Us? On a Cruise?

OK, I'd have to say EVER going on a cruise was as far from our usual holiday plans as you could possibly imagine.  The Diane Brimble legacy, Fairstar the Funship and the usual floating RSL images had always put us off such a trip.  Granted, Paul was in the Navy for 6 years and the Turners had travelled to the UK and back by ship when I was young, but as a couple two nights on the Spirit of Tasmania and overnighters on a Channel Ferry hardly constituted a cruise.

So why now?  Well, Alexander is settled at Uni and my 12 month contract at the Department of Climate Change had provided us with an unexpected income.  Extend the house?  We probably should.  Go on a cruise and for once hang the expense?  Why not - I've worked hard for it and Paul paid all the bills in the interim.

South America has been on my 'must do' list since I played a board game as a child called 'Pirate and Traveler' (sic) where such far off places like Punta Arenas, Valpairaso and Montevideo sounded interesting. And although Paul had sailed to the West Coast of America, the rest was unknown to him as well.  He is naturally more interested in the wildlife but sailing though the Straits of Magellan, Drake's Passage and treading on Tierra Del Fuego - this has to be done on a ship.

Ever tried choosing a cruise line?  Well that's another story, but we found what we wanted on a smallish (50,000 tons, 700 passengers)  ship called the Mariner which did the complete circumnavigation in style.

Everything is pretty much included in the fare so we're not going to leave with a large bill and the room looked pretty good

even though we'll be spending 73 days in a space the size of our lounge room!  Oh well, all the drinks are included so we can sip G&Ts to our hearts' content on the balcony and fraternise with fellow passengers as we choose.

We start the big pack after Christmas and given we have to pack for everything from the Caribbean to Antarctica and 'formal nights' it's going to be hard.  Plus we have to teach Alexander how to use the lawnmower and the washing machine!

We look forward to sharing our trip with you and we welcome your comments.