N


eedless to say the boy was our Jack – and his moment in the limelight at Aurora’s children’s talent show marked not just a glorious episode for him-- that is still being relived weeks after the holiday ended – but for me it was


the point at which I realised that even the things I didn’t intend to get involved in before we went on the cruise (i.e. the communal stuff) can, in actual fact, be great fun.


Let me rewind to the beginning. Like many families with children, we face the annual summer dilemma of going somewhere and doing something that can keep four children between the ages of four and fourteen happy – not to mention their parents! We’d done the beach club holidays - but had found them no more than adequate - the childcare was OK, but the surroundings never change, and the accommodation always seemed a bit on the spartan side.


We’d gone for the gÎtes option a few times. It’s not bad if the weather holds up - but one or two days of dodgy weather and the boredom creeps in and the niggling starts. Then you’re left frantically driving round the countryside trying to find something to do.


So we opted to cruise – P&O Cruises Aurora – going round the Med in August. With one proviso from me – that I was having nothing to do with the on board activities. After a stressful and tiring year I declared it was a pile of books, a sea view lounger and a glass of something cold in my hand for me. But like all the best resolutions it didn’t last long – about half an hour actually.


As we departed Southampton on day one my spirits had been so lifted by the ease of embarkation that I found myself leaning over the railings with everyone else cheering along to the shore-based band playing loudly as Captain Ian Hutley expertly eased Aurora out of her berth and headed out to sea. 


31


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68