The trend for luxury cruises is more unusual destinations and smaller ports

The annual International Luxury Travel Market fair presented trends for luxury travel 2016 in Cannes in December. Multi-generation trips, active and adventure vacations, offers for families, luxury cruises and exclusive private homes are becoming more important.

A luxury vacation can be made in different ways – a stay in a tropical resort like here in Mauritius is one variant. (Source: dpa / Thomas Cook)

Yacht trips, exclusive tours, luxury cruises

The most popular destinations for luxury travelers this year are Italy, France, South Africa, New Zealand, the Maldives and Mexico. Adventure seekers feel particularly at home in Costa Rica; the islands of French Polynesia in the South Pacific are outstanding destinations for honeymooners. When it comes to cruises, the Mediterranean, Alaska and Europe’s rivers are among the top destinations for international luxury travelers.

The desire for exclusive trips is also growing disproportionately in the cruise industry. According to the cruise association Clia, shipping companies respond with yacht trips, concierge services, exclusive tours, gourmet cuisine or personal butler services. "The trend for luxury cruises is more unusual destinations and smaller ports. Current catalogs show countless port locations that have so far rarely or never been visited"says the sociologist Bernhard Jans from the cruise research group at the Technical University of Dresden.

Cruising is still a popular form of luxury travel – but with that certain something, like swimming next to the sailing ship. (Source: dpa / Sea Cloud Cruises)

Whether cultural experiences in Myanmar, the cruise expedition to the Arctic or the noble hotel in Bali – golden times seem to lie ahead for providers of luxury travel: "People will increasingly tend to spend more on private vacations", believes Marion Aliabadi. "Time, relaxation and the feeling of being taken care of are the true luxury of the 21st century."

Nothing is more beautiful than flying? But: first-class flying. From your own bed to a shower to the star menu: these airlines offer luxury at lofty heights.

First class in comparison

Photo series with 12 pictures

Business class offers a lot of comfort – but those who can afford it prefer to fly first class and appreciate the amenities that come with it.

Are You Just Sitting Or Suites Are You Already?

A generous seat and sufficient legroom is already more than luxurious for newcomers to the First Class. Those in the know want more privacy and book an airline with a separate cabin instead of just a wide seat. But that doesn’t always mean that much more space. Sometimes the cabins are so small that you can hardly turn. Instead of squeezing an abundance of cabins into the narrow space, Etihad has accordingly generous ones "Apartments"that you can even walk around in.

More style topics

Upgrade: Service at airports: How to become a VIP man’s dream: How do I become a pilot? In an Emergency Landing a Passenger Airplane: How to: Landing a Passenger Airplane Luxury Private Jets

At Emirates you fly in a relatively small space, but surrounded by luxurious amenities such as dimmable lighting and a dressing table. This is certainly not for everyone. Those who prefer discreet understatement should feel at home with Qatar Airways.

Privacy in the cabin

You travel almost retro in the Singapore Airlines A380: Here you have modeled the style of luxurious train cabins. To avoid the space problem, some providers rely on not completely closed cabins. Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa have open cabins, but they are no less comfortable. Since you share the area with a maximum of five or seven other passengers, it flies almost like a private jet.

Sleep on cloud nine

Healthy and relaxed sleep is an immanent issue, especially on long-haul flights.https://123helpme.me/argumentative-essay/ This requires space and comfortable bed linen. Cathay Pacific beds are some of the most spacious. At Japan Airlines you can choose between two mattress toppers (soft and hard). If you don’t want to sleep alone, you can book a double bed with Singapore Airlines and China Eastern. While most airlines convert the seat into a bed, the Lufthansa 747-400 offers a separate bed for each passenger.

Fresh cuisine

At Etihad, the chef flies with you. If you are lucky, you can have your own meal prepared in addition to the menu. Unfortunately, the catering can vary depending on the departure airport. If you take off from the airline’s home airport, you can be almost certain that you will get an excellent meal. If the airline has to rely on another supplier, the level can quickly drop.

There are bars on the plane in First Class

Champagne is a must in the luxury class. From Krug to Dom Perignon, most airlines offer you at least one variety. If you are looking for entertainment over a drink, go to the bar. On Emirates planes, you will find the bar at the end of business class. At Qatar between business and eco-class, but in a noble design including leather sofas and chandeliers.

Entertainment on board

To make the flight as entertaining as possible, all airlines offer you a wide range of entertainment. In the ranking of the best airlines by the flight evaluation portal Skytrax, Emirates and Qatar Airways stand out again and again, and their multimedia, film and music programs should be outstanding, including on-board Wi-Fi, of course.

Showers above the clouds

Do you have to drive straight from the airport to an important appointment? Especially after a long-haul flight you feel slightly wrinkled and not exactly fresh. With at least two airlines, you can take a relaxed shower on board and appear refreshed at your appointment. Emirates and Etihad offer you this service.

Fly well cared for

The airlines will provide you with an elegant travel kit so that you feel completely at home. At Emirates, there are pajamas with seaweed particles, slippers and an eye mask. At Singapore Airlines you get an amenity kit from Kiehls and Etihad pampers you with products from the New York brand Le Laboin in a bag inspired by traditional weaving patterns.

Staying on the ground: luxury lounges at the airport

Do you have to stay longer at the airport? Then shorten the time by staying in an airport lounge. Excellent food, a drink at the bar, business rooms, even a nap is possible in separate rooms, as is a refreshing shower. The Cathay Pacific lounges in Hong Kong, Turkish Airlines in Istanbul and the Lufthansa Lounge in Frankfurt not only performed extremely well at the World Airline Awards. The huge lounge in Dubai can almost be compared to its own terminal. The Al Safwa First Class Lounge in Doha is also huge, but it looks a bit sterile. The Quantas Lounge in Sydney is much more elegant and with more attention to detail. Here, a visit to the stunningly designed spa is a must.

Lots of luxury for little money

So much luxury costs accordingly. The price range is huge and ranges from several thousand euros for flights from Europe to the USA to well over ten thousand euros for trips to more distant destinations. But it can be even more expensive: Last year Etihad offered a one-way flight from New York to Mumbai for the equivalent of 32,000 euros. 

If you want to save a little money, you can look for a departure point abroad. And even here the comparison is worthwhile. For example from Egypt the prices tumble. And so the price can be more than halved depending on the airport. Anyone who flies a lot should definitely earn miles. With some companies you can get this without flying through partner programs. Find a flight partner: because if you fly in pairs, the partner saves up to 70 percent. It also makes the trip more fun.

A particularly exclusive experience is to stay in a hotel where an idol from the world of the rich and famous has already spent a night. Since it is good form for many celebrities to own a hotel, you can be even closer to your idols here.

One of the biggest German hit icons, Andrea Berg, has made himself comfortable in Swabia. "sDörfle" she calls her small settlement of luxury chalets in a rustic style. This includes 15 private accommodations and an inn, which are surrounded by meadows and vineyards. Carriage rides, wellness treatments, wine tastings, horse riding and other leisure activities await vacationers. Prices start at 150 euros per person per night for that "Village house" and range up to 420 euros for "mountain chalet".

Berg’s refuge

Opened about a year ago "sDörfle" at Aspach for visitors. Previously, the pop star had laid hands on: "This refuge here in the village has a very special magic for me too. I spent almost every day on the construction site for two years, sewing curtains and doing the interior design," said Andrea Berg of Munich "Evening News" (to be booked via www.sdoerfle.info).

Fans and bon vivants can also rent from Dieter Hallervorden. The comedian, who has blossomed into a serious actor in old age, has owned a private island in Brittany with a neo-Gothic castle on it since 1988: "Costaérès". The lord of the castle uses the island as a summer residence.

More travel topics

Investment private island The best wellness temples The best grand hotels in the world: The best grand hotels These are the real estate of real estate agent Marcel Remus

If Hallervorden isn’t there, you can also rent the whole thing – for 12,000 euros per week. After all: the castle has nine rooms, four chimneys, a pool and a small harbor. So if you pull together a little, you can accommodate a large family (to be booked through Vladi Private Islands, www.vladi-private-islands.de). 

The island by Jörg Pilawa

Jörg Pilawa was also ready for the island. He calls an idyllic island in the eastern Canadian province of Nova Scotia his own. An unobstructed piece of paradise called "Hunt Island". The house on the islet has two floors with an open gallery.

On 120 square meters there are three bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room and open kitchen. Boat, kayak, surfboard and canoes are available for excursions. Rental price: from 194 euros per day for up to six guests. However, the minimum rental period is five days. For this you can use the same rooms as the popular quiz master, who likes to vacation with his family on the island (www.vladi-private-islands.de or www.huntisland.com). The fashion guru Karl Lagerfeld starts at a good age to create a hotel. 2017 should be the first "Karl Lagerfeld Hotel" to open in Macau – with 220 rooms, spa and fine dining restaurants. With the "Karl Lagerfeld Suite" He has already gained hotel experience at the Schlosshotel Grunewald in Berlin, and now he wants to develop several hotels at once. And thus emulate his colleagues Armani, Bulgari and Versace, who are now active worldwide. Because Lagerfeld is not the first fashion designer and certainly not the first celebrity to fulfill the dream of having their own – or even several – hotel.

Jessica Schwarz’s dream hotel

Not all celebrities are as pompous as the designers. On the contrary, some actors who have realized a lifelong dream with a hotel offer rooms at prices that ordinary mortals can also afford. Actress Jessica Schwarz ("The perfume", "Buddenbrooks"), for example, invites you to dream from 135 euros in a double room. "The reverie" is the name of the small design hotel with just five rooms and a café in Michelstadt in the Odenwald. Jessica Schwarz and her sister always had the vacant house from 1623 in mind as children and came up with dark secrets. At the end of 2006, the actress bought and restored the old walls. The mini-hotel opened in 2008, where many things invite you to dream: cinema seats in the Malvensuite, an ivory room, a gold wall in the gold store. Freshly baked cakes and snacks are available in the café.

And sometimes you can meet Jessica Schwarz here in person. But her sister Sandra is always there, she runs the hotel (www.die-traeumerei.com).

Bowie’s former mansion

Two prominent owners – and one of them David Bowie: the villa "Mandalay" on the Caribbean island of Mustique definitely has a VIP factor. The late musician had this hideaway built and furnished by star architect Arne Hasselqvist in 1989 entirely in the Balinese style: It is surrounded by a pool in the style of a koi pond and a lush, jungle-like garden, which is accessible from every room. Sea view included, of course.

Other amenities include five bedrooms with bathrooms, an office that Bowie used as a recording studio, and a dining pavilion. Now vacationers can "madness personified", as he once called his villa: ten employees take care of the guests for 36,631 euros per week. (Reservation through the Mustique Company, mustique-island.com.) A few years ago, Bowie sold the island to the British poet and millionaire Felix Dennis, who died in 2014. The neighborhood is no less prominent: On Mustique, which belongs to the Grenadines Mick Jagger, Bryan Adams and Tommy Hilfiger also have some properties.

Live like God in France – and at a bargain price; Numerous luxury hotels in the French capital are currently offering attractive discounts. The reason: Since the terrorist attacks, many tourists have stayed away from the Seine metropolis. The Parisian hotels are poorly occupied.

More travel topics

Feast like God in France Travelers ‘Choice Awards: The top ten most popular luxury hotels The best bistros in Paris

For five-star hotels there are discounts between 25 and 45 percent, said the general director of the Paris region tourism committee, François Navarro. There was no quantified information on other hotel categories – but overall the entire industry is suffering from the consequences of terrorism.

Foreign tourists avoid Paris

Foreign guests in particular avoid hostels in the French capital with its world-famous landmarks, the Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Élysées.