Cruise Ships – A Small City on Water!
Going on a cruise is not leaving civilization – it’s parking your car at the rat race to board the ideal city. Major cruise ships are larger than some land-based communities – with 3,000 + passengers and half that number in cruise staff.
You’ll find practically everything on the ship that you left on land, except the stress. That stays on the dock as well. Modern cruise ships are marvels of engineering. The anti-roll technology and computerized monitoring mean that you hardly notice the movement when underway.
The cruise ship is organized much like a city. The cabins are neighborhoods with some budget accommodations and other elaborate suites with oceanfront balconies. You even get a daily “newspaper” delivered to your room and slid under the door during the predawn hours.
When you awake, the biggest decision you have to make is what to do today from among the overwhelming list of shipboard activities. Food choices are beyond imagination on all cruise lines, particularly the larger ships.
You can eat in the main dining room or go to one of several specialty restaurants. If you love the sushi bar, Mexicali or Italian bistro, you can eat there. Or you can have food served almost anytime on the deck under the stars.
What’s so amazing is that you have so many choices for breakfast, lunch, snack, afternoon tea, dinner, and late-night snacks, which are all part of the total cruise price. Whether you order filet mignon or lobster – or both, there’s no grimacing as you sign the check.
For food lovers, cruising is one great meal after another. If you hate the daily commute, you’ll be thrilled with cruise travel. You can walk around the ship to anything you want to do. Keep up your fitness routine at the health club, which is usually on the upper decks.
You’ve never had such a fabulous view while sweating on the cycle. Then check-in at the luxurious spa for a massage, facial, or a soak in the whirlpool. If you’re bored (which is tough to imagine), look at the daily activities list.
Visit the card room, Internet Café, video game room or attend a lecture in the library. Sports are big onboard activities. You can find a pickup game for volleyball, try your aim with skeet shooting, or participate in some rock wall climbing. When you get tired after any activity, just walk back to the cabin and take a break.
You can also select a theme cruise and you’ll find plenty of people who share your interests. Music lovers can find a cruise based on rock and roll, country music, classical or cruising to the oldies.
Wine tasters and gourmet food buffs are frequent cruises enjoying not only special tastings onboard but also excursions to places that cater to their interests. Most every type of hobby has a theme cruise so you connect with others who are as dedicated to model railroads, scrapbooking, or photography as you are. You can also find faith-based cruises for families who share your beliefs. When the group is larger enough, the entire ship is chartered for special interest groups.
Cruise ships also have practical features such as a doctor and infirmary, shopping for anything you forgot to bring from home, translators if needed, and plenty of advice about how to enjoy yourself on shore excursions. This is one city that’s devoted to making your stay absolutely perfect.