My wife and I have been going on cruises from Southampton several times a year for a while now, and have found that arriving a few days before our embarkation date is an excellent, to extend our holidays. We always book a hotel or bed and breakfast accommodation for one or perhaps two nights, before our cruises from Southampton are due to set sail and use the spare time we gain to relax and get in the holiday mood. Sometimes we indulge in a little last minute shopping (mostly my wife!), see a show at the Mayflower theatre or visit a museum or two.

One thing that we always do is sample the cuisine on offer in some of Southampton’s many restaurants. The choice available is diverse, and there is something to suit every mood from casual cuisine to fine dining. Whether you have an appetite for Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Indian or even traditional British food, you’ll find a whole range of options in Southampton.  As we have now been on a number of cruises from Southampton we have now started to find some firm favourites in the city. The following lists are our top three recommendations – why not give one of them a try before your next cruise holiday?

Yo! Sushi

Yo!Sushi is located within the WestQuay Shopping Centre, which we like to use as a meet up point after my wife has been on one of her legendary shopping trips (apparently a woman can never have enough shoes or bikinis!). The menu includes over 80 different Japanese style dishes including sashimi, soups, salads, hand rolls and maki. We have always found the flavours very fresh, presentation delicate and appetising, and the prices very reasonable at around £16 per person for lunch.

Restaurant at The Legacy Botleigh Grange Hotel

The first of our cruises from Southampton was planned to celebrate our first wedding anniversary, and we decided to make our trip extra special by dining at the Restaurant at The Legacy Botleigh Grange Hotel. With an AA Rosette rating, this is one of the finest restaurants in the area, and well worth the short drive to get there. The spectacular dining room has a glass domed ceiling, which sets the scene for the wonderful cuisine and romance. The flavour is modern British, with Mediterranean touches – very tasty and all cooked to perfection.

Rasraj

If you only eat one meal in Southampton, make sure that is at Rasraj, an Indian restaurant located on Oxford Street. We both think that they serve the best curries we have ever tasted, and would recommend that you give them a try, even if you are not usually a curry fan. The owners and chefs of Rasraj are passionate about food and use locally sourced ingredients – and you really can taste the difference. Far from being a run of the mill Indian restaurant, Rasraj stands out as offering a memorable dining experience time after time, and their menu is very well priced too at around £22 per person for dinner.

Southampton is a lovely city with some interesting sights and a lot of friendly people. If you ever get the chance to go there you should. However, it doesn’t seem like the kind of place which could change your life, does it? Maybe a gentle holiday or shopping trip could be had here but how could it make a big difference to your life?

Well, one of the top things on offer here in the South coast of England is the range of cruises from Southampton to exciting destinations all over the world. Could one of these change your life in one of the following ways?

Discover the World

Normally if you wanted to discover the world you would need to invest in a huge rucksack and a pair of trousers with an unfeasible number of pockets. Oh, and you would need to take a year off work and live on a shoestring for the whole time as well. Going on a cruise is a different way of seeing lots of new places and it is certainly a good deal more comfortable. For example, if the Caribbean is the part of the planet which you are most interested in then you can take a cruise which lets you visit a number of different islands in the region. Of course, you can still buy those trousers with all the pockets if you want to, but a pair of short and a t shirt might be more suitable for most daily activities on board or during your trips to the shore.

See How People Live

This might sound the same as the previous point but it isn’t really. You can discover the world on a hot air balloon flight or from space but you can only see how the people really live by getting close to them. This is actually a point which some people might regard as a weakness of cruise holidays but that isn’t really the case at all. If you take advantage of the time you have on land then you can enjoy lots of opportunities to speak to locals and enjoy a bit of their culture. You won’t be spending weeks living like the locals so, but sometimes it is the quality rather than the quantity which counts.

A New Type of Holiday

Most holidays are fun but don’t leave you with much lasting impression. In fact, sometimes when you look back at the snaps after a few years you might not remember very much about the time you spent there. One of the best aspects about cruises from Southampton is that they give you the chance to take a type of holiday which not only sticks in your memory but which you can enjoy on an ongoing basis. If you find that this way of hopping from one lovely, sunny island to another is right for you then there is nothing to stop you doing it every time you can get away. With so many places to explore it is highly unlikely that you will ever run out of ideas for new destinations.

When you are planning a trip to Italy the first city to spring to mind is probably Rome. The Italian capital is one of the most exciting and historic cities in the world. It is suggested that around 10 million tourists come here a year, and it is behind only London and Paris in the list of Europe’s most visited cities.

However, there are amazing holidays in Italy to be had elsewhere so let’s look at a few of them to see what else is on offer here.

Venice for Romance

Is there anywhere on the planet more romantic than Venice? Many of us dream for years of sailing down the famous canals in a gondola, and if you get the chance to go there you certainly should. There are loads of things to do in Venice and simply wandering about and soaking up the beauty of the place isn’t a bad idea at all.

Florence for Art

Some people class this as the most picturesque and cultural city in the world. It is certainly worth going to even if art and churches aren’t normally your thing. This is part of the region of Tuscany, so expect great food and a lot of great fashion here. Be warned though, a lot of tourists who come here end up coming back every year. If you like to see a different city every year you might to think about going somewhere a bit less fascinating.

Naples for Excitement

Naples is famous for pizza, music and people using lots of hand movements while they speak. This is a noisier, brasher place to spend some time and it makes for a great base. A trip to the famous ruined city of Pompeii is a must for anyone who wants to see the history behind an ancient tragedy.

Milan for Class

This is the second biggest city in the country and it is famous for fashion, football and culture. You may have heard a bit less about tourism in this place than some others on the list but it is still well worth visiting. You won’t believe the stuff you see in the shops here, and you might want to take your best gear with you if you want to blend in with the locals.

Italian Beach Holidays

We have covered all of these great cities but what about the beach? If you are planning to head off on holiday then you aren’t going to want to miss out on a bit of sand and water based fun, are you? The beaches here may not be as well known abroad as the ones in Spain or Greece but they are excellent. Many Italian beaches are seen as classy, exclusive areas where relaxation and feeling good are the main concerns. There is certainly less brashness here than you will see in many beaches elsewhere. There are top quality stretches of sand all over the country and even if you base yourself in one of those brilliant cities you should still try and make time to head out to the water at least once.

If you are planning cruise holidays for your annual vacation, you might be wondering what type of beauty and skin care products to pack. Having been on a number of cruise holidays with my family, I have gone to both extremes – packing far too many products and not enough of the right things. In order to make packing easier for future cruise holidays, I’ve come up with a list of essential items that I found invaluable, and feel that every woman will appreciate having in her beauty bag.

Cleanser

Even if you don’t plan to wear a lot of making during your cruise holidays, be sure to pack a cleanser. Cleansers come in cream or foaming formulas, as well as wipes, which are impregnated with the product. My top tip is to go for wipes – economical and easy to fit into even a small suitcase or handbag, they are also handy when the kids get ice-cream all over their faces. Cleanser wipes are good because you are much more likely to use them after a long day. I just pop the pack beside the bed and then I can just wipe my make-up away before going to sleep.

Tinted Moisturiser

If you don’t want to wear full make-up during the day when cruising, but feel naked without a touch of foundation, think about buying a tinted moisturiser. This is a multi-purpose product which will give you a hint of healthy colour, while covering up any blemishes for a smooth finish.

Eye-Cream

Even if you don’t use an eye-cream at home, you may want to add one to your beauty routine while on cruise holidays to counteract the effect of long days, late nights, wind, sunshine and indulgence! Dab eye-cream on every night before you sleep, using your ring finger to gently tap the cream around the eye-socket,  which should help to prevent wrinkles and bags forming.

Deep Conditioner

Chlorinated pools, salt-water and sun can cause split ends and frizz, leaving your hair looking less than sleek and stylish. The best way to deal with this is to pack a couple of sachets of deep conditioner into your beauty bag. This will help to prevent and repair damage to your hair, and will take up very little space when packing.

Sun Protection

Whether your cruise holidays take you to the Mediterranean or the Caribbean, you need to ensure that you protect your skin from the potentially harmful rays of the sun. Invest in a high-quality sunscreen which  has an SPF rating of 25 or more, and make sure that all family members apply it regularly. Sun protective lip-salves  or balms are also a good idea – these products are designed to both soothe and hydrate, counteracting the drying effect of the salt in the air and the sun.

Exfoliating Shower Gel

A gentle, exfoliating shower gel will help to remove dry cells which can make your skin look dull. Choose a product which contains beads or granules which don’t feel rough or painful, but have a pleasant massage sensation against your skin. I find that using a body scrub, or polish as they are sometimes called, leaves my skin glowing, and as an added bonus, helps to prolong my suntan.