You may be forgiven for thinking that a cruise ship holiday is a restrictive holiday experience but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Any concerns that you or your family and children have about being bored while on the cruise will be safely tucked away after reading how many activities and things to partake in are all crammed into a fun loving, entertainment filled cruise holiday.
It’s not only the on board jollies and activities that you have to look forward to but also the Shore And Land Excursions. These two scenarios coupled together allow you to discover a whole new world of leisure activity and relaxation to both widen the imagination culturally as well as creatively and push your own physical limits.
Before the end of this guide, I can almost guarantee that if you weren’t thinking about a cruise ship holiday before, once you have read all about the activities available on a cruise your next question will be, “when can we go?”
It’s not merely the opportunity to get away but to reside on a small floating city that is all about fun and adventure, seeing the world and being entertained in-between ports by way of a variety of theatre shows, restaurants, entertainment complexes, spas, swimming pools and sports offerings.
Are you ready to immerse yourself in adventure and extreme water sports and dabble in scuba diving? Would you like to experience extreme sports such as rock climbing and sky diving. Are you a fitness freak or looking to shed a few pounds between the decadent meals served on a cruise? How’s about taking the the jogging track, enrolling at the gym for a few hours a day or doing a session of Yoga?
Relaxation is also key, while you and your children can take to the fairground rides and amusements such as bumper cars and dodgems, fruit machines and Disney sponsored events. The adults can retreat to a spa, health and fitness centre or hair and beauty salon to get ready for the cruise’s main dining event.
A cruise ship offers a world of entertainment as well as a taste of the world’s cuisine. Watch internationally renowned theatre shows from the classics to musicals and on another day visit the cinema for the latest film releases and Hollywood actors and actresses. Read on to illuminate your senses with the types of engaging activities on offer for all the family.
Cinema, Live Gigs And Theatre Experience On A Cruise
Wherever you go on holiday, no matter the capital city or country there is usually a form of theatre or live entertainment which you can attend. That maybe in London’s Shaftesbury Avenue, New York’s Broadway or a visit to Barcelona’s Palau de la Musica Catalana and a more classical vibe.
The situation isn’t much different when on a cruise. There are plenty of live gigs throughout the cruise either at restaurants or at stages and usually several different showcases from classical to musical and a live theatrical performance that takes your breath away and frequent cinema film screenings too. There is often a separate or combined 3D cinema onboard to further tantalise your senses. There is no escaping those 3D glasses it would seem!
The Theatrical show pieces that you find on cruise ships are tours that are usually well known stage productions. On certain Royal Caribbean Cruise lines such as Allure of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas you can find Broadway greats such as Hairspray, Chicago and Saturday Night Fever.
On others you will be presented with individual show stopping performances of The Voila Paris and the Lady Hellevi Magic Show aboard the Carnival’s Conquest Cruise Liner. Cruise ships today install the very latest state of the art stage lighting and equipment to deliver the best shows. Cruise ships such as Europa 2 offer jazz concerts and comedy events but also their very own dance, acrobatic and singing ensemble with productions named Earth and another termed Water, both of which are brand spankingly new for 2013.
Theatre shows are performed by true professionals and artists who take to the high seas to deliver exceptional and memorable performances. While redcoats and blue coats at Butlins deliver high quality entertainment, a cruise ship theatrical performance really has to be seen to be believed.
Alongside various live acts and live gigs which feature throughout a cruise on its journey through the world’s continents, from comedy to international stars such as Kim Wilde and the Blue Man Group. RADA performances of The Canterbury Tales and Twelfth Night are also available on Cunard cruise liners throughout the year.
Acrobatics also feature heavily on several cruise lines. The Centrum on the Royal Carribean’s fleet of Splendour of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, Grandeur of the Seas cruise ship liners all offer a heart stopping acrobatic displays featured within a multi level atrium. If the indoor entertainment gets a little stuffy, then venture out on to the upper deck where an outdoor cinema screen awaits.
If theatre and live gigs are all a bit too much at any point and you’re a bit of a football fanatic then don’t panic. Relax in one of the many bars or tune in from your own hotel suite and watch live Premiership matches from the middle of the ocean. Whether you’re on a Norwegian cruise liner or the Cunard you can gain access to all the latest Premiership matches while on holiday.
So whatever your pleasure, taking in a live gig, catching up on Premiership football stars and your favourite team’s action or tuning into the latest Hollywood releases a Cruise offers lots of vivid and live entertainment. Escape the hot day’s sun and sink into the cool of the night with live international pop stars and internationally famed artists all performing especially for you and your fellow passengers.
Adventurous And Extreme Sports On A Cruise
Many years ago, the most exciting and adventurous sport you would have come across on a cruise ship would have been croquet or swimming. However fast forward to the 21st Century and you’ll be taken aback by just how much sport and extreme activities are available for you to join in on board a cruise ship.
You can still sign up to play bowls, mini golf or table tennis and a variety of team sports including volleyball and we’re sure you will but your eyes will almost certainly be drawn to the new host of activities coming online this year which will feature on most Royal Caribbean cruise liners.
Such as the existing fairground ride carousel and up and coming bumper cars otherwise known as dodgems. As adults we usually feel rather silly climbing into the cars but afterwards find we’ve had an overwhelming amount of fun and a lasting memory. All from just ten minutes of bumping around.
Also set to sail will be sky diving on the Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas cruise ships in 2014 and 2015. Sky diving utilising RipCord by iFly drops you from a height of 23 feet in an indoor arena offering a free fall experience better than Di Caprio had when falling off of Titanic after being mesmerised by Kate Winslet’s nudity and will probably be just as exhilarating.
People want so much more from a cruise ship holiday these days. It’s not enough to relax and dine between ports and discovering new cultures and new languages. It’s about an enjoyment factor where you can do as much as you want without restriction at all hours of the day and cruise liners are certainly doing their best to offer more and more.
A version of the London Eye and a glass capsule will take you above the high seas on the Royal Caribbean’s new fleet. Enjoy an adventure playground with rope course in SportSquare aboard the Carnival cruise liners or scuba dive in swimming pools which are available on most cruise ships today.
Ice skating rinks offer another form of social entertainment and an opportunity to laugh at friends and family as they fall over in high seas, in-line roller skating is another amazing sport to feature. If you like heights then you can also climb to most cruise liner’s crow’s nests to an awesome seventy feet above deck.
And if you’re not giddy after that, venture on to the Boardwalk zip line to fly down from a great height to the other end of the ship. Again available on Royal Caribbean. Partake in a personalised wave experience with Flow Rider which is a 40 foot surf simulator offering huge waves to surf on and experience private tutoring to master the technique of surfing.
The H2O Zone water park for the children also offers some great entertainment enabling adults to buy some free time. Then there’s rock climbing to keep the adrenaline going in a more dry environment. As well as the on board cruise ship activities there is much much more to do on shore and on excursions while docked port side.
Creative Learning To Pass The Time
Not everyone on a cruise is particularly geared up for clubbing for several hours, staying in the bar all day or bunjee jumping before hitting the pool for some scuba diving. As much fun as that is, some of us are a little different and like to partake in activities that are a little less flamboyant and educate and invigorate our brains instead.
For the quiet moments, most cruise liners have a library. The Princess cruise liner’s onboard library typically has 2000 books to peruse and take top side or enjoy in your cruise suite. Other creative activities on-board a cruise, on the Royal Caribbean for instance, allow for language learning classes and grasping the basics that you will need at the various port destinations.
To further while away the time consider taking in other classes on Jewellery making, and create necklaces and bracelets for your family and friends using beads and stones or dive into some table magic and learn how to create napkin and towel animals in the Folding Artistry class.
Scrapbooking is also a favourite past time for many around the world, although probably a class you’ll be taking nearer the end of your cruise ship holiday. Assemble your photos and memorable moments in a scrap book to present to your family as an ever lasting capture of their stay on the cruise with you.
Alongside guest lectures and other informative cultural speeches on your cruise, the library also hosts board games and tables to play your favourite card games at and while away on those creative activities. Don’t feel you have to either be in a spa or dancing all day long with no gap inbetween. Broaden your mind’s horizons as well with a little creativity and learning while on board!
Raise Your Social Etiquette On A Cruise
Although the high seas are famed for pirates and wars, there is also a hierarchy that gleams of the upper class and that social etiquette has been carried for decades aboard luxury cruises liners as well as the more standard cruise ships. It’s not every day that your average working family gets to take time off to learn about the finer things in life.
The majority of cruise passengers have high standards and morals but if you can, take a chance to indulge in some of the more refined classes on board. Being social is one thing you can do the most of on a cruise ship and it is this mode of living that helps you step up the ladder and make friends in society also.
On board many of the cruise liners you will be able to gain access to the cruise ship’s wonderful array of wines from their worldly cellar.
Take away more from your cruise experience by enrolling in a cookery class. World renowned chefs are on the cruise with you to offer cooking demonstrations, pick up a few tips on how to to cook food better, more easily, add more flavour and how to present your evening meals for the family just as a Michelin star chef would.
If wine tasting didn’t make you heady and the cooking demonstration send you to the restaurant through hunger, or even if it did, consider one of the many dances classes that will be offered throughout your cruise journey, salsa, tango and ballroom instructors are all on hand to help you make the most of your cruise nightclub experience. By the time you leave your cruise, you’ll be the King or Queen of social standing. Suits you Sir!
Cruise Ship Health, Fitness And Spa Reservations
When on holiday the last thing you plan for is a session down the gym. Of course the ladies all figure a spa or facial treatment is all part and parcel of the cruise ship experience, but not necessarily a jog or lifting weights in the morning. Yet there will always come a time when the adrenaline busting extreme sports and pool side relaxing will bite and you find yourself contemplating the gym.
A cruise ship experience is quite different from a land based resort, you tend to meet more people due to the enclosed spaces, talk to people at dinner and partake in group activities such as organised team sports. On-board you will find sports courts dedicated to basketball, football or tennis and tournaments will welcome all to join in and that’s just the tip of the iceberg for engaging with fellow passengers.
Join a fitness course and learn all about gym equipment or take a course on spinning, pilates or yoga. Take your fitness to another level and learn how to better focus your body’s needs and warm up and warm down before enjoying swimming in the cruise ship’s many swimming pools or running on the specially created jogging tracks.
The cruise liner’s onboard fitness centre hosts a vast array of sports fitness equipment for its many thousands of passengers, rowing machines to weights all help you assist in keeping fit while you’re otherwise enjoying drinking and sun soaked relaxation.
Once you’ve left the extreme sports behind and the boxing ring, you may fancy joining the missus in the spa and getting a rub down. Relaxation is something cruise ships have been good at offering for many years before the on set of adrenaline busting sports were brought on deck.
Go all feminine with body wraps and body scrubs, massages and facial treatments, botox treatments and restylane. You could start your cruise looking like Benny Hill and return looking like Barry Manilow. Visit the hair and beauty salon, learn about some serious relaxation rituals using heated beds, thermal suites and an Arabian cleansing and undergo acupuncture and teeth whitening on the same day.
While the males reading are getting scared and the females are going weak at the knees, this is what a cruise is all about. The stuff you want to do, one day adrenaline, the next sublime self infatuation. The teenagers don’t miss out either, hormones creating havoc, get yourself checked in for the best attention seeking moment of the whole journey. And men, you too may have your own spa services too!
Throughout the cruise ship you will also find virtual spas, aromatherapy rooms, pool side loungers with cocktail and drink service, whirlpools and suite services such as radio, television and meals served in your own room. Health and fitness need not be torture and can aid your venture into the on board extreme sports and shore and land excursions that are on offer.
Portraits And Memories To Last A Lifetime
While within the creativity class you can conjure up your own book of memories with the scrapbooking mentioned earlier. There is a vast array of technology on-board a cruise to help you keep your memories in a variety of formats to present them to family and keep them onboard your mind much longer.
There are three ways that cruise liners actively encourage you to part with your cash at the same time as capturing those special moments. The normal portraits service is offered by camera men and women who tour the cruise ship taking photos of passengers pool side, at the dinner table or at various bars and clubs and offer an instant frozen memory of a glorious occasion.
Two other formats are a professional portrait service where you can get all dressed up in your finest clothing and have a family portrait with friends and loved ones or at the other end of the spectrum, the fun and whimsical Novelty Portraits. Seek out that 18th Century London or Parisian look or get all dressed up as cowboys and seal the moment with a photo.
Alongside the photo kiosks which enable you to manage your photos for presentation and flicking through. You can also order photo books using cruise supplied photos and your own, as well as opt for professional arrangements of photos on cd or a Cruise in Review DVD featuring you and your family port side and while on the cruise.
For those really special occasions and if you’re getting married on a cruise. Why not hire a professional wedding photographer for the event and the entire occasion. Memories can truly be saved for a lifetime with the onboard cruise photography services.
Cruise Ship Nightlife, Bars And Casinos on Board
Life’s a party well so too is a cruise ship journey. As with anything in life, put effort in and you’ll get something out of it and that’s especially true of a cruise ship’s party atmosphere. Throughout the cruise ship there are a variety of bars, clubs and areas where dancing and drinking is the order of the day.
Take to a Norwegian Cruise Line cruise and you will be dressed all in white for their version of White Sensation and their signature White Hot Party at the main club. Peruse other bars on board and you will find a host of life jazz gigs to dance away at as well as bars made of ice with house cocktails in ice glasses.
Karaoke also features heavily in several bars across many cruise liners. It’s holiday time so no need to be bashful, get in character, have a few drinks, take to the stage and sing in dulcet tones to an ever increasing raucous crowd who absolutely adore you.
In the various nightclubs, world renowned DJs present their sets to a clubbing public and inbetween the special trance and clubbing nights, cruise DJs will ply their trade to keep your body moving. With bars offering lively piano sessions, big band stage musicians and jazz quartets you’ll be mesmerised as you float between New Orleans and a classical tenor from Naples.
The bars and clubs are a great way to while away the night, either inside or up on deck in the warm sea breeze. Party by the pool and meet new people but if the energy starts to sap, consider a visit to to the onboard cruise casino to try your luck with a different kind of lady.
Enrol in a tournament and try and win the jackpot and one of the staged venues during the week or simply turn up and play a few hands of blackjack and spin the roulette wheel. Play poker or use the slot machines, win or lose you’ll have a laugh gambling away but if it gets too serious you can always get yourself back down the cruise ship’s comedy club to wipe away the tears.
As you can see, there is plenty to do on a cruise ship holiday and boredom is probably the furthest thought from your mind right now. Whether you’re looking forward to the spas, or the zip lines, rock climbing and swimming daily or climbing up to the crow’s nest morning noon and night, there are plenty of adrenaline rush extreme sports to partake in. And if you love water, then the surfing simulator and scuba diving will be a treat.
