P & O were brilliant in sitting their singleton guests and my fear of feeling a bit surplus was overcome by the grace and friendliness of the restaurant staff.. and my very lovely fellow diners. Each evening we grouped round our table to exchange stories and sometimes pictures of the day. The others were all very much more experienced than I but at no time did I meet anyone who wished to crow about their holiday expertise; instead I met with enthusiasm and good advice. I have a sneaking feeling that all cruisers are like this.

Sensible arrangement of pools meant that those who wanted their holidays a little quieter between the wide range of excursions could still be able to dip in and out of a pool. Longer deeper pools were available for those who wanted a more physical water experience between baking. My bed was heaven and I slept like a top, waking up each morning with a sense of excitement as we were coming into port. The cabin staff greeted their guest each morning with wide smiles.

Good food is important to me and this gave no disappointment this time round. During the day I used the more casual dining venues in an effort to maintain some control but any self denial flew out of the window with the wonderful things offered to us during the evening. Read more