Once you have stepped onboard your cruise holiday begins, firstly you have the ease and convience of signing for your expenses, so you need never worry about carrying cash for the duration of your cruise. Simply register your credit or debit card at the start of your cruise then use it for all your onboard purchases, including drinks if not included, spa treatments and your excursions. You can also check your onboard spend at any time, or wait till your itemised receipt if delivered to your cabin on the last night of your cruise.
A cabin or stateroom is the term used for your accoodation onboard the ship. The newer and larger ships generally have the largest cabins, and depending on which ship, and what time of year you choose to cruise will reflect on how much you pay for your cabin. If you intend to spend a lot of time in your cabin or you are taking a longer cruise, then a sitting room with a balcony would be worth considering, as with all higher grade accommodation this will cost you more than if you were to book a standard cabin.
The most affordable of all the staterooms are in the region of 150 sq.feet in size, and feature single beds that can be pushed together to make a double. Other staterooms have fixed single beds with extra sleeping facilities, sofa beds and beds that can be pulled out of the cabin wall to create bunk beds. All cabins have en-suite facilities, TV’s, mini-bar and toiletries. The higher grade staterooms also with, fresh flowers each day, fruit bowls, stocked mini-bars with your choice of beverages and on some cruise lines your own personal butler. An inside cabin will have no windows, and an outside cabin will either have a porthole this is mainly on the older ships, whilst the newer ship now feature a full size ocean view window. A Balcony cabin will have a balcony that will be big enough for a table and two chairs. It is also worth checking what view you can expect from your cabin, as some windows or balconies can be obscured by the ship’s fixtures and fittings. The majority of people on a cruise use their cabin for storing their belongings and sleeping, as they find there is so much to see and do on the ship, but if you feel your cabin is an important part of your cruise holiday then make sure that you discuss your requirements before booking.
There are a wealth of public spaces onboard a cruise ship, indeed most of the ship is designed for you to freely walk around and partake in all the facilities that the ship has to offer. Cruise ships are now lavishly decorated with sweeping staircases, chandlers and fine wood interiors. The outside areas are designed for sunbathing, on-deck games, swimming pools with lido cocktail bars and eateries. You can also expect to find large lounge areas with comfortable seating, libraries, card rooms, internet cafes, gym and spa facilities, restaurants, casinos, shopping and theatres.
Shopping onboard a cruise ship has advanced greatly over the last five years, now you can expect to find well know branded shops offering an array of goods including clothes, jewellery, cosmetics and of course duty free on an array of products.
Cruise ships have always been famous for their food, and this still holds true, if anything the culinary delights you can now expect on your cruise are some of the best in the world. Cruise ships have anything from three restaurants on a smaller ship and up to 16 on the larger vessels; all offer a vast array of classic and international cuisine to suit all tastes. Most of the major cruise lines have a formal evening which gives you the opportunity to wear your ball gowns and tuxedos. Whilst other cruise lines are much more casual and offer no formal evenings. Cruise lines also offer baby-sitting facilities, children’s clubs and family oriented dining, which included popular ice cream parlours and burger bars.
The evening entertainment on a cruise ship is legendary, with Broadway style shows, of which some feature popular West End acts, comedians, magicians and live bands. All the entertainment onboard is free to enjoy apart from the casinos.
Spending a day on a ship at sea can be a peaceful or as active as you choose. Many people take this time to simply enjoy lazing on a sumptuous sun lounger enjoying a cocktail and reading. Whilst others take full-advantage of the ships facilities which on some ships can include ice skating, rock climbing, golf simulators, deck games or onboard lectures and movies. Of course you could combine the two and finish you day with a relaxing spa treatment.
As you can see, there is enough to do aboard ship that you may never have to leave your cruise ship at all to have a great holiday. But eventually you will dock, and it will be up to you how you spend your time in the several exotic locations that your cruise will deliver you to. It is this part of the cruise adventure, not the ship, which makes cruising so popular.