Are you thinking what to wear on a cruise ship?

Cruises for everyone and every age

The idea that cruises are for the old folk has been completely taken apart in recent years as bigger, better equipped ships have been launched to bring a new kind of experience to the latest generation of holiday adventurer. These are the guys and girls who will be online ordering their new urban clothing for the new seasons and making sure they are right up to the mark with their friends. The sort of urban clothing on the market includes hoodies, hats, scarves and even the sort of mini that could be worn at a big bash on board one of the MSC cruises. They are one of the shipping lines which would be fine for the younger guest who wants to continue to wear urban clothing on board.

They are less formal than many cruise lines, but offer just as good a range of itineraries as their competitors. The places they go to are the relatively local cities (for them) of Barcelona and Venice but once out of the Med they are off to New York, Rio and other such hip places. Ideal locations for the urban clothes enthusiast and where else could you feel more at home than on the streets of the Big Apple. From the great Queens Elizabeth and Mary to the most recent of the large liners; all have headed up the Hudson River, with passengers clamouring to cast their eye over the iconic Statue of Liberty.

Shop in Manhattan

The smaller ships of the Fred Olsen cruises have passed this way, and in most of the major ports of the world there are few ports where a cruise liner has not docked. In somewhere like New York the chance to go shopping in the streets of Manhattan is a great opportunity, and it’s not just the multi destination cruise idea that comes to mind. As a simple way of getting from England to New York, why not take the ship? It’s much more fun and certainly different from boarding yet another jumbo jet for a day of boredom and hassle. The transatlantic trips run by the big shipping lines are always cruises from Southampton, so easy for the young Brit looking for some new urban clothing from the States.

The most lavish of the times on board, and when the hoodie would not be quite appropriate is on Christmas cruises. These are made to be a major event and the dress code is a bit on the more formal side. But the young trendsetter who might be seen in the latest headgear on the streets of London should not be precluded from getting dolled up and appearing at the gala function looking a million dollars. Its amazing how preconceptions about people can make others judge their character. Clothes say a lot but that may be just part of the story. Some mainstream film stars can appear to be the most casual of dressers until it comes to Oscar time and then they change into the suit and tux.!

Style in the Indies

But when it comes to the coolest in style and clothes then we have to take to the West Indies and one of the Royal Caribbean cruises. This shipping outfit are experts in this part of the world and what they don’t know about the hip cultures of Jamaica and the islands isn’t worth knowing. In fact they even have their own island!! They also have the two largest ships in the world with the ‘Allure of the Seas’ outdoing its sister ship by a mere 2 inches. The monster vessel weighs in at 224,000 gross tons and has no less than 16 passenger decks plus the top swimming pools decks. It’s a floating community which has no equal, apart from their other ‘biggy’, the ‘Oasis of the Seas’. Both have outstanding features and having only been launched in recent times are absolutely up to date with the latest technology. The urban clothes traveler will feel right at home in the video lounge – and that’s not to mention the 3D theatre and the animation theatre. This is a ship to behold and defies all the ideas that cruises are something of the past.

Old hippies in the Greek Islands

The Caribbean is a favourite for travelers from all parts, but on par with that region of the world is the Med. and the Mediterranean cruises which are geared to the cultural aspects of Europe. The ships call in at the finer places, but they are also inclined to include Turkey and that can mean the Kasbah and some more great clothes shopping opportunities. The Greek islands are another place for a terrific shore excursion and the chance to look over some of the islands which were once haunts of the old hippie generation, such as Lesbos and Santorini. Clothes have changed a lot since then but the 1960’s was a great era for casual clothing with the long flowing dresses and the cool flared trousers.

Whilst the heat on the Caribbean cruises and the Med. may be the places to look good in just the beach wear and shades, other parts of the world are not ignored. There are places such as those where the sweater, and fancy wool hat would come in handy. On the Norwegian cruises the fjord country is not known for its balmy days making the ideal opportunity to get out on deck in the latest style jacket and hat. Norway is not seen as a centre of fashion by any means so maybe a thing or two can be passed on to the locals in the shore excursion stops in Bergen, Tromso and Trondheim.

Ice and Fire in Iceland

The sights are just breathtaking on these cruises which take passengers into the deep water fjords of a country which has the most intriguing coastline in the world. Then it might be off to the Icelandic volcanoes and the chance to view some the outstanding wildlife of the northern parts of Europe. The volcanoes in Iceland have been blowing their tops in recent years and the poor old air traveller has been sitting in the airport with cancelled flights running down the departures boards. No such thing for the cruise ship which ploughs on at its steady speed over the oceans.

Apple @ sea

The world of cruises, ships and exotic locations has a good deal of glamour attached to it, and quite rightly so. The vessels are made to look glam. with their ornate spiral stairs, balconies and grand stately dining rooms. Maybe a bit over the top for our urban clothes gear but on Celebrity cruisesall that is part of the scene. They have a wealth of amenities on their ships which have brought them awards as one of the best cruise operators. One thing the cool urban clothes wearer will like about these cruises is that they are the only Apple reseller on the high seas. So the Pod, the Pad and the Phone can all be used by the i-user or bought without a care, - just make sure its kept away from the sea spray. Another unique feature of the ships from this fleet is they have real grass on the half acre Lawn Club. Now that’s something to talk about back home!

The quiet attention of the steward

The ways in which the various shipping lines attract new customers is very innovative, so whilst one may decide that the way forward is with a total free and easy style where meals are taken as and when, there is another promoting things such as luxury spas on board. The great thing about cruises is that no two voyages are the same and no two vessels are the same. They each have their own character and this is built up by the officers and the crew. It could be described as one big happy family although like any family, there are bound to be differences. Each cabin is assigned a steward whose job it is to make sure everything is in order, on a daily basis. As with the very best in the services industry the cabin steward is there if needed, but not obtrusive. Its an art taught at the best catering and hospitality colleges, and something cruise lines pride themselves on.

One such line is that of Princess cruises whose standards are extremely high and bring that touch of elegance and tradition to their vessels. They are not over big and have a good personal feel to them. As with the other cruise ships they offer a global itinerary which stretches for the South Atlantic across to Australia and Japan. With the earth having a volume of 75% water, there is plenty of room for the biggest ships, as well as those made especially to get through the smaller fjords or take the short cut through the Panama canal. The cool urban clothes will look good in Bridgetown, New York or Tokyo and these are all places where the great ships known as cruise liners dock on a regular basis.