Why I love to cruise!

I’ve written about cruising from so many different angles, trying to offer advice for 1 st time cruise goers and give a flavour of whats on offer, on an average day or evening. The thing is, there really isn’t an average, every day is different and I think that’s why I love cruising as a holiday/vacation so much. From the moment you wake and open those curtains to the new vista, or wander on deck to see the new port, is where a new adventure starts for that day. Even if it’s a sea day (the days when you don’t port) they are all different. This is down to the variety of activities, the places to eat, excursions, staff, fellow cruise goers, and the entertainment on offer.

Last week I spent three nights onboard NCL’s (Norwegian Cruise Line) newly refurbished cruise ship named Epic. I was there to experience a mini cruise going from Barcelona to Rome, with a stopover at Naples.

So whats so different about NCL – Norwegian Cruise Line?

I got to say this was the most relaxed and chilled cruise line company I have ever experienced, and I have been left with that as a lasting impression. I never felt rushed, under or over dressed, or out-of-place. I could imagine if I was on holiday with my family, we could get involved in as a little or as much as we wanted. This relaxed feeling is mainly due to the NCL ‘Feel Free’ philosophy I think. Free from rigid schedules, and the freedom to make the holiday your own. I think cruising really has changed in recent years, its had to, as our expectations for holidays have changed. So if you either haven’t ever tried cruising , or were put off it because of an experience you had a few years ago, I’d recommend you give it another try.

Entertainment

One of the things the NCL prides itself on is its entertainment. I’ve got to say it was a truly heady mix of things we saw and took part in over the four days. One thing that came across strongly, was that the crew were definitely professional, enthusiastic, and full of showmanship!

My highlight I think was two of the shows, first up Burn the Floor.

If you are looking for toe tapping high energy then this is the show for you. Can you remember when as a kid, you would leave the cinema thinking you could be whatever the profession was shown in the film. I remember seeing Fame the movie, dancing all the way home filled with dreams of being a dancer. Burn the Floor left me feeling exactly the same!

For something more intimate and very unusual, we were treated to an evening of magic and circus acts whilst enjoying a meal at the Cirque Dream in the Spiegel Tent. The combination of the two was something I haven’t ever experienced before, great fun!

Set at two levels, we were on the balcony so had a great almost birds eye view of some of the action. Fast paced circus performances, that have you so enthralled you barely notice the food. It even has audience participation which had everyone laughing.

Dining

It’s impossible to to list all of the dining options available, everything from classic French, Italian, sushi, both formal and buffet style.

The next three photograph below give you an indication of the ‘inclusive’ breakfasts on offer.

Spinach pancakes with smoked salmon and cream cheese

We did sample speciality dining too (so not within the ‘inclusive’ dining package) in the evening, for which there is an extra cost per person. On the final night we were at the speciality Teppanyaki restaurant, which is fun entertainment as well as a place to eat. The food was well cooked, and there were multiple dishes and courses, all cooked at our table with flair and great humour.

Reservations?

Some of the cafes and places like O’Sheehans Irish Pub and snacks are always open throughout the day and night, and of course you can order room service too. If you would like to make a reservation to eat at a specific restaurant you are spoilt for choice on ways to do this. There is an APP, digital touchscreens, and hostess podiums outside of all of the restaurants.

I’ve been asked if speciality dining is worth the extra price a few times now. This is quite a hard question. For me I would say definitely yes, as it gives you the ability to have more choice, especially as I am a vegetarian, a bit of a foodie and a person who like to try new things. I think you would be well catered for, not doing speciality dining. I did spot you could buy speciality dining packages, to keep the costs down which is a good idea.

It’s also interesting to note, that if you are dining with children, they can order off the complimentary kids menu at no charge, whilst in a speciality restaurant.

Drinks Packages:

We had a full drinks package whilst we were there, you can also order purely soft drinks packages too. Having flexibility to have a frozen cocktail whilst by the side of the pool, a brandy or glass of wine with a meal, without thinking about the extra charges you were racking up, would influence me to consider this as an option.

Family Fun

Facilities for families is another aspect I was impressed with. It’s interesting to hear that the European families tended not to use the children clubs as much as others. The fact the decks were alive with many children laughing, swimming and putting good use to the water slides and pools was testament to that. They were all there enjoying the sun together as a family, it made the ship feel young and very vibrant! A few yards away though was the adult only areas if you prefer to be in a quieter environment.

Other facilities include a bowling alley…on a cruise ship, I know it sounds crazy!

There are organised children’s clubs that your children can dip in and out of, from ages 3-12, with a teenager club they can sign themselves in and out of too. This is also available for 10-12 year olds, but needs to be arranged with their parents/guardians.

All of the kids programmes are complimentary and supervised, but the age of your child is strictly adhered to in terms of which group they can attend. Children as young as 6 months are allowed on board, and the Guppies programme is for babies and toddlers from 6 months to 2 years and their parents to enjoy. It offers up to two hours a day of fun things like nursery rhymes, messy painting.

The children’s areas definitely looked and felt like a safe and environment and I liked how the port or country you were in, influenced some of the play throughout the day. We didn’t actually see the programme in action but there are things like sports, parties and games.

If you enjoyed this post, there is more on offer on my travel blog, We Blog Travel, including a video of my time onboard NCL’s Epic cruise ship and a day out in Naples.

Huge thanks to NCL for asking me on board, and to Emily at A Mummy Too.

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Comments

Louise says

June 20, 2016 at 4:25 pm

Sounds amazing. I was all set on booking a Royal Caribbean cruise but now having second thoughts. Will check out Norwegian too!

- Amanda Cottingham says
  
  June 26, 2016 at 12:50 pm
  
  Please do, I think they both have lots to offer but have a totally different feel to one another! let me know go for, I’d love to know 🙂
  
Jasmine says

June 22, 2016 at 2:46 am

Great tips! I’m planning on taking my young daughter away for a trip. Booking a cruise seems a good idea now!

- Amanda Cottingham says
  
  June 26, 2016 at 12:53 pm
  
  It really is, I think the beauty of them is visiting so many different places, without having to keep packing and unpacking. There is so much to do and see, you might need another holiday to recover 😉
  
Sarah Christie says

July 10, 2016 at 11:02 am

I love cruising, we all do, in fact we haven’t cruised for a couple of years and am getting real withdrawal symptoms. NCL looks so much fun our boys would love those slides, and I think I might just love them too. Glad you had a fab time I followed you on instagram it looked fab, xx

Brian says

October 13, 2016 at 6:52 pm

Looks like an awesome trip! I loved looking at all your pictures, especially the food. Thanks for sharing your experience!

Kaitlyn says

November 1, 2016 at 6:34 pm

Wow! It looks like you had such a fun trip! All of the entertainment and food options are definitely benefits to cruising.

Shelly says

February 16, 2017 at 2:34 pm

The spinach pancakes look delicious. Just gave me an idea of a healthy family breakfast. And everything else looks so perfect too. I think family cruising is a great way to have vacation with family.

Dean says

August 8, 2017 at 9:34 am

Looks like an incredibly family-friendly cruise and perfect for small kids as well as older ones. I love their soft play area. Glad you had such a great time!

dOLOS says

November 13, 2017 at 7:51 am

Cruise aren’t for everyone but most people do really enjoy them. It’s funny, one of the biggest barriers to cruising is for people to actually take their first cruise. There’s a static in the cruise industry that is something like well over 90% of first-time cruisers say they want to return for another cruise.

keli says

May 23, 2018 at 12:00 pm

I’ve always heard amazing things about cruises but have never been on one. Seems like a great way to travel and have an adventure on a budget.

Jurgen says

September 29, 2018 at 9:15 am

Love cruising because it makes so easy to visit several places in a single trip without the need to repack your belongings and sit in a car/train/bus/plane to travel to each one; your hotel room comes along with you, and even provides the transportation.

Why I love to cruise!

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