I quit my job and people were very interested.
Some asked, "Where are you going?"
But everyone asked, "Where are you going on holiday before you start?"
I love that having a reset between jobs has become a modern rite of passage. You need a buffer — something that helps you mentally close one chapter and get excited about the next. Preferably involving swimwear and zero inboxes.
There was just one catch: with three kids and a mortgage, I couldn't skip a pay cycle. So I had one long weekend to pull off the holiday of a lifetime. No pressure.
That ruled out flights and anything too remote. Our usual options were on the table — Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley, Central Coast. All beautiful but I couldn't get excited.
"It feels less like a holiday and more like parenting in a different postcode," I shamefully shared my very first-world problem with a friend.
"Why don't you just book a Carnival cruise?"
Genius. Thirty minutes later, I'd booked.
Four nights of family fun on Carnival Splendor, cruising from Sydney to Moreton Island. I'd cruised before but never as a party of five. My husband was cruise-curious but uninitiated so this felt like the perfect trial run. Short, sweet and stress-free.
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Now that we're back? I can't stop telling people to do it. It was the easiest, most unexpectedly joyful family holiday we've ever had.
If you're even slightly cruise-curious or you're sick of the usual long weekend haunts, let me tell you why a short cruise is the most underrated getaway.
And I mean instantly. No driving for hours, no parking dramas, no worrying if someone forgot the iPad. Carnival Splendor sails straight out of Circular Quay so we just caught the train.
We checked in via the Carnival Hub app beforehand and chose the earliest boarding time (obviously). When we arrived at the terminal, we dropped our bags (which magically reappeared in our stateroom later) and walked straight onboard.
The ship departed at 3.30pm but we were onboard by 11.30am — in time for lunch, a swim, a visit to Kids Club and even a nap for the little ones before we left port.
Tell me another holiday that efficient. I'll wait.
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Travelling with kids is expensive. Even a "cheap" trip adds up once you factor in accommodation, car hire, car seats, food, snacks, more snacks and whatever entertainment bribes are required along the way.
But a cruise? Everything's included. One flat price covers your accommodation, food, snacks and entertainment. Even Kids Club.
Yes, you can add extras if you want to (we treated ourselves to the Bubbles Package and a special dinner) but it's absolutely not required. I was able to get onboard and just… relax. Without pulling out my wallet 47 times a day.
Carnival's Kids Club was a major selling point for me. I love my children deeply. I also love doing nothing in silence.
Lots of "family-friendly" cruise lines only accept kids aged three plus but Carnival is genuinely family-obsessed. They had drop-off programs for all ages — including our two-and-a-half-year-old, Lily — who was thrilled to hang with her big sister Zara (five) in Club Penguins.
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Meanwhile, our seven-year-old Grace levelled up into Club Stingrays. She made a new best friend approximately every 20 minutes and spent her days at dance parties, crafting, winning competitions and absolutely thriving.
The onboard team gave me a phone so they could contact us anytime (and vice versa) which made it easy to relax.
How much did I see my children? Exactly the right amount, thanks for asking.
We'd usually have mornings together then the kids would go to the club from 9am to 2.30pm with a break for family lunch. We swam, played a lot of board games and explored the ship. Then after dinner they'd beg to go back to Kids Club from 6.30pm to 9pm.
There's apparently even an option to extend until midnight — if you're planning to hit the nightclub. Don't take it from me though; I was in bed by 9pm catching up on years of minimal sleep.
We counted over 10 dining options on Carnival Splendor during our voyage and something is always open — which is key when you're travelling with tiny snack monsters.
We ate breakfast and lunch as a family (buffet equals efficient) then fed the kids dinner at 5pm before dropping them to Kids Club and heading out for a more grown-up meal.
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A hidden gem: Masala Tiger. It's tucked away upstairs and included in your fare. I reckon nine out of 10 cruisers didn't know it was there. And I didn't tell them. There were zero crowds despite it being the best Indian food I've had in years. I'm only glad we didn't find it until day three or my husband would've demanded every meal there.
For a splurge, we booked Fahrenheit 555, the steakhouse, for a sunset dinner on our last night. The lobster tail was incredible, the wine pairings were perfect and the views were dreamy. Highly recommend.
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I always assumed cruising was a sedentary holiday. I was wrong.
By skipping the elevators alone, my Apple Watch reckons I did 25,000 steps and 50 flights of stairs. It was basically a wellness retreat.
There's mini golf, a jogging track, two pools, a full gym, group workouts, dance classes, karaoke, live music, bingo, comedy nights, movies under the stars and of course the iconic waterslides.
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We did force ourselves off the ship once to snorkel the Tangalooma Wrecks at Moreton Island. These boats were purpose-sunk to form a man-made reef and it's like swimming through a ship graveyard-turned-fish metropolis. Amazing visibility, heaps of marine life and a great half-day adventure.
The verdict: Short cruises are an underrated gem.
We got sunshine, sleep-ins (thanks Kids Club), cocktails and quality time and alone time. All with zero cooking, cleaning or driving. In four days.
If you're on the fence about cruising, start with a short one. Carnival made it ridiculously easy, family-friendly and so much fun.
We'll 100 per cent be booking a longer cruise next time now I know the family are fans. But a short cruise will be in the consideration set for every long weekend away.
Ready for a family holiday? Book your own Carnival cruise here.
Feature Image: Supplied.
