Melbourne Cup Tip? In 2015 put your money on a ship…

Mid August and it’s that time of the year again.  Friends start talking about the Melbourne Cup, a horse-race that runs each year on the 1st Tuesday in November in Melbourne.  How shall we celebrate? Where do we want go?  What to wear?  Are you wearing a hat or fascinator? What is the cost for the lunch?  Does anyone have any other ideas?

Last year I enjoyed a trip aboard P&O’s Pacific Jewel to the Melbourne Cup and can honestly say it is one of the best ways to enjoy the ‘race that stops the nation’. 

With many 'Cup' lunches costing upwards of $200, a 6 night cruise with fares’ starting at just $749 per person really does provide an excellent value for money option.   Remember included is your cabin accommodation, meals, activities, entertainment and of course entry and transfers to and from the track in Flemington for the race.

An event cruise also offers a great chance to catch up with friends while enjoying everything only a cruise holiday has to offer.  Plus my favourite reason for a cruise holiday is that you only have to unpack once and all the ports come to you!

Check in at White Bay is a breeze and from arriving at the terminal, dropping our bags and walking aboard, it takes less than 15 minutes.  At the terminal you are provided with your cruise card.  This card has three purposes – it allows you to get on and off the ship when in port, it acts as your cabin door key and, all purchases aboard the ship are charged to it.  It means you just receive one account at the end of the voyage that is charged back to your nominated credit card.  So, so easy.

As your cases are delivered direct to your cabin you can enjoy everything on the ship straight away and for me this is the perfect time to explore the ship and get your bearings.  It is also the time to visit the Aqua Spa on deck 14 and the specialty restaurants, Luke Mangans Salt Grill and Luna (Asian inspirated) to make appointments.  Then why not enjoy a bite of lunch at the ships Plantation restaurant, or simply relax with a cocktail and a good book in a deckchair.

With cruising you can do as little or as much as you like.  Each day your steward will deliver a newsletter to your cabin that outlines everything happening aboard the next day.  The activities are non-stop and as many activities like karaoke, trivia, dancing and spectacular evening shows are included in the cruise fare, cruising offers excellent value for money.  Others, like a martini making class, had a nominal additional charge.

A highlight of our cruise was the delicious food.  From the ships included in the fare Plantation (buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner) Waterfront (al-a-carte breakfast, lunch and dinner) and The Grill (lunch) restaurants, to the ships signature dining options Salt Grill and Luna the standard is excellent. 

The Melbourne cup cruise offered a strong field of onboard race-themed activities and ours ranged from fascinator-making classes with Australia’s top milliner Kim Fletcher, “fashions at sea” with style commentator Melissa Hoyer and special guest speakers including legendary Melbourne Cup jockeys Wayne Harris and owner of Cup winning horse Rogan Josh, Wendy Green.

Carnival Australia CEO Ann Sherry sums it up with  “Australians love cruising and sports and, by combining the two, you’re backing a winner.”

Goddess Tip:

Too really enjoy Flemington racecourse we would definitely recommend upgrading the general admission ticket included in your fare to the P&O Cruises VIP area at Flemington – the P&O Cruises Lawn.

In 2015 save at least 40% with our great deals…

6 night Sydney roundtrip cruise with Pacific Pearl. Departing 31 Oct 2015 from $749

8 night Sydney roundtrip cruise onboard Carnival Spirit. Departs 30 Oct 2015 from $899

6 night Sydney roundtrip cruise onboard Pacific Jewel. Departing 31 Oct 2015 from $1,899

2015 Melbourne Cup cruises will include departures on Pacific Pearl, Carnival Spirit and Pacific Jewel and along with all the fun of the cruise your general admission ticket to the Emirates Melbourne Cup, plus transport to and from the racecourse is included in your cruise fare. 

The 2014:

Three ships from Carnival – P&O Cruises’ Pacific Jewel and Pacific Pearl along with Carnival’s Carnival Spirit carried about 6,000 guests to the154th Melbourne Cup.  The ships moored for 3 days at Station Pier which offered the perfect base to explore all that Melbourne had to offer. 

Held on 4 November 2014, at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne.  Protectionist, ridden by Ryan Moore and trained by German Andreas Wöhler, won the race by four lengths, becoming the first German-trained winner of the Melbourne Cup. ‘Red Cadeaux’ placed second and ‘Who Shot Thebarman’ third.  ‘Red Cadeaux’ also became the first horse to place second on three occasions.

Disclaimner: Vacation Goddess paid for their own travel.

Alison Carmichael-Rulten

Hi, I'm Alison Carmichael-Rulten the Publisher of Vacation Goddess, and I want to thank you for visiting Vacation Goddess – the one-stop shop for insider travel news, deals, 'Guest Goddes's stories, and of course our personal travel experiences. Plus, as we love to cruise we also try to find some amazing cruise deals for you too. From luxury, longer escapes right down to weekend breaks we know you love everything travel related. Here at Vacation Goddess, we hope you will find loads of inspiration and of course some amazing travel deals. We love a holiday at a great price and that's why we seek out what we call 'Champagne Experiences, on a Sparkling Wine Budget.' We constantly showcase a variety of special deals and offers and from time to time some very special competitions. Our recent 'Win a Trip to London' competition received over 24,00 entries. We invite you to visit us often, join our mailing list and please tell your friends