After the excitement and build up to a wedding the newlywed bride and groom deserve a romantic honeymoon together in order to pro-long their wedding celebration.  A time to reflect on recent celebrations, a time to discuss future plans together and a time to be alone, away from your everyday routine. 

My new husband and I have just spent 17 nights on a cruise, sailing around the Mediterranean Sea…and wow, what an experience we had!

We chose to go on a cruise so that we could see several different places, all in one hit, and so that we didn’t have to keep packing and un-packing a suitcase.  We booked our cruise through Princess Cruises, shortly after  securing our wedding date and venue in December, so we had plenty of time to look forward to our holiday of a lifetime.

Our journey commenced and concluded in Southampton, just an hour from where we live - and we chose to arrive in style in the form of an oversized limousine.  We checked in and boarded the Grand Princess, a passenger cruise carrying 2600 guests and 1200 crew on board for all 17 nights covering a total distance of 6126 nautical miles.

After settling in to our mini-suite we explored the huge ship – getting to know every inch of what would be our new home for the next few weeks.  Our room was comfortable, and had a balcony which gave us a little bit more space than an instate room would have provided. 

At 4pm on Wednesday May 2^nd our Princess Cruise set sail for Cadiz in Spain.  We spent the next 3 nights sailing in to open waters, en-route to our first destination.

Cadiz, Spain

Arrival: May 5^th @ 6:39am after having sailed 1146 nautical miles from Southampton.

After sailing in to Cadiz we ventured off the ship, excited to see a land, and an interesting city.  Unfortunately it rained like we had never seen before – all day – but that didn’t stop us from having a good time.  We walked around the cobbled streets of Cadiz (looking for shelter), and experienced Spanish style cuisine before heading back on to our ship drenched head to toe. It would have been lovely to have not had the rain, but we made the most of our day on land.

The next two days were spent laying on deck in the sun as we set sail for Valetta, Malta.  Being half Maltese I am very familiar with how beautiful Malta is, but it was wonderful for my husband to see where half of my family is from, and to visit my parents who actually live on the island.

Valetta, Malta

Arrival: May 8^th @ 6.44am after having sailed 1074 nautical miles from Cadiz.

Malta is a small island, and is just 17 miles wide by 9 long.  The sun was shining as our boat docked at Valetta’s port and just a few moments later we were met by my parents.  We drove to the walled and very ancient city of Mdina where we had a welcome breakfast and a lovely walk around so that we could experience a view unlike any other on the island.  We then headed over to a tiny town called Ghargur where we drank Cisk, a local beer at a local band tavern, followed by a family gathering so that my new husband could meet all of my extended family.  Our day in Malta was not only one of the most memorable days of our trip, but also a memory that we shall both keep forever.

After an emotional farewell, we set sail once again on the Grand Princess to our next destination, and one I had always dreamed about – Venice.

Venice, Italy

Arrival: May 10^th @ 8.47am after having sailed 742 nautical miles from Valetta.

I’ve heard loads about Venice in the past, but you seriously can’t visualize this quirky city unless you’ve seen it for yourself.  The busy narrow streets and ever flowing canals were truly incredible but it was a ride on a gondola that reminded us of why we got married in the first place. It was so romantic, and what a fantastic experience! Our gondola driver, Allessandro took us out on to the Grand Canal and we would highly recommend that anyone going to Venice, even if it isn’t your honeymoon, should experience this exciting tour. 

The following day we docked in Split, Croatia, followed by a full day in Dubrovnik.

Split, Croatia

Arrival: May 11^th @ 9.26am after having sailed 215 nautical miles from Venice.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Arrival: May 12^th @ 5.56am after having sailed 116 nautical miles from Split.

I didn’t know much about Dubrovnik until I did some research about it regarding the hitched.co.uk destinations for weddings abroad.  From the pictures that I had seen during my research Dubrovnik looked beautiful, but in real life it is one of the most beautiful cities that I have ever been too!  The town of Dubrovnik is situatied inside what looks like the walls of an ancient castle.  The orange roofs and marble style floors make Dubrovnik one of the most wonderful places on earth.  It's clean, has character and has some of the most stunning views from all over.  A truly magical day!

Corfu, Greece

Arrival: May 13^th @ 6.45am after having sailed 207 nautical miles from Dubrovnik.

Our next stop sailed us in to Corfu, Greece.  I wasn’t sure what to expect from Corfu but something about the weather told me that it was going to be a fun experience.  The sun was beaming down on the Grand Princess as we sailed in to the port, and after a bit of a lengthy walk we reached the town of Corfu.  After some local shopping and a coffee in a busy central square we sat at a restaurant overlooking the ocean in front of us and enjoyed a lovely Greek Salad.  After a slow walk back to our ship we  set sail for our final stop, Gibraltar.

Gibraltar

Arrival: May 16^th @ 8.38am after having sailed 1314 nautical miles from Corfu.

After having been at sea for 2 days we were happy to reach Gibraltar, or ‘the rock’ as it was referred to on the peninsular.  Gibraltar is tiny, but is full of exciting experiences if you have the time.  The famous ‘monkeys of Gibraltar’ live mainly on the rock but can sometimes be seen in the busy town which is jam-packed full of duty/tax-free shops.  Gibraltar has a typically British feel about it and its local currency is the Pound, so it made knowing how much money we were spending easy.  After walking around all day we headed back to the Grand Princess for the last time.

We were never bored of things to do once back on the Grand Princess Cruise.  Everyday we received an itinerary in the form of a ‘Princess Patter’ which gave us a full outline of the activities and challenges available on board, should you wish to participate.  From ballroom dancing to Bingo there is an activity for everyone, no matter what age you are.  There was also a Grand Casino on the ship that was open at various times throughout the day and night if you’re feeling lucky!

And when it comes to food on a Princess Cruise you are always spoilt for choice!  There are several restaurants on board which are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as a buffet which is open throughout the day should you feel the need to eat more!  There was also an ice cream bar, pizza bar, burger bar, Panini lounge, sit-down pizza restaurant and 2 exquisite restaurants offering prime Steak and traditional Italian food. Afternoon tea was also served from 3:30pm every day and several bars were open 24 hours a day so that we could enjoy the odd glass of champagne or early evening (or morning) cocktail. 

There is also an opportunity to get married aboard the Grand Princess. The Wedding Chapel, which was located on deck 15 is a wonderful place to tie the knot at sea, and for friends and family at home there is a fully fitted web-cam so that everyone can celebrate with you, if they aren’t able to come on the cruise with you!  Getting married on board and celebrating your honeymoon at the same time is a great idea, and apparently every day whilst we were at sea there was either a wedding, or a renewal of vows, so we definitely weren’t the only honeymooners onboard.

Our journey concluded on day 17 with a once in a lifetime opportunity to visit the captain on the bridge of the ship.  We were invited to see the ship from the drivers point of view and got to learn all of the secrets which help keep these huge ships afloat.

After having sailed a further 1179 nautical miles during 2 straight days at sea we finally reached Southampton. 

Spending our honeymoon on a cruise was an exciting experience and unlike anything else I could have imagined.  Our moving hotel gave us the opportunity to visit 7 destinations that we would never have been able to do in a 2 and a half week period had we chosen to fly and we didn’t have the stress or hassle of packing/un-packing or travelling to and from airports.

For us a cruise was a fantastic option and a holiday that we will never forget. 

Our top 5 cruise honeymoon tips:

~ If you have time before, or after your wedding and before you set sail on your honeymoon cruise, try and research the destinations in which you are going to visit in terms of tours and local currency.  With just a day in each port you don’t want to be running around trying to exchange money or booking tours at the last minute.  Excursions for each destination are available through the Princess Cruise operator before you travel, or through the dedicated desk on board.

~ Pack appropriately.  Our cruise consisted of 3 formal nights which were black tie, along with 14 smart/casual nights.  However you also need to consider clothing and footwear for during the day – both on sea days and port days.

~ When it comes to activities onboard during days at sea, be sure to do what you really want to do early, rather than leave everything until the last minute because you won’t fit everything in.  Even though we were on the Grand Princess for 17 nights we still didn’t fit everything in that we wanted to experience!

~ Pamper yourself!  The Lotus Spa onboard the Grand Princess offers anything from a hair cut to a hot stone massage…….and everything in-between.  It’s your honeymoon!! So be sure to take advantage of the opportunities provided.

~ If you aren’t a good passenger when it comes to travel sickness then make sure you speak to your doctor before you travel.  We didn’t experience any particularly bad weather during our travels, but motion sickness bands or medication would be advisable, just in case.  There is a dedicated doctor onboard the ship at all times, just in case of any other medical emergency.

Where will you be spending your magical honeymoon? 

Fran x 

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