To cruise or not to cruise
If you’ve come across this blog, it’s likely you are thinking about cruising or have booked a cruise. I know how daunting going on a cruise holiday can be, particularly if you are visiting destinations you haven’t been to before.
You may be wondering why my blog is different to other cruise blogs online. Well, I’ve been fortunate enough to experience cruising from every angle. As well as being a former cruise ship crew member, I am married to a former cruise ship deputy captain and I spent two years travelling on cruise ships with him. From 2015 to 2017 I spent six months of each year sailing as a passenger, blogging about the ports I visited. This unique situation allowed me to enjoy the benefits of cruising as a passenger, with the perks of accessing many of the crew areas.
I have been on over 100 cruises since my first adventure on the Canberra in 1995.
Cruising is for all ages
When I used to tell people that I worked on cruise ships, I would often get comments about the age of the passengers on board. Some people had a preconception that cruising was for the older generation.
But now the image of cruising is changing, with increasing numbers of young couples and families choosing cruise holidays. The average age of people cruising is dropping worldwide, leading to a rise in passengers under the age of 50. Cruise lines are also building ships that cater for a younger market and they are starting to develop new activities for the younger generation.
With these changes in mind, I want to share my experience of cruising as a thirty-something parent in an ever changing cruise market. I aim to unpack some common myths about cruise holidays, and I’ll be tackling topics such as dressing for a cruise and the pros and cons of cruising in your 30s.
I hope my blog provides some inspiration if you’re planning this type of holiday, whatever your age.
My background
My name is Anna and I live in the south of England. I work in content design and I have a background in marketing and copywriting.
I spent my childhood holidays travelling with my family on cruise ships (on different lines), where my dad was a guest lecturer. In 2009, I went to sea as an Assistant Shore Excursions Manager for P&O Cruises.
I spent three years travelling the world with this job. I cruised as far afield as New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia and Vietnam. I spent three seasons in the Caribbean and sailed on numerous Mediterranean, Norway and Baltic cruises. My favourite itineraries included: America and Canada, the Black Sea and Iceland and Greenland. I sailed on Arcadia, Aurora, Azura, Oceana and Ventura.
From 2015 to 2017 I spent two years travelling with my husband on board Ventura, Azura and Oceana, part of the P&O Cruises fleet.
Now I spend most of my time on land, updating this blog amongst the everyday chaos that comes with being a working parent.
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