Royal Holiday

With Valentine’s Day come countless plans by couples to spend the special day together doing something truly romantic and memorable. The wide array of special amenities offered on cruises have long made them a favorite choice for lovers young and old to get away from it all. In fact, most cruise lines make it easy to have a romantic getaway any time of year, making ocean voyages a popular choice for couples, even when it’s not Valentine’s Day.

Romantic Cruises

Virtually all cruise lines offer services especially for couples. Cruises are renowned for their fine dining options, and most ships have a range of options for dancing, movies, and other entertainment. For this reason, it’s easy to plan a perfect night out while on board a luxury cruise ship. Many lines offer special amenities such as couples’ massages in the spa, private poolside cabanas, and relaxing adults-only decks far from splashing kids.

Because romantic cruises are so popular, it is important to do a little planning. Certain offerings—like couples’ massages or special occasion packages—tend to sell out early, so book them well in advance. Also, on ships with traditional dining, it may be difficult to reserve a table for two without letting the restaurant know well in advance. Of course, ships also offer fine salon facilities that provide passengers with plenty of opportunities to prepare for a special evening.

For Those Special Occasions

The seductive atmosphere of the ocean air, stars overhead, and exotic beaches make the perfect backdrop for an especially romantic once-in-a-lifetime celebration. For this reason, many cruising couples plan their weddings or honeymoons on the high seas.

Most cruise lines offer special wedding accommodations. For example, Carnival Cruises, which hosts around 2,600 weddings every year, recently announced a revamped range of wedding packages with all the trappings, from intimate ceremonies for just the couple, to huge wedding bashes for dozens of guests.

Many honeymooners opt to sail to an exotic destination after getting married. While not all cruise lines offer special accommodations for newlyweds, it never hurts to mention it. Now and then, honeymooners might find it a little easier to reserve a special table or spa session.

For already married couples who would like to re-commit to each other, most ships provide an opportunity to renew vows. Depending upon the ship, this may be a ceremony performed for several couples at once or it may be special for one couple, so it is important to inquire before sailing.

Whatever the special occasion, cruises offer a host of opportunities for couples to enjoy an unforgettable romantic experience at sea.

Cruising has long been popular with senior passengers who have ample time in retirement to take long journeys across the ocean to discover exotic seaside locales. The concerns of mature cruisers are naturally a bit different than for others, but because they make up such a large fraction of customers, cruise lines typically go out of their way to cater to these most discerning of passengers.

Not content to sit back and relax, many senior cruisers seek a challenge on their vacations. For this reason, they carefully consider a ship’s enrichment programs before booking a cruise. Modern ships offer countless options for dance lessons, academic seminars, culinary exploration, and much more. Of course, ports of call also offer limitless opportunities to experience and learn. Whether on or off the ship, mature travelers can explore many possible routes to intellectual stimulation.

One of the most pressing concerns for older passengers is whether or not a cruise ship has special accommodations for health or mobility limitations. Fortunately, practically all modern cruise ships have top quality medical facilities on board. Increasingly, these have real-time connections to land-based facilities, as well. In addition, every ship offers staterooms, spa and sport facilities, and other considerations that make life easier for those with mobility impairments or other special needs.

Many mature cruisers also find themselves traveling alone. Recent innovations in shipboard accommodations– such as the affordable solo cabins on the Norwegian Epic– have allowed these passengers to enjoy a vacation without breaking the bank. Entertainment and dining venues are also increasingly considerate of those who are traveling alone.

Clearly, for the most mature and sophisticated passengers on the high seas, modern cruising is as comfortable, accessible, and inclusive as ever. How could it be any better?

In late 2013, a study on traveling among seniors was released by a trio of notable organizations: the US Travel Association, the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, and the Global Commission on Aging. Their findings indicated that travel experiences such as cruising have a positive effect on heart health and mental well-being.

Senior cruisers can now feel confident that their elegant ocean voyages not only provide memorable fun, but promote better heath, as well.

Cruisers who sail the Caribbean early in the year often find themselves heading straight into the heart of the wild celebrations of Carnival, complete with elaborate costumes, colorful parades, heavenly feasting, thrumming music, and unrestrained dancing. In most places, people celebrate Carnival in February. For this reason, some cruisers plan their early year trips to enjoy these party days while in their itinerary’s ports of call.

If you cannot cruise in February, though, it is still possible to enjoy of Carnival at other times of year. Many Caribbean islands celebrate Carnival or very similar celebrations in different months. Thus, there is a Carnival-type celebration somewhere in the Caribbean almost every week of the year. This makes it easy for travelers to arrange to be in port during the big party.

Islands that celebrate Carnival during the traditional period in February include such destinations as Curacao, Martinique, Aruba, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad and Tobago. Several other islands schedule their big party season later in the spring. Around the end of March or early April, Jamaica celebrates Bacchanal. St. Thomas and Cayman Islands have their parties toward the end of April or the beginning of May, while Barbuda’s is in June.

Summertime Carnivals are also very popular throughout the Caribbean. July through September sees partying on islands such as Barbados, St. Vincent, Antigua, Belize, St. John, and several others. During autumn, the Carnival season slows down significantly, but picks up again in December and around New Year in places like The Bahamas, St. Croix, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

In most of these places, Carnival is the biggest event of the year, with the party usually lasting several
weeks. Therefore, a cruiser actually has a good chance of taking in the local Carnival at least one port of call. In fact, with a little advance planning, a real party devotee can enjoy several Carnivals on a single cruise.

As the size of modern cruise ships has increased over the last two decades, so has the variety of accommodations available to passengers. Some ships in Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet, for example, offer cabins ranging from efficient 100-square-foot solos up to extravagant 5,000-square-foot Garden

Villa suites

For most passengers, the major factor in selecting a stateroom is price. However, savvy cruisers also carefully weigh other factors. Even within a narrow price range, there are often variations between cabins in terms of natural lighting, noise, and nearby amenities. Here are just a few of the many things to consider when choosing a cabin:

Size

In general, smaller staterooms are less expensive. When choosing how small to go, though, it is important to consider who the travelers are. Families often enjoy special family suites, which give parents with children more breathing room than they would find in a cheaper four-person cabin. Similarly, while a couple might be comfortable in the tiniest two-person cabin available, a pair of good buddies might find such intimate quarters a bit too cozy.

Location

A cabin’s location on the ship can have a huge impact on a passenger’s enjoyment. Inside staterooms are dark and too closed in for some cruisers, but are perfectly fine for passengers who spend no time in a cabin except to sleep. Cruisers who are prone to sea-sickness will likely appreciate more centrally-located cabins, where ship motion is less noticeable. Noise is also a consideration. Cabins close to the lido deck, engines, kitchen, or entertainment venues will be noisier than other cabins will be.

Amenities

Many cruisers sail in order to experience specific shipboard activities. Those seeking pampering might like a spa cabin with upgraded toiletries and bath facilities, along with priority access to the ship’s spa facilities. Passengers who live for the nightlife might want a mid-deck cabin close to the casino, lounges, and dance club.

No cruiser should break their budget splurging on a cabin they don’t really need. However, with a little extra thought and research, vacationers can select the ideal cabin for their money and have a much more relaxing cruise.

The fine dining options available on cruise ships have always been a major draw for vacationers.

In fact, in their advertisements, many cruise companies highlight their exquisite menus and world-renowned chefs. A trend in the last few years has seen a number of celebrity chefs join several cruise lines, including a number of Royal Holiday affiliates.

Geoffrey Zakarian

The star of several Food Network programs, Geoffrey Zakarian has recently partnered with Norwegian

Cruise Line to open three dining venues on the company’s new ship, Norwegian Breakaway. Two

excellent Ocean Blue restaurants—one upscale, the other a more casual al fresco venue—are the cruise

line’s first specialty seafood restaurants. The Raw Bar features elegant shellfish and wine pairings.

Jacques Pepin

A long-time figure on PBS cooking programs, Jacques Pepin is the creative mind behind Jacques

restaurant on Oceania Cruises. Mr. Pepin is also the cruise line’s executive culinary director, thus

ensuring that the cuisine across all Oceania ships reflects the high-quality, yet simple perfection typical

of his dishes.

Guy Fieri

One of biggest personalities of the Food Network, Guy Fieri is renowned for his expertise in combining

food and fun. At the casual Guy’s Burger Joint on board several Carnival ships, cruisers can enjoy the

celebrity chef’s take on classic hamburgers and fries in a laid-back, 1950s-style diner.

Craig Hopson

The culinary legend behind the world-famous Le Cirque restaurant, Craig Hopson has joined Holland

America Line to bring his iconic restaurant’s flavor and ambiance to their ships. At least once every

cruise, the staff transforms each ship’s Pinnacle Grill into a floating reproduction of Le Cirque’s

innovative menu and unconventional decor.

These are just a few of culinary partnerships between high-profile chefs and cruise lines that have

emerged in the last few years. Travelers can look forward to more exciting collaborations in the future.