Can you have a luxury experience on a contemporary or premium cruise ship? Several cruise lines now offer posh ship-within-a-ship enclaves, while others are seriously raising the bar on the perks and amenities in lavish suites. But you must recommend these with care, for while the accommodations may be over the top, the rest of the ship isn’t what most consider a traditional small-ship luxury experience.

David Crooks, senior vice president of product and operations for World Travel Holdings, said these upscale enclaves on contemporary ships target multigenerational groups. For example, grandparents want suite accommodations but their children and grandkids want the bells and whistles of a mainstream cruise ship — the twisting water slides, Broadway-style shows, multiple restaurants and so on. Luxury cruise ships often don’t offer supervised children’s programs, kiddie pools or show-stopping features such as rock-climbing walls, ziplines and high-dive shows.

“These areas accommodate the different needs of a group such as that,” Crooks said. “I think that’s where they fit in. They give a wider choice to a [multigenerational] group. If someone really wants the full integrated luxury experience, I don’t know if that’s the product for them.”

That said, let’s take a closer look at the luxury enclaves or lavish suites found on contemporary and premium cruise ships.

Norwegian Cruise Line offers a private enclave called The Haven by Norwegian on all Jewel- and Breakaway-class ships, as well as Norwegian Epic. Located in a prime spot on a high deck, guests must use a key card to enter The Haven, which also has a private restaurant, 24-hour butler service, a private pool, hot tub, fitness area, dining areas and service from the Courtyard Valet. A concierge can make dining, entertainment or spa reservations for guests. Haven guests also get preferred seating at the live shows, priority embarkation and disembarkation, and priority boarding on tenders to shore. Suites have espresso machines, treats delivered each evening, a pillow-top mattress, feather duvet, pillow menu, plush bathrobes, slippers, oversized towels and more.

The Haven’s two-story courtyard has a pool with a deep end for swimming and a shallow area for relaxing, two whirlpools, a private sundeck, changing areas, a sauna and two private massage rooms. The Haven guests also have direct and private access to the ship’s spa and fitness center.

MSC Cruises offers the lavish MSC Yacht Club on the foredecks of MSC Preziosa, MSC Splendida, MSC Fantasia and the MSC Divina, now based year-round in Miami. On Divina, the Yacht Club has 69 suites and staterooms.

The Yacht Club, which requires a key card to enter, includes the private Top Sail Lounge, swimming pool, outdoor lounge and a curved main staircase sparkling with Swarovski crystals. The Top Sail Lounge serves beer, wine and spirits as well as snacks, small sandwiches and desserts. Guests also can get a light breakfast or lunch at the pool bar.

Yacht Club guests also have access to a private restaurant just for them. On MSC Divina, that restaurant is called Le Muse, and it’s located across the ship.

The staterooms and suites have convertible European king beds with memory foam mattresses, Egyptian cotton sheets, a pillow menu, walk-in closet with safe, marble bathrooms with tub, complimentary mini-bar, Nintendo Wii console and a choice of daily newspaper. Yacht Club staterooms measure 234 to 311 square feet, plus a 46- to 61-square-foot balcony.

The Yacht Club also has direct access to the Aurea Spa via private elevator and complimentary one-time use of the thermal suite. In Miami, guests sailing on MSC Divina check in at a private room without the lines.

Celebrity Cruises offers a number of showy accommodations, and in April 2015 the cruise line will lavish even more amenities on guests who book the suites.

Perhaps Celebrity’s most lavish accommodation is the Reflection Suite on its newest ship, Celebrity Reflection, which entered service in late 2012. The two-bedroom Reflection Suite is located in a private area accessible by those carrying a special SeaPass card. The suite measures a whopping 1,636 square feet and has a private 194-square-foot veranda. The suite comes with the Reverie Dream Sleep System mattress and European-style butler service. But it’s most jaw-dropping feature is the bathroom with an all-glass shower cantilevered over the side of the ship.

Starting in April 2015, those who book high-end Royal, Penthouse and Reflection suites will be able to dine at a private restaurant as well as at all the ship’s specialty restaurants at no cost. The new “Suite Class” experience also will include a VIP lounge, complimentary premium beverages, unlimited Internet access, priority check-in and embarkation, and more.

Cunard Line has long offered separate, more upscale experiences with its Grill-class accommodations and restaurants. The Princess and Queens Grill accommodations measure 335 to 2,249 square feet in size. In addition to the single-seating Princess Grill and Queens Grill restaurants, those who book these upscale accommodations can ask a concierge to book excursions and spa treatments or fulfill special requests. Each Grill-class accommodation includes a marble bathroom with bath and a shower, a separate living area, private balcony, personalized stationery, fresh fruit replenished daily and a pillow menu.

Those staying in a Queens Grill Suite are treated to even more amenities, including priority luggage delivery, butler service, priority embarkation, a stocked bar, pre-dinner canapés and in-suite dining from Queens Grill menu, and priority disembarkation and tender services.

Disney Cruise Line’s largest and most upscale accommodations are the Concierge Suites, and the poshest of these is the Concierge Royal Suite. On the Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream, the Concierge Royal Suites on Deck 12 measure about 1,781 square feet, including a veranda. They have one bedroom, two bathrooms, a dining salon, media library, pantry and wet bar. They sleep five people, though with a pull-down double bed and pull-down single berth in the living room. The suites have an Art Deco décor with warm earth tones and high-end wood finishes with geometric inlaid details in the living spaces. The bathrooms are outfitted in granite and marble.

On the Disney Magic and Wonder, the Concierge Royal Suites are 1,029 square feet in size with two bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms, a media library, a pantry, wet bar and dining salon. They can sleep seven people with one queen-size bed, two twin beds and three pull-down upper berths.

Guests who book suites get pre-arrival concierge assistance in making reservations for specialty dining, spa treatments and nursery stays. They also can access the Concierge Lounge, which has Internet access, a large-screen TV and complimentary food and beverages throughout the day. There’s also a private sun deck with water misters, cushioned lounge chairs and a bar.

Holland America Line’s top accommodations are Pinnacle Suites (sometimes called Penthouse Suites). They have a bedroom with a king-size bed with a plush Euro-Top mattress, an oversize whirlpool bath and shower stall, a living room, dining room, dressing room, pantry, sofa bed that can sleep two, a minibar refrigerator and powder room. Some have a private stereo system and microwave, but suite size, layout and furnishings can vary by ship. Most are about 1,126 to 1,318 square feet.

Those who occupy a Pinnacle or Neptune Suite (488-788 square feet) can relax in the Neptune Lounge, which has worktables, a large-screen television, a library, sofas and chairs, Wi-Fi and refreshments throughout the day. These suite guests also get complimentary laundry, pressing and dry cleaning throughout the cruise, and, upon embarkation, sparkling wine in the Neptune Lounge and complimentary bottled water in suite.

Other perks are corsages and boutonnieres for the first formal night, cold hors d’oeuvres before dinner on request, a cocktail party with ship officers, priority boarding for tenders, special disembarkation service, priority dining and seating requests, fresh flowers, complimentary DVD library, and ice, shoeshine and nightly turndown service.

Princess Cruises’ new Royal Princess offers a Suite with Balcony that measures 440 to 682 square feet; balconies are 83 to 338 square feet. Suites feature a separate seating area with a sofa bed, a walk-in closet, and extra amenities and perks. The balcony has upgraded furniture with room for four — two loungers, a table and two chairs. The Suites also include complimentary minibar setup, a CD/DVD player and access to a complimentary DVD library, pillow-top mattress and two 42-inch flat-panel satellite TVs. Extra perks include priority tender embarkation, complimentary laundry and cleaning, one waived cover charge for a specialty restaurant dinner, and corsage and boutonniere on the first formal night.

Royal Caribbean International offers the lavish Royal Loft Suite with Balcony on the Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas. This two-deck stateroom is 1,599 square feet with a balcony of 874 square feet. It can sleep six people. Four twin beds can convert to Royal Kings measuring 72.5 inches wide by 82 inches long. The living room sofa converts to a double bed. This suite also has a bathroom with shower on the main level; on the second level is the master bedroom and bath with a tub, shower, two sinks and bidet. There’s also a dining area with dry bar.

Guests staying in these and other high-end suite accommodations fleetwide get priority check-in, access to a private Concierge Club service on select ships, reserved prime seating in the main theater, priority tender tickets, full dining room menus for in-room dining, complimentary luggage valet, free pressing service on formal night, and priority disembarkation from a departure lounge with continental breakfast.