02.03.2017

Our Cruise to Tasmania on the Carnival Legend, 4 day family Cruise

Warning: Before you start reading….

CRUISING CAN BE ADDICTIVE

We have just returned from our 5th Family Cruise, this time aboard the incredible Carnival Legend to Tasmania, we have been to Tazzy before but love the place, so when the chance came up to take a short 4 day cruise right at the start of the year, we jumped at it!

As we have sailed with Carnival three times before in Australia and the USA, we knew what we were in for and ready for a vacation of legendary proportions! And it didn’t disappoint!

We set sail on a floating resort that’s so spectacular she needs a two-level promenade for all of her fabulous shops, lounges and nightclubs, plus an abundance of stateroom options such as balconies and interconnecting rooms and an unparalleled variety of activities. Then add the delicious dining, kids club and pampering service, and this “Fun Ship” becomes a legend in her own time.

The four-night Tasmanian cruise aboard Carnival proves an ideal short getaway, to refresh and unwind. Perfect if you have never cruised before and want a ‘sampler’ short trip to just ‘try out’ cruising. But trust me it’s addictive and you will be wanting to book again before you have even disembarked.

Whether you’re after an action-packed holiday or just want to relax and unwind, you can create the type of cruise holiday you want.

My favourite spot on board (apart from piano bar) is sitting on our balcony mesmerised by the ocean. Seabirds glide gracefully over the waves and ships come and go on the horizon it’s the perfect place to just chill, but it never lasts long as there’s heaps of fun on offer and the kids drag me out the door!

You will find something for everyone little ones, big ones, the whole family.

Including the largest waterpark at sea in Australia, build-a-bear at sea and mini-golf. For the fitness minded check out the two-deck fitness centre, jogging track and sports court (not that I made it to any of these) But I did spend some ‘quality’ time in the Serenity area (adults-only) plus the day spa while the amazing kids club councillors kept the kids entertained. With three different age-appropriate youth programs the kids get plenty of choices and its a great opportunity for them to make some new friends on-board.

But all good things must come to an end and when we roll off the ship in Sydney 4 days latter its apparent we’ve consumed our share of the tonnes of food prepared each day and I regret not visiting the gym – but honestly, there just wasn’t time.

I will be cruising again as the entertainment never ended and you are just spoilt for choice no matter what your passion.

Here’s some photos captured during trip, and also some of my favourite spots on board!

Want to know more about the ‘Green eggs and ham breakfast’ then be sure to check out a review I wrote on it in past posts under Family travel.

If you have any questions on Cruising or just traveling with kids drop me a line as I love a chat.

Love Kerry and Miss Piper xoxo

11.15.2016

Build – A – Bear At Sea with Carnival Cruise Lines

Carnival Cruise Lines and Build-A-Bear Workshop have partnered together to bring aboard another family-friendly activity, Build-A-Bear At Sea.

The Build-A-Bear concept allows children to build and individualize their own teddy bears and the fun doesn’t stop at just making bears — kids can create monkeys, leopards, turtles and bring other furry friends to life and leave the ship with a new member of the family.

Cruisers are able to create custom bears at sea in the pop-up Build-A-Bear Workshop located in the Camp Ocean facilities. These pop-up work stations are set up during designated times throughout the cruise.

Children of all ages can make their own cuddly friend and they feature everything you’ll need to make your personalized bear, such as the iconic stuffer and a variety of outfits and accessories, from tutus and high-top sneakers to holiday wear like bathing suits and sunglasses perfect for a little fashionista friend.

Each bear comes complete with its own “birth certificate” with the bear’s name and date he or she was created, as well as a logo drawstring bag. Additionally, the bears have their own “voice” via a recordable sound chip with kids recording their own special message.

Plus the ship’s cruise directors will also hold festive Build-A-Bear At Sea parties on every cruise. These events will feature music, bear-themed snacks and photo opportunities the fun never ends.

Build-A-Bear Workshop At Sea complements the wide variety of family friendly activities available aboard Carnival Cruise Line ships which also include complimentary children’s programs for kids 2-17, spectacular water parks with corkscrew water slides and splash zones, miniature golf courses, poolside Dive-In Movies on giant LED screens, outdoor play spaces, volleyball and basketball courts and more.

For more information on cruising Carnival Cruise Lines with kids go to www.Carnival.com.au

Looking for some ‘Cheap Flights’ to Sydney to jump onboard?

If you have any questions of our cruising experience please just drop us a line on any of our social channels and we will be happy to chat.

Love Kerry and Miss Piper xoxo

build — The instantly recognisable Build-A-Bear Workshop is coming to Carnival Cruise Line ships fleet-wide.

07.17.2016

Cruising With Kids – P&O Pacific Dawn

Well I don’t think it will come as a surprise to anyone who has been following us for a while that we love to travel as a family and cruising is always on the top of our list!

We have just returned from a seven-day South Pacific cruising experience on P&O’s Pacific Dawn.

Are you looking for cheap flights?

In my books a good holiday is restful with no cooking, cleaning or moving from one destination to another and the need to unpack and repack at every hotel. Plus No travelling time to get to the destination as really the ship is the destination. We only had to drive 20min to the departure port and we wasted no time as there were no long flights or time spent chasing a toddler around an airport and within an hour of boarding the P&O Pacific Dawn we’d unpacked (for the one and only time on our holiday) and were on the top deck ready for the sail away party with cocktail in hand. This convenience is one of the many things I love about cruising, along with the fact there are activities to cater for all ages and tastes. It’s the most convenient way for families and anyone looking for an affordable vacation to travel.

Holidays are important to us, as a busy family we love to take the time out and reconnect as a family, which we did over each meal but with age-appropriate kids clubs available on our cruise run by qualified teachers or nurses we had peace of mind to know the kids were being well looked after while we took some time to just be a couple and enjoyed the ships many activities on board. There are countless options to keep you busy all day and night or you can skip it all and take in a day of rest on deck or in the day spa (which I did on a couple of occasions)

On Pacific Dawn the Lido is where all the action takes place — from lounging about, playing with the kids in the pool, to viewing a movie on the outdoor cinema screen, to eating lunch in the al fresco dining areas its the place to be!

If you have bigger kids the P&O Edge Adventure Park is not to be missed and not for the faint hearted it’s installed above the Lido deck, offering 19 activities (at an extra cost) including two flying foxes for zip-lining, the funnel climb, and a dedicated area for riding Segways. Other options include Walk the Plank, which extends off the side of the ship, the high-in-the-sky Crow’s Nest for panoramic views, and a boulder wall for sideways rock climbing this was perfect for the Josh (9yrs) and hubby it was like nothing we had ever seen before and we enjoyed every minute of it.

Each night we ate as a family in the Waterfront restaurant and each and every night the staff did more than just serve us, they made us feel like royalty by entertaining us all. Nothing was too much trouble for them they made us, rabbits and mice from napkins, performed magic tricks for the kids, Josh even cried on the last night as he was so sad to leave our waiters as they had become friends he looked forward to seeing every day.

Our island stops included Noumea, Lifou and Port Vila

In Noumea we left the ship and decided to set out on foot and explore the city we enjoyed a trip to the local supermaché and found delicacies like French wine, baguettes and cheeses surprisingly cheap and enjoyed taking in the city vibe.

At Lifou we spent a day looking for Nemo snorkelling on the most stunning reef abuzz with dazzling corals and mesmerising marine life. Lifou is so pretty graced with long, chalky, casuarina-fringed beaches, pebbly inlets, sapphire bays enclosed by sheer limestone cliffs and psychedelic underwater scenes — it’s a water-lover’s wonderland.

Port Vila was a great curtulral experience where we checked out the local markets and mingled with the locals. A visit to Markets in Port Villa made for hassle-free souvenir shopping and food tasting.

There is plenty of family activities to participate in, on and off board with a P&O cruise. They offer a range of fun, family activities and adventures so you can share your holiday experience with your little ones.

If your interested in cruising be sure to jump onto P&O Cruises has a range of cruises, sailing from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Fremantle.

If you have any questions on cruising just drop us a line and we will be happy to answer any questions you have about our cruise.

Love Kerry and Miss Piper xoxo