Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Cruising has changed since my first sailing in Back then, dinner was served in formal dining rooms at assigned communal tables.
An evening dress code was enforced and there was at least one formal night. Entertainment leaned to s show tunes, reflecting the age of passengers. Midnight buffets and pool games were the norm.
Today, more families are cruising, dining and dress codes are flexible, and ships have grown to mammoth proportions β often with crowded, noisy, public spaces. Mega-ships carry thousands of passengers, offer low basic fares and are loaded with high-adrenalin activities β drop coasters, surf riders, video arcades β for an extra fee.
Enjoy some dinners in the extra-pay restaurants, hit the arcade, sign up for the Wi-Fi, take some shore excursions, and your final tally can be thousands of dollars more than the initial fare. Yes, it costs more, but much more is included. Wine and beer with lunch and dinner, dining in specialty restaurants, a shore excursion in every port, Wi-Fi, some spa facilities, even the self-serve laundry, are all included.
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