Any holiday should be a chance to unwind, enjoy great service, sample local food, and explore new cultures. But how do you pick your destination and accommodation to make this dream come true?
Perhaps you want to unwind on a beach, barely leaving your hammock for a week other than to reach for a fresh piña colada. Or maybe you want the luxury of exploring a different beach every day, and seeing the world at the same time, with a luxurious floating resort as your home. Yes, we are talking cruises.
If this sounds like your dream holiday, cruises are for you. Our travel partners at Idle Travel explain more about why a cruise could just be the answer to your holiday tick list.
The Setting
If you opt for a cruise, what can you expect? If you’ve never cruised before, you may be surprised.
Put any preconceptions aside and prepare to be wowed. Cruise ships are chic resorts at sea. Every space has been thoughtfully curated, and every area of the ship is individually beautiful.
Interiors include high-end boutiques, ultra-luxe accommodation, spas, and some of the world’s finest restaurants and entertainment.
As for the location; there is no location, because on a cruise, you wake up to a different view every day. You could be anchored beneath the towering cliffs and snow-white villages of Santorini, Greece, or the brilliant aquamarine seas and sandy beaches of Bimini, in the Bahamas. Every day is a new adventure.
New Places
If your curiosity extends further than the pool and the beach on your holiday, a luxury cruise could offer the best of both worlds.
In the space of one voyage, you could experience the thrill of visiting eight different destinations, whether you pick the Caribbean, Alaska, Asia, or the Mediterranean.
In between your time ashore, exploring new cultures, taking in museums, browsing markets, or enjoying the great outdoors on a string of gorgeous beaches, there’s plenty of opportunity on board for deep relaxation.
Toast the sunset from a hot tub on deck, take up your position by the pool where you can sip, swim, and snooze on repeat. Or relax on your private balcony, a peaceful spot on which to commune with the sea, spot pods of dolphins, or watch the sparkling skyline fade into dusk as your ship steams on to the next port.
Enriching Travel
All travel can be enriching if you want it to be. If you’re visiting new places and would like the best cultural experiences curated for you, then a cruise could be the answer. Don’t imagine that shore excursions offered by cruise lines merely scratch the surface of a destination. Nowadays, shore excursions embrace activities for every taste.
Small group discoveries which might include a pasta-making class in the Italian countryside, or an exclusive boat trip to Capri’s shimmering Blue Grotto.
You could find yourself spotting whales up close with an expert in Alaska, and then enjoying a salmon bake in a forest clearing, or exploring the exquisite temples of Kyoto, Japan.
Or perhaps you’d prefer a private tour, or an exclusive activity for your own group. Anything is possible and on a cruise, you’ll have access to planners who are experts in the destinations you are visiting.
Food and Drink
Gourmet travellers will be astonished at the quality and variety of the restaurants on board today’s most luxurious ships. You will have the choice of many dining venues, with globally-inspired menus made from scratch by a brigade of top class chefs.
Whether you’re in the mood for fresh sushi, modern Italian, French classics or lighter, plant-based options, there will be a restaurant to suit your tastes. Pick a favourite and eat there every night—or dine your way around the world during the course of your cruise.
Where You’ll Stay
There’s a wide choice of accommodations on board cruises to suit every style, with many staterooms enjoying blissful private space and sea breezes on a wide veranda.
Staterooms on modern cruise ships are cleverly designed to maximize space. There are all kinds of options, too; you could, for example, choose a suite or stateroom with exclusive access to specialty restaurants, or to areas of the spa.
Entertainment
The entertainment on board a cruise ship is considerably more cutting-edge than you would expect.
For singers, dancers, and performers, working on a luxury cruise line and travelling the world is highly prestigious. As such, cruise lines have the pick of high-calibre entertainers, and some of the best producers and directors in the business.
The theatres on modern cruise ships are better equipped and more high-tech than many venues you’d find in London’s West End.
The shows on a cruise ship include everything from dazzling contemporary circus to heart-stopping singing and dancing, using ground-breaking technology.
Or perhaps you prefer DJ sets, or live jazz in an intimate club, or all the fun of a silent disco. You’ll find it all on a cruise ship—and you can even try it all in one night if you want to.
Cruises also offer a range of daytime activities. These might range from quizzes to wine-tasting sessions, and fun competitions for all the family.
There’s also kids’ clubs, with cruise lines having some of the most highly-awarded youth programmes in the industry for kids from tots up to teens.
Service
Service should be impeccable as cruise lines can pick the best talent from all over the world.
Ready to explore some of the options for your dream holiday? Cruises could be perfect for you.
Call Idle Travel today on 01274 619141 and follow them on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with all the latest travel hot spots, news and travel trends.
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