Deal breakers? 10 must-have facilities you will not discover on all cruise ships

Cruise ships supply a staggering array of facilities — however they do not all the time cowl all of the bases.

Planning to double down on pleasure on the blackjack desk in your cruise trip? Make certain your ship has a on line casino. Desire to pack gentle and wash your garments whereas on board? You may pay extra until your cruise line presents self-service laundry. And should you’re touring with youngsters, what is going to you inform them when the ship you booked does not have waterslides?

Earlier than you guide, be sure that the facilities you require will really be on the ship you select. Listed below are 10 must-have facilities you will not discover on all cruise ships.

Casinos

Casinos are a hub of exercise on giant mainstream ships, the place they’re given ample actual property stuffed with whirring slot machines and various gaming tables. On premium and luxurious vessels, casinos are sometimes a lot smaller and are generally even tucked away for under essentially the most decided gamers to seek out.

Some cruise traces, nonetheless, have chosen to not put casinos on their ships or ditched them throughout refurbishment. For instance, family-focused Disney Cruise Line ships don’t embody casinos. Additionally, Pleasure of America is the one vessel in Norwegian Cruise Line‘s fleet with out a on line casino as a result of it completely cruises in Hawaii, the place playing is prohibited.

You additionally will not discover casinos on most expedition and river ships. Such is the case with Viking, which operates a fleet of adults-only ocean, river and expedition ships.

Some premium traces, reminiscent of Azamara, Windstar Cruises and Paul Gauguin Cruises, eliminated casinos once they refurbished their ships.

Which cruise traces supply casinos on their ships? You may roll the cube while you sail with Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, Superstar Cruises, Princess Cruises, MSC Cruises and Virgin Voyages. Premium and luxurious cruise traces like Cunard, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas additionally function casinos on ships.

Balcony cabins

It would shock you to be taught that not all ships supply customary balcony cabins. Cruise traces started designing vessels with extra balcony cabins and suites about 25 years in the past, so some ships constructed within the Nineties and earlier won’t have them — or solely supply a small variety of suites with balconies.

Of the mainstream cruise traces, Holland America is the one one with ships missing customary balcony cabins. Volendam and Zaandam, each in-built 1999, solely function personal verandas of their Vista Suites and Neptune Suites. Most rooms are ocean-view cabins. Nonetheless, Volendam presents Lanai Staterooms with glass doorways that open onto the promenade deck (as do a handful of different Holland America ships).

Amongst small-ship luxurious cruise traces, Windstar‘s masted crusing ships lack balconies. And whereas its motorized yachts do function two high suite classes with personal out of doors house, a lot of the balcony suites solely have French balconies (sliding doorways with a railing for letting in contemporary air however with out precise out of doors house).

Most expedition vessels lack customary balcony cabins (though some have floor-to-ceiling infinite veranda-type home windows or French balconies). Nationwide Geographic-Lindblad Expedition Cruises’ Nationwide Geographic Endurance and Nationwide Geographic Decision and UnCruise Adventures‘ Safari Endeavor and Safari Explorer are among the many exceptions.

River ships crusing Europe’s waterways have a mixture of balcony and French balcony rooms, relying on the cruise line. AmaWaterways and Viking supply full balconies, for instance, whereas Avalon, Uniworld River Cruises and others have French balconies. Many cabins on Scenic Luxurious Cruises & Excursions ships function an indoor Solar Lounge with home windows that may convert to a balcony. Nonetheless, many smaller vessels cruising the Nile, Mekong and Amazon rivers function simply French balconies. Exceptions embody Viking Saigon and Aqua Mekong on the Mekong and AmaWaterways and Viking ships on the Nile, all of which have true balcony cabins.

Associated: The very best cruise ship balcony cabins in your trip at sea

Self-service laundry

When you wish to journey gentle, it helps to know in case your ship presents free self-service laundry (although you may typically pay for detergent and material softener until you introduced them from dwelling). Valet-type laundry providers are extensively out there for a charge.

When you’ll be cruising on Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Superstar, Holland America, Virgin Voyages or MSC, put together to pay to have your garments cleaned as a result of none of those traces supply self-service laundry rooms.

Carnival does supply self-service washers and dryers (though you may pay a per-load charge) on most of its ships. Nonetheless, solely machine-less “ironing rooms” can be found on its latest Excel Class ships (Mardi Gras, Celebration and Jubilee) and on the three ships it acquired from sister line Costa Cruises (Luminosa, Firenze and Venezia).

Princess additionally expenses per load in its self-service laundry rooms.

Most river ships additionally don’t supply self-service laundry rooms. Some exceptions embody American Cruise Strains and Viking’s U.S.-based ship, Viking Mississippi.

Disney Cruise Line, Viking, Oceania and Azamara, amongst others, present free self-service laundry services on their ships.

Associated: Every part it is advisable to learn about cruise ship laundry providers

Waterslides

Waterslides create a theme-park-like vibe on the highest decks of many megaships. So, should you’re a mother or father who does not wish to disappoint your thrill-seeking youngsters and teenagers — or should you get pleasure from an adrenaline rush your self — know that some cruise traces do not supply a single slide on their ships.

These cruise traces embody Superstar, Princess, Holland America and Oceania. As you may count on, expedition vessels, yacht-style ships and river ships don’t supply waterslides.

When you’re recreation for an adrenaline rush, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, Disney and MSC are the waterslide kings. Many of those traces’ newer and bigger ships supply not less than one and as many as six waterslides, plus all of the splashy top-deck enjoyable you can presumably think about.

That stated, choose Royal Caribbean vessels — all Quantum Class ships, plus considerably older and smaller Radiance Class ships — don’t function waterslides. Moreover, some older Norwegian ships lack waterslides.

Spas and health facilities

Nearly all ocean ships — from mainstream megaships to ultraluxury small ships and expedition vessels — function a spa and a health heart. Nonetheless, the spa dimension, therapy choices, thermal suite facilities and train gear will differ.

Spa services would be the most elementary on smaller adventure-style vessels and river ships. It would come as a shock that Viking, identified for ocean and expedition ships that includes a few of the most spectacular spas and thermal suites at sea, doesn’t supply a spa on any of its 80-plus river ships. The road’s ships additionally lack gyms and strolling tracks (except Viking Mississippi, which has the latter).

That is an anomaly amongst river cruise ships since different traces, together with AmaWaterways, Tauck, Scenic and Uniworld, all function a small health club and a spa therapy room on all or most of their ships. AmaWaterways and Scenic additionally present wellness coaches who lead yoga lessons and biking excursions.

Avalon Waterways, which operates on the rivers of Europe and Asia, and American Cruise Strains, which has coastal and river ships completely within the U.S., each function health areas on all ships however should not have spas.

Associated: The very best cruise ship spas

Libraries

As extra cruisers tote studying tablets loaded with a number of books, libraries on mainstream cruise ships are doing a disappearing act, with take-a-book, leave-a-book exchanges generally taking their place.

The 4 most up-to-date Princess ships (Solar Princess, Discovery Princess, Sky Princess and Enchanted Princess) should not have libraries. Norwegian’s six newest vessels (Prima, Viva, Aqua, Encore, Pleasure and Bliss) additionally lack libraries. Nonetheless, older ships on each traces do embody libraries.

Carnival has additionally ditched the library on its newer ships, Carnival Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee.

Royal Caribbean nixed the library on Icon of the Seas (and on the upcoming Star of the Seas), whereas a small number of books is offered within the Card Room on Oasis, Quantum and Freedom Class vessels.

Superstar additionally jettisoned the library on its Edge Class ships (Edge, Apex, Past, Ascent and the upcoming Xcel). Nonetheless, these looking for stacks of books and a cool place to learn will discover it on Superstar’s 5 Solstice Class vessels (Solstice, Equinox, Eclipse, Reflection and Silhouette), all of which function a two-level library on decks 10 and 11.

Which cruise traces do supply libraries on their ships? Cunard is thought for its libraries (the one on Queen Mary 2 has greater than 10,000 titles). Holland America lately added libraries again onto its ships; by the top of 2025, all vessels will function refurbished onboard libraries with new decor and as much as 1,700 books.

Oceania ships function a few of the most inviting libraries, from cozy, wood-paneled rooms on its older vessels to bigger, chicly embellished areas on newer ships. A handful of Azamara ships function a chic Drawing Room stocked with books. All Windstar ships have a library.

Luxurious cruise ships from Regent, Silversea, Seabourn and Viking have devoted library areas. These on Regent Seven Seas Explorer, Splendor and Grandeur are particularly effectively stocked, and the “secret library” on Silversea’s Silver Nova and Silver Ray is a small however stunning jewel.

Swimming pools and sizzling tubs

Is a pool or sizzling tub a cruise trip should? Nearly all ocean and luxurious expedition ships function one or the opposite (or each) — with bigger ships providing a number of spots to get pleasure from a dip. Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, the most important ship on this planet, has seven swimming pools and 9 sizzling tubs.

River cruise ships, then again, are inconsistent with pool and sizzling tub choices. For instance, none of Viking’s 60 similar Longships crusing in Europe function a pool or sizzling tub. Nonetheless, you may discover swimming pools on its vessels on the Douro, Nile, Mekong and Mississippi rivers. Moreover, none of American Cruise Strains’ vessels have swimming pools or sizzling tubs.

Pool and sizzling tub availability on different river cruise traces differ, with some AmaWaterways, Avalon, Scenic and Uniworld ships that includes swimming pools or sizzling tubs, and others missing them.

Most journey and expedition traces solely supply sizzling tubs on their vessels.

Indoor swimming pools

An indoor pool is a welcome perk for cool-weather cruising. Sadly, they are not out there on many ships, not less than, past the smaller thermal swimming pools or lap swimming pools within the spa space. Indoor swimming pools which can be out there to all friends (with out an added charge) are lacking on all ships from traces reminiscent of Norwegian, Virgin Voyages, Disney, Oceania, Regent and Ponant, amongst others.

Moreover, most river ships should not have indoor swimming pools. A number of exceptions embody a handful of Emerald Cruises and Uniworld vessels.

Nonetheless, some cruise traces do have ships with swimming pools which can be both indoors or function a retractable roof. For instance, all Superstar ships (besides Superstar Flora within the Galapagos Islands) function an indoor adults-only Solarium Pool.

Solarium areas additionally differ throughout Royal Caribbean ships, with some that includes a hard and fast or retractable roof, whereas different Solarium areas are open.

Swimming pools with retractable roofs are additionally on all Holland America ships, in addition to on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 and the brand new Queen Anne.

A handful of Princess ships supply indoor swimming pools, whereas the road’s latest ship, Solar Princess, options an indoor-outdoor pool beneath a geodesic, glass-enclosed dome.

You may additionally discover indoor swimming pools on choose MSC vessels and on luxurious cruise line ships, reminiscent of Viking (ocean-going ships) and Explora Journeys.

Pickleball courts

You may get your pickleball recreation on at sea on virtually each ocean cruise line apart from Disney, Windstar, Viking, Azamara and Ponant.

Most river ships have but to leap on the craze on account of house limitations, however AmaWaterways has a full-size pickleball court docket on AmaMagna, which cruises the Danube.

Suite enclaves

Some mass-market cruise traces supply a “ship-within-a-ship” house, however the format varies from line to line. For instance, some suite complexes are grouped collectively in a personal space on the ship, with unique eating, a lounge, a pool and a sundeck located close by. Suites on different traces are positioned across the ship, with the designated restaurant, lounge and sundeck space elsewhere on the vessel. Alternatively, some traces supply suites however lack unique areas for suite friends.

You’ll not discover suite enclaves on Holland America or Carnival or on older Norwegian and MSC vessels.

Norwegian’s The Haven and MSC’s Yacht Membership are self-contained suite enclaves, whereas Royal Caribbean’s Royal Suite Class and Superstar’s The Retreat aren’t. The latter two function suite lodging and unique areas unfold across the ship.

Disney ships function concierge-level rooms that include personal lounge and sundeck entry, plus perks like particular onboard meals and choices, early cabana reserving at Disney’s Castaway Cay personal island and early theater seating, amongst different advantages.

Unique areas are additionally out there on Cunard sailings while you guide one of many higher-tier lodging, together with Britannia Membership cabins, Princess Grill suites and Queens Grill suites. They arrive with entry to unique lounge and deck areas, personal eating and different perks.

The latest Princess ship, Solar Princess, and all Virgin Voyages ships have added facilities and areas for suite friends, however once more, these areas are positioned all through the ships.

Backside line

Earlier than you hit the “guide now” button, be sure that the ship you select has every thing you want in your excellent cruise trip. You won’t must go chilly turkey in relation to taking part in pickleball or getting a therapeutic massage whereas at sea. Nonetheless, should you require a well-curated library or a self-service laundry possibility while you cruise, select your ship properly.

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