We sailed from Barcelona, calling at Marseille, Nice [Villefranche-sur-Mer], Pisa [Livorno], Rome [Civitavecchia], Salerno, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. The cruise itinerary was heavily front-loaded, with five straight port days at the start. This meant we had to have our research done before we left (which we always do anyway) and we had to be careful to husband our energy. The first at-sea day, between Salerno and Kotor, was really welcome.

On board, our experience was excellent. I should add that this was my 13th cruise, so I have a good idea of what the standards are on board a cruise ship.

What made the experience so wonderful was the crew. The Cruise Director, Paul Baya was welcoming and informative, without being cloying or pushy about getting guests to take part in activities. His chief assistants, Esperanza (from Canada) and Andres (from Spain) provided enough energy to light up a small city. They made people WANT to do things, from dance lessons to bocce, without ever making guests feel guilty for NOT doing things. Andres is a great dance instructor, and Esperanza is good at everything. Read more