'A holiday that's actually fun for kids, teens and adults? I just found it.'

I read a quote recently that said only incredibly boring people have lives that go the way they expect.

Going by that logic, I can confidently say that I am not boring. 

You see, I found myself with a week off work, a cancelled holiday, and three disappointed kids with high and hopeful expectations. 

What is a 40+ woman with two teenage boys and a tween daughter to do, at a few weeks' notice, to keep everyone happy and fulfilled?

Because let's face it, we've all got different ideas around what makes the perfect holiday – and with budget and time constraints, I was up against it. 

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It just so happened that my parents were boarding a cruise ship, the Pacific Encounter, that same week. It also turned out there was a single four-person cabin still available.

After a tumultuous month, some time with my parents felt like an appealing bonus, and so, we booked the lucky last cabin. 

The tricky thing about holidaying with teens and pre-teens is that the goal is to spend time together, while also ensuring everyone has a great time and feels refreshed at the end of it. 

And let's be honest, a 43-year-old woman and a 15-year-old boy are going to have slightly different ideas about what constitutes a great time.  Throw in another teen (with vastly different interests to his brother), and a tween girl, and it is a battle.

Even before we left home, I had a good feeling about this trip. For starters, packing was simple — a small case each, with a detailed itinerary on hand to make what to put inside said cases super easy.

An Uber to the cruise terminal on a Saturday morning, and we were on board. 

The Pacific Encounter was the perfect way to keep the entire family happy. Image: supplied.

The week was a perfect blend of quality time together, quality time apart, and fulfilling, fun activities that suited us all individually. 

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So much food, all of the time. Image: supplied. 

Food, glorious food.

One of the biggest drags about family holidays, in my view, is managing the food. Finding food, feeding people what they want when they're hungry, then managing the additional cost of SO MUCH FOOD — it takes the shine off a good time.

On the Pacific Encounter, all meals are included. The all-you-can-eat buffet is open almost all day, aside from around an hour or so in between "meal times". That means hungry teens can feed themselves pretty much whenever they want. 

While you can eat as much as you like, most of the food is served by servers to reduce the chances of germ-spreading. The food changes each day too, so there is plenty of variety. 

For dinner, there's also the option of attending one of three restaurants, all included in the cost as well. A nice alternative if you feel like dressing up, and sitting down to something a little more special. 

If that's not enough, there are several other restaurants you can choose to attend at an additional cost (such as Luke's Bar and Grill, if you're after high-quality fine-dining), along with ice creams and speciality coffees and cafés, or room service. 

Relaxing is easy, even with kids on board. Image: supplied. 

Freedom for the kids (and for me).

I'm very fortunate in that I get along with my teen boys well.

They're great company, funny and can hold a decent conversation. I'm pretty sure they feel the same way about me, too.

But that doesn't mean they want to spend all their time with their mum either.

The brilliant thing about a cruise ship is that there is very little that can go wrong. It's a contained area, albeit large, meaning teens are free to roam around the ship as they please (within reason).

There is security everywhere making sure everyone is safe and behaving appropriately, providing peace of mind for parents. There are kids' clubs too, split into age groups, allowing teens and tweens to meet and spend time with other kids their own age. 

My kids were able to swim, eat, hang out, use the water slides, and take part in activities pretty much whenever they wanted, while I was able to sit by the pool, enjoy a cocktail or two, read, attend shows, and spend time with my parents, without any looming mum-anxiety. 

We also had social media internet packages, so were able to be in constant contact, and know where each other was at any given time. 

Theme nights were a great way to have fun with my daughter. Image: supplied. 

Variety of entertainment options.

While I have no problem sitting by the pool all day drinking Mojitos, it's nice to have a range of activity options that suit everyone. 

I was able to attend the adults-only comedy show while the kids enjoyed the spa with their friends. We all enjoyed watching "The Voice of the Ocean" talent contest throughout the week. 

There were theme nights too, where dressing up is encouraged, and a variety of musical and theatrical performances. 

The Byron Beach Club offered exclusive privacy on a very crowded ship. Image: supplied. 

Individualised perks.

A standard cruise package really does have everything covered, but for this trip, we enjoyed a few additional perks. 

While the kids had social media packages, I had a premium internet package, giving me access to basically anything I needed to take care of in the real world. 

We also had access to the Byron Beach Club, generally reserved for guests who purchase specific suites. It's a private area, with exclusive access to a pool, two spas and a wide range of seating options to relax and chill. 

This was a completely full cruise, so the Byron Beach Club allowed us to enjoy smaller crowds and a more relaxed atmosphere when we felt like it. 

The membership also enabled us to skip the long queues when it was time to disembark the ship. 

We also scored an invitation to a 'meet the captain' event including unlimited cocktails and canapés. 

International travel made easy. Image: supplied. 

International travel (with minimal effort). 

Travelling overseas is both expensive and time-consuming. With cruising, you get a little taste of international travel without the effort or the cost. 

Ours was a Pacific Islands Cruise, with stops in New Caledonia and Vanuatu.

At Lifou Island, we packed snorkelling and swimming gear and made a family day of exploring this beautiful island. 

At Luganville – a main city of Vanuatu – I hopped off the boat with my parents for a longer walk, while the kids enjoyed the pools and buffet on the ship. I then hopped off again a little later with the kids, for a more teen-friendly exploration and a bit of market shopping. 

What better way to spend time as a family? Image: supplied. 

Quality family time.

While the appeal of a cruise in my situation was the ability for each member of the family to holiday their own way, the best part of the seven-day cruise was the time we spent together. 

Although I was in desperate need of a break, I also longed to connect with my children, and this time away allowed me to do that, without any of the drama of disagreements over food or activities. 

As well as catching up for specific activities and shows, and around the ship throughout the day, each night, the kids, my parents and myself would meet up at our designated restaurant for a sit-down meal. 

It was incredibly cup-filling to be with my kids, talk about our day's adventures, laugh, joke and just be together as a family – including celebrating my daughter's eleventh birthday. 

When my kids were busy, I was able to spend time with my parents, without stress or worry or even bothering to look at the time – it really was like chicken soup for the soul. 

My biggest goal for this holiday was seeing my children happy, and I can honestly say, that's exactly what I got. 

Feature image: Supplied.