Antartica Cruise Reviews

Each year, a large number of individuals make the decision to take a cruise. Cruise ships are a great location to have your next vacation. If given the opportunity, many parents would choose to take a cruise alone. This isn’t because of a lack of love, but because of a common misconception among parents and cruise ships. Many individuals, including parents, believe that cruise ships are not designed for children, but that is simply not true.

If you are the parent of a child under the age of twelve, you may be wondering whether or not they should accompany you on your next cruise. If you are able to financially afford an additional ticket, you are encouraged to consider bring your child along. Not only will a cruise be memorable to your child, but it will be exciting. That is because a large number of cruise lines have tailored their cruise ships to children of all ages, including those under the age of twelve.

If you have yet to book your cruise ship reservations, you are encouraged to keep cruise ship activities in mind. The activities for children, under the age of twelve, will vary from ship to ship. That is why it is important that you examine each ship before making a final decision. Despite the fact that activities will vary from ship to ship, there are many activities geared towards children, under the age of twelve, which can be found on almost all cruise ships.

One of the many popular activities found aboard a cruise ship is a gaming. Arcade rooms are common on most cruise ships. They offer children, under the age of twelve, a safe place to have fun and be a child. Many cruise ship arcade rooms are staffed with cruise ship employees, but this should not deter you from keeping an eye on your child. When leaving them alone in an arcade room, you are encouraged to use your best judgment.

Another fun activity for children, under the age of twelve, includes swimming. All vacation cruise ships are equipped with a swimming pool. In addition to an adult sized swimming pool, wading pools can often be found aboard a number of popular family themed cruises. As with the arcade room, you are encouraged to use your best judgment when allowing your children to swim unattended. Lifeguards will be on duty; however, they cannot always guarantee the safety of your child.

In addition to a swimming pool and an arcade room, most cruise ships have an onboard movie theater or a performance stage. A large number of cruise lines offer family friendly movies, plays, and other performances. Children, under the age of twelve, may find these performances and movie showings fun and exciting. To determine if movie showing and performances are targeted to those under twelve, you are encouraged to check a cruise ship’s itinerary. A ship’s itinerary can be viewed with or without previously booked reservations.

Cruise ship restaurants and other dining facilities are likely to cater to children, under the age of twelve. Many restaurants offer children’s menus. These menus are likely to include tasty, but kid sized meals. The cost of your kid’s meals will vary from ship to ship; however, many cruise ships offer discounts on meals for children under the age of twelve.

Cruise ship childcare centers are facilities that benefit both parents and their children. While on a family vacation, even you need a break. For free or a small fee, you should be able to leave your children in the care of a trained and experienced childcare worker. Since a cruise ship is likely to have passengers of all different ages, many childcare facilities are grouped together by ages. As with most other services, you will find that a cruise ship’s childcare policy may vary form another’s.

The above mentioned activities, services, and facilities are just a few of the many that are targeted to children, aged twelve and under. If you are satisfied with the above mentioned services, facilities, and activities, you may want to consider scheduling your next family vacation aboard a cruise ship.

Are you interested in taking a cruise? If so, you are not alone. Each year a large number of individuals consider vacationing aboard a cruise ship. If you have never been on a cruise ship before, you may be wondering what activities, facilities, and services can be found onboard. The activities found onboard a cruise ship will vary from ship to ship, but many cruise ships have a number of activities and services in common.

Some of the most well-known facilities found on cruise ships are dining halls, restaurants, and cafeterias. Large cruise ships may offer a number of onboard dining facilities. It is important to note that many of these dining facilities are considered upscale restaurants. In addition to a sit-down restaurant, there area usually a number of small eateries located onboard. Elegant dining restaurants are popular among cruisers. To ensure that you are able to enjoy an elegant meal, you are encouraged to schedule a reservation as soon as you board the ship.

Aside from dining facilities, bars and dancehalls are also found on most cruise ships. As with most of the bars and dancehalls found on land, there may be age restrictions in place. If you are traveling with your family, they may have to complete other activities while you enjoy the nightlight over the seas. If this should occur, you are in luck because most cruise ships have daycare centers and other activities geared towards children of all ages.

When it comes to placing your child in the care of a ship’s daycare center, you are urged to quickly familiarize yourself with the staff. This familiarization may help to calm your nerves. It is also important to note that cruise ship employees are often closely monitored, highly educated, and properly trained. While it may be difficult at first, you should feel comfortable leaving your child in the care of a cruise ship childcare worker.

Childcare is ideal for smaller children; however, if you are traveling with a teenager, daycare may not be an option. Swimming pools, libraries, video arcades, and movie theaters can often be found on cruise ships. Adult supervision is a policy that prevents children under a certain age from roaming freely around the ship.
Teenagers may be able to visit these facilities without adult supervision. Each cruise ship is likely to have different adult supervision policies. You are encouraged to review these policies before purchasing your tickets.

In addition to the above mentioned bars and dancehalls, gaming halls or casinos can be found on most cruise ships. As with gambling on land, there are age limits on those that can gamble aboard a cruise ship. Popular gambling activities include slots, blackjack, poker, and much more. Many onboard casinos are open for business twenty-four hours a day. Gambling is a popular cruise ship pastime. If you are booking a cruise just to gamble, you may want to further explore the gambling options aboard each ship.

Cruise ship operators know that many travelers take a cruise to escape their daily routines. Unfortunately for some, one routine that cannot be left behind is exercise. That is why almost all cruise ships have onsite fitness centers and fully equipped gyms. These gyms are often similar, and sometimes even better, than the gyms found in your hometown. In addition to a fitness center, a large number of cruise ships have jogging tracks.

If a particular activity or event is the only reason why you are interested in booking a cruise, you are urged to physically check for that event or activity before making your reservation. The above mentioned services, facilities, and activities are found on a number of popular cruise lines. These cruise lines are likely to include, but are not limited to, Carnival Cruise Lines, Paradise Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity Cruises. With the click of a mouse or a toll free phone call, you can easily determine if your favorite activities can be found aboard the cruise ship of your choice.

Are you a hardworking college student? If so, are you looking forward to spring break? Spring break is an extended break that all college students in the United States are granted. Unlike holiday breaks, spring break is often a time to vacation, let loose, and have fun with your friends.

Selecting a bring break destination is a fairly easy process. There are a large number of college students who flock to the most popular spring break destinations. These destinations include Cancun, South Beach, the Bahamas, or Panama City. Each of these destinations is famous for their sunny weather and amazing nightlife. Despite their popularity, these beaches often become overcrowded during spring break. If you are interested in swaying away from the norm, you may want to consider spending your spring break aboard a cruise ship.

When it comes to cruise ships, many individuals mistakenly believe they are only for family vacations or romantic getaways. The truth is that you can take a cruise at just about any point in your life and go just about anywhere you want. That includes spring break. If you are interested in spending your break partying and enjoying life, you do not have to worry. There are a number of cruise lines that have cruise ships that are just for you.

To find a cruise ship that allows adventure, partying, and all-around fun, you will need to do a little bit of research. This research involves familiarizing yourself with popular cruise lines and the ships they offer. If you are looking to examine popular cruise lines, you are encouraged to learn more about Celebrity Cruises, Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean, or Costa Cruises. In addition to these well-know cruise lines, it is likely that you will come across additional cruise lines offering fun filled cruises, all around the world.

When you are searching for a cruise ship that offers excitement and adventure, you are encouraged to stay away from ships that target families. Family cruises are often limited on the amount of gambling or alcohol assumption that goes on. If gambling and alcohol consumption is allowed, excess amounts are often frowned upon. To avoid confrontation, you are encouraged to stay away from these family cruise lines. That is unless you plan on spending your spring break with your family.

In addition to family cruises, you may want to avoid cruise ships that target couples. These romantic cruises are often geared towards couples that are interested in experiencing a romantic and relaxing cruise. If you are traveling with your partner, a romantic cruise may be acceptable for your needs. Gambling and alcohol consumption is allowed aboard most romantic cruises, but excessive amounts are also often frowned upon.

To find the perfect cruise ship for your summer vacation, you are encouraged to find a cruise ship that targets those seeking adventures. In addition to offering exciting onboard activities, you are likely to find that the land adventures are just as fun. Many party cruises or adventure cruises dock in well-known ports. These ports may have activities that are just what you are looking for.

Spending your vacation aboard a cruise ship is the perfect way to enjoy your break. This unique vacation experience will often eliminate overcrowded beaches and unsafe adventures. Aboard a cruise ship you can safely enjoy your break, while having fun at the same time.

Don't expect much from Antarctic Dream and you may be only moderately disappointed. "Antarctic Nightmare" was how some passengers described the trip. That might have been overly dramatic, but "amateurish operation" (an extremely frequent description) is certainly apt. One often had the impression that the staff and company had been told what a quality cruise experience was like, and they tried to accomplish that without having much of an idea of how to do so.

For our cruise, many of the amenities promised were not provided (Internet, laundry service, functioning gym equipment, helicopter on board, helicopter ride in Antarctica, included cocktails, airport transfers, movies on demand, in room security box, visit to Cape Horn [they cited immigration laws], and much more). In addition, there were substantial mechanical problems that rendered much of the ship uninhabitable, left us dead in the water for a time, and additionally cost many hours of time diverting for parts. The staff did not make much (if any) apology for these omissions and problems and did little if anything to ameliorate the negative impacts. As an example, the diesel fumes made it impossible to stay long in the conference room for most passengers (and most the lecturers). Rather than move the lectures to a different room where sufficient space and AV equipment was available, they insisted on keeping the lectures in the conference room with extremely low attendance and frequent complaints of headaches and nausea from those who endured the room.

There is almost no air circulation on the lower (Amundsen) deck of cabins. This compounds the problem of mold caused by the inverted tilt of 4 of 5 bathrooms I saw. (Instead of sloping toward the drain, the floor slopes away. With nowhere else to go, shower water slowly seeps through the bathroom wall and into the bedroom carpet where it allows mold colonies to flourish. With the lack of air circulation, it stays moist.) On the Amundsen (lower) Deck what they describe as "window or porthole" really means a seven inch porthole. On the Shackleton (main) deck, cabin 236 (and likely 237) should be avoided- the noise level was over 50 dB and the vibration so strong that the ceiling panels and moulding shake free.

The number of landings was significantly curtailed by our departure 10 hours late (announced 24 hours in advance and never explained nor apologized for), the slow speeds due to the mechanical problems and a diversion to pick up repair parts, a surprise 4-6 hour diversion to pick up cargo (this is the Antarctic Shipping company, after all), and poor planning. Landings were never over 2 hours (and often reduced in length once we were ashore) and were often obviously of low quality- of our 8 landings in Antarctica, two were after sunset. One was a 30 minute stop on a barren beach to allow those who wished to do so to take a dip in the geothermal waters. We certainly did not guess that we would spend 14 days on this ship for only 5 daytime landings with fauna! As another example of the frustration of their poor planning and lack of adaptability, we spent many, many hours of a gorgeous day going in circles waiting for another ship to leave one beach rather than going to a site just a few miles (under 40 minutes) away. The alternative site was described by guidebooks as the gem of the region. Days later we attempted to land there and were told we could not due to the 10-15 kt winds.

Our cabin was rarely cleaned (the bathroom was cleaned once in the 14 day cruise), our bed linens were not changed at all despite repeated requests, and we were only provided one change of towels (again, despite repeated requests).

If you consider this cruise, keep in mind that the crew, housekeeping, and the wait-staff speak extremely limited (if any) English. Knowledge of Spanish is perhaps not required, but certainly makes for a less frustrating experience. They refuse to print or post a menu (either in Spanish or English) and the waitstaff must take orders for meals. If your Spanish vocabulary is not expansive enough to include "krill pie," anticipate difficulties.