Five Features You Will No Longer See on Cruise Ships
The cruise industry is experiencing booming growth. Many of the major cruise lines are coming up with new amenities and features to stay modern and exciting, and ahead of the competition. With innovative new trends, some of the older traditions have fallen to the wayside, never to be seen again. Some of these include:
- Assigned Dining Times for Lunch
Cruise ships used to assign dining times not just for dinner, but for lunch seating, as well. However, as cruise ships have become larger and now offer more dining options for passengers, formal dining times for lunch and even dinner have essentially gone away. While set dining times for dinner may still stick around, set times for lunch have all but disappeared.
- Open Tours of the Vessel’s Navigation Bridge
Taking a tour of the ship’s navigation bridge used to be an event that was listed in the daily program, but 9/11 put a stop to the practice. While it is still possible to get a behind the scenes tour of how the ship works, it takes a bit more planning and is not necessarily open to the public. Some of the larger ships will offer a “Behind the Scenes” tour package,” which will include tours of the ship’s laundry, crew corridor’s, and occasionally a peek at the Engine Control Room. However, the actual ship’s engine room itself is always off-limits on every ship.
- Midnight Chocolate Buffets
The Midnight Chocolate Buffet was a full-blown extravaganza that kicked off at midnight. It involved chocolate creations of all shapes and sizes set up in a large dining room or enclosed pool deck. The event included chocolate fountains, ice sculptures, specialty drinks and cocktails, and colored lighting.
However, the last known full-blown midnight chocolate extravaganza was on the Holland American Line’s Zuiderdam in 2012. Rising costs and concerns about food waste have been the large reasons behind why this event is no longer offered on cruise ships.
- Black Tie Formal Nights
While these events are not completely gone, there is proof that they may be fading away. Dress codes have become more flexible than they have been in the past with some of the major cruise lines requiring passengers to “dress to impress,” instead of requiring tuxedoes and formal suits. Dress codes are definitely trending more towards casual as time goes by, leading one to believe that the days of the formal nights are numbered.
- Skeet-Shooting with a Bridge Officer
This activity may seem like a given that it no longer is something featured on cruise ships, but it used to be something many passengers enjoyed. It would normally be held at the stern of the ship, where passengers would enter a competition to fire a gun into the air to destroy a small clay disc. This activity was quite common for many years, but it went away due to environmental regulations and world events, such as 9/11, that put an end to the idea of firing a gun off of a cruise ship. As a result, passengers should not expect this activity to make a reappearance any time soon.
Hurt While on a Cruise Ship or Cruise Ship Excursion?
The amenities and features aboard many of the major cruise lines are incredibly enticing to people planning a fun and exciting getaway. However, if your experience aboard a cruise ship ends with a less than enticing injury or illness, you should speak with an experienced cruise ship injury lawyer. More than likely, any claim you have must be filed in Miami, Florida, and a cruise ship lawyer in this location can be a huge asset to your case.
Aronfeld Trial Lawyers has obtained millions of dollars in compensation for injured cruise ship passengers with various cruise lines and cruise vessels. There are few injuries and accidents our Miami personal injury law firm has not dealt with, and we are prepared to take on any cruise accident case. For more information, call our office at 305-770-6553, or toll-free at 1-888-742-0372 or send us an email at [email protected].
SOURCE: CRUISECRITIC.COM
