Truly, the only thing better than a sleep in and a cuppa in bed on Mother’s Day, is doing so whilst on a cruise watching the world pass by through your cabin window.

So, to help dream up a perfect Mother’s Day gift, I’ve put together a Wish List ready for you to set sail. These are cruises I would love to one day experience both WITH my Mum and as a Mum.

Normandy

I’ve done this both with my Mum and with my best friend. Entirely different experiences, as Mum enjoyed the history of this region where her own father had fought during WWI, but we all loved the endless shopping (hello, you begin in Paris), the gardens (this takes in Giverny if you like) and being the gastrointestinal heart of France the food is superb!

Russia

Mum burst into tears the moment she laid eyes on Red Square, after a lifetime of images of the dome topped churches, the real thing is more vivid and intoxicating than you can imagine. We revelled in the Tsar’s rich (literally, we are talking diamond encrusted horse blankets) history, the Volga, the ballet and of course darlink, za caviar!

Halvorsen on the Hawkesbury

I blame my Mum packing up her family, to glide along the Hawkesbury in a timber Halvorsen, for my love of cruising. Also showing you not all cruises are on boats so big they require their own postcode. This is small, elegant and personal. A great place to forget time and find your joy.

New Zealand

This is on my Bucket List and considering it’s one of the world’s most popular cruises right now, offering views that literally take your breath away, I say ‘kiaorana bro, let’s go!’ Bring on that natural splendour and pass the Pinot while you’re at it.

Portugal

Did someone say Port? Well, I did as that’s what you’ll be enjoying on this cruise that goes down as one of the best shopping trips of my life. Oh, those blue and white porcelain tiles, those fabulous European fashions, those castles rich with history. You and your Mama will be oohing and aahing with the best of them.

You can discover more great cruises in Catriona Rowntree’s “The Best of World Cruising”.