The Ultimate in Pampering & Relaxation

We all need to occasionally "get away from it all." Cruising literally removes you from all land-based routines and places you in a novel setting that is stimulating yet familiar, soothing yet engaging.

Cruising is hassle free, crime free and stress free. Tired of making decisions? Envisage an evening at sea and its similarities to enjoying a night on the town at a popular holiday resort. Start with dinner at an elegant restaurant followed by a stage show, or dancing to a live band at a local club, or going to the cinema, reclining in the corner seat of a piano bar, browsing in the local shops, or trying your luck in the casino.

These are all activities you an enjoy on a cruise ship. Not once do you need to reach for your wallet, make a reservation, stand in a lineup, pay a cover charge at the door, hail a cab (or dodge a cab), hand someone a tip, park your car, or drive back to your hotel in the dark along unfamiliar streets.

You can meander from venue to venue on board a ship. The operative word is flexibility-if none of the scheduled activities appeal to you any particular evening, you can simply go for a late-night stroll along the promenade deck, breathing in the fresh sea air before retiring to your cabin which your steward will have tidied while you were at dinner, replacing soiled towels with fresh ones, turning down your bed, perhaps even placing a good-night chocolate on your pillow.

Sound idyllic? There's more. Daytime on board a ship is equally relaxing and invigorating. There is nothing more exuberant than rising at dawn to stride the freshly scrubbed decks and feel the morning breeze on your face, then stroll to the lido deck for a casual breakfast by the pool or visit the main dining room for a full-course start to the day. Not a morning person? You can sleep until noon if you like- your steward won't disturb you. Or you can order breakfast in bed and watch the sun slowly gain control of the day. On a cruise, your time is your own.

This is one of the main advantages of taking a cruise - your day can be as whimsical or as planned as you like. The morning can be spent in a lounge chair by the swimming pool, dozing in the sunshine and going for a dip from time to time to cool off. Or you might prefer visiting the library, the beauty salon, or the gym for a vigorous workout to get some of that modern stress out of your system before sitting down to lunch. Whatever your definition of "relaxation", it takes on its full meaning in the course of a cruise.

In our fast-paced world, cruising also provides the opportunity to slow down. No excuses are necessary to stretch out in a deck chair and indulge in a daydreams as you gaze seaward at some billowy white clouds becalmed on a sea blue sky.

This ship clearly has been constructed specifically for longer itineraries, with more space and comfortable public areas, larger cabins and more dining options - for the young, active, hip, and trendy set.