Cruisy summer days

13 Dec 2016

Australians are spoiled for choice when it comes to cruising from any of the major ports around the country, with 41 different ships visiting our shores before next winter. If you’ve never set sail before, it’s easy to daydream about endless tropical drinks and exotic meals coming your way onboard. But cruising offers so much more, no matter where on the sliding scale of relaxation, you will find your ideal holiday.

Do as much or as little as you like

Late each afternoon, most cruise ships publish a comprehensive guide to the scheduled activities being planned for the following day to give you plenty of advance notice on what you might like to see or do. Rarely more than a four-sided booklet, this guide is an essential resource for those who feel like participating in an activity or two. Depending on your ship, these activities can vary from an exercise class to awaken your joints in the morning, a cooking class or demonstration, pub-style trivia, karaoke, an opportunity to learn a new card game, health and wellness seminars, plus hundreds more.

Fit for a family

If the kids or grandkids don’t call quite as often as you’d like, cruising is a great way to spend time with the entire family. You can show off your dancing skills in the Kids Club or just use the opportunity to reconnect while enjoying some fun in the sun, or discovering a new part of the world together.

There are ships of all sizes

If you think these cruise ships are constantly growing, it’s true, they are. But as they get bigger, they also become more modern, with wider passageways, dozens of elevators, ramps for accessibility or stairs if you prefer. But if you aren’t so keen on sharing your holiday with up to 5000 other people, Australia offers a plethora of smaller vessels visiting regularly and cruising with little more than a few hundred. These smaller ships are in scale too, often with more than one theatre, multiple restaurants and enough lounge chairs on the top deck for everyone. When doing your research, check out Cruise Advice (cruiseadvice.com.au) – a handy website that showcases the different experiences passengers can have on ships of all sizes. 

Sea sickness is rare and easily treated

Modern cruise ships are floating examples of the best in seafaring technology, and part of this are state-of-the-art floatation systems which keep ships almost level even in the roughest of seas. Many have counter-weights built into the hull, meaning that as waves hit on one side, the counter-weights balance it out so you’re less likely to feel queasy.

But if it does happen, there are many ways to beat the blues. Grab a green apple from the buffet, have a ginger tablet, stare at the horizon or even suck on a lemon. If you think you might be affected by the ‘motion of the ocean’, talk to your doctor before you set sail, but don’t let it put you off cruising.

Unless you prefer to lock yourself in your cabin, it’s impossible to get bored on a cruise, and the only way to see it for yourself is to jump onboard and give it a try.