Holidaying with children made easy. (This is genius.)

Towards the end of last year, it looked like I was going to be spending Christmas alone – and I was not bearing the news with much grace.

But just when I had almost resigned myself to an orphan Christmas, eating toast for Christmas dinner, and giving myself a lump of coal just so I could feel especially sorry for myself – lo and behold! – a Christmas cruise came my way. On board a fancy-pants cruise ship. Sailing through New Caledonia and Fiji. Insert shocked emoticon face here.

That’s how my younger sister and I ended up spending nine days sailing the high seas on board the Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas: eating delectable three-course meals for dinner every night in a dining room that resembled something out of The Beauty and the Beast (sans singing cutlery); drinking cocktails by the pool every day; and visiting two amazing countries, which we had never been to before.

To be honest, I was a little hesitant about what life on board a cruise ship might be like. I was expecting the clientele to be like those on board the Titanic (er, the 1997 version – not the real life version), and was certain that my sister and I wouldn’t fit in among the other guests, who I pictured dripping with jewels and wearing corsets and top hats. Never mind that the fashions have changed significantly since 1912.

In fact, everyone on board was completely lovely and welcoming. The staff onboard the ship were friendly and attentive (our Assistant Waitress Jenny was always happy to crack a joke and would sometimes perform spontaneous renditions of J Lo songs).

So for anyone who – like me – really has no idea about what life on a cruise ship is like, I’m going to break it down for you. Here’s what you can expect.

The cruise ship

I was traveling on board the Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas. The ship was basically like a giant, floating shopping mall/theme park.

As well as the aforementioned amazing dining hall where we were treated to gourmet meals, you could order room service at any time. There was a theatre stage, and every night guests were treated to performances from dancers, singers and comedians.

There was a movie theatre (where I watched many a Christmas-themed movie when I needed a little break from all my relaxing in the sun). A rock-climbing wall. An inline skating rink. An ICE skating rink.

And the pool – oh, the pool! You could choose to take a dip in the refreshing pool proper; relax in one of the many, many spas; or recline in the sun, cocktail in hand. There were also live bands singing Caribbean-sounding tunes performing poolside throughout the day, which just added to the sensation of being on a floating tropical island.

There was also a wellbeing centre, where you could get massages, manicures, pedicures and fancy facials – and for keen beans a gym, with gym equipment and group fitness classes. I briefly considered going to a ‘vitality stretch class’ on my first day on board, and then realised the class took place at 7am. That’s when I realised I probably wouldn’t be exercising much.

And what about the places we traveled to? In both New Caledonia and Fiji my sister and I opted to go on day trips that were organised through the cruise – and we were not disappointed.

New Caledonia

We stopped in Noumea in New Caledonia – and many of the guests traveled to the famous ‘strip’ on Anse Vata beach. My sister and I chose a day trip that saw us kayaking down the Dumbea River.

It was very… wet.

Despite the fact that my sister and I may not have been the most proficient of kayakers, we did enjoy the scenery of Noumea’s forests while sailing down the river. We actually had a helluva good time, and ended the day dripping wet, laughing and exhausted.

Fiji

The ship docked at Lautoka in Fiji, and my sister and I immediately boarded another old-timey sailboat to visit a smaller island just off the coast, called Tivua.

I can honestly say that I have never been so such a magical place in my place. The sands were white, the surrounding water was crystal blue, and inland the island was filled with lush greenery. It was small (you could walk around the perimeter of the island in about 20 mins), and visiting I felt like I had your own private tropical island.

My sister and are were serenaded, along with the other guests with Fijian songs; went snorkeling in the stunning waters through small coral reefs and saw plenty of fish; and lazed in the sun. Other guests enjoyed scuba diving, massages, and getting their hair braided.

If you’ve ever thought about going on a cruise, but aren’t sure whether it would be worth it, I can’t recommend the experience enough. Probably one of the biggest selling points of the whole experience is that it makes holidays so much easier.

Particularly for families with kids, it means you don’t have to worry about carrying your children’s luggage, rushing to make connecting flights, and packing and unpacking your suitcases every other day. You just sail peacefully from one country to the next.

And you might just be lucky enough to end up with a waitress who sings J Lo sometimes, just for fun.

The author travelled as a guest of Royal Caribbean. 

Have you ever been on a cruise? Would you consider going on one?