After a busy run of cruises, we found ourselves squeezing in a short three-night sailing on Crown Princess, as we wanted to see how she fared after her dry dock last year.

So, flights booked from Melbourne to Brisbane, bags packed, and off we went.

We arrived at the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal well before our allocated boarding time—almost three hours early—but everything moved quickly, and we were on board just after 2pm.

Our first stop was the Crown Grill, as we’d missed out on a reservation online. As it turns out, they hold some tables back, and we were able to secure a booking for that night.

After four cruises in 2025, a bad case of the post‑cruise blues saw us take a chance on Carnival Cruise Line for the first time. We had some room in our calendar, and our three‑night cruise from Sydney was, on paper, a bargain.

We’d seen plenty of negative reviews of Carnival Cruise Line in the past—and of the old P&O Adventure and Encounter—but we wanted to see what it was like for ourselves.

After 12 nights onboard Celebrity Edge, it’s easy to see why this ship gets so much attention — but the real question is whether it’s worth the premium price.

Starting with our Concierge Class Infinite Veranda stateroom, the design is modern, bright, and genuinely spacious, with one of the best bathrooms we’ve had at sea. The trade-off is limited wardrobe space, and the Infinite Veranda — while great for making the room feel bigger — won’t suit everyone, especially since opening it disables the air-conditioning.

It All BegWe recently sailed on the Disney Wonder for a 3-night cruise and came away genuinely surprised by just how much this ship offers for adults travelling without kids. With the Wonder home-porting in Australia for a limited season, we couldn’t pass up the chance to finally experience a Disney cruise — and it delivered far more than we expected.

Embarkation was one of the smoothest we’ve had. Check-in was quick, and the moment we stepped into the atrium and were welcomed onboard, the famous Disney service and attention to detail were on full display. The ship was decorated for Christmas during our sailing, which made the space feel extra specialins Here

It All BeginWe recently sailed on the Crown Princess for our very first cruise with Princess Cruises, a 4-night voyage from Melbourne to Tasmania and Sydney in an Oceanview cabin. As longtime Cunard cruisers, we were curious to see how the Princess experience compared — and overall, it delivered a relaxed, traditional style of cruising with plenty to enjoy.

Embarkation at Station Pier was quick and efficient. Despite arriving early for our allocated window, we were checked in and onboard within around 15 minutes. One of the first things that stood out was the elegant multi-deck Piazza, the social heart of the ship and a hub for cafés, bars, live music and…s Here

Our cruise journey began in May 2023 when, during a Mother’s Day lunch, my mum mentioned that she was going on her first cruise. I’d never really considered cruising myself, as I had always assumed it was much cheaper to fly to a holiday hotspot and stay in a hotel for a couple of weeks — but I listened with some curiosity. She then went into a few of the details: it was a five-night voyage to Hobart, departing from and returning to Melbourne, and the statement that really caught my attention was, “and it’s on the Queen Elizabeth.”