Time to enjoy a holiday without the kids
When I was a little girl I remember sitting on my parents’ bed watching my mother as she got out the evening dresses, dinner jackets and sparkling hand-bags, glamorous dancing shoes and of course her very best jewellery.
They were off on a cruise that included dinner at the captain’s table and ballroom dancing on the high seas to a full orchestra in a world where children just did not exist.
I was miserable for the weeks they were away, being minded by a very strict aunty, but when they returned there were presents galore and stories of the people they had met and the places they had visited.
Friends made on these cruises remained on their Christmas card list for many years.
It seemed to my childish imagination, looking at the photographs, to be a fascinating world of black and white glamour where smoking was stylish, dancing was daring and the whole thing was superbly elegant.
Fast-forward several decades, and cruising is now a central part of the package-holiday market, and is almost as ordinary as a fortnight on the Costas.
Fly/Cruise holidays are very affordable and families take to the seas regularly to enjoy all-inclusive packages on huge ships which are like floating theme-parks.
Entertainment is world-class on many ships and the range of activities is so extensive that some people do not even disembark when the ships pull into port. For others it is a wonderful way to see the world without having to endure busy airports while visiting many different countries.
Of course your cruise holiday will depend on what you choose and what you pay for — from a Mini to a Mercedes, they may be similar modes of transport but the experience differs greatly!
From the basic to the ultra- inclusive, the choice is as varied as the destinations and the cabin (stateroom) you opt for can double or treble the basic lead-in price.
However, if you are content to choose an inside room with no natural light, you are assured of a very good price indeed. It seems a lot of Irish people do not mind the inside cabins as they use them only to sleep and spend the days and evenings enjoying the ship’s amenities or at shore.
But I must admit on my recent experience on board the Oriana, a mid-size ship from P&O Cruises, I had a delightful balcony room with floor-to-ceiling glass doors allowing natural light day and night.
Sitting on the balcony, dolphin-spotting or star-gazing in the privacy of our own little world was magical. The luxe style of our room included a spacious bathroom with bath and power-shower, twice daily housekeeping with chocolates on turn-down service; big fluffy towels; robes and slippers; super-comfy beds; great TV channels including movie channel; fridge, safe, huge wardrobe, tea/coffee facilities and cookies, proper mirrors and enough space to swing a couple of cats!
As we sat sipping cocktails in the Crow’s Nest each evening before dinner, we thought of all the lovely things we appreciated about this ship. The food generally came top of the list. It was proper white-linen service, down to the traditional afternoon tea, menus were both classic and contemporary and the choice was fantastic.
The Oriana boasts two speciality restaurants along with the Oriental (Club Dining) and the Peninsula (Freedom Dining) and the Conservatory, which is a self-service restaurant for those who prefer a more casual dining experience.
Not for us, as we loved the black tie nights and dining in The Oriental at our own table each evening, and lunching in the Peninsula with fellow guests.
One of the speciality restaurants is the Ocean Grill by Marco Pierre White, which as you would expect is a real fine-dining experience.
Our steak and seafood dishes were sublime, and portions so generous that we struggled to make it through to dessert. For an intimate cosy meal we visited The Sorrento, a relaxed yet authentic Italian restaurant with some great dishes from various regions of Italy. Menus change in the speciality restaurants every few days, so you can visit several times on your cruise which makes for plenty of variety as you pile on the pounds!
Of course there is nothing nicer than going to see a good show, either before or after dinner. We did both on the Oriana as this is a ship with some seriously good talent onboard. From the Headliners Theatre Company with their West End and Broadway shows to the very funny comedian John Evans and the spectacular operatic voice of Roy Locke (Phantom of The Opera) — we enjoyed some excellent performances and everything is available on the doorstep, without the usual commute to the theatre.
Movies in the in-house cinema change each day, and there are so many talks, classes, demonstrations, quizzes, wine-tastings and competitions going on all the time, that it is impossible to get around to everything.
But with our cosy cabin, we could always stretch out on the chaise-longue and watch our own movies any time “at home”.
Cruising with P&O is a very British experience, from the officers to our fellow passengers to the entertainment, ambience and menus. Best of all the wine prices and gratuities being in sterling are very much lower than on the American ships, and the homely touches — like tea and biscuits in your room — are uniquely friendly.
We did a 12-day cruise from Southampton which started with three days at sea followed by visits to Maderia, Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and finally Lisbon as we made our way back up through the Bay of Biscay with more sea days in between and finally arrived back to Southampton.
P&O Cruises have seven ships in their fleet, and for 2015 have added an eighth, Britannia, which is being heralded as the biggest and most glamorous ship built for the British market.
The cruise line has a very loyal clientele, many of our fellow cruisers told us they enjoy multiple trips with P&O on their ships and Britannia is certain to be a highly popular choice as it embarks on its maiden voyages.
The clincher, however, was that top of our “Things we love about our cruise on Oriana” list, was that it is adults only — no children on board with the whole of the ship being dedicated to the enjoyment and pampering of adults and like my parents decades ago, you have a seriously relaxing and luxurious holiday. Bliss!
Flybe Airline - www.flybe.com has four flights daily from Dublin to Southampton with prices starting at €42.00 each way.
Flights also available from Belfast.
Taxi from airport to port costs STG£20 and takes fifteen minutes.
P&O cruise the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Norway & Iceland, and exotic destinations including Rio de Janeiro and Sydney, Dubai, India and Chile. Visit www.pocruises.com for information on short breaks and fly-cruises.
Canary Islands and Iberia start from £679pp for twelve nights in an inside cabin. 24 nights around the Caribbean & Azores could cost you £5,799 in a luxury suite and just £1,899 for an inside cabin. Contact John Galligan Travel – www.jgt.ie – for the best deals from Ireland.
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