I have been drawing and painting ever since I was young. It soothes me, as does the ocean, which has always been one of my favorite things to paint. It was an easy subject to paint since I grew up near the ocean side. You don’t have to ask the ocean to sit still like a person, and it is more entertaining than a bowl of fruit. I love to watch the changing moods of the ocean and the constant motion and flux of the clouds above it. I went cruising for the first time with some girlfriends when we graduated from college. We treated ourselves to a week in the Mediterranean with Celebrity cruises. I have been absolutely hooked ever since. It is such a fun vacation package and it is the perfect way for me to enjoy a whole range of activities, see sights around the world and eat great food, all while painting beautiful landscapes and portraits and abstract paintings. I have even been on art-themed ocean holidays where there are workshops and many other artists on board sharing ideas and creating together. P&O Cruises have been sailing the oceans for over 170 years and offer many great themed voyages ranging from art to sports to jazz appreciation. If you need a holiday and some fresh ideas and material for your artistic pursuits, vacationing aboard an ocean liner is a great way to kill two birds with one stone.
Azura Terrace Pool
We enjoyed life on-board. The food was good, entertainment patchy..Roy Walker was excellent, Sue Holderness (Marleeeeeen) good fun. – Rhydderch, Sutton Coldfield on 8th Jun 2009 (P&O Cruises)
Endless sunrises, sunsets and ocean skies
Cruises from Southampton are the most common, as this is the most popular departure port in England. Not to worry, there are many ships leaving from ports all over England, not to mention other ports in Europe and abroad. Many companies even offer packaged deals with incredibly cheap connection flights to ships leaving from foreign ports. There are many such deals flying to Miami to connect with various Caribbean cruises for instance. The Caribbean is one of the most inspiring places for creating art and one of the most popular cruising destinations globally. Because of this you can find a lot of great deals to this region of the world. With so many islands you can see the sun rise and set over the water in the same day easily. I thought the ocean was incredible in England, but after seeing the crystal blue waters, snorkeling with tropical fish, and painting waterfalls and mangrove islands I had discovered a whole new ocean. There are so many different and amazing places to visit though; not only tropical beaches can provide the perfect holiday. Royal Caribbean cruises go to over 250 of the most beautiful destinations in the world like the fjords and glaciers of Alaska, the romantic and historical Mediterranean Ocean and the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. Each place provides its own artistic inspiration and opportunities. If you are interested in Asian art you may want to cruise to Japan to see their traditional art and architecture in person.
Celebrity Solstice
I’m happy to say the ship is still in excellent condition, showing no signs of age at all. We like the Voyager class ships, they are a big enough to have great facilities. – Kneale, Nuneaton on 8th Jun 2009 (Royal Caribbean Cruises)
The perfect landscape painting
Nothing could be more relaxing than getting a massage, going for an herbal sauna and then setting up your canvas on deck to sip a margarita and paint the cumulus behemoths looming above you. If you like painting portraits or you prefer styles such as cubism, expressionism or abstract no location could be better than an ocean liner. The vessels are often such surreal landscapes in and of themselves. No better way to get to know the cute guy at the bar then to do a charcoal sketch of him while you share a cocktail. There are lots of great deals too, making ocean holidays affordable for all budgets. It just depends on what kind of perks you want to enjoy. Currently there is an offer from Cunard cruises for a twelve night voyage to the Canary Islands starting from 959 pounds. Talk about gorgeous landscapes. These islands will take your breath away. You can go almost anywhere in the world on these ocean holidays. You can even travel all the way across the Atlantic in the matter of four days, or around the world if you have two or three months to spare. Fred Olsen cruises has been in business for over 150 years, making them one of the oldest companies in the industry, but there are also lots of great companies that are newer on the scene. It just takes time to look online and talk to travel agents to find the best deal for you.
Starry nights in the theatre
Had a fantastic time on the Arcadia. Staff were 10/10. They could not do enough for you. – Manning, poole on 8th Jun 2009 (P&O Cruises)
Non-artistic entertainment and activities on board
Although I may be a little obsessed with making art, there is plenty more that I enjoy on board, and I’m sure you will as well. The food is of course legendary and incredible. One of my favourites is MSC cruises because they have delicious authentic Italian cuisine. There is just about any type of food your heart could desire on board, and let us not forget about the amazing fresh seafood. Some companies choose to focus more on quantity than quality, focusing on buffets and the like. As I mentioned above there are themed voyages. NCL cruises are unveiling an interesting garden themed holiday next year. There is also amazing nightlife and entertainment on board. You can see all sorts of shows, from comedy routines to plays to dance performances. There are always tons of different bars, pubs and clubs on board. They all have different ambiances and types of music so you can go to a sensual jazz bar one night and a salsa club the next. During the day you can hear lectures or work out in the gym. In 2010 Princess cruises are offering free parking and free kids places on many cruise deals if you’re looking to bring the kids and cut costs. There are lots of activities geared towards kids of different ages too, so the whole family can have a good time. Whatever your situation, an ocean bound holiday is a great way to relax and paint your masterpiece.
Whale of a Time
The ship was very clean and the food was excellent so you will be going on weight watchers when you get back i have. – Cutters, woodford on 8th Jun 2009 (Ocean Village Cruises)