When the ship is as important as the destination...
I believe all cruise ships are beautiful; some more than others. It’s a matter of comparing many factors.
When my wife Sandra and I boarded Rhapsody of the Seas, we were a little disappointed at not being able to obtain a balcony stateroom, but we became pleased with our large Oceanview stateroom, with its picture window and more room than the usual balcony stateroom. Our cruise was headed north and we were looking forward to 10 days of R&R.
Day 1 on Rhapsody of the Seas was longer than I had planned, and while it involved boarding a big and exciting cruise ship it largely involved sitting in Circular Quay.
Day 3: Thanksgiving. Ever heard of Turkey Pardon? No, nor had we, so we are compelled to wander down to the Royal Promenade (Deck 5) at midday to find out – after a tough morning testing the spa that’s suspended over the Caribbean Sea.
More Allure stats: The Central Park Neighborhood is a living park at sea, with 12,175 plants, 62 vine plants 56 trees and bamboo plants – and even piped birdsong.
Friday is Formal Day on board Celebrity Century and it’s fun to dress up – and shame on those slackers who don’t make the effort. Not that there’s many of them.
With so many cruises on offer, how do you decide? Our cruising experts give their top picks for cuisine, kids’ clubs, service, entertainment and sheer whizz-bangery at sea.
As an award-winning travel writer and author of 15 books, Glenn A Baker has visited 115 countries and is a Life Member of the Australian Society of Travel Writers. Here he recalls his five most memorable seafaring adventures.
So we come to Paul Gauguin. Not the 19th-century artist who showed the world the beauty of Tahiti, but the luxurious modern cruise ship named after him. Launched in 1998 specifically to cruise in French Polynesia, she has found her niche and is rarely less than fully booked.
Health at sea is a question I am asked about quite frequently, and having had the unfortunate need to visit the medical centre on board Carnival Splendor on my recent Mexican Riviera cruise, I now have some first-hand experience to share.
Maritime historian Rob Henderson shares experiences of celebrations on board cruise ships - birthdays, weddings, Christmas, New Year and ANZAC Day on board Princess Cruises' Dawn Princess.
Dining on modern cruise ships is an event of choices in the variety of cuisine offered in numerous themed venues. To take advantage of all the food being offered on most ships requires an appetite of epic proportions and leads many to the dangerous habit of constant grazing.
A river cruise through north-east India’s Assam, rich in wildlife and dotted with traditional villages, offers a peaceful perspective on this teeming subcontinent.
She's the most specious ship yet from luxury line Oceania Cruises. James Sitters tells Rose Kelly and Peter Lynch what's on board the new class of ship, including restaurants, spas and suites.
