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LET'S GO CRUISING
Published: 01/12/2011 by SAMANTHA HADENFELDT
» TRAVEL
RHAPSODY OF THE SEAS
From the moment you board the ship and come into the Atrium you feel overwhelmed by the opulence surrounding you, coupled with the surprise of the grandeur you are seeing. You ARE on a boat, right?
But boat is not the word – SHIP is. Cruising is a whole other way to travel and what a wonderful way it is. You have to constantly remind yourself that you are not in a resort or even a small village for some, and that yes, water is actually surrounding you.
Cruising attracts all markets of travellers, from families to retirees, singles, groups and couples. With the vast number of companies running cruises around the world and the broad fleets they boast, you can cruise on a small ship with guest capacity of 400 people to a Megaliner with over 4000.
THE ROYAL CARIBBEAN SHIP
My recent experience was on the Rhapsody of the Seas, a lovely ship belonging to Royal Caribbean. The ship has a guest capacity of 2400 people, with a crew of 765, 11 deck, and 8 bars and lounges. You can spend your time relaxing by one of the pools, trying your luck in the casino or even having a go at rock climbing on the wall on Deck 10. There is the Broadway Melodies Theatre in which you can watch a cinematic movie, enjoy a Broadway-style show, or just relax in the comprehensive Vitality Spa with extensive treatment menu, and adult's only solarium pool.
There are a number of dining options, with the main dining room offering a la carte breakfast, salad bar lunch and two dinner sittings with a multicourse menu for every day. There is also the Windjammer buffet café on Deck 9 offering full buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner , the Solarium café, room service and even a Ben & Jerry's Ice-cream Bar (pay extra).
DAILY ACTIVITIES
You will find a daily news bulletin in your cabin of an evening with a full list of activities for the following day, a weather report and other information in relation to your cruise.
There are organised activities with options to keep you busy from 10am to after midnight -
- Jazz parties,
- Game shows,
- Karaoke,
- 70’s parties,
- After dark pool parties and more –
I even saw toddlers on the dance floor at 11pm burning it up!
There is also a night club for the younger (at heart!) passengers after 11pm on deck 11 with DJ playing all the latest music – right out of the way of any cabins so no passengers are affected by the noise.
FAMILIES
For families travelling on the ship they often find once their children discover the kids clubs they don’t see them for hours at a time!
Royal Caribbean is proud to boast the Adventure Ocean youth programs which make your children’s time on board not only fun but also a learning experience. The age groups are the Aquanauts (age 3-5years), the Explorers Program (6-8years) and the Voyagers (9-11 years) and range from cool experiments to making sweets, all catered to the ages of the kids.
The Tweens and teens will be amused with games and parties and will enjoy being with people their own age.
HEALTH AND FITNESS
For the health and fitness conscious, the Fitness Centre is home to state of the art equipment and plenty of it, and also runs all sorts of fitness class and personal training options.
This is adjacent to the Vitality Spa and being up on Deck 10 with panoramic windows it has amazing views. There is also a jogging track on Deck 10 if you prefer the sea air.
SHORE EXCURSIONS
There are a number of shore excursions to be experienced for when you are in port to sample the local cultures of the destinations of your cruise. These excursions can be booked prior to your cruise or at the dedicated desk on Deck 9.
Staying in touch with your loved ones is easy when on the ship with all cabins featuring ship-to-shore phones and a wireless internet café of Deck 8. You can also use your own mobile phone when you can find coverage on the seas and in port.
CABINS
There are cabins to suit all travellers, from twins, doubles, family cabins and suites with full balconies.
I highly recommend upgrading to an outside cabin as it makes your cabins much brighter and one can find it unnerving being in artificial light all the time on an inside cabin.
Having the sunlight stream through the window in the morning makes all the difference to the start of your day.
I challenge you to board a ship like this and get bored. There are so many things to do and the ship is big enough to do it all in, although I found it very easy to get around.
The staff are just wonderful and I could not fault their level of service, friendliness and eagerness to assist in any way they could. They will remember your name and the little things that make you feel special, as we are all here!
There are professional photographers constantly moving around on the ship just ready to catch your cruise memories and a photo studio where you can purchase these memories. You don’t have to drive, only have to unpack once and just have to enjoy yourself.
So get on board! I can suggest many cruise lines and cruises but it all depends on what you are after, from relaxations, adventure, discovery, excitement – but there is a cruise for everyone, whether it is in magical Europe, awesome Alaska, captivating Caribbean, exotic Asia or even our own beautiful backyard with some amazing cruises around Australia, out to the Pacific Island and New Zealand.
I look forward to booking your next cruise as much as I look forward to mine!
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PHOTOS COURTESY GOOGLE IMAGES AND SAM HADENFELDT
