Between now and 2014, at least 60 new cruise ships will join the world fleet. The biggest news? Bigger and better vessels with every conceivable on-board activity and amenity-including lavishly appointed suites with spacious verandas, gourmet restaurants and casual eateries, high-energy nightclubs and casinos, and fully equipped fitness centers and European-style spas.
Active cruisers of all ages can find ice-skating rinks, rock-climbing walls, in-line skating tracks, miniature golf courses and putting greens aboard ship. Explore marine life in an on-board laboratory, surf the Web in an Internet Café or enjoy special seminars on worldwide destinations.
Wherever you cruise, high-tech communications keep you connected. Long-distance telephone service has become de rigueur at sea. Many ships also boast e-mail capability, fax machines, PCs, in-cabin data links for laptop computers and even laptop rentals.
Sophisticated technology means speedier sailing, too. Royal Olympic Cruises' new Olympic Voyager, featuring a unique monohull design, cruises at a breathtaking 27 knots, reaching Cairo, Jerusalem, Istanbul and Mykonos in just one week. Or you can choose a long, leisurely cruise down South America's Amazon and Orinoco rivers. Joining the fleet in spring 2012 is the equally swift Olympic Explorer. |
