Cruising has been a controversial subject, this year more than ever. The covid cases on Princess made headlines globally, and the onslaught of bad publicity has continued since April. So, if you are afraid of cruising, that’s completely understandable, but maybe, just maybe, these mid size cruise lines could be the solution… Let’s clarify ‘mid-sized’ cruise lines As per my Compare Cruise Lines – Mid Sized Ships, I put ships which accommodate between 400-1999 passengers as ‘mid-sized’. Under 400 I categorize as ‘Small Ships’ and over 2,000 as ‘Large Ships‘. This includes: Azamara Cruises, Vi ..read more

When people ask me where I’m from, I take a breath and assess how long an answer they actually want… Long story short, I was born in England (and remain a proud Brit), moved to Sydney, Australia (my Aunt and Grandparents had emigrated) and returned again, several times, but the last time was for 10 years and I got my citizenship… Then moved to Melbourne to be with my husband, but he was always away on cruise ships for work, so we moved to an apartment in Penang, Malaysia, which was easier/cheaper to lock-up and walk away from and for me to join him on the ships, doing contracts of 3-4 months ..read more

You may have heard the term ‘CDC’ in relation to cruise recently, even more in the past couple of weeks with Mike Pence making a statement to over-rule them, but are you wondering ‘Who is the CDC and why are they stopping cruising anyway??’ It’s a very good question…so let me explain. NB: The information below is taken from their updated statements as of 30 September 2020   Who is the CDC? CDC stands for ‘Centers for Disease Control and Prevention‘ (I’m guessing the ‘Prevention’ was a later addition!). They are one of the major operating components for the Department of Health and Hu ..read more

As we are getting closer to the pandemic easing and cruises are very slowly starting to resume, many people are feeling confident to begin booking again. So, with so many choices, which do you choose? I’ve already covered how to select between all the different cruise lines, so thought it would be kinda cool to put together a list of cruises which have had a real impact on me. So keep reading, these top 10 cruises may just change your life! 1. An Inaugural Cruise Working for a cruise line has meant I’ve been incredibly lucky to have been on several inaugural sailings. Whilst I have previousl ..read more

There are many posts out there about people missing cruising, the holidays, the itineraries, the ports and activities…but as someone who has pretty much been living on a ship for the past two years, and spent a lot of time on them as an employee for ten years prior to that, let me give you the lowdown on what missing cruising really means for me, and most other crew members. The people Without a doubt, this is my number one. If you’ve ever cruised, I’m sure you’ll have noticed how amazing the crew on board are. They really are such a unique breed, outgoing, friendly, caring, adventurous and ..read more

One thing you have to credit this giant cruise line for is their consistency to build new ships, year after year. However, another victim of the current pandemic, Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas has been delayed from 5 November 2020 to April 2021. “We are saddened to have to share this news,” Royal Caribbean said. “There’s nothing we wanted more than to launch this revolutionary ship this fall — but trust us when we say that Odyssey will be well worth the wait!” So, let’s talk about what this ship is all about..! What is Quantum Ultra Class? Never one to sit back and simply duplicat ..read more

If you’re anything like me, the first day of a cruise is probably your favourite. It comes with all the excitement of being on vacation, checking everything out, exploring your cabin, discovering cool things to do, sorting your specialty dining options… Getting ready to relax and enjoy. On the flip side, the last day is likely your least favourite! However, there are things that need to be done, and if you’ve never cruised before, you may not be aware. So, here’s some tips on what do to on the last day of a cruise, so you can relax and enjoy those final cocktails!   Official Stuff ..read more

If you know me at all, you’ll know I’m the biggest advocate for cruising – pretty much any cruise, anywhere! Get me on a ship, drink in hand, visiting any port or country in the world and I’m a happy girl! However, there are some exceptions, like everything in life! These are the cruises to avoid, and I’ll tell you the reasons why… Inaugural Cruises Being the first person to sail on a brand new ship has some kind of Kudos to it right? You may get some swag for free, and you get bragging rights…although you will also have paid through the nose for it, but we’ll ignore that for now! So why ..read more

If you still think that cruising is just for old people and that you will be bored on a ship, think again! When I was asked this at travel expos or even from friends, my way to prove that ships are designed for everyone was to talk about everything there is to do on board. So to do the same here, let me tell you about 13 best cruise ship activities you need to try…and then tell me if cruises are ‘just for oldies’!   1. Waterslides Carnival Cruises are the original water slide kings with the Dr Seuss water park being their signature activity on board. More recently, the competition has s ..read more

You may have cruised many times already, but sometimes this just means you get into your own habits and don’t realise what else is on offer! I’ve created this extensive list of best cruise tips and tricks which I have discovered over the years, I hope you find some useful for your next cruise vacation! Planning 1. The jury is always out when deciding the best time to book a cruise. You can get the ‘early-bird’ deals, the seasonal specials or wait for last-minute bargains. My best advice is to think which offer is most important to you when booking (discounts, free drink package, two-for-one ..read more