Leave your lawn in good hands and take a cruise to warmer climes
It is a fact that many men take great pride in the appearance of their lawns. They are one of the first things that people notice, given that they are usually in front of your house, and so ensuring that they always look good makes perfect sense. A holiday abroad with someone like NCL cruises is appealing of course, but it is more enjoyable when we know that we will not come home to a yellowing, dried out patch of grass, instead of the luxuriant green expanse that we left behind. Once you have sorted out someone to water your lawn, you can turn your attention to deciding exactly where you would like to go. If this is to be your first holiday on an oceangoing liner then a look through the major operators’ websites is as good a place to start as any. Companies like P&O cruises have lots of information to help you plan your holiday, such as advice on travelling to and from your departure port and what kind of facilities you can expect to find on board their various ships. You will see that there are a wide variety of routes that you can choose from, with trips taking from just a couple of days, up to several months. As well as arranging someone to water your lawn while you are away, it can often pay to employ the services of a reputable lawn treatment company throughout the year, to keep it looking at its best.
"The food in all of the restaurants was superb - we were spoilt for choice. All staff we very courtious and attentive making us feel very special. It was our wedding anniversary whilst on board and the staff went out of their way to make it special for us." - Hamilton, Arbroath on 27th Sep 2009 (Cunard Cruises)
Ideas for your garden
Assuming you are a keen gardener, a trip abroad with Fred Olsen cruises or one of the other lines can offer some great opportunities to explore the local flora in different countries and can often give you some new ideas as to what to do with your garden back home. Especially if you live in the south of the UK, there are many species of plant to be found in warmer climates that will do just as well in your own location. If you live further north then you may want to focus on what sort of things grow well in countries like Finland and Russia, places you can visit with Celebrity cruises as well as a number of other companies. If you have a nice south facing plot of land and it is possible to protect specimens from frost then there are some wonderful shrubberies to be found in places like Peru, Chile and Brazil. A small rock garden with some exotic plants makes a nice focal point in a back garden. You will find that some trips have shore excursions to formal gardens where you can check out what the locals are doing and maybe even chat to some of the grounds staff if you get the chance. Princess cruises are one of the companies with regular voyages around South America. Apart from the wonderful plants you may discover, there are also many other interesting sights to see in this part of the world, and unusual wildlife too.
"We have just returned from a 7 day cruise on the Calypso on the Hellenic Treasures. It was a great experience, the entertainment was first class, the service excellent and the food great. We discovered that the food in the self service restaurant was really good." - Stothard, North Shields on 27th Sep 2009 (Thomson Cruises)
Staying active onboard ship, and sights to see
On a ship-based holiday you will inevitably spend a fair amount of time at sea, so it is important that you are happy with the facilities that the vessel you are travelling on has to offer and that you can relax and keep yourself occupied whilst making your way to the next port. Most ships have dozens of different things for you to do and if you enjoy this part of the journey most then a transatlantic crossing with someone like Cunard cruises may be just the thing for you. New England in the autumn has some wonderful scenery that all keen gardeners, and anyone who simply loves the outdoor life, will delight in. The trees put on a great display in yellows, oranges and reds as the leaves begin to fall and there are also some fascinating smaller plants that are to be found in this part of the world. Some of these are certain to be suitable for gardens back home, given the similarities in both climates. For more unusual specimens that you may never have come across before, Caribbean cruises offer many opportunities to discover unspoilt areas, with treks through rainforests and the chance to see working tropical fruit plantations. Some of the plants to be found in this part of the world may make good houseplants for us in the UK but it is unlikely that you will be able to use many of them in an outside setting. Either way they are fun to explore.
"We were delighted with the cabin service, Meridian resturant food and service, entertainment program and wide range of activities on board. We also had a meal in the Arcadian Rhodes resturant (£30 supplement for two ) which was a great dining experience and well worth the extra." - Hunt, Farnborough on 29th Sep 2009 (P&O Cruises)
Getting away and coming back home
Depending on where you decide to go and where you are travelling from, there are a number of options for getting to and from your ship at either end of the holiday. Cruises from Southampton offer one of the easiest ways of leaving the country as it is a simple matter of driving to the port, or taking public transport. If you decide to join a ship at a remote port, perhaps somewhere in Florida where you can see first-hand how they tend to their lawns in such a hot climate, then you will need to take flights into consideration as well. The watering techniques and different types of grass employed in Florida and other similarly hot locations can give you some ideas for your own lawn, if you find that it dries out easily during the summer months. MSC cruises and some other companies have arrangements with local garages in which you can park your car for a fee, if you do depart from a local port. Making sure your lawn is well fed over the course of the year can help it to withstand a little neglect, so if you find it impossible to get someone to help you out while you are away then all is not lost. You should be able to find a local company that can carry out regular treatment and lawn feeding for you. With regard to last minute preparations for your holiday, Royal Caribbean cruises have a helpful section on their website.
"On Independence I found the service in the main to be very good and the staff extremely friendly and helpful. The overall cleanliness of the ship was also very good and a big thank you to all the staff in the background that perhaps don't get the recognition they deserve." - David, Edinburgh on 28th Sep 2009 (Royal Caribbean Cruises)