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!