What stuff and features do they offer on the cruise ship?

Question

What stuff and features do they offer on the cruise ship?

Answer 1

Modern cruise ships have several features that make cruising very popular and a very good way for a multi-generation family to vacation together.  

All the mainline cruise ships (Disney, Carnival, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Holland American, Celebrity, Costa and Norwegian) offer live stage shows, in room TV, several different bar and lounges, Internet access (some also have wireless access), swimming pools (many with at least one covered pool for swimming in bad weather) restaurants and alternative restaurants (including specialty restaurants and buffets).  All the cabins have at least a private bath & shower.  Some cabins have balconies and suites will even have jacuzzi tubs in the bathrooms.  All the ships have small stores on board so that you can buy things you need.  All, except Disney and the Hawaiian based ships have a casino.  All also have very good (and pricey) spa facilities.  However, for the most part the gym is free to use.

And each line has different features that allow that line to stand out.  For example Disney has cabins with split bathrooms so two can use the bathroom at the same time.  Disney also has an excellent children's program and of course the Disney characters.

Carnival is also a very family friendly line and has a water slide on every ship.  Carnival also has an excellent children's program.

Royal Caribbean is another family friendly line with a very good children's program.  Royal Caribbean also has a rock climbing wall on all of its ships.  Its Voyager class ships also have an ice skating rink and an indoor mall.  The Freedom class ships have the same features as the Voyager class ships plus a flowrider (for surfing) and a mini water park for the kids.

Norwegian has what it calls Freestyle cruising which means there are no set dinner times.  As a result, the ships have a lot of smaller restaurants (up to ten per ship) rather than two or three larger restaurants.  Norwegian is also family friendly and also has a good children's program.

Costa is an Italian line owned by Carnival.  So it offers a more Italian atmosphere.  

Princess, Holland American and Celebrity are more adult oriented (though each has children's facilities) and thus has more bars, lounges and discos that are of interest to adults.

Because of the variety of activities on a cruise ship (I have not touched them all - there is still Bingo, self improvement classes, libraries, organized activities ...) each family member can do what (s)he wants and then everyone meets up for dinner and shares what they did during the day.  We like to send the kids to the children's program in the morning and spend the afternoon with them (usually at the pool and/or water slide) on sea days and we keep them with us all day when we go ashore.  

A cruise ship is like a floating hotel.  You unpack once, and when you wake up the next morning, breakfast is waiting for you and you (and your hotel room) are in a different place.  A cruise can be as short as one or two nights and go nowhere (just cruise out in the ocean) or exceed 100 nights and go around the world.  Most cruises are three, four, five and seven days.  Perfect for a long weekend, a "quickie" pick-me up or be your home away from home for a full week.  

While you are on the ship you don't have to cook, clean or make the beds.  Meals and entertainment is included.  You can be active, or you can read and work on your tan.  It is up to you.

Answer 2

You'll never be bored or hungry.

http://www.carnival.com/onboardexp_home....