7 Ways To Upgrade With Cruise Packages

Looking to take your cruise vacation up a notch? There are many ways to transcend basic cruise packages and indulge in an over-the-top experience. Whether you're honeymooning, celebrating a big anniversary or gathering friends and family for a milestone birthday, creating a trip that you and your travel companions will never forget is well within reach.

Arranging private tours is my favorite way to up the ante with cruise packages, because of the potential to transform each day in port into a custom experience tailored to my and my fellow travelers' interests. Think private pasta-making classes in Italy, intimate flightseeing tour packages in Alaska and more.

Read on for seven easy ways to upgrade your cruise, wherever and whenever you sail.

1. Splurge On First-class Plane Tickets

Decades ago, flying was glamorous — travelers dressed up, airlines served five-course meals with decadent dishes like lobster and caviar and cabin stewards poured fine wines and the best Champagne. These days, an economy ticket might mean seats together and a bag of peanuts.

One way to elevate your trip from the very start is to splurge on first-class plane tickets, so the seats are more comfortable, the food is better and you can board first, last or whenever you like. If you don't want to hunt down flight deals alone, consider booking cruise and flight packages directly through the cruise line.

2. Indulge In A Luxurious Pre-cruise Hotel Stay

Scrambling from the airport to the ship terminal in this age of chronic flight delays can be stressful. Luckily, you can reduce your anxiety by flying in the day before your cruise departure and staying at a five-star hotel near the port. There, you can relax by the pool or stretch out under an umbrella on the beach — sipping a frozen drink topped with a tiny paper umbrella as a butler cleans your sunglasses — while your cruise mates are hustling through airport security and checking their watches.

Again, if you don't want to spend time looking for hotel deals on your own, you can book cruise and hotel packages directly through your cruise line. You may even find cruise package deals that save you up to 50% on standard hotel rates.

3. Select An Amazing Suite Onboard The Ship

4. Book an Onboard Food or Beverage Package

5. Arrange Private Tours In Ports

6. Take Advantage Of Special Programs

Some cruise lines offer special access to members of their frequent cruiser programs. The Crown & Anchor Society, for example, offers members discounted drinks and internet access. The benefits get better as you accumulate points, including access to a private lounge and the Coastal Kitchen restaurant.

For extra benefits, you can also participate in The Key program — but make sure you book before you board. The Key features priority boarding and departure, priority tendering and dedicated seating at shows in the Main Theater, AquaTheater, Studio B and Two70 (among other perks), ensuring you don't miss a single moment of the best entertainment onboard.

7. Book Some Spa And Fitness Time

The Vitality at Sea Spa is great for anyone whose best life at sea includes a fitness routine or scheduled pampering. There, the Ultimate Class Pass offers unlimited access to fitness classes onboard the ship, including yoga, Pilates and spinning.

You probably won't be surprised to learn that cruise ship spas offer all the same treatments you love on land, including facials, massages and salt scrubs. But at the Vitality Spa, you'll also find more surprising options, like teeth whitening, microdermabrasion, acupuncture and Botox, as well an entire spa menu just for teens.

I would be remiss if I didn't suggest reserving the most relaxing cruise package of all, a thermal suite day pass, for the length of your cruise. With this special pass, you can spend sea days in the hammam, steam room and sauna. You can also stretch out on a heated chaise lounge before dinner each night and start your "getting ready for the evening" process with a ritual shower that features colored lights and more.

For a formal night, consider heading to the salon for some primping: maybe a blowout or updo, makeup application, a mani-pedi, a hot shave — whatever you fancy. And be sure you've got a special meal on the books so you can show off your glammed-up look. If you're on Radiance of the Seas, that might mean a five-course tasting menu at Chef's Table. On Wonder of the Seas, it could be lobster thermidor or lamb Wellington at 150 Central Park. Wherever you choose to raise your glass, I recommend sitting for a formal picture to commemorate an unforgettable evening on the most amazing cruise you've taken to date.