I've always considered cruises - how can I put this politely - as more of an "older person" holiday. I imagined them as a place full of bingo and slot machines, with granny's running people over in their mobility scooters to be first in line for the buffet.
And after my first experience on a cruise back in March, I wasn't wrong! But I also wasn't right.
Taking a cruise was something that had been considered for a while, and with three years since our last trip, Mum and I settled on a six day cruise with Princess Cruises.
The Ship
The ship, the Enchanted Princess, had started its journey in Fort Lauderdale, US before crossing the Atlantic for us to join the voyage in Barcelona. From Barcelona, the ship headed to Marseille, Ajaccio and Gibraltar before heading back to Barcelona.
Boarding the ship was very overwhelming. Not only were there a great number of staff and guests milling around but the sheer size of the ship made me feel very tiny. Having had my feet firmly set on solid ground for previous holidays, the high ceilings and sweeping staircases were not something I was expecting to see floating on the ocean!
The ship can host more than 3,600 guests with 1,350 crew but as the first voyage of the season, there were an almost equal number of guests to crew making everyone feel comfortable and well looked after. Handy hint, if you have brightly coloured hair - mine was pink at the time - you'll get lots of compliments from the crew! The ladies in the spa were especially fans of the colour.
Our room, a balcony room on the starboard side around midship, was comfortable and clean. The balcony was a lovely addition and a great place to hide away from busy areas after a long day. On our last sea day, when the sun finally came out, it was a proper little sun trap and the perfect place to read a couple of chapters of our books while taking advantage of room service.
The Food
A cruise is essentially a full board - or all-inclusive depending on your package - holiday on the sea. While the majority of the food was included, drinks were separate and reasonably priced. We didn’t opt for a drinks package as we didn’t think we could get through £50 worth of drinks, each, every day.
With the buffet open for all meals, plus three private dining rooms open, numerous speciality dining options and of course room service, you could eat from the moment you work up to the moment you went to bed.
We visited the buffet every morning for breakfast where there was a wide variety of dishes on offer. We saw everything from grab-and-go breakfast sandwiches, to fresh crepes made to order and even chicken congee.
We tended to opt for a late lunch once returning from our port visits, mostly picking up a sandwich from the International Cafe - my favourite was a warmed prosciutto croissant followed by a selection of sweet treats because it would’ve been rude not to! On the top deck were several fast food options including pizza by the slice, as well as classic burgers and fries.
In the evenings we cycled through all of the private dining rooms across our six nights onboard. Each of the dining rooms served the same menus which changed on a nightly basis. Everything was on offer, from lobster to prime rib, but the highlights really were the puddings. My particular favourite was an Italian trio of tiramisu, pistachio friand and an ice cream sandwich. There were also some sweet soups - yes soups - available, but we preferred our fruit juices in our cocktails!
The Entertainment
While we spent as much time as we could off the ship, exploring the ports we had docked in, there were still activities onboard to enjoy. From bingo and slot machines, to egg drop competitions for the kids (and some adults), there was always something going on. If you aren’t a fan of organised activities, there were also group meets for a whole cross-section of people including those for military personnel and solo travellers. I also discovered there was a knit and natter group but I had left my crochet hooks at home after there were threats to throw them in the sea!
We joined in with some activities including a dance lesson and watching The Devil Wears Prada on the top deck, but the evening’s entertainment was where the entertainment crew shone. The 1,000-seat theatre hosted West End level productions and amazing musicians who were the onboard celebrities. A great three-piece from the UK, MOBO got all the middle-aged mums' hearts racing with their Motown medleys, while Static Band Caribbean got everyone up and dancing (some closer than others!).
The Verdict
The best thing about a cruise for me is being able to wake up in a new place every morning. Being able to go from Barcelona, to Marseille, to Adjaccio, to Gibraltar and back again, without thinking about the logistics of getting to/from those places was certainly a highlight. While it only gave us a few hours in each location, we still had plenty of opportunities to explore before being whisked off to the next location.
I didn’t particularly enjoy the sea days but that may be because I was the wrong sort of audience for the sorts of activities that were put on. I maybe would have enjoyed them more if they were spread out. Having them on either side of the final port day felt like there was too much downtime at the end of the trip, whereas having one at the beginning and one at the end would allow building up to the port visits and then unwind after all of them.
I would certainly look at going on another cruise, as long as there aren’t too many sea days involved!
