What to wear on a cruise ship?

Which clothes to pack for a cruise is simpler than you think. Dressing with comfort and style is important for any cruise trip! Cruisers look forward to relax, enjoy and take part in hundreds of activities available on today's major cruise lines. It’s important for the guests to know what to wear on board a cruise ship & here are some tips!

Day wear on board:  Resort casual cruise wear is the primary suggested attire aboard most major cruise lines as cruise ships today have very informal environments. Resort casual wear is perfectly acceptable during the day as well as during informal evenings.

Casual day wear can include anything from your bathing suit and a t-shirt to a pair of Bermuda shorts and a polo shirt. Shorts, t-shirts, slacks, trousers, casual skirts, blouses and sundresses are all perfect during the day.

For lounging by the pool, the guests need to pack bathing suits and a pair of flip-flops or sandals. They will also need some casual shorts and a couple of t-shirts or a cover-up for getting to and from the pool areas.

Day wear on shore: For warm weather cruises to destinations like the Caribbean, the Bahamas, South America, Hawaii, etc, guests will generally need all of the typical summertime essentials including swimwear, shorts, short-sleeved shirts, sandals, sneakers, etc. Guests will also need comfortable walking shoes, as well as a hat and sunscreen for protection from the sun. For touring any museums, cathedrals or churches it's always wise to dress conservatively.

For cruises to destinations with cooler and varying weather conditions from day to day like Alaska, Europe, and Canada/New England, guests will need to consider bringing at least a pair of long pants, a jacket, a raincoat and a warm sweater.

Dinner Attire: The evening dress standards aboard cruise ships are classier than in most resorts. The evening wear in the main dining could be formal or informal / smart casual.

Formal:           Depending on the length of the cruise, there will be at least 1 or 2 evenings that are designated as formal nights. The cruise documents will have exact details on how many formal nights there will be so the guests can be prepared.

A typically cruise formal wear is anything that you would wear to any fine dining restaurant. Most men opt to wear either a tuxedo or nice dark suit and tie. Tuxedo rentals are available aboard most cruise ships. Women will generally wear anything from a simple cocktail dress, to an elaborate, glittering ball gown. The degree to which you choose to dress on formal nights is entirely up to the guests.

Informal / Smart casual:       Informal also called smart casuals sometimes. This is the dress code on many ships on the days that are not formal nights. The evening dress code is informal except for formal night. For men, informal is a jacket and collared shirt / slacks, perhaps a tie. For women it could be any attractive evening outfit, a dress or a pant suit.

There are guests that are not interested in getting dressed up on formal night. It is important to remember that formal cruise wear evenings are always optional. Most major cruise ships today offer 24-7 casual dining options that are always available for all those anti-formal night guests.

Many cruise ships may also have one "themed" night especially on longer itineraries & participation in these special nights is entirely voluntary.

Cruise Price Inclusions & Exclusions

Understanding cruise price inclusions & exclusions are very important for most of the vacationers as it helps with budgeting and thus allows the guests to enjoy their vacation with much relaxation. One of the greatest things about cruising is that most of the basic expenses are often incorporated into the initial fare.  

Cruise price inclusions might vary slightly from one cruise to another. A cruise price generally includes the following:

• Cabin accommodation including televisions, bathroom facilities, sitting areas and other luxurious amenities along with a Cabin Steward who will provide daily maid service, replenish towels, tidy the room and attend to all of your needs.
• Ocean transportation between ports of call.
• All meals including breakfast, lunch, dinner along with the most popular midnight buffets, room service and as many in-between snacks as the guests want. The choices are endless & so is the food.
• Use of shipboard facilities including pools, whirlpools, gym / fitness centers and limited sporting equipments
• Free admission to all shows & entertainment including broadway-style theatre shows, Vegas style revues, endless fun by comedians, jugglers & musicians and movies (outdoors or in an onboard movie theatre)
• Onboard games and activities such as trivia contests, Bingo, lectures, group competitions, art auction and many more interesting games & fun filled activities.
• Access to the lounges, night clubs and discos onboard.
• Supervised Kids programs and special activities by Kid’s counselors

Here are some of the amenities not included in the cruise cost:

• Airfare & airport transfers are not included in the cruise cost. The transfers from airport to seaport can be arranged for extra cost.
• Alcoholic drinks & Soft drinks are generally not included. However you can buy the soft drink & liquor packages on the first day of the cruise for the entire cruise duration which will work cheaper than paying on consumption.
• The cost of shore excursions is not included in the cruise fare. Various options of shore excursions at each port of call will be available to book either online before hand or onboard during the sailing depending on the guest’s requirement & budget.
• Items of personal nature like the laundry, spa services, internet services, photographs, gratuities / service charges etc. are additional.

Compare the price of a cruise and everything it includes with what you would pay for the same features on a land vacation & you'll see that cruising truly is the best vacation value!

Please do not forget about the added bonus of less stress and worry throughout the vacation for those choosing the cruise vacation!

Business or Pleasure – Why not both!

In a business, it is highly important for the companies to create the right incentive to inspire, motivate and reward its employees. A cruise serves as the perfect choice for a cost effective, exciting and highly motivational reward.

On a cruise ship, each day is a new adventure with each destination bringing its own reward memories. With multiple destinations & itineraries ranging from 3 to 14 nights, people can go to destinations they have never been to, discover sights they have never imagined and at the same time enjoy various sporting activities, breathtaking entertainments, sumptuous food and the high quality of service on board the ship.

In addition to being the perfect incentive venue, a cruise also provides all facilities for holding memorable meetings and successful conferences. There are dedicated conference rooms on most of the big cruise ships accommodating groups of different sizes. The state-of-the-art conference facilities, audio-visual presentation equipments, complimentary business services, onboard activities, stunning theatre shows and exotic ports of call, all add up to the most productive, enjoyable and exciting corporate function experiences ever.

The meeting and conference organizers need not worry about arranging hotel accommodation, meals, planning activities or seeking out entertainment options as the major cruise lines like Royal Caribbean International offers all-inclusive packages that are tailored to the group’s requirement and budget.  

The price of the cruise includes:

• Accommodation in the stateroom class chosen by the guest including the taxes & fees
• All meals from the wide choice of onboard dining options (except specialty restaurants)
• Access to fitness centre, pool, sports premises and other onboard activities
• Evening shows, live music and entry to cinema and night clubs
• Meeting rooms with state-of-the-art audio/visual equipments
• Customized events with the assistance of dedicated Group Coordinator

On a cruise, guests will enjoy one of the most memorable experiences of their life & you will agree that a cruise is the perfect way to mix business with pleasure!

Big Ships vs. Small ships:

Do you need a big ship or a small ship! Picking the ship is more like what you want your vacation to be. If you are going on a family vacation with kids and want them occupied all day or if you are part of a younger group traveling together looking for an adventurous holiday, then go for the bigger, action-packed ships. Alternatively if you are looking for simple, quiet and quaint vacation, pick the smaller ships.

Sailing on the bigger ships gives you a lot more things to keep you occupied. You can’t say they are crowded when you consider everything is on a much bigger scale as well so it balances itself. For example, the world’s largest Oasis class of ships is large floating resorts, but it doesn't feel as massive as you'd expect it to be due to her design. The neighborhood concept has worked really well in these most innovative and efficient ships.

The larger ships also disembark from 2 locations rather than just one to avoid bottlenecks. The larger ships have a more sophisticated stabilization system and you hardly even notice that they are moving even in moderately rough seas. It is sort of like being in your very own small town on these larger ships. They are floating excitement from stem to stern.

Smaller ships have a lot of the ambience of what cruising used to be like. The food and service are on elegant scale. The staff to passenger ratio on these cruise ships is 2 staff members for every 3 guests. The smaller ships can get into ports the larger ones can’t and sometimes pulling into a beautiful port is excitement in itself. It is more like riding around in a very upscale resort.

The main stream smaller ship has the same quality food as the larger ones in each one’s fleet. So a small Celebrity ship would have the same quality food as the largest Celebrity ship. If you choose an older ship they have all been renovated several times over and don’t have that old ship look. They will have some of the older ship characteristics, but they are still very well appointed.

Every year newer and bigger ships hit the high seas as the cruise lines compete to be the biggest and best in the industry. Their fleets usually consist of a few older and smaller ships, with the newer ones being the most recent additions. Currently the largest ship afloat is Royal Caribbean International’s Allure of the Seas.

Whether big or small, both are good value for money and cruising is always fun!

Cruising for Sports Enthusiasts!

Are you a sports enthusiast? If so, you have plenty to do onboard a Cruise ship.

The Modern Cruise ships offer plenty of sports activities including rock climbing, miniature golf courses, basketball courts, scuba diving, surfing and many more. The sports activities mostly occupy the upper decks of the Cruise ships with a great view of the ocean. Most of the sporting activities are generally included in the price you pay for the cruise.

Whilst the professional players enjoy varieties of adventurous sports during the cruise, there are also certified trainers and instructors onboard to train and assist the new players. The certified trainers provide lessons on different activities like Surfing, Ice skating, Swimming, Scuba diving etc. So if you haven’t tried any of these sporting activities before, it’s an opportunity for you to learn & try these activities on board!

The pool on a cruise ship used to be the hot spot earlier, but now the cruise guests are looking for more adventure & excitement. There are many young cruises these days wanting to see or do something on a cruise that they have never done before. The Cruise lines, large & small, have brought lots of popular sports to sea.

 Golf simulators, Rock climbing, Volleyball, Basketball are some of the extreme sports experiences available on board.

There are also ping pong, shuffle board, billiards, bowling, mini golf   etc. available for those not big on adventure.

 For those not wanting to do any extreme sports there are also simple board games like Chess, Scrabble, Monopoly, etc. available in addition to the library and card room.

The world’s largest & most innovative Oasis class ships have more space and so host more adventurous activities like the unique Zip lines going over the Boardwalk areas of the ship.

It’ fun! It’s thrilling! No matter your age, gender, or interests there really is something for everyone on a cruise!

Exhilarating Cruise Entertainment!

The cruise lines today are making waves in the cruise world with great quality and quantity of entertainment and shows including everything from top-tier Broadway musicals to big ticket Las Vegas shows. Guests can experience the world’s best entertainment at sea and in most cases it’s included in the overall price of cruise. The trend nowadays is to include fully-equipped theatres on cruise ships offering groundbreaking entertainments that feature high-flying acrobats, talented musical performers, dancers, comedians and the best internationally-renowned entertainers.  Cruise ships have live shows onboard for the entire family that guests would simply not see anywhere else. Each evening, most of the cruise ships offer production shows in their theatre or show rooms. These are generally structured so that both early and late diners can enjoy them. Shows are held either just before or after each dining time. Cruise entertainment is more exciting than ever before with the new innovative ships offering some biggest award-winning productions & electrifying live shows like the Chicago Musicals, Hairspray, Saturday Night Fever & more! Some bigger cruise lines also offer Ice skating shows, Aqua fountain shows synchronized to music and lights, Interactive plays and comedy shows that appeals to cruisers of all age. In addition there are Sing-along piano bars, disco dancing hot spots, live jazz music clubs etc. that delivers the perfect night club experience where the guests can dance the night away to pulsating music in a trendy atmosphere. Apart from the evening shows the cruise ships also offer daytime entertainment that ranges from poolside games, to lessons on napkin folding or scarf tying, to wine tasting, to guest lectures and the popular Bingo! On warm weather cruises, by noon the poolside area is normally filled with the sounds of a steel drum & band. Many cruise ships feature small cinemas that show latest movies. There are also varieties of courses onboard during the day time ranging from Yoga, Golf to Salsa dancing that ensures life at sea is never boring!

Kids & Teens on Cruise ships!

Cruises offer excellent family vacations. The cruises have Kids program for different age groups including teens. Most of the major cruise lines have dedicated area for Kids and teens clubs where interesting & educational age specific children’s programs & activities are offered by qualified and well trained counselors.

Infants:  Cruising is a great vacation option for those with infants and toddlers since parents get to see many destinations while only having to unpack all the baby gear once. The minimum age for infants to cruise is 6 months. Some cruise ships have nurseries for small babies. Private in cabin baby sitting facilities are also offered by few cruise lines.

  

Children: Many cruise operators provide extensive children’s activities & programs including crayola art camps, theatre activities, science adventure & many more. The recent introduction of DreamWorks characters to the world’s largest & most innovative ship makes it more interesting for children to cruise. The environment on board is contained, safe & secure providing the children a great freedom to enjoy the organised program and activities laid for them. 

Teens: Cruise lines recognise that today’s teenage cruisers are tomorrow’s paying customers - with every new launch the facilities and activities for teens are getting bigger & better.  The teens have exclusive supervised lounges with internet stations, discos with dance floors and soda bars, structured activities like photography classes, Karaoke, toga parties, surfing lessons etc. Many ships also have outdoor deck spaces exclusively for teens.

The new innovative ships have a new generation of onboard activities for children & Teens: Water Park, Rock climbing walls, Ice skating rinks, Mini golf, Flowrider, Zip line, Basket ball & other sports courts. The children & teens have plenty of activities & fun on board a cruise ship that they can never get bored.

Fitness & Relaxation onboard

We all need a holiday at least once a year which gets us away from our routine and into a new and reinvigorating environment. Cruising would be the perfect holiday for relaxing and rejuvenating as the cruises let tourists enjoy fresh sea air, the delights and space of the open ocean, fantastic facilities on board the ship and a massive range of beautiful destinations which the ship docks at every few days.

Today’s cruisers are younger and more active with a focus on health and fitness. Cruises cater to them with light cuisine, gyms complete with top of the line equipments and spas that rival anything on land. The fitness and spa facilities onboard provided by many cruise lines add on more relaxing experiences to your guest’s vacation.

 

The major cruise lines features health & fitness complexes complete with rock-climbing wall, basketball and volleyball court, swimming pool, jogging track, ice-skating rinks and nine- or 18-hole minigolf course. Many ships feature an additional adults-only solarium with swimming pool. The fitness & gym facilities are generally complementary.


The most sophisticated spa & wellness programs are available on all major cruise lines. The onboard spas have steam, sauna, whirlpools and a quiet indoor pool in the solarium. Many ship spas, especially on the newer ships, are well-designed pleasure dens, some with ocean-view waiting rooms, fancy steam rooms and dozens of treatment options, ranging from the traditional massage, hot stone massage and facial to trendier therapies like teeth whitening and acupuncture. A visit to the spa on a cruise can be a wonderfully rejuvenating part of the cruise vacation.

Visiting a spa at sea is something outside a normal daily routine. Although spa services will cost extra, many cruise ships have spas that rival those you will find on land. In fact, some of the spas at sea are world class.There is so much to do on a cruise ship Fitness classes like Yoga, dance, aqua aerobics, kickboxing, Pilates and spinning are offered on cruise ships. Informative sessions on nutrition and other topics of interest are also available on cruise ships. And when the ship docks, you can enjoy other fitness activities like mountain-biking, hiking, kayaking or snorkeling excursions that combine sightseeing, adventure and exercise.



Eating onboard!

Cruises offer some of the most tantalizing meals that cannot be missed while on board. The quality & quantity of food onboard is unbelievable. The cruise lines take incredible care to show off the best of cuisines from tempting appetizers all the way through decadent desserts. Most of the cruise ships offer not just three meals a day but sumptuous food at any time of the day.

It is important for the cruise ships to have more dining options as they are floating resorts carrying many guests. While every dining program is a little different, most cruise lines stick to certain similar traditions, with a few distinct differences.

Here is some general guide to dining on the high seas.

Main / Traditional dining: Most of the Premium Cruise Lines have open seating for breakfast and lunch, but offer two separate seatings for dinner:

                                     Main Dining Room onboard Navigator of the Seas

Early / Main dining - The main dining is generally between 6 pm and 6:30 pm. This may be suggested to guests traveling with small children who need to stick to a set meal and bedtime schedule and to those who like going to bed early. 

Late Dining – Late dining is generally between 8 pm and 8:45 pm. Most of the Middle Eastern guests prefer the late dining as they don’t want to feel rushed for dinner after a day in port.  

All dinner seatings are on a request basis and are assigned on a first come first serve basis by the cruise line.  The sooner guests book their cruise, the better their chances of getting their dining preference.   

Free style / My Time dining: Some cruise lines offer an alternative to the traditional Early and Late Seating option.  Some calls it My Time dining & some calls it personal choice or Free Style dining.  Instead of giving the guests a set time to have dinner, they let the guests eat when they want, where they want and with whomever they want. The flexible dining option allows guests to choose when they dine in the main dining room onboard, on a day-by-day basis which gives more flexibility for the guests to spend their day as they wish to enjoy more time in a specific port of call one day and dine later that evening than another.

Casual Dining: If guests do not want to dress up formally for the dinner, they have the choice of casual dining. Most of the cruise lines offer casual dining which is buffet style dinner and also set up to order from the menu with table service (in the evening). This serves as the best choice for those guests who do not want to worry about packing formal wear.  

               Windjammer Cafe onboard Adventure of the Seas

Alternate Dining:  Most cruise ships feature a number of alternative restaurants in addition to their no-charge dining rooms and buffets. These specialty restaurants offer guests more personal experience along with menu items not found elsewhere on the ship, but most of these venues come with a cover charge. The popular themes of these specialty & boutique restaurants include Italian ristorante, French bistro, Asian sushi bar, American steakhouse and many more. The choice of specialty restaurants & cafes on board the new & young ships are plenty to pamper your guest through out the cruise. For those concerned about their diets, more and more cruise ships offer light meals with low fat and low calories. All of the cruise lines offer healthy alternative menus or spa menus. So if your guest want low-fat, low-salt, low cholesterol, vegetarian or any other type of diet, they are available. It is best however to notify the cruise line ahead of time of any special dietary needs. For example, Royal Caribbean cruises cater to food allergy, Kosher, Indian, Vegetarian and Gluten Free Diets.

                  The Lawn Club Grill onboard Celebrity Silhouette

Healthy Options:

Table Size:  When you book a cruise, you will be given a choice between a small, medium or large table at dinner. A small table seats 2 - 4 guests; a medium, 6 - 8 guests; and a large table seats 8 - 10 guests.  The cruise line will then do their best to seat the guests with passengers in a similar age group; families with other families; singles with singles and honeymooners with other honeymooners.

Book a cruise & have the best experience of eating onboard!

Accommodation options to suit every Budget & Taste

The cruise companies offer a variety of accommodation options to suit every budget and taste. From the simple interior staterooms and oceanview staterooms with portholes or windows to balcony or verandah staterooms and large spacious 1 and 2 bedroom suites, the variety is enormous. Some cruise ships also offer mini or junior suites. The suites are generally the highest grade of accommodation with separate bedroom, living area, dining area (in some category of suites), larger bathrooms, private balconies and many more.

Occupancy:     You also have the option to choose single, double, triple or quad occupancy staterooms depending on your preference & budget. Some standard staterooms can sleep a third or fourth guest with the aid of a convertible sofa bed or a Pullman bed. Normally the third and fourth guest rate in a stateroom is cheaper than the first and second guest. Many cruise lines also offer connecting staterooms which are staterooms next to each other with an interior connecting door.

Guarantee:      A guarantee stateroom means that a stateroom is guaranteed for you under the category that you book. However you will not be assigned the exact cabin numbers at the time of booking. Though the guarantee stateroom prices are generally lower than the specific cabins under the same category, it is advisable not to take guarantee cabins if you are particular about the location and mainly if you are booking multiple cabins for the families.

Size:                The size of staterooms and suites varies between cruise lines and their ships. Although a standard cruise ship stateroom is smaller than most hotel rooms, the biggest suites have square footage that exceeds many people’s homes.

Service:           The service standards for all staterooms are mostly the same. However, just like hotels, some higher level suites can get access to additional facilities like butler services, in-room dining etc. Also some of the newest suites on the cruise ships have complimentary access to spa & exclusive lounges that are worthy of VIP status. But once you’ve left your stateroom and entered the public areas, you’ll find an array of choices and activities open to everyone. In general, the higher the category of cabin, the more deluxe the services and amenities are.

Location:         In addition to the stateroom category choosing the best stateroom location is also important. When booking a cruise, you need to understand that choosing the suitable stateroom category and the location of your stateroom or suite contributes to the enjoyment of your cruise. Today’s modern cruise ships employ exceptional stability innovations and it is rare that you will encounter discomfort due to motion. If the motion sickness is a concern to you, make sure you book a cabin in the mid ship where you will feel less movement.

Special suites: The newest ships are incorporating new styles in their suites. For example, there are Spa suites in some cruise lines that offer convenient access to the onboard spa. And there are Loft Suites, ultra modern two-level suites, available in the world’s largest cruise ship. Another popular concept on cruise ships today is family suites. Families of 5 to 14 guests can share accommodations and large common areas including expansive balconies. There are a limited number of family cabins on any ship, requiring those interested to book early.

Choosing a stateroom is a personal decision and should be made based on what is important to you.

What do you get when you purchase a cruise holiday?

With the economic downturn over the last couple of years it is no surprise that people are sharpening their pencils when it comes to work out their holiday budget. Cruising has become particularly appealing in these tougher economic times.

A cruise holiday with its all inclusive costs is the best value for money among the various holiday options. In addition to the luxurious transportation from one destination to the other, the cost of cruise includes:

• Onboard accommodation for the number of nights of cruise
• Sumptuous meals at main dining and casual dining
• Use of ship facilities including Pools, Whirlpools, Jogging track, Fitness Centre and other sporting activities
• On board entertainment including the evening theatrical shows, Musical shows, Comedy shows & Jugglers
• On board activities and games including both indoor and outdoor games.

In addition there are the taxes and fees charged by the various government and port authorities at the ports where the ship calls. These typically cover the cost of docking and use of the port facilities. And the extras are the tips that the guests pay for the service of the room attendant and the dining staffs. The service charges are optional and some cruise lines automatically charge the guests.

There are some extra charges for shore excursions, beverages, spa treatments and other items of personal nature like laundry and these are not included in the cost the guest pays upfront for cruises. Even with these extra charges a cruise ship vacation is still the best value for a traveler's dollar - The guests are well fed - 24 hours a day with abundance of tasty foods; the guests are protected both onboard and while on shore excursions; the guests get the best service from the trained crew members; the guests are given plenty of choices at all level of cruising and many more.

Cruising is the excellent vacation value for any vacationers! Cruising is very relaxing and adventurous which is necessary for an outstanding vacation value!

Why cruising?

Cruising is one of the most ideal ways of seeing the world while being able to fully relax at the same time. Once aboard a cruise ship you don’t have to pack and unpack, race to catch a flight to get from one city to the next. Each morning you wake up in a new city or a new country and experience new adventures.

Whether you want to enjoy the sun and sand of the Caribbean or the scenic wonders of Alaska or the ancient civilization of the Mediterranean or the lands of the Vikings in Northern Europe or the fascinating traditions of Asia or the warmth of Arabian gulf,  there is nothing like cruising. Imagine going to bed at Barcelona & waking up in Nice! Your  can sail to all corners of the globe while enjoying excellent food, onboard service and entertainment on the ship.

The ship is a floating resort. It gives a small taste of a destination, setting the stage for future land trips. With all the choices out there, there is a ship and itinerary for everyone. Whether it is Mexico, Hawaii, Caribbean, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Australia, New Zealand or South America there is a cruise ship that sails to that part of the world. Just think of all the fascinating places in the world to visit & Why not cruise there!