Picture a Cruise and Keep the Memory Forever

Whenever you are planning a special event you always have a picture in your mind of how it will look. It might be the biggest day of your life, such as a wedding or it may be that you are planning a dream holiday on the seven seas. You want to make sure that everything looks right and feel just right and to capture the time in your mind and usually, with photographs. You are going to start with organising things. If you are off on holiday you might start by looking at cruises from Southampton which is a main port in the UK. For a wedding you will want to hire a professional photographer even before you have sorted out the finer details of your big day. You might have grand plans, perhaps an exotic break on the many Royal Caribbean cruises that set sail throughout the year. With a wedding, you need to think whether you want an extravagant exotic event with thousands of pictures or something far more basic. Sometimes it is attractive to go with a name or a venue you have heard of so that you have some idea of how the day or the holiday might look. Many people start by looking at P&O cruises because it is a company that they have heard of in the past. With a photographer they will also want to look at their website and read references to get some idea of the quality being offered.

"We had a disabled state room on the 2nd deck inside.It was much larger than we expected with a full size wet room area incorporating a great shower.Plenty of wardrobe and cupboard space,a queen size bed,a kettlle with tea & milk provided. Our steward Garfield was very helpfull,always cheerfull.We loved the towel animals that appeared on the bed ever day. It was very easy to get round the ship and usually had no trouble finding places to sit." - Lumley, Rugby on 16th Sep 2009 (Royal Caribbean Cruises)

Creating a Picture Postcard

A holiday at sea can offer the chance to create a world around you that you have chosen. The same goes for a wedding or any other event. If you are looking for an extravagant surrounding you might look at Celebrity cruises which focus on a five star holiday experience. The photographer at a wedding can also create an extravagant look by the way that they take the pictures. Some brides and bridegrooms, for example, like to have a more naturalistic feeling to the images rather than following a more traditional format of set pictures, with specific groups of friends and relatives. The idea being that the day is captured in more of a free flowing way. Holidaymakers who prefer the more traditional approach might look at Cunard cruises which pride themselves on capturing the traditions and the feeling of the past. That does not necessarily mean that quality is in the past though. Traditional weddings still capture the day with professional photographers using state of the art cameras rather than archaic equipment. Sometimes, there is something relaxing and special about following in more traditional footsteps. It gives gravitas to the proceedings. It is pleasant to dress up for dinner on a liner, the same as people would have dressed up generations ago. Not everybody wants the razzamatazz of the modern world crashing in on them when they are having the holiday or day of a lifetime.

"Travelled with my husband and young family on a 7nt cruise from Barcelona. check in was efficient and the cabins allocated excellent. on first inspection the ship was fantastic. facilities are excellent and spotlessly maintained." - Breslin, Haywards Heath on 16th Sep 2009 (MSC Cruises)

Home and Away

There is no right or wrong with this as much depends on personal taste and budget, as well, of course, in how far you want to go. If you want to go all out and start looking at Caribbean cruises and exotic wedding locations. You will want a photographer and memories to be full of sunshine, beautiful vistas and gleaming landscapes. There is nothing like this part of the world when looking out from the deck of a big liner to think you are in paradise. This destination is, undoubtedly, pretty much a number one choice for those wanting stunning visuals and if it often the choice of newly-weds who want their honeymoon pictures to be just as amazing as their official photographs on their actual wedding day. However, not everyone wants all bells and whistles and for many it is better to party, relax or celebrate with a homely experience. This may be a wedding with nice, set pictures which show a close family and intimate surroundings. For a holiday it might be aboard one of the Fred Olsen cruises which is perhaps a smaller, more personable experience than some of the more flashy liners. Britain has a tradition of holidays onboard and there is something quaint about British attitudes when it comes to entertaining or holding a function that appeals to many people. Even if you are sailing all over the world it you may still want your holiday or wedding to have a distinctive British feel.

"Great intinerary, fabulous ship, excellent service. Well worth the little extra to spend days at sea in the Sanctuary, nice deep sun beds, waiter service and if you are a bit chilly they will even tuck you in under a blanket!" - Blewitt, Reading on 16th Sep 2009 (Princess Cruises)

Young, Relaxed and at Sea

Weddings are often themed these days. The pictures too might include more details about what is going on behind the scenes or include more humorous shots. Holidays are becoming more themed too. Younger oceangoing holiday makers do not always want to follow tradition and have set routines onboard. Their taste in food might be different as well. For a young couple who like a Mediterranean feel to their holiday might opt for MSC cruises with an Italian flavour to it and a more relaxed style. Some ships have a stronger set pattern to dining times for example. There are often certain times when everyone dines and this is equivalent to a formal sit down dinner at a wedding rather than a running buffet or something a bit more casual. There are many liners which do not follow this older style of holiday and do not request specific dining times and do not require strict dress codes. NCL cruises are a good example and perhaps appeal to those wanting a traditional holiday at sea without the tradition of such a holiday ingrained. Many young couples have hen and stag parties in Vegas to kick back in a relaxed style before their smart wedding photos and this American influence in the foods and holiday business is becoming more popular. Princess cruises mix up the tradition and a relaxed atmosphere with American style holidays. It really is just a matter of personal taste.

"We really enjoyed our time on board and our excursions, which we organised ourselves. When we stopped at Cherbourg we were quite happy to just walk around for a couple of hours and enjoy a coffee at one of the nearby cafes. We then returned to the ship to make the most of the pool and sun lounge area without the full number of passengers on board." - Taylor, Durley, Southampton on 15th Sep 2009 (Cunard Cruises)