Enjoy show business
Whether your taste runs to lavish Broadway productions or a string quartet playing in a quiet lounge, you’ll find an incredible variety of entertainment at sea. There is everything from live music and standup comedy to Cirque du Soleil-type dinner shows, big-name speakers and crew shows. Shiploads of talented artists perform on ships of all sizes and styles. There are also entire cruises dedicated to music, dance, drama, movies and comedy.
Fun for families
the most popular, so get in early for free lessons from experts on digital photography, editing and blogging.
Encounter wildlife
Whether you dream of swimming with whale sharks or seeing polar bears in the wild, a cruise can make that dream come true. Mainstream, luxury and adventure lines offer a huge variety of shore excursions that involve close encounters and unforgettable photo opportunities with all sorts of animals and birds. Top of the list for wildlifespotting cruise destinations are Alaska, Antarctica, Borneo, Costa Rica, the Galapagos Islands and the Arctic.
Get back to nature
Many nervous solo travellers make lifelong friends after taking their first cruise. And if you don’t want to pay the single supplement and don’t mind sharing with a stranger, some companies organise same-sex cabin sharing.
Explore special interests
Meeting like-minded people is one reason why themed cruises are booming. Expert-led workshops, hands-on classes and specially tailored shore excursions add to the appeal and there’s a wide selection of themed ocean and river cruises to choose from. Gardening, golf, food and wine, photography, comedy and music are the most popular but more specialised topics are also covered (crafts, marathon-running, genealogy, to name just three).
Just like home
If you’re concerned about travelling to remote places where you don’t speak the language or worried about sightseeing on your own, cruising provides an easy solution. Shore excursions organised by river and ocean ships are led by Englishspeaking guides and onboard meals cater for western tastes, as well as offering regional dishes when you’re cruising in places such as Asia and the Middle East.
Find romance