Marian toasts twenty-five years of cruising adventures

Fast-forward twenty-five years and this month, the couple will mark their 50th wedding anniversary as they raise a glass on their latest voyage aboard the Marella Discovery 2 departing from Palma, Spain.

The trip will mark something of a milestone for Marian having jetted off on nearly fifty different cruise adventures taking in two hundred port destinations since 1999.

She says: “This year we are being spoilt. I was gifted a 70th birthday cruise from my children in July and then my husband and I will also be sailing for our 50th wedding anniversary later this month.

"We go to the Caribbean every year. We catch a flight to Barbados from London and visit all the amazing ports in Barbados, Jamaica, and Cuba.

"In fact, my favourite ports are, Havana in Cuba, it’s amazing. You sail straight into the town, hop off and get to explore straightaway and Kotor in Montenegro is also fabulous and so beautiful. We also love the Mediterranean, the Canaries, as well as Turkey.”

Marian goes onto say: “I usually take my husband with me. However, I have also taken my siblings, their partners, my children [45 and 48] and even my grandchildren [12, 10 and 8] on board with me too! She adds: “The team at the TUI Newry store know me so well and always get me the best deal for our holiday.”

During the pandemic, Marian missed cruising so much that in 2021 she cruised around the UK coast from Southampton visiting Portsmouth and Dover. She says:" I missed cruising so much during lockdown, I had to get onboard, even if it was for three days and in the UK.”

Marian’s advice for first-time cruisers is simple: “You have nothing to worry about – everything is so organised. You just hop on, and you get to enjoy everything from the food and drink to the brilliant entertainment. Your fellow passengers onboard are down-to-earth people and are very friendly.”