Cabins can range from inexpensive, windowless closet-size rooms with barely enough space to squeeze in your luggage, to lavish, multistory suites boasting Jacuzzi tubs, flat-screen TVs, grand pianos and butler service. Many sport balconies from which you can enjoy the ocean air. Regardless of the room you choose, all modern rooms feature a bed, climate control, private bathrooms and daily cleaning services.
The traditional dining experience assigns you to a specific table at a specific time in a cavernous dining hall, where you always eat with the same group of people. The newer "open seating" allows you to change tables and eating times at your leisure. Either option offers food that is plentiful, already paid for and constantly changing. The latest cruise ships offer smaller restaurant venues. In exchange for intimacy and cuisine not found in the dining room, you pay a surcharge.
Casinos, gyms, spas, discos, swimming pools, Internet cafes, rock walls, golf simulators, libraries and kids' clubs are just some of the attractions vying for your attention. In addition, the cruise director schedules many activities to occupy your time: play bingo, join a water polo tournament, tour the ship or win a dance contest. You're also free to avoid all these exertions by simply relaxing in a sun-blessed lounge chair, while an attendant brings you a cold drink.
Because you use a card to perform all ship transactions, it's easy to spend money in the on-board shopping mall. Expect to find jewelry, clothing, souvenirs, gifts and collectibles. Featured on many ships is the on-board art show, where pieces of art are auctioned off at dead-artist prices. Convenient shipping to your home address is available at an extra charge. To save money, hold off on shopping until the final day or two of the cruise, when prices are usually marked down.
At a main stage seating hundreds, audiences can thrill to Vegas-style shows presented at least once a day. That venue easily converts to a movie house for showing the latest box-office hits or to a lecture hall for talks about cruise destinations. Singers, musicians, magicians and comedians perform at more intimate bars and clubs that seat from a dozen to under a hundred. A ship's destination can provide one-night-only performances by a local troupe.
Integral to any cruise experience are stops lasting several hours at ports of call such as San Diego, Acapulco, Santorini or Monte Carlo. After the initial annoyance of pushing through the gangplank with a herd of hundreds, you are whisked away in ship-sponsored, air-conditioned buses for sightseeing and shopping. Being late is no problem, as the ship will wait. Contrast this with taking one of the private operators who clamor for your business at the docks. Though these excursions may be cheaper and more worthwhile, the ship discourages their use by refusing to wait for you, if you are late.
As with any vacation, the people determine the quality of the experience. The captain and bridge crew will keep their distance, but your steward tirelessly cleans your room every day and may even leave you an amusing towel animal. If you opt for traditional seating, the same waiter serves your favorite food preferences without your asking. If their service is satisfactory, tip them generously in cash at the end of the cruise. If you prefer, your final bill can automatically include a combined tip that is distributed to the crew.
