Experience Resorting Afloat.
For your next vacation, forget hunting for the perfect itinerary, or looking for ports you have not yet seen. Just choose your favorite cruise line, look for the right length and shortest flight time departure point from your home. Pack your clothes and go aboard
Now enjoy your cruise, you do not have a time schedule, it does not matter what time the ship docks or departs. You may get up when you want and dine when you wish… Today’s newer ships include alterative dinning and room service, even your evening dinning time is not written in stone. Be sure to spend what was your tour money on a balcony upgrade, which will provide even more in-room entertainment. What a difference not succumbing to a time table can make. I found it gives one a whole new perspective to cruising. I chose Crystal Cruise Line to explore this subject. I made an excellent choice.
The ships meal hours accommodate early and late risers. As most everyone else is rushing off to shore excursions, you now have the pool deck, the spa room and saunas to yourself. These are the days to do all this relaxing, if you must keep up, the computer rooms are also available with no waiting. And of course with less people on board, the ship staff is not very busy and avalible just for you clever people who are in the know.
On Sea days all the lectures, dance classes etc are taking place for you to enjoy and you, of course. are all rested and ready to participate. No sore feet from yesterdays trek. You saw the movie yesterday and tonight you will enjoy the ships live presentation. You can stay out as late as you wish because you do not need to arise early to meet your tour. I can’t tell you how pleasant this was. I now found the time to make all the ship extra’s like the high tea, and the ice cream breaks. I was able to attend all the lectures and movies I found of interest and even had time to take the computer classes, all this with out missing a meal.
I found the difference between taking an all-inclusive resort vacation and resorting aboard ship is mainly service. And if you have picked the right ship line there is no comparison. The top of the line all-inclusive resort like Sandals as nice as it is can’t compare to the Service and luxury offered by most Cruise Lines. You note I said most there are a few exceptions in my opinion. The lower end ship lines like Carnival and NCL are not in my opinion resorting ships. A line that has a high percentage of non-English speaking passengers would also not be a good choice. It is hard to make new friends if you don’t share a common language. A very small ship should also be excluded as a resort ship simply because there would not be enough activities aboard to participate in, most small ships are destinations oriented.
Clean rooms, impeccable service, food choices from hot dogs to exquisitely gourmet meals, all with room service response time quicker than any hotel I know.
Dressing casual or to the nines, watching a well choreographed production show or listening to classical music. On-board golf instructions were a favorite of the guys. Many ships have golf simulator to keep you in practice. Having all these choices makes for one great vacation in my book. Unlike a land based resort you are in a social setting geared to make it easy to meet other passengers with the group dinning and group classes. Oh yes, less you forget you will wake up each morning look out your window and chances are you will see a different view, not only of the ocean or ports and islands but of yourself, and life. So do not limit your resort get-a-way to only a land based hotel.