Memories are most associated with the sense of smell, so it’s no wonder then why cruise lines, particularly luxury ones, are keen to showcase premium toiletries in which to be remembered. Here are my favorites that have stood the test of time.
Bulgari ~ Oceania Cruises and Silversea Cruises
There’s a reason why several cruise lines feature Bulgari: because it’s one of the finest international luxury brands with toiletries that are equally refreshing. In fact, sometimes, there is a choice of different fragrances to try by color onboard. Personally I’ve always gravitated to the green tea variety.
Etro ~ Crystal Cruises
Before last sailing on Crystal Cruises, I must admit I had never heard of Etro, but its soaps, shampoos and conditioners immediately stood out in the bathroom with their vibrant alternating purple, orange, green and fuchsia bottle colors, which when I took my glasses off made them more easily identifiable. They were also quite pleasant for bathing.
Fair CosmEthics ~ Fathom
It’s unfortunate that Fathom will not continue to sail its Adonia beyond May of 2017 because the Fair CosmEthics toiletries onboard were lovely and a perfect extension of the line’s sustainability goals. Fair CosmEthics products incorporated fair trade Brazil nut oil and cane sugar, for instance.
Freyja ~ Viking Cruises
Until recently Viking Cruises featured L’Occitane Verbena lemon-scented toiletries but introduced Freyja as an alternative when the ocean brand came online. While I must admit I miss the previous citrus aroma, its new Freyja variety is also refreshing and utilizes the same great color differentiation concept to make them easy to choose in the shower.
House Brand ~ Carnival Cruise Line
Admittedly this one is here as a bit of an honorable mention. While Carnival Cruise Line is not a premium, upscale or luxury line, there is just something so pleasant about the aroma of its soap bars. Especially when so many standard brands on land and at sea are starting to default to body wash instead, it’s nice to see that bath bars are still available from Carnival as well.
L’Occitane ~ Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Viking may have stopped using the L’Occitane brand, but Regent Seven Seas Cruises recently adopted an exclusive collection of its Mer & Mistral line. Like the Verbena variety I love, I too relish this fresh “beachy” scent of the sea that leaves your body always feeling reinvigorated after a bath or shower.
Molton Brown ~ Seabourn
Seabourn’s premium Molton Brown series follows the same convenient color coding approach as Etro and Freyja. From there luxurious infusions take over like basil and vetiver in the conditioner for instance. Even soap bars consist of ultra pure milk. Clearly the UK cosmetics company knows what it is doing, and guests can experience it all onboard.
Jason Leppert is the Editor-in-Chief of Popular Cruising, the leader in video cruise reviews.
Interested to know what toiletries EVERGREEN river cruises use ?