Cruising is widely considered an affordable vacation, but that doesn’t mean you can’t spend serious cash. In fact, the cruise lines roll out the red carpet for big spenders.
Whether you want to upgrade your experience with high-end dining or enjoy a private island from the comfort of your own cabana, cruise lines have no shortage of ways to help you open up your wallet for an upgraded experience.
Nowhere is that more clear than with the highest-end staterooms on the ship. Case in point, the newest ship from Royal Caribbean is set to debut next summer and it will feature an all-new accomodation that costs a staggering $140,000 for just a single week on some sailings.
So what do you get for your money?
The Latest Ship in Royal Caribbean’s Fleet: Hero of the Seas
Royal Caribbean’s Icon-class ships have been the next big revolution in cruising. While the cruise line has always gone big, these are literally the largest cruise ships in the world with features not found anywhere else. For instance, no other cruise ship was a six-slide waterpark like what you’ll find onboard these vessels.
Now the cruise line is continuing its push in mega-ships with the latest announcement of its fourth Icon-class ship, dubbed Hero of the Seas.
As we told you, it will feature some jaw-dropping features. It will have nine different pools onboard, setting the record for the most at sea. It will also feature new waterslides, nearly 30 different restaurants on the ship, and tons of favorites like Central Park, the ice-skating rink, and the water-based AquaTheater.
But there’s one new feature that will definitely turn some heads, not just for what it offers but for its price tag.
Meet the Ultimate Family Treehouse
Onboard Hero of the Seas will be an all-new stateroom option, which the cruise line is dubbing the Ultimate Family Treehouse.
This new lodging choice will be a treehouse-themed three-story offering that overlooks not just the water, but seemingly the back half of the entire ship.
A total of 12 guests can stay in the treehouse, which measures a staggering 4,123 square feet. (That’s about 18 times bigger than the average balcony cabin on a cruise ship.)
Nearly 2,400 square feet is interior space and a whopping 1,700 square feet is exterior space.
There are two main bedrooms, each with their own bathroom and balcony. There are also four full bathrooms in the treehouse. Guests staying here will get a rooftop terrace complete with their own whirlpool along with a dedicated gameroom. As a bonus, there’s also a “teen space” that is two stories tall.
As you might expect there are additional perks included when you book a suite like this, including your own dedicated stateroom attendant, suite-only restaurant, wi-fi, and much more.
A Staggering Price Tag For the Nicest Accommodations on the Ship ($20,000 a Night?!)
Of course, staying in the Ultimate Family Treehouse — of which there is only a single one on the ship — is a unique experience. And it comes with a unique price tag.
We searched rates for this room and found that they can vary considerably… if you can find an opening.
For instance, a November 2027 week-long cruise shows a price of $91,621 for the room. Another cruise we found came in at $96,226 in our sample booking. And an April 2028 sailing shows a price of $140,807!
That comes out to a staggering $20,000 a night.
Sound out of reach? We were surprised to see that many trips we checked didn’t even show the Ultimate Family Treehouse listed to book. That seems to mean that unique room is already spoken for on some of these cruises that don’t even sail for more than a year from now.
But we have to say, if you have the means, then it sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime way to travel.
