When it comes time to book a holiday, luxury cruises are an extremely popular choice for families, couples, and friends who are looking to spend culture-filled days in varying cities followed by decadent nights on board.
From ice rinks to floating restaurants and luxury spas to designer shopping, the cruise ships of today come equipped with a host of pretty impressive amenities designed to give their customers the very best of experiences while on board. And, of course, there are plenty of opportunities for cruise-goers to embrace all the ship has to offer during those relaxing sea days too.
If you have never experienced a luxury cruise before, you are in for a treat, and if you are a regular cruise-goer, then perhaps you are looking for some new experiences thanks to upgraded itineraries and lavish new ships that are regularly launched. If your next holiday is going to be a cruise, then you will want to make sure that your ship comes equipped with a range of amenities to suit you – here are five of our favourites.
A glamorous casino area
One of the most popular amenities of any luxury cruise line is its onboard casino facility. Because these vessels are often hundreds of square meters in size, they are equipped to contain state-of-the-art gaming tables and dozens of different high-tech slot machines. And it doesn’t matter if you are a novice as you will be given the help you need to learn and enjoy the range of games available to you.
At the very least, if the luxury line you end up settling with does not have a gaming centre onboard, ensure that the ship’s Wi-Fi is fast and reliable so you can access virtual casino games and the welcome awards that accompany them from the comfort of your coastal suite.
A lush green lawn on the top deck
Does the thought of spreading your towel out on lush green grass as opposed to an uncomfortable pool chair sound like an ideal plan? Well, the award-winning luxury cruise line Celebrity Cruises offers their passengers the opportunity for just that with their deluxe Lawn Club amenity.
The Lawn Club is the perfect place to soak up the sun while out on the water and we think every luxury cruise line should have one. However, right now this real grass lawn is only available on Celebrity Cruises, perhaps as more passengers express their desire for this service, that will change in the coming years as we know that the top cruise lines like to compete with the services they offer.
An onboard planetarium
Aside from casino gaming and comfortable sun tanning, we think every luxury cruise line should be equipped with a gorgeous planetarium space where passengers can take advantage of the serene environment and stargaze to their heart’s content.
Cunard’s Iconic ocean liner, Queen Mary 2 is one that provides this spectacular service, giving guests a once-in-a-lifetime experience while on board a luxury vessel. The moments of peace that are provided along with the unique opportunity to be stargazing while on a colossal ship out at sea is truly a unique experience.
Top notch dining experiences
Any cruise line that calls themselves a luxury provider should have five-star dining options in addition to their everyday dining options. As prices increase on luxury lines, so does quality and you should have no problem finding a range of speciality dining options to suit a variety of tastes, from sushi to steakhouses and Italian to Indian cuisine. Passengers should expect thoughtful plate presentations and gourmet selections in beautiful settings across the ship to make for memorable dining experiences.
Wondrous water-based activities
Being out on the water certainly doesn’t mean that you’ll actually have the chance to take a dip, so the next closest thing to enjoying the variety of activities that the big blue sea can offer is via the onboard amenities. From large pools with epic waterslides to Royal Caribbean’s FlowRider surf simulator and water parks for little ones, the facilities onboard can cater to a range of desires, so get searching and find the right ship for your next big trip.
