Confessions of a first time cruiser

WHEN this writer boarded her first ever cruise, she wondered what on Earth she was in for. Here’s what it’s really like holidaying at sea.

The pool deck on Celebrity Equinox. Picture: Fleur Bainger

I AM about to board my first-ever “proper” cruise. By proper, I mean a 15-storey high-rise, floating hotel; the kind that has 2850 people waking each morning to a different port, intoxicated by the flip-book of new destinations. To say I’m excited is an understatement.

The cruises I’ve done before barely justify the descriptor. Holding just 20 people, the boats were small and luxurious, sure, but there was no pool rimmed with lizard-lounges, no top deck carpeted with real lawn and no nightly entertainment.

But I’m nervous too. Here I am on my first cruise and I’m going it alone. Doubts dance about in the back of my mind: will I actually like being contained in a floating resort, milling about with thousands of elderly strangers and being expected to get seriously gussied up for dinner?

In truth, after I’ve unpacked my bags (you only have to do it once!) and stowed my suitcase beneath my bed (a tip from a cruise veteran), I feel a tad overwhelmed at the big, glitzy world outside my suite door.

I’m aboard the multi-million dollar Equinox, a gleaming white Celebrity Cruises ship built in 2009 that’s so big there are eight elevators just up one end. Ten restaurants cater to every culinary whim at almost any hour; there are bars doing frozen cocktails and martini flights; house-made gelato stations; a huge, window-wrapped gym; a hair salon and even a mini-mall where everything is duty free.

It’s all at my disposal for the next 14 days as we glide from Istanbul in Turkey to Barcelona in Spain, docking at a bunch of wish-list ports in between.

I square my shoulders, step out of my balconied enclave and immediately get lost.

Flustered and jetlagged, I take several more missteps before finding nirvana: the buffet restaurant.

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Discovery 1: There is so much good food

The new-kid-at-school feeling fades as I realise I’m going to be very happy here, even if I do nothing more than eat. The buffet is beautifully set out over several islands, with chefs busily cooking dishes to order and regularly replenishing supplies. “We cook in small batches; it’s not a cafeteria,” says the ship’s executive chef, Josh Becker, a laid-back Californian with 220 staff under his wing. “We pride ourselves on doing food differently to other cruises.”

I expect my fervour to wane over time but the buffet has new additions each mealtime. At every port, 34-year-old Becker heads out to source local specialities to feature. While aboard, I savour ajvar from Dubrovnik, octopus from Mykonos, and cherries from Kusadasi. And then there’s breakfast.

There’s real lawn on the top level.

Discovery 2: The real lawn

Hiding my bulging tummy under the drapes of my sarong, I head upstairs to a rather unlikely slice of nature at sea. Two of Celebrity’s ships, Equinox and Solstice are topped by living lawns. Maintained by two lawn-keepers and an environmental officer, more than 2000sq m of grass is cut to exactly 35mm and is so well manicured it resembles a golfing green. The couch grass carpet hosts daily bocce games, drinks parties (there’s a roof bar), picnic lunches and regular glass- blowing shows (yes, really). At sundown, I find it’s the perfect spot to watch the warm glow of Istanbul fade as we depart in the balmy night air.

Discovery 3: The running track

The grass isn’t Celebrity’s only green touch. On Equinox, the glass-encased elevator passes a potted ficus tree that’s suspended in mid-air. A beating green heart in the multi-storey atrium, it has been growing since 2009 and pruners have to hang from the ceiling to trim it.

Stepping out of the lift, I’m surprised to see people shuffling, strutting and jogging along the sundeck – then I spy the line markings of a running track. Apparently this is a common feature on big cruise ships, but other cruise newbies like myself stand chatting in human road blocks, oblivious to the fitness trail snaking around them. It’s an amusing daily occurrence I never tire of watching.

The popular running track on Celebrity Equinox. Picture: Fleur Bainger.

Discovery 4: The cruise club

As each day unfurls I learn more things. Newspapers are distributed in the lobby daily; you can order from the room service menu at no extra charge; the all-day burger bar costs no extra; and the theatre team do late-night dance shows in the Sky Lounge.

I share each new discovery with my dining companions, but am met with knowing smiles. I realise there’s an unspoken cruise club; those who have sailed before already know all the tricks and secrets.

Discovery 5: The adults-only pool

By now, the jet lag has lifted and I’m getting into the swing of things. I start each day with a 7.30am stretching class, led by a buff Balkans native called Marco. He’s another secret the frequent cruisers have been keeping mum about. Next, I do some leisurely laps in the enclosed adults-only pool. It’s a quiet sanctuary compared to the two outdoor pools, which are like well-stocked aquariums. Better still, it has a healthy food station, serving muesli or porridge with fruit for breakfast. I’m sold.

Discovery 6: It’s not all old people

“I was worried cruising would be like a mobile nursing home,” one guest confides in me over dinner. “But on my first cruise, I saw it wasn’t full of old people. And now I’m back to celebrate my 40th birthday.”

It’s a major misconception that needs busting. While they’re still the dominant demographic, a glance around my cruise suggests the median age is about 60, with many in the 40s and 50s bracket, plus a few young families and a handful of 20-somethings. I don’t have to join a bridge club to make friends, either: I’ve been placed at a table of mates each night at dinner, with a regular reservation in the main restaurant.

The Oceanview Bar is the perfect spot to unwind.

Discovery 7: It’s busy

“I wasn’t a fan of cruising when I first got on,” says a blonde Russian by the pool. “I felt like it was a bit like using the remote to change channels: every day you are in a new place and it’s so fast. But then I got used to it, and I would definitely do it again.”

Her descriptor is a good one: stopping in to a new port every day sounds romantic, but it’s surprisingly exhausting if you’re an eager traveller wanting to make the most of things. Often the port is some way from your dream destination, so an early start coupled with a busy tour is the only way to go. It’s fun, but after three days straight you’ll start lagging. Factor in plenty of sea days: they’re important for recharging weary batteries.

The writer was a guest of Celebrity Cruises.

 

GO2

The Celebrity Cruises 13 night Italy and Greek Isles cruise departs September 7, 2016 and costs from $3,019 per person twin share for an interior stateroom, or book an oceanview stateroom by November 16, 2015 and receive a free upgrade to a Balcony Stateroom, from $3,569 per person twin share.

The 13 night Greece and Turkey cruise departs August 25, 2016 and costs from $2,439 per person twin share for an interior stateroom or book an oceanview stateroom by November 16, 2015 and receive a free upgrade to a Balcony Stateroom, from $3,059 per person twin share.

Bookings in any of Celebrity’s oceanview staterooms and above qualify for the cruise company’s new pricing structure, Go Big, Go Better, Go Best which offers a choice of one of four complimentary onboard extras including a classic beverage package, $US150 onboard credit, unlimited internet or prepaid gratuities.

Celebrity Solstice has arrived in Australia and is currently cruising the South Pacific. Cruises run from 8 to 12 nights, including an eight night round-trip cruise departing Sydney and calling in at the Loyalty Islands and New Caledonia, which sails on April 1, 2016. Prices start from $1,299 per person.

To book, phone [phone] or visit www.celebritycruises.com.au