There’s more on board than on shore
IF IT offers more restaurants than a seaside resort and even more things to do, it can be hard to tear yourself away for a jaunt ashore when your cruise ship docks. And different ships have their own unique selling points to keep guests on board.
Galleria Virtuosa, the 370ft-long, two-deck-high indoor promenade on dazzling new mega-ship MSC Virtuosa (msccruises.co.uk), with a glamorous Italian feel, is the place to see and be seen. Here you can sip a cappucino, browse alluring boutiques, enjoy an aperitivo or dance under the domed ceiling that twinkles like a night sky.
Sashay down glass staircases embedded with 61,000 Swarovski crystals and go for a cocktail in the futuristic Starship Club, where Rob, a funny-faced robot who speaks eight languages, will mix you a cocktail at the touch of a screen. Want an adrenaline rush? Head to the waterpark with heart-stopping water slides, go Formula 1 racing on a simulator or battle zombies in a 4D theatre.
The biggest ship built for British holidaymakers is Iona, the new flagship of P& O Cruises (pocruises.com). A firm focus on home-grown food and drinks and entertainments means the first distillery at sea not only supplies the ship with gin, it is the place for tasting masterclasses. There are 30 places to eat, and selected voyages have cookery demonstrations by celebrity chefs such as Marco Pierre White. Take That’s Gary Barlow is musical director of the 710 Club, its live music venue. Daring aerial acrobatic shows take place in the enormous Sky Dome and there is a fourscreen cinema. Special deals for spa treatments on port days are another reason to stay on board.
For more than 180 years Cunard (cunard.com) has learnt the art of keeping passengers occupied and entertained on l ong sea voyages, so it is no surprise that Queen Mary 2 is renowned for top-notch speakers on her oneweek transatlantic crossings.
In addition, occasional themed cruises such as a Literature At Sea, Theatre Festival At Sea or Fashion Week At Sea give unsurpassed opportunities to hear and learn from, and be entertained by the ultimate experts in their fields, at lectures, performances and workshops that are so engaging and absorbing you might even miss docking in New York.