On the fifth day of our Panama Canal cruise onboard the beautiful Disney Magic, I woke up just after 7:00am. While I was finally starting to sleep much better, I was still wishing that I was able to sleep in for much longer, as it was taking me much more time than normal to adjust to the time difference from the UK. Despite having won our game of basketball the previous evening, I walked up to Deck 9 to get us both a cup of tea since I was awake first which almost never happens at home where I struggle to get out of bed without an alarm. The first thing that was immediately noticeable was just how hot it was outside so early in the day, as the heat from the doors by the entrance to Cabanas could be felt in the stairwells two decks down. (more…)

The morning after leaving Cozumel on the Disney Magic, I woke up just after 6:00am ready for the next two days at sea on our way down to our next port of Cartagena in Colombia. Even though I had slept well overnight, I still felt incredibly tired so I tried to go back to sleep again and I managed to doze off for another hour or so. (more…)

On the third day of our long-awaited Panama Canal cruise onboard the beautiful Disney Magic, I woke up a few minutes before 7:00am, just as the sun started to peek through the curtains into our stateroom. I immediately walked straight out onto our verandah and it was a beautiful morning with blue skies and only a few clouds to be seen, which was a very welcome change from the grey skies we had been experiencing since we arrived in Galveston before the cruise. (more…)

Waking up on the Disney Magic on the first morning of our fourteen night Panama Canal cruise with absolutely no plans and precisely nowhere to go really was one of the best feelings ever. Normally on most cruises, I always feel the need to get up and start doing as much as I can but this cruise with so many sea days ahead of us, was going to be very different as there is something about a longer cruise that really encourages you to slow down. (more…)

It is hard to believe that we booked this bucket list adventure on the Disney Magic over six hundred days before we finally sailed – and now, after almost two years of endless planning and research, watching videos and counting down the days, I can happily say that it was completely and utterly worth every minute of the long wait. (more…)

The beautiful city of Lisbon in Portugal is a destination filled with incredible architecture, winding cobblestone streets and colourful buildings wherever you go with amazing viewpoints throughout. It is a vibrant and completely captivating city that has quickly become one of my favourite places to visit in Europe.

I have been lucky enough to visit Lisbon twice – once for a three night city break and once for only a single day when sailing on a Transatlantic cruise. Having experienced the city from both perspectives, I can confidently say that Lisbon works beautifully no matter how much time you have ashore or on land. (more…)

On the final morning of our Pixar Day at Sea cruise on the Disney Fantasy, I woke up just after 7:00am. This was actually the latest I had managed to sleep during our whole time onboard the ship which is funny because at home, I struggle to wake up without setting several alarms! Looking outside, it was simply the most beautiful and picture perfect morning and I could not wait to enjoy the rest of our day onboard as we spent the day at sea slowly sailing around in circles in the Bahamas. (more…)

On the fourth day of our Pixar Day at Sea cruise aboard the beautiful Disney Fantasy, I woke just after 6:00am after a much needed solid night of sleep and immediately felt far more refreshed than I had the previous few mornings. Although I would happily have stayed in bed a little longer, I decided instead to make the most of another early start and headed up to Deck 12 for some fresh air, where another glorious morning was just beginning. (more…)

After such a long day the day before thanks to our amazing Pixar Day at Sea onboard the Disney Fantasy, I think I must have been completely overtired because I slept so badly that night. Once again I was awake just before 6:00am, however I did not mind too much as I knew that we had a much more relaxed day ahead of us as we were due to dock at Disney’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point on the Bahamian island of Eleuthera. (more…)

The small Principality of Monaco might not be at the top of everyone’s travel bucket lists, but it was somewhere that I had wanted to visit for quite some time. After visiting the majority of Europe, I only had a few countries left on my list and I was ready to finally see and experience this one for myself.

Monaco is easily one of the most glamorous and unique destinations in the world. While many people associate it primarily with millionaires, casinos and luxury yachts, there is so much more to discover once you are there. If you are already travelling through the South of France, it is an incredibly easy destination to add to your itinerary. (more…)