Cruising to the Melbourne Cup - The Sailaway

By Cruising With Honey - 00:28

Melbourne Cup Cruise

P&O Australia - Pacific Explorer

I stood exasperated in front of my empty suitcase; well not completely empty as there was a lonely feather boa I threw across the room in a sneezing fit. I watched it slowly float into the case.

It was the night before the Melbourne Cup cruise aboard P&O’s Pacific Explorer and I was standing in the middle of my room wishing for a packing genie. Alas, no such gin appeared in a puff of blue smoke, and so I posted on Facebook, then repeated my sanity saving mantra, “tomorrow is cruise day, tomorrow is cruise day,” over and over again until I had packed my six dresses, two coats, two swimsuits, various shirts, scarves, makeup, toiletries, jewellery, jeans and meds. What I didn’t pack was ONE long-sleeved top, a rookie mistake for anyone visiting the Australian city where Mother Nature is in a perpetual hormonal state.

Somehow, I made it to the Overseas Passenger Terminal on time the next day, dropped off by my ever-patient husband and my three curly-haired offspring. Number 1 diligently snapped my #honeyjump photo, told me to have fun and helped with my luggage. Number 2’s tear-streaked face hurt my heart as she kept asking if she could come too, and Number 3 stated very loudly that she gets “daddy all to myself” and promptly usurped my position in the front seat. Sigh.

With a final wave, I walked towards the OPT doors, and with every step my feelings of nerves leaving my family were replaced with excitement. Finally I get to cruise on Explorer! Since she joined the fleet mid 2017, I have been a visitor aboard a few times, but this would be the first time I would cruise as a passenger. (P.S It took less than 10 mins to check-in). Walking across the gangway, I suddenly had a moment of deja vu! It was over 10 years ago that I had taken my first ever cruise on this very ship when it was the Dawn Princess! While this vessel underwent an incredible re-fit, there were still little moments, flickers - especially when in the Atrium - when my mind would wander back and ‘see’ the original decor (alas, the mermaid carpet is no longer).

Making my way up to Deck 11, the highest deck I’ve ever stayed on in any ship, I was delighted to swing my cabin door open, take a deep breath, and then dive onto my bed! All this was MINE for SIX whole nights! No sharing my bathroom, I could take up the whole vanity with my makeup. Watch anything I want on TV and eat chocolate in bed. Play all the Prince I want without having to mute the words not suitable for juvenile ears. And, above all else, quiet time. God love them, my kids are my world, but as I lay there on my bed, I did a little jig: it’s Mama’s time.

After unpacking and checking out every nook and cranny, I decided that the cabin was great! (WATCH cabin tour here). There was plenty of storage and the balcony was a good size. As with every ship bathroom, it can take a day or so to get accustomed to the compact size, but I wasn’t sharing, so it was fine. I WAS CRUISING!

As I was invited aboard as the guest of P&O on this famil, I had a packed itinerary to stick to. (For those who don’t know what a famil is, it is a familiarisation cruise or a free cruise whereby cruise lines invite media, agents and other key people to experience a cruise for PR purposes. As well as the free cruise, all activities, meals and onboard experiences are covered. I am under no obligation whatsoever to review the ship in any particular way, and was always treated generously and graciously by my hosts, and by everyone else on board. In fact, throughout the cruise, I was given a lot of freedom to do as I pleased, and even interviewed a number of crew, a generosity not often extended).

Anyway, the first item on the agenda was to meet the rest of the journalists in my group on deck for sailaway. This is the part where I always get a little nervous; you can get stuck with atrociously ill-mannered people or the sweetest souls you would ever meet. Luckily, this group of TV, magazine and online journos were the later.

After introductions, I quietly slipped away. As the festive beats of the Nutbush filled the air and the Explorer pulled away from Circular Quay, I needed to be alone. To be just me and the sea. The next few days were going to be jam-packed; filled with food, drink, conversation, laughter, dancing, horses, crowds, tours, people, shows, music, etc. So, for this moment in time, it needed to just be me.

I climbed to the highest point I could to absorb this moment. My beloved Sydney and all of her noise grew smaller. It was as if someone was holding the 'down arrow' on the volume button on a TV remote control, and everything was getting softer. The noise in my mind was also getting quieter. I inhaled. The cityscape now resembled a lilliputian land. The sea lapping and curling, the ship effortlessly gliding, my eyes absorbing the majesty of creation, my lips tasting the salt, and my hair caressed by the breeze. I had missed this feeling.

I exhaled.

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Carnival

Top 7 Reasons Why Short Cruises Are The Perfect Getaway

By Cruising With Honey - 01:28

Cruising is the perfect holiday

There is something that I need to get off my chest, and I’ve been very thoroughly annoyed about it for some time.

I’m sick and tired of short cruises getting such a bad wrap.

I absolutely love short cruises; they are the perfect getaway for numerous reasons, which I’ll elaborate on. But first I want to address some of the over-sensationalised negativity that these mini breaks seem to gather.

I often read in social media forums, “oh, don’t ever go on a booze-cruise” or “these short cruises are just filled with drunk bucks/hens groups” and even from the true snobs, “these short cruises aren’t a true representation and don’t even count as a real cruise”. To all those comments, I say phooey.

And don’t get me started on the mainstream media. Many of the ‘journalists’ who jump on the first whiff of an attention-grabbing headline, have no idea about cruising, let alone a short-cruise, and usually call them ‘boats’ and use terrible puns.

For those who don’t know much about short cruises, let me fill in some blanks. Sometimes they’re called ‘sampler cruises’, ‘3-day cruises’ and even, ‘cruise to nowhere.’ They can be 2-nights or 3-nights in length and do not have a port stop i.e they return to the port which the ship departed from, and every day aboard is a 'sea day'.

Some have themes, such as the Comedy Cruise I went on in May on the Pacific Jewel. There are also 4-night short cruises, but these often involve a port stop. A repositioning cruise can also be a short cruise and other times, it can be one leg of an itinerary.

In addition, if you are an Australian and haven’t got a passport, you only need photo ID for adults and a Medicare card for children to jump on a short cruise.

Here you might be asking yourself, “What makes Honey such an expert on short cruises?” Well, from my very first cruise aboard the Dawn Princess (a 2-nighter from Sydney to Melbourne) to my most recent 3-nighter cruise aboard the Carnival Spirit in July, I have completed more than a dozen short cruises.

These bite-sized holidays have all been incredible in their own ways, and have left me with the most fabulous memories. I’ve cruised aboard the Carnival Spirit and the Carnival Legend, Dawn Princess, Pacific Jewel and Pacific Pearl. As yet, I haven’t cruised on Royal Caribbean. I’ve cruised with the Vice-President of Carnival Australia (how much fun did we have JVK?), with my daughters, with the whole family, with my ‘mum friends’, a huge group of strangers who quickly became life-long friends, and I’ve even cruised alone. And while every ship and every voyage has been unique, there is one common aspect: they have all been escapes from reality.

So here are my Top 7 reasons why short cruises are the perfect getaway

Value for money

Have you ever tried to organise a weekend away, thinking it would be an affordable little treat? I have, and I can tell you that weekend or mid-week breaks are not cheap. Say, you’re taking your partner away and you want nice accommodation, delicious food and maybe a little treat and a show. You would be hard pressed to getaway for less than $500 per night. Trust me, I have tried. Even a hotel staycation will cost at least $300 per night just for the accommodation. Now, imagine you have a couple of kids in tow that you have to feed three meals a day, keep entertained and clean up after. Plus, you have to get to your destination, which also eats up time and money. You won't be able to get away with the family for multiple hundreds of dollars per night. Trust me again on this one. The exception is of course is camping or if you don’t have to pay for accommodation.

Cruising (and this includes short cruises) is by far the most economical way to have a holiday. The least I have paid per night is $50 and the most about $120 per person. When you take into account that most things are included, then it’s pretty dang cheap.

And while I’m talking about money, not everyone has the luxury to afford to go on a long cruise. For many people I know, a short cruise is all they can afford, especially if they have a big family. There’s no shame in that.

Everything is done for you

Life can be hard, and exhausting. The working, cooking, cleaning, driving, washing, shopping, gardening, folding, (… omg, my fingers are getting tired just typing all the things that make me tired) etc and on repeat. Well, I have found a short cruise the perfect way to get a break from life. Just like a nap during the day can be revitalising, so too a short cruise can be the ultimate way to just press ‘pause’ and refill that empty tank.

The packing and unpacking

While I have admitted to being a serial over-packer (remember my story of seven pairs of shoes on a 2-nighter?), I have since drastically cut down on the amount of clothes, shoes and toiletries I take with me. Short cruises mean less changes of clothing, and you can easily get away with a small overnight bag and your carry-on backpack or handbag. Less luggage means less unpacking in your cabin, which means less re-packing and very minimal time unpacking and laundry once you get back home.

Work and family commitment

The scourge of modern society is that most of us are time-poor. So many people literally can’t afford to take time off work, whether it’s due to running their own business, working part-time, having no annual leave or other important commitments such as caring for older members of their families. A short cruise can easily slot into this hectic lifestyle we all lead. In fact, if the cruise departs on a Friday, you can even sometimes avoid taking any time off work (or school) at all. I’ve often left work on a Friday afternoon and returned to work on a Monday after debarking.

The perfect celebration

Ignore the negativity that swirls around short cruises being ‘booze cruises’. I have taken my young daughters away for birthday surprise cruises, my own birthday and even end-of-year-celebrations and thoroughly enjoyed every single cruise. I’ve met people on short cruises who are celebrating their anniversaries, weddings (on board), honeymoons, sports club end-of-season get togethers, reunions, team building events and so many more happy times. A short cruise is a great way to mark an important event by having one heck of a party.

No planning necessary

With a short cruise, there is very minimal planning involved. As there are (generally) no port stops, then there are no shore excursions. It’s the no-fuss holiday.

You get a taste of the ocean

And finally, and probably most obviously, a short cruise is the only way to try out cruising and decide if it’s for you. If you enjoy it, then great – you’ve caught the cruising bug! If it’s not your cup of tea, then at least you haven’t wasted a lot of money and time.

So friends, the next time you read a comment about how terribly terrible a short cruise is, imagine my annoying voice in your head reminding you of all the awesome things a mini escape from life, cruising on the beautiful blue expanse can be. And hey, you might even fall in love.

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