Industrial size amounts of fun on a cruise you will remember

If you work hard at your job then you will appreciate how nice it is to have a complete break from it every now and again, and take some time out to just relax and enjoy yourself. If you either run your own business or are part of a purchasing team in a larger enterprise, things can get stressful at times. When it is grey and cold outside your office window, thoughts of Caribbean cruises can be very appealing. There are a number of well known companies operating luxury liners in this area as well as many other regions around the world, and we will be taking a look at some of the destinations you can visit as well as what different types of activities there are to do, both onboard ship and on shore excursions. All the crew on a large vessel obviously wear a smart uniform and in much the same way as it does for any group of workers, this helps to make them stand out from everyone else. Celebrity cruises, along with other reputable lines, place great emphasis on high standards of service throughout their ships and both the general crew and the members of staff who attend to you in the many restaurants onboard their ships, are immaculately turned out in smart attire. While you are at sea, whoever you travel with, you should find that your every need is well looked after, leaving you free to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy every minute.

"My wife and I have just returned from an extremely enjoyable journey with RCI on board Independence. This was our first venture cruising in Mediterranean waters." - David, Edinburgh on 28th Sep 2009 (Royal Caribbean Cruises)

What type of people are these holidays for?

You may be forgiven for thinking that the only type of people that go on voyages across the sea for their holidays, with lines like Cunard cruises and others, are those from the older generation who have plenty of time on their hands and are quite wealthy. Although this may have been close to the truth a couple of decades ago, nowadays you will find people from all walks of life on your average ship. For travellers who still like the idea of spending a couple of weeks with a group of people sharing similar interests there are many themed trips that you can go on. The captain of the ship on Royal Caribbean cruises, and their major competitors, will always lead by example and be one of the best dressed people on board the vessel. When you look at the uniforms worn by the ship’s officers and the crew, you can see that if all members of staff at a company wear similar clothing, it can create a more cohesive unit, and the fact that all levels of the hierarchy, from senior management down, are included, means that nobody feels inferior. If you would like to look your best while on holiday you will find that Princess cruises and some other lines run special membership schemes you may join that entitle you to a free dry cleaning and laundry service as well as a complimentary shoe polishing service, among other benefits. These can be well worthwhile for frequent travellers.

"As this was our first cruise we have nothing with which to compare it, but having said that we thoroughly enjoyed our cruise. As we sailed from Venice we made a good decision in having 3 days there prior to sailing as there would have been precious little time to see anything of venice otherwise. We were very pleased with everything on the cruise, the food, the staff who were all extremely courteous and attentive, the entertainment and activities and excursions." - Lingwood, Helston on 28th Sep 2009 (Royal Caribbean Cruises)

What about the destinations?

As far as where you can visit, the possibilities are almost limitless. Apart from the more traditional trips such as transatlantic crossings and island hopping adventures in the tropics there are a host of other places you could go to. If you have never been on this type of break before then MSC cruises are one of the companies that do a short two day journey starting and finishing at Durban, which you could mix with a land-based holiday to give yourself a taster first. While you will most likely not need to take a pair of safety boots with you on your trip, a good sturdy pair of walking boots may be handy if you are planning on participating in some of the more active shore excursions, like treks through the rainforest of the Sierra Madre in Mexico for example. Studying how other firms approach their corporate uniform policies can be enlightening when you are travelling in foreign lands and P&O cruises among others, have tours around the Orient, that take in countries such as Japan and Thailand where company uniforms are very popular and a common sight. Apart from making the staff stand out in a crowd, they can often help with making them feel like they are really part of the team which often leads to increased commitment in the workplace. Rather than finding it an embarrassing encumbrance, many take pride in their work clothes and a similar pride in the company that they are employed by.

"We had an outside cabin with balcony both of which had more than enough room. The cabin steward was great and could not do enough for us. We went on most of the offered excusions and were not dissapointed with any of them. They were well organised. Activities were numourous with so much to do or not as you wished. There was no time that we were bored. Entertainment was wonderful with something different each night. Overall a an amazing cruise." - Whitehouse, Coventry on 28th Sep 2009 (P&O Cruises)

What to do when you are all at sea

The type of boat you are sailing on and now big it is will obviously have a bearing on what there is to do onboard. NCL cruises are one of the operators that have many different vessels carrying passengers around the globe, of varying size. Depending on the length of holiday you choose and the route your ship takes, there is a chance you may spend a day or two at sea without touching land. Even if you do not, you will of course spend a fair amount of time enjoying the facilities that your ship has to offer. A look behind the scenes can be fascinating as well. It takes a large number of people to run a luxury liner and all those uniforms do not wash themselves of course. On Fred Olsen cruises and the other major companies, you will find that even the staff responsible for cleaning will be smartly dressed, in order to promote a feeling of pride in their work. Anyone involved in maintenance tasks will be equipped with the right safety apparatus of course, which as you will know is a very important part of making their lives easier and safer. There are usually casinos with croupiers in their traditional clothing as well as spas and gyms attended by qualified staff, again they often wear clothes sporting a company logo and in the corporate colours. They will be issued with warm clothing too if on cruises from Southampton and you should take some too.

"We were so very well looked after with excellent service throughout. Clean. Good food. Well organised apart from disembarkation transit to airport checkin." - Doggett, DISS on 28th Sep 2009 (Costa Cruises)