Welcome guest blogger, frequent traveller and fellow sun lounger Rachel Moreland, who, like me, believes holidays are good for the soul!
We join Rachel and her family on board the Sky Princess, on a Princess Cruise around the western Mediterranean which she describes as being like staying at a large, five-star hotel where the service is impeccable and everyone’s tastes are catered for.
First of all, tell us a little bit about yourself (what you do, where you live, who you live with, hobbies, passions, etc
My name’s Rachel and I’m a wife, career woman and mum to a 9-year-old son. My husband and I have been together forever (yes, he is a saint) and I work for a software company as a director of customer success.
My days tend to revolve around other people – how I get the best out of my team, how they engage most effectively both internally and externally, driving positive business outcomes for us and our customers.
So, when I have downtime, that time is for me and my family. Holidays and travel have always been a passion of mine and, as my career has grown, my appetite for amazing holidays has grown too. The old adage of work hard, play hard definitely rings true for me!
Do you travel much/how often do you go on holiday, either by yourself or as a family?
With my son still being of school age, we are very much restricted by school holidays as to when we can go away, but it doesn’t stop us from doing what we want. We max our time off together.
We typically go on four to five holidays per year, which range from short breaks to two-week stints. I find even a short break can be good for the soul and a chance to reset when life just gets too much. Having holidays to look forward to really keeps me going during periods of high intensity, particularly when work is super busy. I already have 90% of my 2025 annual leave booked for the various holidays we have planned!
You’re currently on a cruise around the Med. Have you ever cruised before and why did you pick this holiday?
My husband and I cruised just before we had our son. At the time, it felt like the trip of a lifetime. We spent three days in Orlando before joining a seven-day Royal Caribbean cruise, topping it off with a further four days in Orlando and living our best lives, visiting Universal Studios every day!
This was the first time we have cruised with our son and noting that cruise ships nowadays are like floating five star hotels, with different destinations to explore, we felt it would be a good option to try as a family of three.
How long have you been away and who are you travelling with?
We booked a two-week Western Mediterranean cruise from Southampton on the Sky Princess. We had a Mini-Suite, which cost roughly £8,500 for the three of us, which included all gratuities and the premium package for drinks and desserts for the duration, for all of us.
What route did you take and where did you stop?
After we left Southampton we stopped in Valencia, Toulon, Barcelona, Florence and Pisa, Rome and Sardinia. Our trip to Sardinia was changed at the last minute due to the terrible conditions and we ended up making a surprise stop at Cartegena in Spain. We were all so pleased we did, as it was such a beautiful place to explore!
How long do you get on land and any recommendations of must-see attractions, places to eat, etc?
A typical day is 8am – 6pm, although some ports differ. On the days where we booked excursions, we were off the ship about 7am and 8am respectively.
We visited Pisa, as we were keen to see the leaning tower. We had a guide who took us around the area and explained some of the tower’s history, then we made our own way around before heading back to the meeting point.
When in Rome, whilst it was a paid-for excursion, we were able to manage our own time. We packed so much into one day, starting with the Colosseum, the Pantheon, Trevi fountain, Spanish steps, a pizza (how could we not!!), rounding off the day with St Peter’s Basilica.
Whilst we didn’t have time to go into all of these and have a proper nosey, we got some great pictures and loads of steps in (to counteract all the amazing food you get on a Princess cruise!!)
Which were your favourite ports and why?
We found the ports that were accessible on foot or a short water taxi away were the simplest, most convenient to mosey around. Who doesn’t love a mosey on holiday, after all? These were Valencia, Toulon and Cartegena.
We stayed on board when we docked in Barcelona as we’ve seen the sights before and would visit again outside of this holiday. That was lovely as the ship was far quieter than we had experienced on the preceding sea days. My son played in the pool and we enjoyed the sunshine. It was nice to have the option.
Are there any places you wouldn’t go back to and, if so, why?
As we’ve now been to Pisa, I wouldn’t go back there. That feels like we’ve ticked one item off the bucket list. And whilst we didn’t go into Florence, that’s one of the 2025 trips we already have booked, so I don’t feel like we missed out.
All of the others I would gladly visit again. There isn’t a huge amount to do in Valencia, Toulon or Cartegena (that we were interested in, anyway) having now visited the beautiful Valencia Cathedral and taken a walk around the infamous market, other than bumble around, take in the culture, stop for some tapas and enjoy the sunshine. But who doesn’t want that on a cruise holiday? That to us is perfection!
We’re hearing more and more about tourists not being made to feel welcome in some holiday destinations. Did you encounter that on your trip at all?
We didn’t experience that at all. We did hear some other passengers mention some signs they had seen when in Barcelona but couldn’t comment as we stayed on the ship. In all the other destinations, we found everyone to be lovely, with excellent service, apart from Rome. I think ‘aloof’ would be the most appropriate word to use to describe the service we had there!
What was there to do on board?
So much! There are four pools (two are adults only, one of which was until 4pm each day), crazy golf, a theatre which held different productions and talks, a casino, a kids’ club, a pizzeria, gelato shop, cocktail bars, a seafood restaurant, an Italian restaurant, a grill (the BEST steak we have ever had), evening entertainment, an art gallery and auction, quizzes… it is like staying at a fantastic, large, five-star hotel where the service is impeccable and everyone’s tastes are catered for.
You mentioned being at sea for three days. What did you do on those days?
We used that time to play games as a family. I have never lost Uno quite so many times as I did this holiday. I’m sure my son and husband cheat! We read, sunbathed, explored the ship, ate too much pizza, drank too many cocktails, swam, relaxed on the balcony and even had the privilege of seeing a pod of dolphins swimming alongside the ship one day.
What are cabins like on board?
Our cabin was A427 and it was supremely comfortable and well equipped. It was a mini-suite with a larger balcony and not once did it feel small for the three of us when we were all in there.
The living area converted into my son’s room, with a large sofa that turned into a bed. Shout out to Jose who took care of us and made our son’s bed up every night, turning it back into a huge sofa every morning.
He had a large screen TV to himself and we had one in our room. There was loads of storage and a massive dressing area. I really couldn’t fault it. Everywhere is spotless, the bed is plush and comfortable, drinks and food can be delivered anywhere you are on ship thanks to the medallion you wear which serves as your locator and room key.
What facilities are there on board and what is the food like?
The food is the best I’ve ever had on any holiday. We had a designated area in the Estrella restaurant and the same waiter for the nights we ate in there. Second shout out coming up to Franky, who was an absolute gem of a human and we enjoyed many lovely conversations with him. All of the food was so delicious and the choice was incredible. They cater for all allergies and intolerances, down to fussy eaters and gluttons! I heard one passenger refer to Princess as ‘walk on, roll off’ ships. I see why!
We are led to believe that most cruise ships are full of pensioners. Is that the case on your cruise or is there a mix of ages onboard?
Haha! There was definitely a mix. I have a very dear friend who has cruised over 40 times and she gives us lots of hints and tips when it comes to cruise lines/destinations/what to look out for, and she has said over the last five to 10 years, the age of the clientele is dropping. We noticed that on this cruise.
Granted, it was the school summer holidays, but I would say about 30% on board were children, with perhaps 30% being elderly (I think of my Nan when I say elderly and she’s in her 90s) and the rest a mix of everything in between.
Has this holiday given you a passion for cruising and will you go again?
Will we go again… whilst on board, we booked another cruise for next summer! This time on the Enchanted Princess. We fly to Miami, then we are sailing to Curacao, Bonaire, Aruba, Barbados, Dominica, St Maarten and Puerto Rico, before landing in New York.
We’ve gone all out and booked a full suite, so this time next year I’ll be able to report back!
Do you have any tips for anyone planning a cruise holiday?
Do it. Don’t let the misconceptions about ‘old school’ cruises get in the way of what could well be your best, most relaxing, most energising and most entertaining holiday yet!
Anything else to tell us about your holiday?
There’s real beauty in boarding a ship in Southampton and not having to fly, so I’m glad we have experienced this. Waking up in a different country day after day is also appealing, especially when you haven’t had to drive or fly to get there.
And finally, where to next for you and your family
Our next holiday is in a few months’ time and we are off to a beautiful property in Norfolk where we have stayed before. Open fire, baby grand in the living room, blustery sea walks and fish and chips. Perfick!
The Sun Lounger 
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