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Around and around they go, cruisers doing their laps on the promenade deck, and others jogging or briskly walking up top in the bracing sea air. Riviera Romp. Zoom in on the pool scene and it looks like a take from a Riviera romp- peppermint umbrellas, sun-blocked bodies and all. Only the sand is missing as bathers and loungers and serious swimmers &endash; the ones who do the crawl back and forth like a metronome - intermingle to the beat of a calypso band and the clink of tropical drink specials. The setting is soothing - a panorama of islands slipping by and clouds gliding across your horizon line as the trimly uniformed waiter brings your snack, butler style, while you work at doing nothing. Perhaps an engrossing novel in your lap. Or no more than a dream sequence in your head as you snooze. Rubbed and Scrubbed. But, you may ask, what about my spa fantasy? Well, there's hardly a cruise ship afloat that doesn't provide a spa with feel &endash; good facilities. Shift to the slow lane and sign up for a couple of hours of a la carle treatments. A loofah scrub, an herbal wrap, a sports - medicine rubdown, a facial - soothing entertainment for a morning or afternoon. For fitness buffs there are machines - from stair-climbers to treadmills - and personal trainers to help tone up your muscles and tone down your neuroses. Life on ship isn't quite pastoral, but after your health-and-fitness workouts on a week-long cruise, you'll feel relaxed and content. Educational Experiences. Children get fare breaks, from traveling free on cruise lines to sailing at half price or for a modest per diem. Forget parental worries. Most ships have children's play areas and activities, including computer instruction, finger-painting, clay sculpting, pool parties, magic shows, games and quizzes. Your child can even tour the bridge to see how your ship stays on course. And for the older crowd - getting toward the teens - there may be crash courses in flora, fauna and fun history as a way of making the shore trips more interesting. Arcades Afloat. Your child woke up late, took off for the Lido restaurant to have a bowl of cereal and then disappeared, as you suspected he would, into the video arcade to play the latest games. When next seen, he whizzes past you on the stairs leading to the open air basketball court on one of the stern deck. Bored by slam - dunking after an hour, he heads over to the pizza counter (yes, some ships have them) for a slice. And away he goes, back to the ship's theater to catch the 5:30 p.m. showing of a first - rate movie. He joins you for dinner and then heads off for an evening of palling around with some new friends, maybe at the kids' disco. A number of ships even offer formal daycare and babysitting services for nominal charges Happy Hour. As dusk descends, your cruise ship freshens up for an evening that packs a lot of punch (and not just the rum variety). Watch the sun set in a fireworks display of colors. Get dressed up - or don't, it just depends on how you'd like to spend your evening. It's cocktail time in the piano bar, where songs, smiles and Singapore slings (or diet drinks with a twist) mix in the blender of camaraderie. Try the slots one more time in the casino - they're irresistible. There are usually two dinner seatings to accommodate your needs. You may choose the first sitting so you can catch the ship's Broadway show. On smaller ships you may have one dinner hour, and on luxury yacht style cruises you can have meals at any hour. Showtime at Sea. It's a short stroll from dinner to the best seats in the house for the musical revue. And in these theaters on water, every seat has a good view, so you can relax and watch a fast-paced musical revue, with Las Vegas showgirls, headline comedians, acrobatic dancers and a professional orchestra. Some cruise ships cast a whole show with performers drawn from the passenger contingent, and what you see is a true talent show-sometimes a laugh a minute, all in the Spirit of good fun. Dancing Feet. By about 10 p.m. the night owls are coming out of their cabins and piling into the disco, piano bar, casino or variety of other places. It's let-go, live-it-up time, to the thump, whack and beat of rock and roll or the smooth arpeggios of cool jazz, with wall screens conjuring up eye-catching images. Your ship is on course, but your mind is lazily adrift, the stresses of home far behind. All of this, you say to yourself, is not quite to be believed-skimming through the water on a ship where service, pampering and entertaining are priorities. And look, the gentleman in white, one of the ship's officers, has dropped by to chat with you and other passengers. Delivering on a Promise. If you're a first-time cruiser, the dawn-to-dusk scenario may come as a bit of a surprise. You came to the shipboard experience with a set of expectations. You'd heard about the snap-to cabin stewards, the fine dining, the poolside action, the exotic drinks, the sumptuous spa, the original musical revue. Are you kidding? Could it be that good? It's the made-to-order vacation-no fret, no sweat-you've been looking for. Funny thing, but as debriefing interviews prove, cruising delivers on its promise. Satisfaction isn't an idle boast invented by the cruise lines. In one recent market research study, virtually all first-time passengers reported that their cruise exceeded all expectations. Based on historical growth, overall satisfaction plays a key role with repeat passengers. Not bad for a vacation industry that plays host to nearly 5 million North Americans each year-with about a half-million vacationers each year choosing to go on a cruise for the first time.
Cruise Vacations, Inc.®
Last up date 7/31/02 |
