Cruise lines chase luxury travelers with suites for up to $25,000 a night

The latest push into high-end travel is taking place on the high seas, as cruise lines increasingly lean on luxury offerings. On Regent's Seven Seas Splendor, an all-luxury ship, cabins cost anywhere from $1,800 to $15,000 per night for its top-of-the-line booking, the Regent Suite.The difference is not just the roughly 5,100 square feet of space. The top-tier suite has a Steinway piano, a private dining room reserved for its occupants, and a wraparound deck with a hot tub and a view comparable to the one from the ship's bridge. Multiple passengers wanted the suite for Splendor’s 151-night global cruise that embarks in January, Regent told CNBC, and it is almost always occupied.Regent is setting its sights even bigger, as the cruise line plans to debut Seven Seas Prestige in December, its first new ship class in a decade. Its top suite costs $25,000 per night.A bedroom in the Regent Suite on the Seven Seas Splendor.Ryan Ruggiero | CNBCWhile mega-ships with surfing and water slides can carry more than 7,500 passengers, the smaller, elite ships — some carrying fewer than a thousand passengers — are powering profits for companies like Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. The company owns l...