Cunard Line
Queen Mary 2: Grand Duplex Apartments

Leave it to the Brits to do hierarchy well: These two duplex suites may be the best staterooms at sea. The names themselves—Balmoral and Sandringham—sound awfully regal, and the sea views through two-story glass walls overlooking the stern don't disappoint. Each duplex measures 2,249 square feet and can be combined with four other suites to total more than 9,000. (In which case you probably have a very big family or are claustrophobic.) The 1930s-era Art Deco feel hearkens back to the grand old days of cruising (or what we imagine them to be, anyway), with a premium on good lighting and gleaming dark wood. And if the three polished marble bathrooms don't make you feel giddy, then take several star turns on the sweeping staircase leading to the second floor (and massive bedroom). The in-suite dining room seats eight, so you can invite your new hoity-toity friends to join you for elegant predinner canapés, served each evening by your butler.

Best detail: On Cunard, cabin category determines where you're allowed to eat. Guests in the Grand Duplex Apartments feast in the Queens Grill, where caviar, truffles, foie gras, and Champagne are a few of the menu's delights.

Set sail: Summer, transatlantic crossings; winter, around-the-world voyages

Cunard
Tel: 800 728 6273
Grand Duplex Apartments from $3,199 per person per night, based on double occupancy

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