Senior Cruises

By Brian A Schmidt
Publisher, www.a1-discount-cruises.com

Some say that senior cruising is dull, boring. Nothing could be further from the truth. These people are just not informed. 

Seniors and younger guests alike can certainly enjoy themselves in very many ways aboard today’s luxury floating hotels. And the last thing they are is dull and boring.

There are so many activities aboard cruise ships that anyone can find that they have little time to just sit and relax. Now if sitting and relaxing is what you want to do you couldn’t find a better venue than on a cruise ship.

There are lounges and chairs spread around on many of the outdoor decks. On the interior decks there are sports bars, piano bars, intimate lounges, libraries, games rooms and open areas with comfortable chairs to relax.

But if you want activities, just keep your ears open for the on-board announcements. Or read the daily newsletter to plan which activities you would like to take part in. Here’s a sample of “Today at a Glance” from the newsletter we received while on a recent Holland America cruise to the Southern Caribbean and the Panama Canal:

7:00 a.m. Sunrise Stretch – Greenhouse Spa deck 9

7:30 a.m. Fitness Class – Greenhouse Spa deck 9

8:00 a.m. Mass is Celebrated – Hudson Room deck 3 Indoor Cycling – Greenhouse Spa deck 9 Morning Tai Chi – Lido Poolside deck 9 aft

9:00 a.m. Aqua aerobics – Lido Pool deck 9 midship Fitness Class – Yoga – Greenhouse Spa deck 9 Rolling in Dough – Culinary Arts Center deck 2

10:00 a.m. Travel Guide Lance Presents: Caribbean Pirates – Vista Lounge decks 1&2 Learn to Waltz – Northern Lights deck 2 Acupuncture Seminar – Ocean Bar deck 3 Steel Drum Class – Lido Deck aft deck 9 Fitness Class: Body Sculpt Bootcamp – Greenhouse Spa deck 9 Bridge Players Meet – Stuyvesant Room deck 3

And this list goes on right through until 11:30 p.m. that particular day. Each day there are different activities. You couldn’t possibly attend all of the activities because there are so many things to do.

And the above lists don’t even include the various port-of-call that you could be stopping at. During one cruise you could visit many places with diverse and interesting cultures.

And the beaches… Oh, the beaches… When you live in an inland northern part of the world the winters can be long, cold and bleak. But a Caribbean Cruise can put a huge bright spot into your winter doldrums.

Cruise lines research the available tours and beaches to offer what they feel would be the safest and most interesting tours for you. Many of these tours sell out fast so if you are interested in any tour you had best book it early.

There are cruises today to virtually all parts of the world. What would appeal to you? Would a cruise of the Mediterranean excite you? How about Tahiti or Hawaii? Perhaps an Alaskan cruise would fascinate you. What about the Orient? Does Australia and New Zealand sound interesting? Or a cruise up the Amazon? Or would you like to take a relaxing cruise on the Caribbean?

So many to choose… So little time!

I mentioned at the start that today’s cruise ships are like luxury floating resort hotels. And as such you will be well looked after. The staff are trained to pamper their guests and to ensure that guests are enjoying themselves.

There are many dining options aboard the mega ships. And the cuisine is mouth watering. Although there may be a few restaurants that you will pay a small fee to eat in the rest are all included in your cruise price.

Each night there is entertainment in the cruise ships’ various lounges. Entertainers are brought on board to provide comedy, music and just plain magic. Some of the entertainers are cruise passengers as well.

Part of the over-all enjoyment of cruising is in the planning. Looking over all of the various cruise lines, cruise ships and itineraries can shed some sunshine in you even when there is a snow squall outside.

Once the cruise is chosen you can choose your stateroom type and even location in many cases. Then there are the shore excursions – the ones we talked about earlier.

You can spend days if you wish just going through all of the information available to you. That keeps the mind active, eh? ;-)

During your cruise you will meet many very interesting people. If you get contact information you can keep in touch with these people long after your cruise. Remember, there are no strangers – just friends you have not yet met.

Cruising can be the greatest pastime of all. You can spend a month or so planning for your cruise. Then spend a month or so preparing for your cruise. Next spend your time enjoying your cruise. And finally spend the rest of the year (until your next cruise of course) keeping up to date with your new friends.

Or, your can just grab a last minute cruise and be gone in a flash!

Brian A Schmidt is publisher and author of a Cruise Vacation website. Home to Brian is a small community in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. As a long-time Construction Manager Brian had not taken many vacations during his busy career. But now he and his wife of over 35 years thoroughly enjoy cruise vacationing – especially Caribbean Cruises during the long, cold, snowy… winters!