Cruise Holidays - Attheta Travel

The trend in cruise ship dining is to give passengers a greater choice of venues, including specialty restaurants. Still, most ships maintain a main dining room that delivers reliably delicious food. It’s typically a large, sit-down restaurant with a multicourse menu and attentive waiter service. Most serve breakfast, lunch (sometimes only on days at sea) and dinner, changing the menu daily. Breakfast and lunch are usually open seating during set hours. Dinner is often more structured, with a choice of two assigned seating times (you’ll be expected to arrive promptly). Whether you’ve just booked your first cruise or are looking forward to your 20th, here are some tips that will help you make the most of your time in the main dining room. Meals in the main dining room are included in your cruise fare. So, go ahead and order the lobster, or any other dish that you would usually shy away from due to the cost. Or, try something you’ve never tried before. Escargot? Roasted tofu? You ma...

The island nations of Australia and New Zealand are often paired in people’s minds and on cruise itineraries – but in reality, New Zealand couldn’t be more different from its neighbor to the west. Rugged mountains and deep valleys, thermal features, Maori culture and pastures full of grazing sheep are all part of what makes it unique. Plus, New Zealand is long and narrow and most of the country is close to a coast, which makes it perfect to explore via cruise. While New Zealand is a featured stop on some South Pacific cruises, world cruises and repositioning cruises, other cruises really focus on New Zealand. Some sail roundtrip from Auckland, or from home ports on the east coast of Australia. So, where can you go and what can you see on a New Zealand-intensive cruise? Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, has a harbor full of yachts and a maritime culture. There’s a great aquarium, museums, gardens and the Sky Tower. You can tour historic villages and black-sand beach...

Experienced cruisers may find it hard to believe, but this is a real objection travel agents hear from people who have never taken a cruise: “I’m afraid I’ll be bored.” Some people think there’s not much to do on a cruise ship. Once they take a cruise, they know: cruise ships are very well equipped with amenities and activities that invite you be as busy as you like. In fact, it can take a whole day just to explore the amenities of a ship: pools and hot tubs, sports decks, fitness centers, shops, spas, lounges, internet cafes, libraries, theaters and more. Some larger ships combine all that with incredible features like water parks, ropes courses, observation pods, skating rinks and bowling alleys. Here are just a few of the things you can do to keep boredom at bay while you’re on board. ·          Take an exercise class in the ship’s fitness center (exercise is always more fun in a group). ·       ...

It’s good to know your ABCs, especially when they are Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, the “ABC Islands” of the Southern Caribbean. Aruba, where cruise ships dock in the capital city of Oranjestad, is the most-visited of the three. If you haven’t cruised there yet, there are some things that may surprise you about Aruba: ·          While the island has a European flavor, thanks to Spanish and Dutch colonists, it’s just a few miles off the northern coast of South America. ·          Aruba lies well south of the path of most hurricanes that enter the Caribbean. ·          Aruba is an arid island with plenty of cactus. It’s the Caribbean island with the least annual rainfall and the most sunny days, too. There’s a lot to do on Aruba, but the beaches are the real star of the island. The soft white sand has a high crushed shell content that keeps it cool on your fee...

Some think that river cruising – with its leisurely pace and emphasis on the attractions on shore, rather than on the ship – is only fun for people older than they are. So, you may be surprised to learn that a growing number of people in their 20s and 30s are choosing river cruise vacations. In fact, river cruise lines have put some thoughtful effort into appealing to the Millennial generation. After all, one study found that 36% of Millennials (in this case, defined as ages 18-38) are interested in taking a river cruise during the next 12 months. Why are more Millennials looking at river cruises? Perhaps because they want something new and different, and river cruises are different from the ocean cruises they may have taken with their parents. Another theory is that Millennials enjoy experiencing the culture of a destination, and river cruises offer more time on shore, with opportunities to explore authentic sights that are off the beaten path. Accordingly, river cruise o...