The season of the mini cruise.

My first cruise was a mini cruise on the new Independence of the Seas in 2009. Well, she was new then! It was during a May bank holiday weekend and a 4 night to Cork and back.

It was bank holiday weekend and the ship was filled to capacity. The volume of luggage being manhandled on board the vast family-friendly superliner at Southampton might have suggested we were all embarking on a world circumnavigation rather than a short sailing and this is another bonus of a cruise out of Southampton is that you have no restriction. Despite the queues at check-in – a mission equivalent to boarding more than eight jumbo jets at once -, the embarkation process went remarkably smoothly and check-in and boarding was a breeze and this has been our experience with all our cruise since.

Arriving in Cork on a rather wet day.

As this was our first cruise and Independence is a large ship we were wowed by everything as you are when you first step onboard. Our cabin was lovely presented and all neat and tidy.  We booked ourselves into an inside cabin. Someone told us to set our alarm clock as it is very dark in an inside cabin once you turn the lights off. No, we said we are used to getting up early as our children were still very young then. We had left them with their grandparents.

Our first morning after probably the best sleep we awoke after 10 in the morning – so much for early risers!

A mini cruise is the best way for a first timer to experience a cruise, take the family on a city visit to Bruges, Hamburg or Amsterdam or a romantic getaway for just the two of you. In 2014 I surprised my wife for her birthday with a Christmas mini cruise to Bruges on QM2.

P&O, Royal Caribbean, Cunard, and Celebrity all offer mini cruises from Southampton. For families, the price includes childcare and kids’ club programmes. Traditionally P&O and Cunard do Christmas markets during December but there are some great deals out there with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. Why not give it a try if you have not already been on a cruise before. I guarantee you will come back wondering why it took you so long to try it.

Call me on 0333 300 2694  now!