Party Cruise

As the name suggests, a party cruise is a party on a boat or ship. What an innovative way to party, right? Everyone loves cruising as much as they love partying, so it makes sense to combine both of them and have a good time. Besides, it's a change from the ordinary, so why not?

" Types of party cruises: These parties can be of several kinds. Perhaps you want to party with friends and have a whale of a time, or you want an outing with your family, or are celebrating a milestone birthday or anniversary, or even an engagement. Well, then, a party cruise becomes an event to remember. These parties can go on from a few hours in the evening to a whole day. You can hire a boat and tailor it to your needs or just take a party cruise that's readily available.

Among theme party cruises, there are pirate parties, casino party cruises and costume party cruises, apart from nightclub cruises. Others include the following:

" Music parties: You can have a hip hop cruise, a country Western cruise or any other distinct music party cruise, and can fit the food to it. For instance, if you have a country Western cruise, perhaps you might like to serve salsa and barbeque and salsa.

" Murder mysteries parties: Here, a guest or crew member is "murdered" on the boat and other guests play detectives and must find the killer.

" Ghost cruise parties: Here, the ship is haunted and guests spend time solving the mystery of the ghost and haunted ship.

" New Years Eve parties: These are three-hour parties and are held on New Year's Eve in those spots where the ship can give views of spectacular fireworks or other celebrations.

" Contest cruise parties: The host organizes contests such as dancing, karaoke or something like American Idol which guests can take part in. Winners are given prizes.

" Chartered cruise parties: Sometimes, pleasure boat companies offer their boats to business houses or individuals who want to celebrate important events on board a ship.

" Where you can find party cruises: Browse cruise companies and arrange your time on the cruise with them. You can also approach big hotels or bars that have access to a river, beach or marina, or charter companies that give out their ships on tours. If the city you're in is on a beach, it's sure to offer these cruises.

" Costs: This would depend on the theme of the cruise party, the number of guests and the kind of ship you book. Fares start at $20 and can go up to $100 per head. You need to book well in advance.

The party cruises are generally accompanied with a lot of singing, dancing and fireworks. Provisions are made in advance, and the volumes are raised while the ship sails away on the sparkly waters of the Harbor, Ocean or river.

" What to wear: This depends on the kind of cruise you're taking. If your cruise party starts in the afternoon, you might like to wear casual wear, but if it begins in the evening, you will be expected to dress as if you were going to a nightclub.