Goodbye Cruise and Maritime Voyages

Hey Owlets,

Cruise and Maritime Voyages was a cruise line with a cult following - every cruise line has their fans, but only a few rise to the level of having online groups dedicated to the cruise line, with friends being made online and met on board, rather than the other way around. 

CMV were the ultimate impossible cruise line, offering a no-frills service on older cruise ships in an industry that was all about over the top decadence and indulging in experiences that were totally unnecessary on ships that overflow with state of the art technology. The ships were basic but beautiful and the entertainment schedule was limited, but somehow just lying on a sun bed watching the waves was enough on their ships. Rather than being handed a jam-packed schedule every day, trying desperately to cram everything in and needing a holiday after your holiday, CMV ships were the place that you learned to let go and relax, or make your own entertainment. 

How to Travel Solo Safely

Hey Owlets,

Travelling solo is absolutely one of the best things you can do to grow as a person and it's something you really should experience at least once. However, personal safety is one of the biggest factors that stops people from booking a trip alone - let’s face it, you’ve probably looked at a cheap flight, fancied the idea of a sneaky getaway then thought about the logistics and backed out. In case you hadn’t already worked this out, I’m a terrible influence and will absolutely be that friend that encourages you to say “sod it” and book the flight. With that being said, I don’t want you to worry about not being safe, so here’s a couple of simple ways to look after yourself when you’re travelling.

What Happens to old Cruise Ships?

Hey Owlets,

If you follow me on Instagram, then you’ve probably been following me on a rollercoaster of emotions over the last few months. There simply aren’t any words to describe the state of the cruise industry at the moment - the best you could do is just one giant question mark or “ask me again later”. We’ve seen three cruise lines go bust, multiple cruise lines start sailing again when the advice (at least from the UK government) is not to cruise under any circumstances and, most upsettingly in my opinion, we’ve watched cruise lines dumping ships from their fleet left, right and centre in a desperate bid to not only save money but make a bit of money while the rest of their business at the mercy of COVID. 

In July 2020 Cruise and Maritime Voyages declared bankruptcy, and having sailed on both Columbus and Marco Polo I felt my heart snap in two. CMV were known for buying up old-fashioned ships that would otherwise have gone unwanted, meaning they had a quirky little fleet of ships that all had their individual personalities. Now these ships have been orphaned, I’ve had a lot of messages asking what happens to ships that no one wants - it’s not a quick answer so it felt like a good topic for a blog post. It might take a bit of explaining but I’ll try to keep it as simple as possible in case you’re not a cruise nerd like me!

Visiting Devon: The Pandemic Guide

This post is in collaboration with Hotels.com but, as ever, all views remain my own

Hey Owlets,

It’s no secret that since the start of the pandemic I’ve been desperately craving travel, but as soon as it became a possibility again I was surprised to find myself hesitant. As much as I love travelling, the thought of getting on a plane with so much stress and uncertainty surrounding every aspect of the trip would ruin the entire point of taking a holiday in the first place. Because of this I’ve decided that, for now at least, I’m sticking to exploring the UK. I’ve written a guide to taking a road trip based on my previous experiences, but until last week I’d only gone to really quiet, non-touristy areas within the UK. However, that changed with a road trip to one of the largest cities in the South West, and one of the most touristy areas of the UK. So, with that in mind here’s a guide to how to have a great holiday in Devon during a pandemic.

5 Places on my Bucket List Post-Covid

Hey Owlets,

I feel like throughout lockdown I've been talking about how to get through every day, making the most of your time & trying to see some positives in difficult situations. However, I feel like (for now at least) there's a bit of a light at the end of the tunnel, and with travel starting to open up again I wanted to talk about the places that will be top of my list as soon as it's safe to go exploring again.

How to Plan the Perfect Road Trip

Hey Owlets,

With COVID still running rampant in many countries, a lot of us are understandably nervous to go back to holidaying abroad. However, after nearly 4 months in lockdown we’re all in need of a good holiday while keeping ourselves and others safe, and a road trip could be the perfect answer!

A lot of people tend to instantly dismiss road trips - until recently it’s been considered one of the most uncool ways to travel, and it’s only in the last few years with millennials converting vans into hipster-friendly mobile homes that it’s become a sought after way to travel again.

How to Spend a Day in Funchal, Madeira

*This post is in collaboration with Voyage Prive*

Hey Owlets,

Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago of islands in the Atlantic Ocean, off the North West coast of the African continent. Madeira is known for it’s wine (obviously!), beautiful scenery, incredible weather and stunning little towns. On the main island is the capital city of Funchal. Over the last few years Funchal has become popular with tourists, although it still doesn’t feel overcrowded. It’s a particularly popular destination on cruises, with ships calling at the island all year round. The other thing that Funchal is most well known for is it’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display, which until recently was in the Guinness Book of World Records as being the biggest fireworks display in the world. On New Year’s Eve you’ll be lucky to find a hotel, and even cruise ships race to get into port early to secure a berth! However, Funchal is a beautiful city in its own right and absolutely worth exploring at any time of the year. Here’s just a few things you absolutely must do during your visit.

What I Wish I'd Known Before Renting My First Flat

Hey Owlets,

In case you missed the news, I recently moved in with my boyfriend. It's actually the first time I've lived anywhere other than my family home so even though I was excited it was incredibly daunting. I am one of those people that will plan myself into oblivion. When we were moving in to our flat I had already calculated the my share of the rent each month, allowed way over the top of what I estimated our bills to actually be, researched how much council tax was going to cost, budget for our furniture, busses to different areas of Bristol.... you name it, I'd probably already thought of it and put it in the spread sheet, yet somehow I still felt unprepared. As much as planning ahead can help, you'll never be prepared for absolutely everything and there will always be something that catches you off guard. I thought this could be a good opportunity for my younger readers to learn from some of the mistakes I've made, and if you're a more mature reader I'm hoping you might also be able to set me straight on some things that I've probably still forgotten!!