Cruising: Suite life

The Regent Suite features on board the new Regent Seven Seas Explorer. Photo / Supplied

Winston Aldworth looks at the latest developments for cruise passengers.

That's what your cruiseship stateroom has been missing: a grand piano. The high-end Regent Suite, aboard the new Regent Seven Seas Explorer ship, being launched next year, will offer luxury accommodation bigger and certainly grander than most houses.

The two-person suite comes with 360sq m of space, two bedrooms, a personal spa retreat with a private sauna and steam room and - naturally - it has views from three sides of the ship. And of course, that grand piano.

The price? A snip at a little more than $5000 per night, per person. The price tag covers all food and drink and excursions. You could always rough it and invite two friends, if you don't mind having your style cramped. And hey, all the better if one of them can play the piano, right?

The Regent Seven Seas Explorer. Photo / Supplied

Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor in chief of CruiseCritic.com, predicted Regent would have no trouble selling the suite, despite the exorbitant price tag.

"The top-priced suite and the cheapest cabins are always the first to go," she said.

The Explorer is expected to launch in July 2016 and will have the capacity to carry 750 guests.

Return to Venice

The ban that has restricted large cruise ships from Venice is set to be lifted.

Since November, ships bigger than 97,000 gross tonnes (those are ones carrying more than around 2200 passengers) have been banned from sailing the Giudecca Canal and St Mark's Basin to the city's main cruise terminal. Smaller ships are limited to five a day.

The restrictions had been put in place to prevent damage to fragile buildings in the waterbound Italian city.

It was overthrown by a regional court, but the Italian Transport Ministry intends to appeal amid plans to organise alternative access for large cruise ships.

Companies in the Cruise Lines International Association have voluntarily refrained from bringing in ships above 97,000 tonnes to Venice until a new navigational route is available.

What's in port?

The big ships you'll see in Auckland:

Today: Sun Princess (Princess Cruises). Next port: Bay of Islands, Wednesday.

Thursday: Diamond Princess (Princess Cruises). Next port: Tauranga on Friday.

Thursday: L'Austral (Ponant Cruises). Next port: Tauranga on Friday.

January 29: Voyager of the Seas (Royal Caribbean). Next port: Tauranga on January 30.

January 31: Sea Princess (Princess Cruises). Next port: Tauranga on February 1.

January 31: Dawn Princess (Princess Cruises). Next port: Tauranga on February 3.