I went on a $7,075 cruise for 9 days. See inside my 344-square-foot suite with a glass sunroom and walk-in closet.
Jill Schildhouse
- I went on a nine-day trip aboard the Scenic Spirit, a luxury river cruise that holds 68 guests.
- My 344-square-foot deluxe room had a special area with a glass partition and tons of windows.
Americans have been pretty obsessed with cruises this year, especially megaships that hold thousands and have as many restaurants and shops as a small city.
But their vastness and lack of exclusivity aren't for every traveler. Enter the luxury river cruise.
They're much smaller and more intimate than the big ships — often holding fewer than 150 travelers — and usually way pricier, too. An all-inclusive river cruise sailing can cost more than triple what you'd pay for a basic cabin on a megaship.
This year, I went on one aboard the Scenic Spirit, which holds up to 68 guests. The nine-day cruise took us along the Mekong River through Vietnam and Cambodia. Afterward, the trip continued with a three-night land-based tour of Siem Reap's iconic temples.
Scenic is an all-inclusive line, so the price for this cruise and land tour includes lodging, onboard food and drinks, WiFi, excursions, transfers, luggage handling, port charges, tips, and taxes.
Although I received this cruise complimentary, the rate for my sailing would have been about $7,075. Here's what my 344-square-foot deluxe cabin was like.
My room was roughly double the size of most entry-level megaship cabins.
A starter cabin on a larger cruise ship is often about 170 to 190 square feet, about half the size of my room on the Spirit.
Deluxe cabins like mine were actually the smallest rooms available since everything on the Spirit is a suite. The largest is the 861-square-foot Royal Panorama Suite complete with a jacuzzi and large balcony.
Each suite comes with a butler who can perform helpful tasks like bringing extra pillows ordered from the pillow menu, providing complimentary shoe-shine services, delivering a nightcap or coffee to your cabin, and stocking the mini bar.
There was a nice-sized living area with a sofa, coffee table, desk, and chair.
The furniture dimensions felt custom-fit to the room, which added to the spacious sensation. No space in my cabin felt wasted.
The coolest feature in the room was the "balcony" area with the bistro table and two chairs.
At the press of a button, a glass wall retracted to seamlessly convert this part of my cabin into a sunroom and "balcony" area of sorts.
The glass partition around this space also closed fully, so I could have the "balcony" open to the elements while leaving the rest of my room comfortably air-conditioned.
It was a great place to enjoy river views throughout the trip.
I found extra storage everywhere I looked.
I had plenty of places to unpack and organize my belongings for the trip. Even the sofa had drawers beneath it.
All of my bags comfortably fit in the walk-in closet.
Inside the walk-in closet was a stocked refrigerator, water bottles that were refilled daily, glasses, a safe, bathrobes, and umbrellas.
The closet only had two usable drawers, but each of the room's two nightstands had drawers, too. I also had plenty of space to hang clothes and store my luggage.
I could easily watch the TV from my bed or the living-room area.
The queen-size bed had nightstands and mood lighting on either side.
I also liked that the window next to the bed could be opened with the touch of a button.
On Scenic Spirit, all suites have Scenic Slumber beds.
These remote-controlled electric beds allow guests to lift their feet and/or heads up or down as much as they'd like.
This feature really maximized my comfort when reading and working on my laptop while in bed.
The bathroom was a nice size, with a roomy shower, a large vanity basin with storage underneath, a lighted makeup mirror, and a separate toilet.
There was plenty of space to stow all my toiletries and the housekeeping staff tidied the vanity twice a day.
I was a little disappointed by the bath towels, though, which felt a little too small and not as soft as I'd have liked.
The shower had some luxurious options, too.
The modern shower featured settings for a rainfall shower, waterfall deluge, a jet streaming horizontally out of the middle of the shower, and a handheld attachment.
The included bath amenities smelled delicious and were plentiful. Cotton swabs, tissues, and other common bathroom essentials were also provided.
Overall, the room was fantastic and I spent a lot of time in here.
On a small riverboat like this one, it's important to have a comfortable and secluded space to retreat to when you need some downtime.
I hung out in here quite a bit in between activities and loved having my own private view of the river.
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