A Guide to Cruise Ship Amenities for New Cruisers

Cruise lines try to make their ships to provide all of the perks that customers expect and more. The big cruise lines know that other than the experience of the ship itself, their customers will compare cruise vacation experiences to what can be obtained at the best all-inclusive resorts. To compete, cruise ships come equipped with as many state-of-the art amenities as possible.

Food is the first amenity that passengers encounter.

Cruise ships make food convenient. It is the first thing that cruise lines offer to passengers as they board the ship. As soon as travelers enter the cruise ship, they are directed to an upper deck where a fabulous buffet awaits their arrival. The food is fresh, diverse, and plentiful.

Before the buffet can be digested, it is dinner time.

The first formal meal is designed to impress and awe the novice cruiser. It rarely fails to achieve this goal. Food continues to be offered late into the night at specialty areas with pizza, hamburgers, deli sandwiches, and other offerings. Room service lurks as a back up plan to all of the other options. Even additional restaurants are available for extra costs. Unlike most all-inclusive resorts, the cruise ship food is so close and plenteous that long walks or reservations are rarely needed.

First class exercise equipment waits for the serious and not so serious workout group.

Treadmills, stair climbers, various bikes, and weight machines are standard in almost every cruise ship. Most ships have enough equipment that a long wait is seldom seen. Along with the formal equipment, a running track and walking track are always offered. The swimming pools are not usually designed to assist with an exercise routine.

While not usually included as an amenity, the wealth of great views cannot be ignored.

Vistas of all types are a part of the cruise experience. Many people are awed by the 360 degree ocean views from the upper decks of a cruise ship. You can also see the terrain of the various locations visited as ports of call. Other places can be viewed as the ship sails within sight of them. Some of the places visited can offer exceptionally scenic views. Cruises of five days or longer can offer three or more ports of call where the scenery can be enjoyed.

All of the shore excursions give different opportunities for new experiences.

Whether your preference is fun in the water, seeing historic sights, or exploring other aspects of foreign ports, cruise ships will take you there. Each ship has a list that ranges from dozens to scores of things to do at each port of call. A few minutes inspecting a cruise line web site will yield plenty of insight into these great amenities.

The amenities found on the cruise ship can vary significantly from ship to ship.

The list of amenities that are found on cruise ships is long. Ships can offer rock climbing walls, outdoor big screen movies, parties, tennis, shuffleboard, miniature golf, wave pools, surfing pools, and even zip lines. Each ship will have some of these items and others that may not have made this list. The only way to be sure about which amenities are found on your cruise ship is to check with the specific ship.

Children and youth activities are available on many cruise ships.

Not all cruises offer special activities for young people as amenities. If the particular cruise caters to singles, couples, or another special group, some of the family oriented amenities may not be offered. However, the vast majority of cruises do have these amenities included for their passengers.

Live entertainment is a major part of the at-sea events offered to cruisers.

The live entertainment can be a major song and dance show. Other times it is a magic act or an excellent stand up comic. The entertainment can be karaoke or other lounge acts. Dancing is offered in the clubs and some public areas on the ships.

Shopping and gambling can be a big part of the cruise experience.

While these may seem like the pairing of opposites, the chance to spend or lose money is found on every cruise. Disney is about the only cruise line that does not offer a casino to guests. You can spend money on bingo to try to win prizes. A version of the Newlywed game seems to show up on every cruise. The range of other amenities becomes too wide to list them one at a time. If you are looking for a great experience on a vacation, it is probably offered on some cruise ship.