We get it – not everyone is convinced that a cruise is the ultimate way to holiday. You know who else gets it? Princess! So they decided to take us on a little taster cruise to show us what cruising is all about.

And while we were on board, we made it our mission to take a deep dive (pardon the pun) into the Mouths of Mums’ community’s biggest cruise concerns. Find out if we were able to debunk the most common cruise myths …

5 Common Cruise Myths

We asked you to tell us the reasons why you wouldn’t go on a cruise, and we had hundreds of responses – with a familiar pattern. So we jotted down the most common concerns and boarded the Diamond Princess for a two night sailing from Sydney to Melbourne. Here’s what we discovered.

The most common cruise concern with our community by far was the fear of getting sick. There’s a clear perception that cruise ships are rampant with illness, which spreads quickly. But it couldn’t be further from the truth.

Once aboard the Diamond Princess, it was obvious that cleanliness is paramount. From the handwashing stations at the entrance and exit of the buffet restaurants to the high food turnover and spotless kitchens.

It’s worth remembering that cruise ships are held to some of the highest sanitation standards, and are proactive about cleanliness.

The cleanliness doesn’t end at the restaurants. Whilst strolling the decks we’d see the Princess crew consistently spraying and wiping down tables and chairs between each group of guest, whisking away wet towels and replacing with freshly laundered piles of stripey towels.  The room service was exceptional; not just tidying but a very obvious full clean each day.  Honestly we could have stayed forever!

Crowded food venues with sub-par standard meals was another big concern. Which is only understandable – how is it possible to have fresh food available during long sailings?

Aboard the Diamond Princess, we didn’t find there were any issues with crowding in dining areas – or really anywhere in general. She’s a big ship – 952 feet, with a maximum of 2,706 guests, so there’s plenty of room. And there are so many dining options and areas that the only issue is being spoilt for choice.

From the Main Dining Room, where you can choose from traditional, flexible or walk-in dining, to Horizon Court with an endless amount of amazing food that changes throughout the day, to Prego which serves up fresh pizza to Trident Grill for burgers and barbecue – there’s literally something for everyone.

The Japanese restaurant was a massive hit with our group; the finest quality fresh fish, the lightest tempura and pickled veges to die for.

As we’ve mentioned, Diamond Princess is a huge ship, as are all the ships in the Princess fleet. There really isn’t the opportunity to feel ‘crowded’, because there are so many spaces to explore, relax and enjoy. From shops, to entertainment, bars, restaurants, wellness spas, kids’ areas – there’s plenty of room to stretch your legs and not feel like you’re on board with hundreds of other people.

We thought we’d be worried about being a little boat in a big, big ocean but once on board the thought simply vanished!  The big open decks, the wide hallways and the spacious rooms with balconies big enough for 3 people with cocktails really bring home just how substantial the Princess ships are.

We hear you! This was one of our biggest concerns before hopping aboard the Diamond Princess – so we made sure we were armed with a few different things that were recommended by seasoned cruisers.

Of course there’s the usual travel sickness medication, which you can chat to your doctor or pharmacist about. You can try travel sickness bands which work on pressure points in your wrists. But honestly, we found that being on such a big ship, most of the time we actually forgot we were on a ship! We didn’t get any wild seas, so the movement was minimal.

There’s no two ways about it, travel is exxy at the moment. But cruises are super affordable because you get so much bang for your buck. When you consider that most of the food is included (unless you want to eat in particular restaurants), you can get drink packages, most of the entertainment and child minding is included and your room is serviced daily – it’s actually a steal!

And there are always special deals up for grabs so make sure you keep an eye out.

Don’t just take our word for it, some of the Mouths of Mums community also revealed what they love about cruising, especially for families:

“It was honestly the best family holiday ever… there are negatives to all holidays… it’s the positives that make it worthwhile. Go into it with a negative mindset (or a negative person), you’ll definitely ruin any holiday for yourself and those around you.” – Belladonna

 

“Been on 25 cruises, loved them all! Took the kids, then kids and grandkids, all of whom are now addicted to travel. Never been sick, including on ship with raging Covid and gastro! Made heaps of friends, but MAINLY … IT’S THE ONLY HOLIDAY WHERE MUM IS ON HOLIDAY TOO!! No washing, cooking, bed making, worth its weight in gold!” – Cathleen

“We had four of our kids with us two teens and two primary school aged and there was something for everyone, was the best holiday and I didn’t hear the words “I’m bored” from any of them. An honest ‘Mums Holiday’ with everything done and organised we truly get to relax. I love cruising.” – Donna

Mouths of Mums was a guest of Princess, aboard the Diamond Princess – a Japan-built ship bursting with Japanese influenced features, including the largest Japanese bath house at sea. The Diamond Princess is here for the Australian summer cruise season, before heading back to Japan for the northern summer season early next year.