So your going on your first cruise –Congratulations! However, there are some things you should know before you bid the shore Bon Voyage. Cruises nowadays are very different from what you may remember from Titanic, which is obviously a good thing. Modern cruise ships are much more likely to be able to dodge an iceberg, (though Italian reefs are a different matter, apparently), but that’s not the only difference. Here are some things that might surprise you about your cruise experience.
- Cruise ships are huge – You thought the Titanic looked huge? Well, it was, for its time. But modern cruise ships are up to five times bigger than the Titanic. They offer more of the same things the Titanic did: cabins, dining areas, etc, but they also have almost every type of luxury you could imagine: casinos, dance clubs, water parks, skating rinks, theatres, and many more vessel parts that passengers don’t even get to see.
- You’ll meet people from all over the world – It’s not going to be a boat full of rich white people, like you saw on the Titanic. Both the passengers and the crew for modern cruise ships come from all over the world. Depending on where the ship sails from, there may be more passengers from a particular country, but regardless, a cruise is a great opportunity to meet people from all over the world.
- The meals aren’t necessarily that fancy – Cruise ships will have a fancy dining room, featuring multi-course meals, and some fancy dress nights. However, there are also dining halls, sandwich shops, coffee shops, and other vessel parts that serve food, where you can grab something to snack on at almost any time of day.
- Cruises aren’t just for old people – Sure, you will find plenty of retirees enjoying their golden years on board a cruise ship. But there are also families with young children, as well as teens and young adults. There are activities for all ages, including arcade games, dances, and even opportunities to find love on board! Even on a vessel for a non-singles cruise, there are plenty of opportunities to socialize.
- Everything has its place –As mentioned previously, there are cruise vessel parts and equipment that passengers will likely never lay their eyes on. There’s a lot that goes on behind-the-scenes to make a cruise run smoothly, but all of the required specialized parts and equipment needs a place to be tored out of the way, for when it’s needed. As big as cruise ships are, there’s not exactly a ton of extra room for a supply of spare parts, or things like that, so ships carry exactly what they need to operate safely.