No cruise, no worries! – we faked our holiday!
Vicky had an inspired idea after COVID-19 cancelled her girls’ holiday
Cheers!’ we grinned, clinking our glasses together. Six of us, all hardworking mums, were enjoying cocktails on board a beautiful cruise liner.
Most of us have known each other for close to 40 years, and we all live within 10 kilometres of each other.
Now, here we were, having a well-deserved girls’ trip away without our kids or partners.
There was my sister-inlaw Sandra, a mum of three, who works in the of ce at the local high school, and Kath, a mum of two girls, who has a job in a hospital X-ray department.
Also with two girls, Louise is a science laboratory assistant, while mum-of-two Sharon has a position with the water board, and Mary, Kath’s younger sister and also a mum of two, works in catering.
As for me, my husband Rob and I have a son and a daughter, and my job’s in childcare.
We’d never been on holiday together before, but decided on a cruise because we gured it’d be a great way to spend eight days together, catching up and having fun.
And it certainly was! ‘Isn’t this stunning?’ said Sandra, as we cruised around the South Paci c, relaxing by the sparkling pool with our cocktails.
‘It’s spectacular,’ I agreed, marvelling at the pristine beaches when we stopped at places such as Nouméa, Suva, Port Vila, and more.
After breakfast, the ship would dock, allowing us to spend a few hours exploring one of the gorgeous islands.
Back on board, we’d swim in one of the pools, pamper ourselves in the spa with a massage or facial, or take a dance or exercise class.
And in the evening, we’d let our hair down, dancing at one of the themed nights.
Once, we had a Roaring ’20s evening, where we all wore headbands and apper-style beaded dresses. ‘You all look fantastic,’ said Louise, taking photos.
Another time, we dressed up as schoolgirls for a Back to School theme night.
‘This is hilarious!’ laughed Kath, snapping shots of us all in makeshift uniforms.
The cruise was such a hit, we did another one a couple of years later, this time sailing around the islands off the Queensland coast.
It was great fun too, so two years after that, we booked to go on a third,
sailing around the South Paci c again.
Then COVID-19 hit, and our cruise, like everyone else’s, was cancelled.
‘Ah well, I guess we’ll go another time,’ sighed Mary.
‘Yes, I suppose so,’ Sharon said.
We got our deposits back, as credits for future use, but none of us knew when that would be.
Then, last October, after a long and pretty miserable 2020 due to the pandemic, I came up with an idea.
‘Girls, why don’t we have a cruise closer to home?’ I suggested.
While some borders were still closed to NSW, restrictions had eased, meaning we could travel within the state. And, after I explained my idea, the girls were all on board!
So, this March, the six of us drove to the three-bedroom apartment I’d booked us into at Port Macquarie, on the NSW mid-north coast, for a week’s stay.
‘This is stunning,’ Kath declared, admiring our ocean views.
‘It’s gorgeous!’ everyone agreed.
It was almost as good as the sea views you’d get on a cruise!
We didn’t wait long before getting into the ‘spirit’ of the occasion – literally.
After we’d unpacked and checked out the resort, Louise expertly shook up some excellent margaritas and Long Island iced teas for us all.
Dressed as a captain, I held up a sign that said Welcome Aboard and invited everyone to dine at the Captain’s Table.
Over the next week, we had a ball recreating every moment of our beloved cruises.
We had facials and pedicures and went on little adventures, exploring the town together. We shopped, walked along the beach, and enjoyed a sunset dolphin boat excursion.
And, of course, there were theme nights!
For
Mexican night, we prepared enchiladas, tortillas, burritos, nachos and tacos and ate them while dressed in fringed ponchos with big sombreros on our heads!
We even had moustaches! ‘Smile!’ said Sharon, snapping photos of us all.
On Hawaiian night – wearing Hawaiian shirts and colourful leis around our necks – we sipped pina coladas and ate pizzas topped with pineapple.
I even took along a colourful tropical backdrop and some props so we could take some fun photos.
‘We’ve brought the South Paci c to us!’ we laughed.
We also had a seafood night, indulging in delicious prawns and lobster, and held games evenings, which had us all in stitches.
All in all, the ‘cruise at home’ was a huge success.
We might not have been on the ocean, but we still had a ‘whale’ of a time.
‘We must do this again,’ everyone agreed as our trip came to an end.
It was a wonderfully relaxing week lled with laughter, and I would recommend it to others.
So, if you too were hoping to go on a cruise, don’t let the coronavirus spoil your dream
With a bit of imagination, a few mates, and a fair few cocktails, you can have just as much fun on dry land! ●
‘We’ve brought the South Pacific to us!’ we laughed