Cruising is one of the best ways to travel. Why? Because you get to explore different places without having to worry about where you’re going to put your head each night, packing and unpacking suitcases or how you’re going to get from one place to another.

Even better, it’s the perfect family holiday for a short trip because there is something for everyone. The P&O Encounter took us from Brisbane to Airlie Beach over five days and four nights.

My family is at an age now where giving an experience as a Christmas gift is a real winner. The cruise was the gift last year for our four kids, me and hubby Wayne. We flew from Newcastle to Brisbane, which is where we embarked on our cruising adventure after staying a night at The Gatsby Escape Skytower Luxury Living on Level 71, which the kids absolutely loved.

There are half a dozen options for accommodation on board The P&O Encounter, from the penthouse suite to an ocean view room or an interior room. We had inside cabins which were basic, but had everything you needed. Basic suited us fine as we figured we weren’t on the ship to spend time in our rooms anyway!

Each day we would have breakfast at the Pantry buffet and there was always something to do. Our favourites were table tennis, “The Edge” waterslides and trivia. After having fun trying all the activities on offer, we would then all catch up for lunch before an afternoon of doing as little as possible! That usually included a few beverages from the bar while the kids enjoyed spending time in one of the many pools on board.

At night there were plenty of themed nights and entertainment and music shows to go and check out. The variety of food available made choosing where to eat quite difficult but if I had to choose, the “Yum Cha Express” was a standout at the Dragon Lady Restaurant.

After spending a day at sea we arrived at Airlie Beach on day three where we docked and departed the ship. My two older girls went with Wayne for a jetboat ride while the young twins and I wandered the markets and made our way to the Airlie Beach Lagoon before jumping on a tuk tuk to head back to the marina and return to the ship.

There are plenty of options if those activities don’t suit you – you can spend the day at Airlie or take a shore tour to explore the Whitsunday Islands or the Great Barrier Reef where you can snorkel, dive, swim or paddle to your hearts content.

We turned around and headed back towards Brisbane with another day at sea exploring the ship and spending the afternoon at our favourite spot, poolside on Deck 14!

Holidaying with kids can be stressful but we found the cruise ship was perfect for the whole family. Two-way radios were a great way to keep in touch with each other, particularly if your kids are old enough to wander on their own. The Kids Club on board is great too, you can drop the little ones off and have some time to relax on your own.

So, if you want a holiday without stress, a cruise is the way to go!