She looks more like one of the world's 100 largest motoryachts than a cruise ship.

In fact, at 440-feet she is just 32 feet longer than the Savarona , owned by a Turkish shipping magnate and the world's largest private motoryacht in 1993 according to Power and Motoryacht magazine.

The sleek two-year-old Royal Viking Queen steamed into Bermuda on Monday for a one-day visit, enroute from Florida to Europe, where she spends the summer cruising the Mediterranean.

Carrying only a maximum of 200 passengers, the luxury liner offers intimacy, super-luxurious cabins and personalised service -- 140 crew.

But the cost is $600 to $1,000 per passenger, per day.

Is it worth it? The Royal Gazette took a tour to find out.

Cabins all face outside and are unusually spacious, featuring sitting rooms, video and entertainment units, bar, satin-quilted double beds and bathrooms with large marble tubs.

Passengers can wine and dine at leisure -- there is only one seating and a full menu of appetisers, main courses and desserts to choose from.

Or they can dial room service anytime. Another innovative feature is the ship's outside balcony seating for barbecues under the stars.

The beauty salon and gym are like a mini-spa. Three jacuzzis await on deck.

And the liner sports a "pull-out'' marina complete with saltwater swimming pool and water sports facility, most often used in the calm waters of the Caribbean and Mediterranean. The pool is encased in metal bars to keep sharks out, by the way.

A small casino is run nightly for gamblers. And there's a plush piano bar and ballroom with nightly shows.

And at the helm of the Norwegian Cruise line ship is Capt. Jan Fjeld-Hansen, who went from commanding the world's largest ocean liner, the Norway , to one of the cruise industry's smaller sized ships.

As Tourism Minister the Hon. CV (Jim) Woolridge put it at a plaque presentation and reception for local officials, "It reminds me of the story we like to sell Bermuda on -- big isn't necessarily better.''