Taking the rough with the smooth

I enjoyed the smooth Guinness of Dublin more than the rough Irish Sea!

Braving a cruise across the Irish Sea in mid-December was perhaps not the best selection for my first cruising experience… and unfortunately I cannot say I loved every single minute; there were a couple of queasy moments that were somewhat less enjoyable than others, yet I can say wholeheartedly, that (despite the first night nausea), I thoroughly enjoyed my first cruise and would definitely cruise again.

Our cruise took us from Avonmouth to Dublin aboard the elegant Marco Polo, where after a rough few hours at sea, we stumbled onto dry land and made our way to the Guinness Factory to enjoy a taste of the ‘smooth stuff’ and a tour of the factory; finding out all about the history of Guinness and how it is made.

People had told me that Guinness tastes different in Ireland; & oh how right they were! As the red liquid (yes, we learned that Guinness is actually red if you hold it up to the light)… as the red liquid, passed my lips, the initial taste was similar to the Guinness I had tasted here in the UK, but what surprised me was the velvety smoothness of true Irish Guinness, and the tasting was definitely a highlight of our trip!

As well as learning that Guinness is in fact red, my first cruising experience had a few more interesting lessons in store for me…

I learned that ‘cruise food’ is an experience in itself and found myself sampling far too many delights of the buffet, the formal restaurant and the dessert menu!

…I also learned that ordering a baked Alaska on gala dinner night signals a delightful firework-dessert parade through the restaurant from the kitchen and waiting staff; traditional on gala night on many voyages.

…& I learned that eyeliner is a nightmare to apply in a force ten, that heels are perhaps not the best choice of footwear in said-sea-conditions, and that sea-sickness does not discriminate between seasoned-cruisers and cruise-virgins! That said, after a queasy first evening, I found sea-legs I didn’t even know I had, managed to don my heels for gala night and even braved the dancefloor!   

Cruise highlights for me were definitely the food (& the Guinness experience), the quality & range of facilities on board, and the fact that you can fall asleep in one place and awake in a totally new destination to explore the very next day!

So being asked by my friends and family, after my first cruising-experience, would I choose to cruise again? The answer is a resounding yes!