posted by admin on Aug 5
Cruise Food: Personal Choice Dining Makes A Big Splash
by Roy Witman © 2007, All Rights Reserved
In the golden era of ocean voyages, everyone was called to a single seating of dinner in the main dining room of the ship. Whether you were hungry or not, whether you liked liver p t or not, you came and you ate when and what you were told. Special requests from first-class passengers may have been accommodated, but they were done so at the quiet protest of the chef. Dining aboard cruise ships today has made dramatic improvements in both variety and service.
Cruising is now broadly accepted among the masses as a cost-effective and fun vacation alternative. What was once reserved for only the wealthiest is now available to practically everyone. Catering to the masses, especially families with finicky children, has become the delight of chefs, rather than an insult. Stretching their creativity, most of those on the kitchen staff take pride in developing new dining alternatives that suit their guests.
Options In Cuisine
Princess Cruises is a good example. With the advent of Personal Choice Dining , Princess has not only taken the restrictions off typical cruise ship dining, it has also expanded options for its passengers. With “Anytime Dining,” guests find most of the eight restaurants open all day. Some are open 24 hours. While the main dining room still has two seatings, it is open for Anytime Dining during breakfast and lunch hours. This allows passengers to eat when they are hungry rather than when the cruise line dictates they should dine. But time isn’t the only advantage to Personal Choice Dining .
Options in cuisine have become much more diverse. Making concessions for every age and appetite, Princess offers a little something for everyone. From an onboard, upscale Italian restaurant to a refined steakhouse to burgers, dogs and pizza at the caf , adults and kids alike can enjoy what suits their fancies. In addition, guests can curb those midday (or midnight!) snack attacks with a 24-hour buffet, featuring finger sandwiches, aged cheeses, chocolate-dipped strawberries, ice cream sundaes and more.
For those who prefer a more private way to dine, 24-hour room service is available with a full menu. Simply fill out the card provided in your stateroom, and any cuisine you desire from the dining room - including steak and lobster - will be delivered to you at the time you indicate. If you desire to dine on your balcony, your server will be glad to accommodate.
Dressing For Dinner
While the main dining room does have nights where formalwear is required, other dining options onboard allow passengers to dress in whichever attire they choose. Visit the buffet in your swimsuit and flip-flops, throw on shorts and a tank top for the late-night bistro or don your khakis and golf shirt for the steakhouse and other onboard restaurants.
If you’ve been under the mistaken impression that cruising means tuxedos and entr es with names you can’t pronounce, relax! Those days are long gone. Princess Cruises and other lines now have much more casual options you and your family can take advantage of. Eat when you want, where you want, what you want and make everybody happy!
Roy Witman is Vice-President of Cruise Vacation Center at <a href="http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com">http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com</a> offering the best deals including <a href="http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com/princess_cruise_line.htm">Princess cruises</a>. Visit them today!
NCL Freestyle Cruising: Vacations the Way You Always Wanted
by Roy Witman © 2006, All Rights Reserved
NCL Freestyle Cruising is radically different from any other cruise line. Rather than adhering to preset schedules, you actually get to relax and enjoy your vacation. Traditionally, cruise lines are famous for setting schedules and rules for dining, seating arrangements, dress codes, activity times and more. However, NCL Freestyle Cruising set out to break that mold and free vacationers to spend their time the way they wanted to. After all, isn’t that what a vacation is all about?
Stripping the restrictions from the cruise experience, NCL Freestyle Cruising brings a fun, whimsical and unconventional environment to all its ships. With the newest fleet at sea, NCL has either built or recently retrofitted all its vessels specifically for the Freestyle Cruising experience.
While aboard, you’re completely on your own schedule. Eat whenever you like. Sit with whoever you want. Dress however suits you. Do whatever you choose. The clock stops ticking the moment you come onboard. You can be free to enjoy a laidback atmosphere filled with fun, adventure and relaxation just the way you always wanted.
Freestyle Dining
Unlike other cruise lines that make you dine at a specific time, in a specific dining room, Freestyle dining operates just like making a reservation at your favorite spot back home. Restaurants open at 5:30 p.m. and stay open until midnight. You choose the dining room and cuisine that suits you that day and make a reservation, so you can eat when you want to eat. A wide range of menu selections gives you more taste-tempting treats than you might be able to hold. From Italian to French, from sushi to burgers and fries, the choices are all yours.
Freestyle Dress Code
What’s the dress code while NCL Freestyle Cruising? Simply put, there isn’t one! No evening gown and tuxedo are required (unless you want to dress for dinner). For dinner, shows, nightclubs or anything else on the ship, “resort casual” is as dressed up as you will ever be expected to get. For those who like to get decked out for the night, many restaurants offer formal options.
Freestyle Activities
Want to do it all? Or rather do nothing at all? It’s entirely up to you. Get active with a round at the golf driving range. Practice your backhand with a set of tennis. Relax and melt away with a multitude of luxurious spa treatments or just sit on deck and watch the world go by. When it comes to excursions, each port of call offers an exciting array of activities, tours and shopping.
Freestyle Service
While NCL Freestyle Cruising may be drastically different from other cruise lines in many respects, one thing is certain: Service is the top priority. With a premium level of guest services on every ship, you’ll find that the atmosphere is casual, but the attentive pampering you receive is highly rated.
Roy Witman is Vice-President of Cruise Vacation Center. Visit them at <a href="http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com">http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com</a> for the best deals on <a href=" http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com/ncl_freestyle_cruising.htm">NCL Freestyle Cruising</a> including <a href="http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com/alaska_cruises.htm"> Alaska cruises</a>.
Cruise Ship Menus - A Closely Guarded Secret Of Cruise Lines
All cruise lines pride themselves on the dining experiences they are able to provide their passengers; however, one thing seems to be quite intriguing is all the cruise ship menus do seem to be kept hidden away. Locked in vaults aboard the cruise ships.
A Cruise Review To Envision The Cruise Ship Experience
There are many vacation choices but for one with great options why not consider cruise travel. Read this cruise review to envision the cruise ship experience.
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If you want to go on a vacation with great options, you might consider taking a cruise. If you have never been a cruise ship before and you are not sure whether it would be perfect for you, read on. The cruise ship experience will be much clearer after you read this cruise review.
This article will not be endorsing or promoting a particular cruise line, but will just give you some glimpses of what cruise lines are offering to cruise passengers. This includes cruise destinations, various ranges of prices and amenities available.
In some cases cruise lines will proved an option of a pre or post-cruise stay at a hotel in the town where you embark or disembark. This is especially beneficial when you travel great distances to board your cruise ship. By using this option it actually affords you the ability to add on an extra port to explore before your cruise ship experience is over.
For instance, if your departure point is at Los Angeles, and you choose this option you will have time to visit famous places there such as Hollywood (the famous walk of stars) or Venice Beach (a funky hip beach town).
On the day of the cruise departure, you will be brought to the pier where your cruise ship is waiting for you. It will take about 45 minutes to an hour to check in your luggage, get your boarding pass and board the ship. Your room steward will meet you and this is when you should tell the steward if you have any special needs or requests. For instance, I like two bath towels and a bucket of ice each afternoon. They want to make you happy so don t be shy.
It may take a couple of hours for your luggage to arrive so grab some lunch and then tour your cruise ship. Make any beauty and spa appointments now, on some days, like formal nights appointments sell out. Consider making these appointments on port days, especially if you have been to that port before. The salon/spa offer discounts if you book on those days. Roam around the first afternoon to see what delights are in store for you during your cruise ship experience.
You can enjoy several relaxing moments in the spa. Celebrity has what they call a Thalassotherapy pool, Princess has a swim against the current pool and Carnival has the giant slide into the outside pool. If you feel that you want to burn up some calories after all the wonderful meals, go to the fitness center which is equipped with modern state of the art equipment. Or you may feel like strolling around the promenade in that fresh salt air.
There are swimming pools aboard, both for adults and kids. Deck chairs and benches are also provided if you just want to watch your children enjoying the water in the pool.
Entertainment is also present in your cruising vacation. A state-of-the-art theater is provided for on-board entertainment. There will be Broadway like productions and children-oriented programs that are new and different everyday..
In case you are looking for a different entertainment, you can go to several theme bars or disco with live music open until the wee hours of the morning.
If you want to try your luck during your cruise travel, then there is an on-board casino where it features different games similar to what you see in Las Vegas.
There is a shopping center where you can find personal items and other things that you need while you are on-board. Here s one cruise tip, try to pack things like Rolaids, bandages and toothpaste from home; they are expensive on the cruise ship
Library and recreation centers are also found on the cruise ship. Almost all cruise ships have a lending library and most have a room for playing bridge.
Food is one of the vital services offered by cruise lines. The best chefs from around the world are hired to prepare and cook excellent meals to ensure that your on-board dining experience will be truly memorable.
There are formal dining areas, which have a formal dress code on certain nights.
If you are looking for more informal style of dining, there are snack bars, cafeteria, and a pizza parlor on-board, which generally are opened for meals on extended hours. Many times the cruise lines close down one half of their Lido caf © (this is where they have the buffet lunch and dinner) to offer a casual place to dine but they still use a menu and servers. All of the food, no matter which style you choose are covered in the cruise prices.
Cruise itineraries generally include stops at different ports each or every other day, depending on the schedule of the cruise ship you chose. You have the option of either staying aboard the ship or you may disembark to join other passengers on a guided tour. You are also free to explore on your own at each stop, but make sure you know the departure time of the ship.
Booking a cruise is simple. To get the best advice on cruise ships use the services of a travel agency. Read cruise reviews that you can find online to familiarize yourself on what each cruise line offers. Or, if you are already savvy to cruising, log on to the official site of a particular cruise line to check on itineraries and prices.
You will be provided information about destinations and cruise packages that are affordable. Discounts and special offers are also available for passengers.
Hopefully, this cruise review will give you some insight into what delights you will find during your cruise ship experience.
Happy Cruising!
Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.
This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.
About the Author Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida which allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Gardening, Cruising and Cooking. Visit her websites at http://www.GardeningHerb.com http://www.CruiseGold.com, and http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com
Family Cruises - A Vacation That Will Please All of You
All of you will discover something to enjoy on family cruises. Whether your idea of paradise is an Alaskan trek or a Caribbean island, you can find what you want. Finding the best family cruise for you is only a matter of doing a little homework first.
Resolving to Get Fit for the New Year? Cruising Is the Way to Go!
by Roy Witman © 2007, All Rights Reserved
Countless people make New Year’s resolutions to get into shape and lose weight. Many of them fail reportedly due to lack of motivation, support or a viable plan. There is a new trend developing among fitness enthusiasts, however, that overcomes these three obstacles while delivering luxury, scrumptious food and fun. What’s the trend? Cruising into shape.
Cruise ships have offered well-equipped fitness centers on their vessels for years. However, with fitness and nutrition experiencing an increase in popularity, many ships have taken great strides to create an atmosphere that nurtures a healthy lifestyle without compromising the lavish cruise experience. With onboard fitness instructors, innovative and fun exercise opportunities and healthy gourmet meals, a cruise ship has become the perfect starting point for your New Year’s resolution.
Fun Is the Key to Exercise
If you don’t enjoy exercise, chances are you won’t keep up any fitness routine you establish. But with exciting activities available to you 24/7, you can quickly discover new ways to keep moving while having a blast.
For example, instructor-led aerobics, stretch and cardio classes are available on most cruise ships as are jogging tracks, volleyball (on deck or in the pool) and dancing. With professionally created fitness sessions designed to be fun, it doesn’t seem like exercise at all. Royal Caribbean offers ice skating, rock climbing, trampolines and even boxing. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) provides a bowling alley and basketball while Holland America offers personal trainers plus yoga and Pilates classes.
Each cruise line has its own key fitness features, so check for the one(s) that pique your interest.
Exceptional Dining for Those on a Diet
But what about the food? One of the greatest pleasures of cruising is indulging in gourmet meals prepared by world-class chefs. Fitness buffs are often nervous about entering a den of food sin and blowing everything they have worked for. The question that is often asked is, “Can I indulge and not regret it later”? The answer is a resounding yes!
The cruise lines constantly have their pulse on public opinion. That includes requests for amazingly delicious meals that offer less fat, sugar and other undesirable carbs. These flavorful meals are just as luxurious, just as tempting and will have you feeling just as spoiled. All without any guilt.
You can even make special dietary requests before you embark on your voyage. Check with your cruise line for details.
What better way to get into shape than while surrounded by a staff that can pamper and spoil you 24/7? Would you rather suffer through the beginning stages of shaping up or be counseled and aided by personal trainers? Would you rather starve yourself with rabbit food or dine on scrumptious meals prepared by professional chefs? Would you rather pound out mile after mile on a gym treadmill or take part in activities that get you moving while having the time of your life?
If you’re serious about shaping up, then you won’t find any better place to begin (or to maintain!) than a voyage at sea.
Roy Witman is Vice-President of Cruise Vacation Center at <a href="http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com">http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com</a> offering the best deals including <a href="http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com/european_cruises.htm"> European cruises</a> and <a href="http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com/mediterranean_cruises.htm">Mediterranean cruises</a>.
