Festive Cruise over the Irish Sea…

Last weekend all at Cruise co got together for our annual Christmas Conference. We sailed from Bristol to Dublin on Cruise and Maritime’s Marco Polo on its Festive party Cruise. Having never sailed on Cruise and Maritime before, I was intrigued as to how I would find it.

We started on Saturday night by staying over in Bristol. Having never visited the city before, I was not sure what to expect. We had an amazing night! We stayed in The Bristol Hotel, which was right on the riverside. I would highly recommend this hotel if you are looking for somewhere to stay in Bristol. It was a short walk across the river to the hub of the city and its bars, restaurants and Christmas Markets. So of course, myself and my colleagues had to sample the Mulled Wine on offer!! Would have been rude not too!

After an amazing nights sleep in one of the most comfortable beds I have ever had the pleasure to sleep in, we boarded The Marco Polo with excitement. You may know that we all work from home at Cruise Co, so conference is an amazing opportunity to put faces to names! The ship is one of the oldest liners at sea but I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Yes, some areas looked tired, but the ship was very clean, had a nice open feel to it. All the public areas had ample seating and were bright and airy.

I stayed in a Superior Outside Twin Cabin on Deck 6. There was plentiful space and the beds were comfortable. The cabins looked tired but were completely functional.

The food was good, it had a wide range of choice for those with dietary requirements. I especially enjoyed gala night on the third evening. There was a great menu choice and the food was beautiful. I really enjoyed The Baked Alaska Parade, something I have not seen on a ship before. I was over the moon when our waiter came over with a Gluten Free Baked Alaska for me! A really nice touch.

The next day we were in Dublin. I was so excited to see this city. My Grandad spent his whole working life with Guinness’ so I absolutely had to visit the Guinness factory.  It was a fascinating tour, unfortunately I could not sample the delights of the dark stuff but was a fantastic experience. I even learnt that Guinness is actually Red! Who knew! After this we headed into Temple Bar. I loved the atmosphere and the music, I completely fell in love with Dublin. I will most certainly be going back with the hubby!

Back on ship the next day, was somewhat eventful for some of us. The Irish Sea came out to play! I am usually pretty good on rough seas but I have to admit it got the best of me this time round!

I would just like to take this chance to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy 2019 xx