Cruising & Sailing Information

Why Take a Cruise Vacation?


Have you considered taking a cruise vacation but just aren't sure if it would be right for you? With all the cruise lines available, all the cruise destinations, the range of prices, there is a cruise for just about everyone.

Do you commute to work every day, sitting in traffic for perhaps hours? Think about it, on a cruise you don't drive anywhere for 7, 10, 14 days or more. Now, even if you were on a bus tour with no driving yourself, you haul your luggage or at least pack and unpack it at each stop. On a cruise, you check your luggage when you check in and it magically appears in your cabin, stateroom, or suite. You unpack once, feeling at home for the duration of the cruise. The cruise staff will tell you when to place your bags outside your accommodations at the end of the cruise and, just a magically, your luggage will be waiting for you on shore at a designated pick-up point. Taking a cruise vacation frees you from some of the hassles of traveling.

If you take a driving vacation, there's always the question of where to stop to eat. All meals are included in the price of your cruise and great food is one of the main attractions of taking a cruise. Most contemporary cruises take into account the modern casual lifestyle and provide a variety of restaurants and snack bars on board. Typically, there is a varied and plentiful breakfast and lunch buffet similar to what you find in Las Vegas. Or you can eat breakfast or lunch in one of the ship's restaurants, ordering exactly what you want from the ample menu, prepared fresh for you. Restaurants are usually open for meals for extended hours and buffets are generally open all day and into the night. Have you heard of the midnight buffet available on some cruises?

Dinner is an important event on a cruise ship, a tradition dating back to the late 1800's when cruises were for royalty and the wealthy who expected elegant formal dinners. Again, in today's lifestyle the elegant dinner is optional, and for those who prefer to dine casually, the dinner buffet is available usually until 9 pm. Most cruise ships offer excellent cuisine, especially at dinner, in the main dining room or rooms plus offer meals at upscale specialty restaurants at additional cost. Cruise lines base much of their reputation on their food service, and terms such as "world class cuisine" and "gourmet meals" are combined with "impeccable service" to insure that the onboard dining experience is truly memorable. Many cruises still offer one or more optional formal dinners where ladies where long formal gowns or other evening dresses and gentlemen wear tuxedos or dark suits.

Once onboard your cruise vessel, there are activities 24 hours a day. Modern cruise ships boast state-of-the-art 700 plus seat theatres for quality shows and entertainment, all included in the cruise price. There is unique entertainment in the theatre every evening of the cruise. Most ships also have a number of themed bars, lounges, and discos with live entertainment that are open into the early morning hours. Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks are seldom included in the cruise price. Most ships also provide a casino that is open while the ship is in international waters.

If night life isn't your style, you can enjoy the onboard pool, spa, library, fitness center, and other amenities. Many cruises now offer instructional classes on a variety of topics during the day. If you have children on the cruise, there are usually play areas and programs geared to different age groups.

Did we forget about the cruise destination itself? Cruises typically stop at a different port of call each day or every other day, depending upon distances and sailing time between points of interest. You may stay aboard the ship all day or disembark at any stop. You are free to explore each destination on your own as long as you return to the ship by the designated time.

Also cruise lines offer a variety of shore excursions at additional cost. These adventures are geared toward the unique features of the destination. For example, Caribbean cruises offer snorkeling, diving or beach excursions while Alaskan cruises offer helicopter tours or dogsled trips. For the less adventuresome, normally there are bus tours or supervised shopping excursions in the local port. Everything, including meal stops, is prearranged. All you need to do is find the correct line onshore and an experienced guide handles the rest of your tour.

With all these great services available at a reasonable cost, why not take a cruise vacation?

Looking for information about cruises? Go to: http://www.whatcruises.com 'What Cruises' is published by Colin Hartness - An excellent resource for Cruises! Check out more cruise articles at: http://www.whatcruises.com/archive

  


MORE RESOURCES:

Washington Post

Cruising 101: Raise The Jib, Hold the Rib-Eyes
Washington Post, United States - Sep 2, 2008
I didn't know then that she had grown up sailing on a succession of her dad's boats. Jane didn't want to spend a fortune on some fancy yacht, ...


The Sun

Ask Zoe - travel problems solved
The Sun, UK - Sep 4, 2008
Send your travel queries to askzoe@the-sun.co.uk I want to take my husband away on a cruise for his 50th birthday. One of his hobbies is sailing and so we ...


Sail World

Townsville boats aim to keep the Prizes
Sail World, Australia - 14 hours ago
Wes Bailey, the Sailing captain of Townsville Cruising Yacht Club will be on mast. Mick Guinea who has just flown back from the F18 Catamaran world titles ...
Mooloolaba’s White Pearl back to Magnetic Island Sail World
all 3 news articles


Stop dreaming of a luxury cruise in the Mediterranean and make it ...
e-Travel Blackboard (press release), Australia - Sep 3, 2008
If you’ve dreamt of cruising the Mediterranean, sailing the Greek Islands or visiting European cities by cruise ship, then it’s time to act with amazing ...


Late travel deals: September 3
Times Online, UK - Sep 3, 2008
0845 3676767 Book now for a good-value cruise sailing from Palma, Majorca, for the western Mediterranean on October 14. The week's voyage visits Sardinia ...


Sail World

Big Day at Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup
Sail World, Australia - 14 hours ago
Today was the allotted day for the Mini Maxis to sail two windward/leeward races - one of 8.8nm and one of 10.8nm. What a day for it. Meanwhile, Cruising ...


Ellsworth American

Morris Yachts Launches 57-footer
Ellsworth American, ME - Sep 3, 2008
Before commissioning the design for the new boat, he cruised extensively, sailing an Alden 54 for 18 years and, before that, a 44-footer. ...


Autumn River Escapes on Majestic America Line
MarketWatch - Sep 2, 2008
Majestic America Line also offers 7-night roundtrip cruises from Portland on the Columbia and Snake rivers. The October 11 sailing on Columbia Queen and the ...


Make your maiden cruise a short venture to discover your sailing ...
TMCnet - Aug 31, 2008
"The important thing to remember is that the 'traditional' cruise experience will exist on other sizes of ships still sailing. "Nothing says you have to ...


Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2008 Race Day 2
Superyacht Times, Netherlands - 20 hours ago
Three hours later, the Cruising and Mini Maxis had completed a 17 nautical mile course that took them to a windward mark, before reaching back west towards ...

cruising sailing - Google News

Article List | Index | Site Map
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved.