Princess, Royal Caribbean Cruise Food & More

Big people from Europe to Samoa

It would seem that the human body is getting bigger – or at least that’s what the experts say. There are a growing number of people who take the larger sizes, according to the health specialists and the manufacturers who produce items sold in the plus size clothing store. But is that strictly true? It is the case that if you wander down the main streets of New York, London or Sydney you will see people who have clearly spent too much time in the fast food outlet. They are obese and fat, but that’s very different from the person who is simply large.

Those people tend to be in groups from the big Europeans, who may hail from Scandinavia, to the person who lives in Jamaica. They are just large people and many of those people are as fit as fiddles. Look at the speed of a rugby union player such as New Zealand’s John Afoa who weighs in at 120 kg. The rugby prop is as fast and as fit as they come. He’s just big and would never get his Sunday suit from the regular shop, but would have to take a trip to the plus size clothing store. But fitness is the key along with a good diet, what ever size clothing you take. So when it comes to the annual holiday it would be worth thinking of something new and exciting and taking a cruise!!

There are cruises from Southampton which go over the Atlantic to New York and then spend the next 90 to 100 days sailing all the oceans of the world. There is no end of places to see on long and short cruises - and when the ship sails into the Pacific Islands there are plenty of plus size people there. The Samoans are some of the most handsome in the world, but they are big; and when we say big, we mean big!

Try not to overdo the Christmas Pudding!

The celebrations at sea can include Christmas cruises and that may be the time to go a bit over the top on the food front. These ships provide the opportunity to really gorge yourself, but the operators are also aware that healthy diets play a big part in the lifestyles of many of their passengers, and have cuisines to suit. They also have fabulous fitness facilities and health spas where experts can advise on dietary control and the best for your type of metabolism.

On the biggest ships like the ones of the Royal Caribbean cruises fleet the facilities go beyond the normal. They have two of the biggest liners - no, make that the two biggest liners afloat. The facilities on these massive vessels covers the best in technology and they are keen to point out the upper decks with their cascade swimming pools, and sports facilities. This will all help in the effort to keep fit whilst sailing the high seas.

You are what you are

For the person who is a bit conscious of the plus size clothing, then there is swimwear available which helps to create a slimmer looking person. But the fact is that the well endowed lady from Britain is what she is, and the Asian lady whose bosom resembles two fried eggs, is also is what she is. The Asian lady would love to have the attributes of the British woman, whilst the lady from Essex would dearly love to fit into the size 8 of the lady from Thailand. We all want to be the opposite of what we are!

The cool dude from Milan

So going to get the plus size clothing should not be seen as a problem and men of a large stature can feel comfortable in the knowledge that they stand head and shoulders above the rest. On Mediterranean cruises the clientele on board is a mixture of all nationalities. So whilst there may a slim Italian dude, looking pretty cool in his tailored shorts and shades from Milan, there will be an ex oil rigger from Norway who is a seriously big guy looking just fine in denims and a plus size T Shirt. That’s one of the great thing about cruises. There can be 3,000 people on board a ship, from different countries and different cultures.

Getting along could be difficult but how often do you hear of trouble on a cruise ship? On aircraft, yes, because everyone is stressed out from the airport hassle and being cooped up in a metal tube for 11 hours with lousy food. Its understandable that passengers get edgy. But on a cruise it’s the epitome of calm, and on the Celebrity cruises that calm manifests itself in the soothing ambience of the region, the calypso music and the friendly island people. And in Jamaica you will see the very large ladies whose size is just something the females from that region are born with. They don’t feel awkward or self conscious.

We have mentioned the Scandinavians as being big people and the typical oil rigger who is over 6 foot 6, who has shoulders like an ox. That’s not unusual for the peoples of the northern Europe, so when on Norwegian cruises passengers will see the average height and size is far beyond that found in many countries. The crew of a ship sailing the fjords of Norway may well be locals so the passenger who shops at the plus size clothing store will feel right at home.

Fitness and games on board

Some shipping companies are very proud of the fact that they add a little more to the cruise experience and the ships belonging to the fleet of Celebrity cruises do just that. They have a great range of things to do on board and that includes lawn bowls on a half acre of real grass. Now how good is that? The artificial turf would have probably been quite acceptable, but they decided to make it more like the genuine article back home. They have spas and massage, beauty treatment and saunas. Its all part of the great experience of taking a cruise. Getting round the ship may take a bit of time as these multi deck vessels are generally fairly big. Navigating the ship is as challenging as navigating the seas, but there are plenty of signs aboard, and getting from one deck to another is by elevator – or you can take the stairs if you want a spot of extra exercise to work off that delicious strawberry cake at dinner.

Welcome to Australia

Australia is a country which welcomes ships from across the world, with the iconic Sydney Opera House providing the backdrop for the favourite ship photo. It’s a sight worth seeing over and over, and one which will have been recorded by one of the shipping line photographers from the shore. When a vessel from the fleet of Princess cruises glides into Sydney Harbour, it doesn’t matter how many times that scene has occurred it still makes the hairs stand on end. What a sight it is as the Diamond Princess glides gracefully to the dockside – it’s a memorable sight and for many the most memorable in a lifetime.

A shipping line which has been sailing the seas since the mid 1800’s (not with the same ships, we should add!) is that of the P&O cruises fleet. They have a traditional British feel to their vessels, and they too have docked in Australia so many times. There is little more that can be said about the shipping company which started out as mail service to Spain and developed to be one of the most experienced in the world. They continue to please though sheer professionalism, quality and value.

Fun and games on the cruise liner

Whilst P&O offer the greater traditions of the sea, new operators have chosen to loosen the formalities and make the cruising experience one aimed at the family. On the ships of the MSC cruises, passengers of all ages are entertained in a way which suits their age and gender. The kids can enjoy video games rooms, and the younger ones can play games with the specialist crew who have been hired to look after the really young youngsters. It takes a lot of the burden away from the parents, knowing there are in safe and professional hands. It leaves them free to relax and enjoy the adult features such as the swimming pools, the golf practice range and in the evening, roulette in the ships casino. There is little on land which cannot be found on a ship, and these modern vessels have been compared to a great big floating city’s.

This type of holiday appeals to anyone looking to enjoy the clean and healthy sea breezes. The opportunity to eat the very best and the greatest variety of cuisine is there, but that can be countered by the excellent on board fitness facilities. Add to that the games of lawn bowls, swimming, golf and a host of other activities and its easy to see why cruises have become so popular. For the passenger with the larger sized clothing from the plus size clothing store, there is no need to even think about the issue. On your journey there will be plenty of people to meet who are bigger, but do not have carry the western pressures to look different.