Holidays on a Cruise are a Celebration of Life

If you are yearning to embark on one of the many cruises from Southampton that sail the seven seas then you probably have an understanding that a holiday is more than a simple exercise in relaxation. It is an opportunity to explore the world and celebrate life in style. There is something of the festival about this type of holiday. It is a chance to dress up and be merry. Of course, the Venetians with their masked balls were the masters at putting on a feast fit for a king. The idea behind the masks was that they could remain anonymous whilst letting their hair down with a group of like minded people. You might be heading for the sun on one of the Royal Caribbean cruises and you will want to be seeing the rich landscape and culture of that part of the world a well as enjoying the luxury onboard. These holidays give you the chance to put on your glad rags, knowing that everybody else you encounter is also there to relax and enjoy themselves too. The masked ball celebrations from Venetian times were usually adult only events and a chance for grown-ups to paint the town red. Likewise, some holidaymakers, such as those opting for one of the P&O cruises can relax in an adult only environment. The company has a couple of ships catering for this type of atmosphere as well as other ships offering more fun for the whole family.

"Spent 14 luxurious nights on board the Ventura in April / May, sailing from Southampton. Once we arrived in the mediterranean there was 10 days on unbroken sunshine, just what we wanted. The ship, our balcony cabin, food, drinks and the entertainment we all excellent." - Longley, Huddersfield on 15th Sep 2009 (P&O Cruises)

Carnival Time

Celebrations such as the Venetian masked ball which was part of the Carnival of Venice originated in the 11th Century but many private parties and festivals today include this tradition. There is something luxurious about the idea of donning a hand crafted mask for a glitzy party that has never lost favour. It is the same with luxury liners. Celebrity cruises often set sail with to nearly a hundred and fifty locations around the world and pride themselves on creating a modern day but luxury experience that harks back years to the first ocean liners with their grand ballrooms and opulent décor. The best carnivals around the world still retain a sense of history and a sense of tradition when a party was a big event in the social calendar and a holiday on the seas meant evenings of glamour and pampering. Many liners still have a carnival atmosphere which is an important aspect of the ship leaving the dock and setting sail on a voyage of discovery. Cunard cruises offer traditional holiday on luxury ships. There is, on these holidays at sea, a sense of occasion which adds to the enjoyment. Dinner is not just a change to eat, just like celebrating at a Venetian masked ball is not just a fancy dress party. It is an occasion which everybody recognises as having style, class and perhaps a touch of old world charm to it. If everybody is making the same effort together then there is a sparkle in the air and a night to remember is perhaps in order.

"All the staff were wonderful, our waiter Edwin and Jefferson were very friendly and the bar staff were great. The youth staff were very good and the kids loved them, especially the lady that was in charge (sorry font know their names) from Canada and the slim lady with long brown curly hair." - Harvey, Rotherham on 15th Sep 2009 (Celebrity Cruises)

A Sense of Occasion

Caribbean cruises not only transport passengers in style but open up a sun-drenched world rich in vibrancy. All the senses are opened when you travel in luxury to some of the most beautiful places on earth and they can be inspiring places to visit. People do not want to settle for a simple package holiday always where they are simply lounging around on a beach. There is a higher expectation for enjoyment in this fast paced hedonistic time. Even companies are putting on more and more elaborate functions to reward and celebrate their success with their employees. The carnival spirit of the Venetian masked ball is alive and kicking as a top choice for companies to get to know each other better in a fun and exuberant way. Traditional parties are all the rage and there is something that feels special about an event that harks back to what many see as the good old days. Fred Olsen cruises offer the seafaring holidaymaker a touch of British class with a smaller more intimate experience and there is a growing trend for holidays or functions to have a specific niche aspect to them especially as there is so much more choice with ships and venues. People don not necessarily want to go out to a party that is just a generic get-together. It is far more fun to spice things up with a masked ball or something that brings out that sense of occasion.

"Had a fantastic time. the ship was very clean in all areas, the food was fantastic in the britannia but in the lido the food was good but not always hot. I would recomend you do private excursions if you want to visit Rome, Florence/Pisa, thats what we did and we saw all the sights." - James, West Brom on 14th Sep 2009 (Cunard Cruises)

A Chance to Celebrate with Glamour and Glitz

The attractive thing about a masked ball is just being able to marvel at the hand crafted work that goes into them. If they have been sourced directly from Italy then they will have an authenticity about them that is going to dazzle on the ballroom floor. Italian design, food and style have an immediate sense of celebration. MSC cruises incorporate this Italian style into their ships. The crew come from Italy and therefore the cuisine is authentically Italian. The Venetian masks which are donned by partygoers from all over the world are rich with ostrich feathers, rhinestones and peacock designs as they mimic the characters from the famous theatrical characters of the time such as Columbina and Harlequin. In the past, the masks would allow interaction between different social classes more easily but these days there is a more relaxed structure perhaps and people live in an international world. Onboard NCL cruises passengers can hop from an Italian trattoria to a French bistro to a Japanese sushi bar. All across the world the urge to celebrate with food and conversation in convivial surroundings has been ever-present. On ocean liners there is often less of a demand to dress up as there was in the past but even younger, more relaxed types love the opportunity to glam things up, whether a ball with an ornate mask or a casual but classy dinner, perhaps onboard an American style liner on one of the Princess cruises. Life truly is a celebration.

"It was to be my most adventurous holiday yet - South America! There are some places that you might not want to go on your own and a long journey such as this to such unusual places was perhaps one of them, therefore I decided to book with Cruise and Dance which is run by top professionals Warren and Jane Bullock." - Johnson, Lower Penn on 15th Sep 2009 (Royal Caribbean Cruises)