If you have ever caught a glimpse of a film that portrayed cruising in the nineteen-sixties and before, you may well have been shocked at how basic the vessels and facilities were. I mean to say, talk about a holiday camp on water – there is absolutely no way you would have ever got me to step foot on such a sea-going conveyance!
Today, however, how things really have changed! If you flick through the cruise brochures in Simpsontravel, or any other travel agent for that matter, you will soon realise how highly competitive these companies are when it comes to attempting to offer the most luxurious ship on the seas. A Cunard cruise, for example, will offer you an absolute taste of luxury aboard one of their vessels, for the entire duration of your cruise.
The cabins are no longer called this, oh no! Nowadays, they are known as ‘State Rooms’, if you please, and when you see their average standard and the opulent decoration and range of facilities included, you soon appreciate exactly why. Many cruise companies even offer your own private balcony, where you can sit out, in between your ports of call, and watch the sea glide past. Now if this isn’t going to leave you with some truly amazing memories, I really don’t know what will!
Then, of course, you have the public facilities that are onboard these floating versions of paradise. To say they are like hotels on the sea would not be doing them justice. The Cunard cruise ships of today, and many other companies, offer vessels that are more akin to floating towns – or even cities! They have fully-sized theatres where you will not just be watching Mr Giggles the clown entertaining the bored kiddies; oh no!, these venues offer full West End productions and entertainment that is considered to be world class.
They have full shopping malls, more restaurants and cafés than you could shake a stick at and leisure facilities that seem as though they are waiting for the next Olympic championships. The swimming pools are out of this world; there are gyms to ensure you still get that thorough workout; and I have even heard of abseiling walls and water-skiing facilities being made available to guests onboard.
As far as the destinations for cruises are concerned, there really are plenty. Obviously, it is always a good idea to do ample research on what type of places you fancy visiting homeaway. At present, the most popular cruise destinations for British tourists would have to be the Mediterranean and Caribbean. You can either choose to set sail from England – Southampton is a very popular port to depart from – or you can choose to fly into a port abroad and start your cruise there. This is usually the case with Caribbean cruises, although many of them do actually start from Florida.
The one thing that I would encourage you to do, if you are still undecided about cruising, would be to try to locate an example of a typical ship plan for the sort of vessel that is used, on the internet. Just check-out the massive array of facilities that these vessels carry and try to find some examples of the state rooms that are available to the public. In next to no time, you will be hooked and all set to place your first ever cruise booking.