Cruiseship the Australis: Cruiseship the Australis
by ATLC
I don't know but heard my dad say that a cruise in those days (1972-1975) was just about as expensive as a plane ticket. If it's true, I don't know!
On the way to New Zealand, our family shared a large cabin for 5 persons on the Upper Deck. It was fun looking through the porthole and seeing the endless stretch of sea.
On the way back, via Panama Canal, my parents wanted a 6 week holiday for themselves. So the booked a cabin, and my brothers and I were in a separate cabin on Main Deck, again with the fascinating porthole.
We saw our parents once a day at bedtime or when we bumped into them on the ship. At 7.30 a steward would wake us with tea and biscuits and bring the ship journal. We'd get dressed and run down to breakfast. Read the ship journal and decide on the entertainment which was offered each day. Then spent the whole day roaming about the ship, earning pocket money running errands (there were lots of nice old people on board), having lunches and dinner. Hassling the waiter for more dessert if there was cake, stealing biscuits from all serving points at coffee & teatime...
We'd go swimming, go to the cinema, buy Jamaica Rum chocolate bars, and tried not to get involved in the kids stuff because it was childish.
I don't think I set foot in the nursery once during that trip home, although children of 12 and younger (I was 12! and my brothers were younger) were obliged to have tea in the nursery.