I love cruising. Undisputedly, a great value holiday. Particularly, one of the best holidays for mums.

Just imagine – Amazing sunrises and sunsets, fresh salt air breezes, boundless buffets, sipping a Daiquiri or two on deckchairs, finding your rhythm with the ocean waves and losing yourself in an ultimate sea escape.

Ever wondered if you should add cruising to your travel list? Cruising is one of those holidays people either say they love or hate! What?!

So how are you going to know if it is the right fit for you? I suggest trying a cruise taster! This is the best option if you want to get your feet wet without the commitment and expense of a long cruise. They are such an inexpensive, great value way to have a dreamy long weekend and discover if it is really your thing.

What’s a cruise taster?

A short 3 or 4 night cruise. I have been on a few such as an Australian Day and Comedy Club Cruise. They are generally cruises out to the ocean with no destination ports planned. Some tasters will be 3 – 4 nights and go from one port to another. I went on a cruise taster from Brisbane to Sydney – spending the day roaming Sydney and then flying back home.

I have been lucky enough to embark on 7 voyages, some just tasters right up to grandly appointed ships cruising the pacific or luxury 5 star cruising on the River Nile. I am a total lover of the Cruise-Mania phenomenon.

There is something very exciting about being at sea! The allure of a majestic ship, the luxury appointed furnishings, culinary delights and non-stop entertainment.

Let me take you through the

9 reasons why cruises are the

ultimate Mum-cation.

1. NO COOKING- the whole cruise!

I am officially one of the worst cooks in the world. I don’t enjoy cooking but luckily I enjoy eating! When planning a holiday I am looking for ease in accessing meals or easy preparation for my family and myself. Cruising is a gastronomic delight with so many food choices on offer. All you need to do is decide whether you are going to hit the boundless buffets, fine dining, cheeky burgers, afternoon ice creams or after a night of dancing, hit the pizzeria. On my first ever cruise I met a young man who had lost 10 kg prior to his trip away and I thought that was incredulous until I stepped on the scales after 14 nights on the seas. Boundless buffets do have an effect but they are truly wonderful!

Tip – Keep up the exercise whilst cruising!

If you are wanting something a little different there are signature restaurants onboard that offer a truly gourmet experience for a fraction of the cost that you would pay at a signature restaurant on land. I have been to the Luke Mangan restaurant for a lunch on one occasion and then more recently – a high tea. Really impressive and absolutely worth every cent.

2. ENTERTAINMENT PLUS! – There is so much to do……..

There is entertainment galore on board - Bingo is a firm favourite for all ages! May the balls be with you!

Dancing on the deck, swimming in the many pools, movies under the stars, access to the water parks and slides, martini making, cocktail preparation and tasting, Botox and beauty program, Zip lining across the deck, Bingo – may the balls be with you! (So much fun – it really is and you may win thousands!) The art of origami, trivia night, karaoke, Name that Tune, piano sing along and of course the many nightclubs, bars and casino. Then of course there are the shows: like comedy nights, spectacular singing, dance or magic shows. There is so much entertainment, a few costing a small price to cover outlays such as martini making/cocktail preparation/tasting. Worth every cent! Of course, each ship has a range of entertainment. You may also find Golf Simulators, Ice Skating etc. dependent on the cruise ship. They are mega entertainment hub!) with a majority of the cost included in the cruise price for cruise tasters.

3. CRUISES = RELAXATION

Grab a deck chair and daiquiri - chillax!

If the entertainment or activities proves too much, then you can always opt for complete relaxation by simply grabbing a daiquiri , tumbling into a deckchair, breathe in the fresh salt air and simply watch the world go by. Collective Big Sigh!

4. KIDS CLUB

The ultimate Mum-Cation might be without kid’s right? Did I just dare say that out loud! But if you are taking your beautiful ones, the kids clubs are amazing. Kids simply love them. There is so much to do and so many activities that kids’ never want to leave. Gav and I would be having dinner and the kids would finish up their 3-course meal and excuse themselves and go off together to sign-in for kids club (Must be at a certain age to do this). The club gives parents a walkie-talkie or pager so that you are always within easy reach in the case of an emergency. Kids Club is included in your fare price. This enabled us to head off to a show knowing that our kids were in great care. Our kids came home with all kinds of craft they made and they still have them in their memory chest to this day.

5. ESCAPE THE CHAOS

Escape the Chaos- time to relax - the ultimate Mum-cation!

Generally you are uncontactable! I think being out of phone range is a good thing these days. Your FOMO will survive – it is a nice break from the constant demand of technology. Free from the daily stresses and drama of everyday life. Of course, if there is a real emergency, contact can be made to the ship. You can pay to access the internet - but trust me you shall survive!

6. GETTING DRESSED UP

Who doesn’t love to get dressed up! And for Mums, is a chance to don on the clothes for fancy dress, themed nights or formal dressing. You would be pleasantly surprised, everyone takes this very seriously and you will be the odd one out if you haven’t gone to lengths to take part. It’s super fun and exciting.

7. NO DRIVING

Grab a Cocktail or two - the Captain is in charge

The captain is in charge! He is doing the hard yards of keeping everything on course. So if you happen to have more than one daiquiri or champers; you can relax knowing you have a designated driver!

8. SPECTACULAR SUNRISES AND SUNSETS

Okay whom am I kidding! – I am no early bird and never up to watch a sunrise. Some of us are not morning lovers! However, watching spectacular sunsets disappear into the horizon is nothing short of magical.

Watching spectacular sunrises and sunsets ….is good for the soul!

9. BEING WAITED ON HAND AND FOOT

Everyone loves to be waited on. One of the wonderful things about cruises is that you are doted upon. The waiters are standing by pulling out your chair, serving you food, topping up your drink. Just heavenly. Seriously, the only thing missing is the hand feeding of grapes! Your bed is made every day, the room tidied and if you need anything the staff are available to make it happen for you. When you get back to your room, they will have performed a trick on your towel twisting into an origami animal figure! Makes you not want to bathe in preference to disturbing it. A perfect mum’s vacation!

WHAT IS THE CRUISE ACCOMMODATION LIKE?

The accommodation is varied. You can choose quite stately rooms or suites, with or without balcony, interior or exterior suites, quad share or twin share. Of course, the price will vary according to the luxury chosen for your stay. Best location of room is generally mid-ship. If low down in the ship it can be a bit noisy depending on where you are located and is a bit of a journey getting up to the top! Though on my first ever cruise I was below the black line of the ship and technically under water. It was very dark but also very quiet. You could accidentally sleep in too long and miss your port!

The closer you are to the top decks, the more ship movement you are likely to expect, plus you can sometimes hear the cruise goers wandering the decks. So if you can muster a request for best location – go mid ship.

Cruising under the Sydney Harbour Bridge - P & O Cruises

I have never had the luxury of my own balcony but do think that would be pretty exciting. On my last cruise I met with a couple that had the pleasure of the balcony experience from a previous cruise with a funny story in tow.

As they had never had their own private balcony they had decided to make the most by sunning in their birthday suits. They were quite relaxed and enjoying the sunshine when another cruise ship pulled up right beside them and the top deck cruise goers peering straight down at them. They were tripping over each other’s naked bodies to get back into their room! Very funny.

You can get different kinds of rooms - Quad share (bunks) make it a budget holiday

My recent comedy club cruise was a ladies only long weekend and none of them had cruised beforehand. Their first observation and comment about the ‘quad-share’ arrangement was – ‘Oh my god – it is a shoebox!’ But the thing was, we really didn’t spend any time in the room and when we were there; we loved the shoebox and the girly banter and laughter that went on in the room

If the room size is bothersome, take a look at the accommodation options onboard. A quad share room makes for a budget holiday with maximum holiday fun!

Don’t spoil it!…Be prepared!

Check out my upcoming blog on packing and what you really need for your travels. Sea-sick tablets or seasick bands are an absolute must even if you think you are a veteran boatie! The absolute key is to apply sea bands and/or take seasick tablets WELL BEFORE you board the ship. I have seen many people make this mistake only to have their cruise adventure ruined by seasickness. Be well prepared.

What’s the Cost?

So how much for a 4-day/3 night cruise? – The P & O Comedy Cruise I went on cost AUD $285 for the fare leaving from the local port. That equates to $95 per night! This includes the accommodation, all the main meals and entertainment. That’s an absolute bargain! What you spend on top of that is entirely up to you. Maybe some extra dollars for those daiquiris!

Grab the dancing shoes, creative costumes, your bling lanyard, seasick bands, hat, thongs and togs (that’s Aussie slang for swimmers) and get on a cruise taster!

You are going to just love it!

Stay tuned for my upcoming blog – Once you have tasted the high seas and decided this is for you – I am going to share some information about cruises and travel to some exotic destinations for really cheap!

As a family we sailed to the Pacific Islands for a 10 night cruise over the Christmas period. Heavenly to have someone else prepare the Christmas festivities! Cruises on a 5 star liner would have cost approx. - $12000 for 5 people, however we only paid $2900 (USD) all up for 5 people! Our children just loved it. If you are wanting to fly to your cruise port - be sure to check out 10 Great Tips to get you flying to your dream destination faster!

Is it possible to get a 6-night cruise to the Caribbean for prices as low as USD $269? – Yes it is

Let me show you how you can save up to 82% on cruises all over the world! Keep tuned for upcoming blogs.

If cruising has made it to your destination list, leave a comment!

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9 Reasons Cruises are the Ultimate Mum-Cation!