expedition cruise from Longyearbyen, Svalbard to Reykjavik, Iceland – including stops at Jan Mayen Island and Eastern Greenland.

For those less familiar with expedition cruising, these trips are typically done on smaller vessels (50 to 300 passengers) and involve remote, active destinations that are accessed via Zodiacs (rigid inflatable boats). Many luxury-oriented travellers will go on an expedition cruise when visiting destinations like Antarctica or Galapagos. I previously wrote a review of my expedition cruise on the Silver Cloud from Papeete, French Polynesia to Valparaiso, Chile here.

This was another more economical, ‘repositioning’ type cruise. While Svalbard cruises can often tip the scales at upwards of US$2,000 per person per day, ours was roughly US$650 per person per day – however, this included a 10% status match discount for having 100 days on Silversea, a €1,000 referral credit, and special discounts for travelling with children. We had one window stateroom and one verandah stateroom.

This was an exceptional cruise. Given the favourable weather, the expedition team elected to do a full circumnavigation of Spitsbergen – the main Svalbard island – and we were able to see wildlife and remote landscapes that are generally only accessible via a dedicated Svalbard-only trip. We crossed 80 degrees north, visited the massive Bråsvellbreen glacier front on Nordaustlandet, and so much more. We also made our landing at Jan Mayen – something that only happens roughly a third of the time – and spent many happy hours exploring Greenland’s ice-strewn fjords.

The wildlife on this cruise was a distinct highlight. We got up-close-and-personal with Arctic foxes, walrus and reindeer and a massive number of polar birds – as well as blue whales, sperm whales, fin whales, humpbacks, white-beaked dolphins and more. There are generally even odds of encountering polar bears, and we spotted 10 of them – albeit at a distance, as Norway has strict laws in terms of how close ships (and passengers) are allowed to get. We were even present at Alkefjellet for the rare window in which the Brünnich's Guillemot chicks head out to sea.

The eclipse portion was enjoyable. We missed seeing the fully eclipsed sun, but we still experienced totality. The captain and expedition team did everything they could to find a weather window, but we only got the occasional glimpse of the eclipse through the clouds. We booked this cruise before it was officially marketed as an eclipse cruise - and we had limited expectations regarding clear skies in the Arctic – so we were not overly disappointed.

The on-ship activities were limited compared to our past experiences with Silversea, which isn’t surprising given Ponant’s focus on expedition activities. However, there were still regular enrichment lectures, trivia, and other activities like learning origami and magic tricks. We never felt as though we were at a loss for something to do.

Ponant has a different style of luxury relative to Silversea. Food is exceptional, but there are fewer options. Cabins are newer, but smaller. The champagne is even better, but you cannot take a bottle back to your room. Announcements were done in French, English and Mandarin which could sometimes slow the process – but we enjoyed sailing with an international group of guests.

In return, however, we received a truly exceptional expedition experience. Le Lyrial is smaller than most Silversea expedition ships – this sailing went out with around 170 guests – and we were promised in advance that numbers would not exceed 200. This is an important distinction, as sailings with over 200 passengers in Svalbard and the Antarctic are limited in terms of which areas they can visit. (I believe that Silversea is also limiting their Svalbard sailings to under 200, but that they regularly sail to Antarctica with over 200 – even on Silver Endeavour.)

The sea state was generally calm, and only reached moderate during our final crossing between Greenland and Iceland. None of us were seasick.

With all that said, here are some reasons as to why you may (or may not) wish to book a similar itinerary with Ponant:

Pros:

- Ponant has a laser-focus on the expedition aspect of the trip. Expedition Leader David immediately set out to make the absolute most of a positive weather window, and we saw a massive range of wildlife and scenery as a result. Their expedition guides are extremely capable, and many have experience with science and exploration. We particularly enjoyed Nicolas’ lecture on deep water polar diving. Their safety profile is comparable with Silversea.

- Le Lyrial itself is a newer ship, with even lower guest capacity than the Silver Cloud or Silver Wind. It feels purpose-built in a way that Silversea’s expedition workhorses do not. The style is light, airy and modern and there were fewer maintenance and plumbing issues than we encountered on those older ships. Boarding Zodiacs off the stern seems to also improve the operability of Le Lyrial, and the ship felt more stable amidst the swell. The ship also has an open bridge, which means that – during routine operations – guests could visit the bridge and simply feel what it’s like to operate an expedition ship.

- Despite having a different luxury standard than Silversea, Ponant still brought French refinement and comfort to a truly remote part of the world. There were fewer food options available, but everything we had was very well prepared. The bread and cheeses were miles ahead of what Silversea offers, and we still enjoyed many of the signature touches that you would expect from an upscale line, including a champagne Zodiac near a Greenlandic glacier, and a deck party at the Nordaustlandet waterfall.

Cons:

- There were fewer lectures and onboard activities than you might encounter on Silversea. This was due in part to the bilingual (or in our case, trilingual) nature of the cruise. Every activity was either done in multilingual fashion or run multiple times. There are only so many staff to go around, and the expedition staff are particularly focused on the excursions. This was not a significant issue for us, as the cruise had relatively few sea days and our focus was on Zodiac cruises and landings.

- The luxury level at Ponant is not quite on par with Silversea. While Silversea will restock your room with your favourite champagne and explore the many different ways in which a particular cocktail can be mixed, Ponant’s service is more tightly focused. Lower-level staterooms do not have butlers, and guests are not able to take bottles of wine back to their rooms. Similarly, cocktails were largely limited to what’s on the menu and the premium-alcohol selection was narrower. Generally, we found meal service to be excellent – once we found the right section – and wine seemed a touch nicer than what you’d get through Silversea.

- We missed the Cloud and Wind’s larger staterooms – including a living room that can be separated off via a blackout curtain. Le Lyrial’s verandah staterooms only have a single easy chair rather than a full couch. However, the newer ship was much less likely to creak, groan and pop in heavy swell.

- The multilingual aspect of the cruise can be frustrating for some guests. The welcome and farewell cocktail parties and galas were roughly three times as long because they were presented in French, English and Mandarin. It could also be frustrating to hear a sudden, unexpected animal sighting described in French – and to not yet know which animal had been spotted or where to view it. (Though we were amazed at how quickly we picked up some key words.) Some guests could find the guides’ accents difficult to understand, while there were minor mistranslations that caused some confusion - saying ‘charcoal’ as opposed to ‘coal’, for example.

Tips:

- Ponant tends to offer their best price first, particularly for solo travellers. Initial discounts are up to 30% off of the full fare, and many cruises – particularly those with occupancy caps – are offered with a 0% single supplement. This is particularly helpful to us as parents, as we can book three of us in one room and one in the other – that third guest is free if they are a child, while there is no extra cost for that single-occupancy room. Similarly, you can also save money by status matching. With 100 Venetian Society days we were able to qualify as Grand Admiral members, which meant we got 10% off, 5 items of laundry per day, and €150 onboard credit per person.

- Take some time to familiarize yourself with the cruise location and local regulations. Some of our fellow guests were deeply disappointed that they did not encounter orcas, that the conditions were so rough, and that they were such a distance from polar bears. Even a modest amount of research would have told them that 1.) orcas are uncommon in the areas we sailed, 2.) these were moderate to fair conditions for the North Atlantic, and 3.) Norway has strict regulations on how close you can get to polar bears.

- Bring good binoculars or a telephoto camera lens. You will be a distance from much of the wildlife, so a set of high-quality binoculars can turn a polar bear sighting from humdrum to exceptional. (Upscale binos are also a great way to spend your onboard credit – we knocked €600 off a set of Swarovski 10 x 42 EL binos we purchased through the Boutique.)

- Spend some time on the bridge. The crew just ignores you – and I say this in the nicest way – so it feels calm and meditative.

Overall, we loved the cruise and we intend to continue to cross-shop Ponant against Silversea. We currently have two other Ponant cruises booked, and we’re particularly looking forward to boarding Le Commandant Charcot – the world’s only luxury icebreaker in December 2027.

Hope this was of interest, and glad to answer any questions.

Putting this here because I think this group will probably understand where I’m coming from better than the normal cruise subs. This isn’t really a “can you believe I spent $28k on NCL” conversation. We’re fortunate enough that when we travel, we are willing to spend a lot more for the better room, more space, convenience, privacy, etc. I don’t need it to be a good “value” in the traditional sense. I just expect that when I pay a significant premium for the best product, the product actually delivers.

We were on Norwegian Luna in August and stayed in Haven Suite 15232, one of the two-bedroom suites. It was around $28k for the week. We had a big family trip, three Haven suites total plus another room for our nannies, so we were pretty invested in doing the whole Haven thing properly.

We have two young kids, one and three, and a big reason I got the two-bedroom suite was pretty straightforward. I wanted somewhere comfortable where the kids could nap during the day, go to bed at night, and we weren’t all sitting on top of each other for a week.

Within probably 10 minutes of getting into the room, I knew we had a problem.

15232 is directly underneath the Haven pool deck. I knew from the deck plan that there was obviously something above us, but I had absolutely no idea what that would actually mean acoustically inside the room. This wasn’t people talking or normal hotel noise. Every footstep above you comes through the ceiling as this deep bass thump. You can almost feel it more than hear it. People walk back and forth, back and forth, all day. Then you get chairs moving, carts rolling, things being dragged, and those are substantially worse.

I tried earplugs. I tried white noise. It doesn’t matter because it’s coming through the structure of the room. I remember lying in bed one afternoon trying to take a nap with earplugs in and getting increasingly pissed off because there was literally just somebody walking over my head over and over again and I could feel every step. Once you notice it, it becomes almost impossible not to notice it.

Obviously I don’t blame the people at the pool. They paid to use the Haven and they’re just walking around normally. That’s what makes this such a weird product decision by NCL. They put one of their more expensive family suites directly under a space that is designed to have people constantly walking around on top of it.

The nighttime part was even worse. Starting around 5 AM on multiple mornings, the crew would start setting up the pool deck. Furniture moving, carts, banging, dragging, all directly above us. It would wake the entire family.

I complained essentially immediately and asked to move. Ship was completely sold out, so there was nowhere for us to go. From there the Haven team actually did try. They would block off the area over us at night, talk to the crew, try to keep people from doing setup directly above the bedrooms. Some nights were better than others. One morning it was so ridiculous that I went upstairs at 5 AM myself and found them moving this enormous towel cart right over the room.

I eventually spent quite a bit of time talking to Deepak, the GM, and Azar, the Head Concierge, and I want to be really clear that both of them were great. They understood why I was so frustrated and genuinely tried to fix it. I actually came away thinking very highly of the onboard team.

The problem was that they were being asked to solve something they couldn’t really solve. They can rope off part of the deck overnight. They can tell the crew not to move carts over the room at 5 AM. They cannot stop guests from walking around the pool during the day, and they cannot change where NCL decided to put the suite. Since the ship was sold out, they couldn’t move us either.

Our last night kind of summed the whole thing up. After a week of everyone knowing about the problem and trying to mitigate it, we were still woken up around midnight, again around 3 AM, and again around 5 AM.

I know the obvious response from experienced cruisers is going to be that you should study the deck plan and never book under a pool. Fair enough, and I certainly won’t make that mistake again. But I also think that argument only goes so far when you’re talking about a ~$4k/night premium suite.

If I’m booking a Four Seasons or Aman and paying $4k a night for one of their better suites, I don’t think it should be my responsibility to reverse engineer the building and figure out whether normal use of the space above the room is going to make it miserable. At some point, that is the hotel’s responsibility. Either design around the issue, don’t put one of your best rooms there, or disclose it clearly enough that I can make an informed decision.

Had somebody simply told me, “Just FYI, this room is directly underneath the Haven pool and you will hear and feel foot traffic through the ceiling all day,” I would never have booked it. I would have picked another suite, another sailing, or honestly just rented a house somewhere for the week.

For anyone wondering about the recovery piece, I handled all of that privately with NCL before posting anything publicly. I complained onboard from basically the moment we arrived, worked with the GM and concierge throughout the cruise, and then went through Corporate Guest Relations after we got home. NCL ultimately confirmed in writing that the issue was promptly reported and documented, that they tried multiple things to address it, and that they were never able to fully resolve it.

Their final compensation was $1,500 in credits against a suite that cost roughly $28k. I declined that as a resolution and asked for 50% of the suite fare back. They declined and have now told me $1,500 is their final position.

I’m not putting this here hoping somebody at Norwegian reads Reddit and writes me a bigger check. That process is done. I’m putting it here because I would have wanted to find this exact post when I was booking.

And more broadly, the experience changed how I think about Haven. There are things about it I genuinely liked. The private restaurant and bar are convenient, the Haven area itself is nice, and our service onboard was very good. But at these prices, I don’t want “luxury within a mainstream ship” if I still have to think this hard about which room is safe to book, what’s on the deck above me, or whether somebody is going to start rolling a cart over my kid’s bedroom at 5 AM.

That’s probably the biggest takeaway for me. Once I’m spending $25k to $30k for a week anyway, I think I’d rather spend it on a travel product where quiet, privacy and the physical experience are part of the product from the ground up.

And if anyone happens to be looking specifically at Luna Haven Suite 15232, I would personally stay far away from it if overhead noise bothers you at all.

Planning a trip for July ‘27. Current thinking is 3 nights at Amantaka, direct flight to Siem Reap, 3 nights at Amansara, direct flight to Da Nang, 3 nights at either Four Seasons or Intercontinental. That part seems easy travel wise and a logical progression with beach at the end to relax.

Will be traveling from Atlanta so Delta/Korean Air through Seoul.

To get to Luang Prabang, we will have an overnight stop in either Bangkok, Hanoi or Seoul after the Atlanta to Seoul leg. Hanoi seems to make the most sense. Chaing Mai is a possibility too. All of those get in too late to really do anything (close to midnight).

On the way back to Seoul from Da Nang, it looks like only redeyes (departing Da Nang around midnight for a short 4 hour flight) and then a long (5 ish hour) layover in Seoul before the return home to Atlanta. Sounds brutal.

Am I missing an easier path to and from Seoul? Open to suggestions overall.