February 19, 2019
Different cruises are going to provide different experiences for the avid cruiser. All cruises are NOT created equal. Last year, my husband and I had an amazing time cruising to the Bahamas on the Carnival Victory in November of 2018. In almost two months time we were back cruising the same Atlantic Ocean anticipating another delightful time in the Bahamas. Why so soon? Well it was a completely different experience when we chose to sail on the Celebrity Cruise Line. Both experiences were one to go down in the books of epic vacation history, but for different reasons. It is important to know that cruises are different. Even the same cruise line can give the cruiser a different experience depending on the time of year of the sail, the port of departure, and the duration of the cruise...just to name a few. However, after sailing Carnival for the last six years and well over six times, one thing that remains to be true is that Carnival Cruise is going to give you a PARTY. And when I say party, I'm saying PAR-TAY!!!
5 Ways to Tell That You Are On A Party Cruise!
1) The Cruise Director. The cruise director on the ship can literally make or break the party experience. It is the job of the cruise director to plan events and get as many people involved as possible. If you are the life of the party, then you can have fun anywhere. However, what's so amazing about cruising is the collective festive energy of hundreds of people. This cohesiveness of fun is what makes so many cruisers addicted to cruising. It literally can be a non-stop party for however many days you are on the ship.
2) The Music. This doesn't have anything to do with race or a certain genre of music. It is known that the songs that get the most people dancing are the songs that are "line" or "coordinated" dances that go along with the music. In the video, not only will you see the fabulous cruise director leading the dances, but you will hear songs such as "The Cupid Shuffle", "The Wobble", "The Cha-Cha Slide", "Follow the Leader" and more that are popular dances that people either know or can learn on the spot. These songs, followed by the mass dash to the dance floor is what helps determine if your cruise is a party cruise.
3) The Sail Away Party. All cruises have some sort of sail away "party". This doesn't mean that it is a party cruise. The Celebrity Cruise I sailed on in January, 2019 had a sail away party where people ate, drank, and were merry. However, there wasn't an actual party. If you are on a party cruise, every single individual on the ship is at the party. It is so crowded that you can barely walk from one side of the deck to the other. There's no one in their cabin for a true sail away party. If you are on a cruise and the sail away party isn't jumping like the one in this video. Then it is a good sign that the cruise, while fabulous, isn't a party cruise.
4) Night Life. The nightlife on your cruise ship should not shut down at 10pm. It shouldn't shut down at midnight. If you are on a party cruise, then the party never really stops. It's literally like being a young adult. The club stays crowded and people are dancing until the club finally closes at let's say 3pm. Then it's off to get a steamy hot and freshly made pizza from the 24-hour pizza place, which is very enjoyable. Then if you are like me, you will cool your taste buds down with a refreshing ice cream cone.
Some cruises have lounges instead of night clubs. They contain beautiful people who sip on cocktails and talk about how they plan to spend their day when the ship docks at the next destination. These people compare their paid for excursions like jocks comparing the size of their muscles. This isn't a party cruise. It's people lounging around while music is playing. It may be a cruise that happens to squeeze out a few parties. There is a difference!
5) An Encore Party. Party cruises have an encore party that's so amazing that you become sadden on disembarkation day. It makes exiting the cruise ship a sweet heap of sorrow. On a party cruise, you're not ready to go home. You're an addict, wanting the party to never end, or already making plans for your next cruise. Common names for this encore party on a Carnival Cruise ship include, The Mega Deck Party, Serenity Under the Stars, The Pajama Party, and 80's Rock-N-Glow Party just to name a few. When I sailed Celebrity, the encore party was the Moonlight Deck Party. It was actually a real party, even though the cruse wasn't a party cruise. For some people, partying is not the reason why they cruise. The good thing is that there is a cruise line that's suited perfectly for those people who aren't looking for a party. My husband and I are those people at times. Especially when we take a trip to Vegas the weekend before our cruise. 😆
There you have it! 5 Ways to Tell If You Are On a Party Cruise. We would love to hear from you. Let us know what you think in the comments below. What do you like about cruising? What makes a party cruise to you? Are there any other cruise lines that are non-stop partying that's not part of Carnival. Our goal is to cruise every single cruise line. I love to party, but I also love elegance, pristine clean ships, and food that makes me want to live in Specialty Dining. I have found those experiences are some of the highlights of other cruise lines, and I look forward to sharing those experiences with you in future blogs.
Anthony and Shira Smith were married in Newport Coast, California on December 13, 2014. Together the couple created the show Trending Topics with Ant & Shira on LA Talk Radio.
Presently, the couple has expanded the show to YouTube: Ant and Shira Trending Topics, Relationships, & Travel. Many of their travel adventures can be found on Instagram using the hashtag #AntnShira
Both Anthony and Shira Smith are published authors on Amazon. You can find their books using the links below.
How to Deal with Teenage Issues: Sex, Drugs and Other Elephants by Shira Dillon (Smith)
Life Intentional: Living In Fullness Everyday by Anthony Lamar Smith