07 October 2010

What can I say? Fantastic!!! This was our first family cruise but will most certainly not be the last. Everything about this trip was perfect, from the quality of food and the exceptional service given by the staff to the entertainment that was on offer. We chose to depart from Southampton and drove there the night before and stayed overnight at the Devere hotel which is 5 minutes drive away from the port. This was perfect for an overnight stay, the staff were excellent and they organised transfers to and from the port for us. Everything ran so smoothly. This continued once on board, the ship is amazing and it takes a while to find your way around. It was spotlessly clean and a feeling of real luxury. Our cases were delivered to our cabins within half an hour and our cabin steward was there to meet us. Nevis was fantastic and catered to our every need. We chose a balcony cabin and I would say to anyone thinking of cruising that it is well worth the extra cost as it was simply delightful to sit on your balcony first thing in the morning with a cup of coffee and in the evening with a glass of wine as we sailed out of the port. Our itinerary was Vigo, Lisbon, La Rochelle and Brest. I really enjoyed each destination but La Rochelle was my favourite as it was beautiful and the local people were so friendly and welcoming. Whatever Itinerary you choose you will not be disappointed as there is so much going on onboard. We chose the Freedom dining option as we were not restricted to any times. We never had to wait more than 20 minutes for a table and we travelled in the middle of the school holidays! The standard of food was first class and the service in the dining rooms was fantastic. The main restaurant was the Cinnamon and it was beautiful! It was also really nice to see everyone so smartly dressed. The choice of dining throughout the day was excellent the Waterside and Frankies Grill were are favourites, between the two there was something for everyone. The entertainment on offer was really good from pub quiz's to comedians, tribute acts, themed discos, vocalists, films to mention a few! The price of drinks was so reasonable and not what we expected at all, as too was the gift shops. Overall it was fantastic the only downside was that we only booked 1 week! Take a look at my snaps. x

07 October 2010

Cyprus had been on my to do list for a long time and we finally got to visit this year! I think May is a perfect time to go, the weather was lovely and the resort although busy was not crowded and we found this at the hotel too. Plenty of room around the very large pool! We stayed at the Avanti Village and would recommend it to my customers. The apartment was large and very clean great for families. It has a sister hotel the Avanti Hotel and you can choose a flexi dine option which means you can upgrade from Bed & Breakfast to Half Board for part of your holiday. This really suited us as we got to eat at the hotel which was great but we also had chance to sample food at the local restaurants. http://www.avantihotel.com/ The resort itself was really pretty and the choice of restaurants was vast, we dined at The Rib Shack which was 5 minutes walk from the hotel and Fat Mamas which was a 20 minute walk into the resort center. Food was delicious in both! Fat Mamas offer entertainment whilst you dine with the staff busting into song every 10 minutes! There are lots of water sports and boat trips on offer along Paphos beach and many shops to browse in. We also took a trip on a funbus! Georges Fun Bus (ranked number 1 on trip advisor) It was an absolutely brilliant day. I wouldn't want to tell you too much about it as it would ruin the surprise but would encourage anyone who is visiting paphos to book yourself on this trip. The day ends with a barbecue on the beach and the food cooked by George himself was gorgeous! I would recommend Paphos to everyone, we truly enjoyed every minute, we will definitely return! Take a look at my holiday snaps. xx

17 May 2009

We decided to book two weeks in Orlando and keep it a secret from the children until the night before. I cannot describe the looks on their faces when we said "No school tomorrow, we are off to Florida!" We stayed in a beautiful villa in Highgate Park which is situated approx 10 minutes from Disney. We had bought all our theme park tickets before we went as the prices are much better if bought in the UK. We had planned something for almost everyday which is quite a lot to pack in and we could have really done with three weeks so we could have a few days just relaxing in between the Theme Parks. We visited all the Disney Parks - Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Blizzard Beach. They are all fantastic. Some of our favourite attractions were in Hollwood Studios - The Tower of Terror - a heartpumping adventure where you are sitting in an old hotel lift which breaks down and sends you plummeting down 13 floors into the dark emptiness of the twilight zone! Another was the Rock & Rollercoaster in which the rock band Aerosmith invite you along for the ride in their super stretch limo. This ride goes from 0 - 60 mph in 2.4 seconds! Then you are thrown into the darkness whilst the music is pumping. The "Dude looks like a lady" song was very fitting considering how loud my husband was screaming! Also in Hollywood Studios was the new attraction - The American Idol Experience where you get to be an audience member for a real live show! Three contestants are brave enough to perform in the hopes of getting through to the final and the audience decide their fate by voting on their key pads. We also visited Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, here you can experience the Hulk Coaster which I have to admit I was not brave enough to go on. You'll see what I mean when you visit yourself, my 10 year old daughter Laura however is a rollercoasting maniac and went on this ride dragging my husband John along. They both said it was fantastic and couldn't decide which was the best between this and the Duelling Dragons ride which is also in Islands of Adventure. In Universal the fantastic Simpsons Ride is a simulator ride which sends you into the prime time cartoon. The Evil Side Show Bob captures your vehicle which you are sharing with the Simpson family. The day is saved by the most unlikely member of the Simpson Family. We all loved this ride and I'm sure you will too! Sea World and Busch Gardens are my personal favourites as you get up close and personal with some of the most beautiful creatures of the sea and the jungle. The Shamu Show at Sea World really is out of this world but be warned - if you are daft enough to sit in the soak zone - you really DO get soaked! At Busch Gardens we experienced a real safari trip called the Rhino Rally which changes into the Rhino Raft. Have a look at my pictures to see some of the fantastic animals we were lucky enough to see. My favourite picture being a little Turtle sitting on top of a big old crocodile's head. I think he thought this was the safest place to stay! All the waterparks were fantastic but my favourite was the newest called Aquatica, the lazy river wasn't so lazy there as the current was really strong and you need all your strength to get out. Wet 'n' Wild has a great family slide called "Disco H2O" - you all sit together in a raft and plummet into the darkness where the disco begins but then you are swirled around and sucked down a plughole and shot out the other side! Great fun! In the evening we ate out most nights and tried quite a few restaurants along the 192 highway off the Interstate 4. Our outright favourite was The LongHorn SteakHouse, I would definitely recommend you visit if you can. Overall a family holiday of a lifetime and our definite favourite holiday so far!

11 September 2008

We stayed at Hyatt Los Lomas Village in La Manga for one week during this years school holidays and surprisingly there was plenty of room around the lovely pool. This was our first visit to La Manga and if you are staying in this resort I would definitely recommend car hire as it is a little bit away from the beach, supermarkets, shops etc. It was a little different from other hotels we have stayed as we booked on a half board basis an expected to go to the same dining room each evening but you are based in what I would describe as a little village which has various restaurants within it. So you decide in the morning where you would like to dine and call to make a reservation. Our two favourites were the Italian and the Indian. Once at the restaurant you are seated and it is waiter service. There was a lot of choice on the menu and we were really impressed with the standard of food served. We were also able to make use some of the facilities at the Hyatt Regency Hotel which is approx five minutes drive away. We enrolled our children into the football academy and the dance academy which they throughly enjoyed, I would definitely recommend you pre book these as places were limited. We drove into La Manga during the day and traffic was very busy but once we found somewhere to park we strolled in and out of the various souvenir shops and stopped for lunch in a typically Spanish restaurant which was lovely. There were various restaurants to choose from amonst the shops along this strip. On the opposite side of the road hidden behind the hotels was a golden sandy beach but as it was the middle of the day we didn't risk sunbathing. We also spotted some lovely golf courses whilst we were there and my husband is planning to return for a golfing trip later this year with his golfing buddies. I would definitely return to Los Lomas in La Manga as it was really relaxing and quiet, considering that we went during the school holidays. Plus it is only just over 2 hours plane journey from Manchester - which is great when you have children with you.

20 May 2008

This is not the first time we have visited this beautiful island and we returned because the beaches are spectacular. We have visited all of the Canary Islands and Fuerteventura is the quieter island, it has desert like scenery and enjoys a warm climate which is cooled by Atlantic breezes. On this occasion we stayed in Corralejo on the northern tip of the island, it is bordered by a long golden sand beach and also has a sprinkling of small beaches. The town has expanded to accommodate a selection of shops, cafes bars and great restaurants; the locally caught fresh fish is both delicious and inexpensive. We stayed at the Atlantis Fuerteventura Suite Resort on a self catering basis as we wanted to sample the delicious food at the local restaurants and we were not disappointed. The hotel was situated about 5 minutes drive from both the town and the beach and as we had hired a car for the week this was ideal. We chose a superior junior suite which was a great size and accommodates a family of four easily. Most of our days we spent at the beach, the children had body boards and had a great time riding the waves. The beaches are beautiful and the waters are crystal clear but if, like us, you enjoy a stroll along the beach be prepared that there are nudist areas. Laura, my nine year old daughter got quite a fright! We also visited the waterpark during our stay and having visited Florida I thought it may have been a disappointment for the children, but we were pleasantly surprised as it had lots for children of all ages. They also have shows on at certain times during the day which is great because you get to relax for a while. We had a great day, it was really well supervised and as it wasn't peak season there were no queues and plenty of sunbeds. To sum up, with mile upon mile of untouched sandy beaches, Fuerteventura is ideal for families looking for tranquillity and relaxation.