To avoid any anxious feelings of being stuck on the M25, we decided to stay at the De Vere Hotel in Southampton the night before our cruise. We headed to the port about 3.00 to board the ship, we are first time cruisers so didn't really know what to expect. As we arrived at the port the staff directed us to the car park, where we waited no more than fifteen minutes. We unloaded our luggage while one member of staff checked our car details and another member loaded our luggage onto the trolley. We handed our car keys over and one member of staff drove our car away while the other person wheeled our luggage away. We were directed into the arrivals lounge where we waited an hour before being checked through security and then on to the ship. Perfect, this certainly beats the stress of flying, so far so good. Our cabin was the perfect size for our family of four, and our cabin steward couldn't do enough for us. He kept our cabin immaculately clean and was always close by if we needed him for anything. We had a nice balcony with two reclining chairs a foot stall and a small table. We chose club dining and the Saffron Restaurant was five star dining, we had a wonderful table next to a large window, where we could see the sun setting while we were enjoying fine dining at its best. The entertainment in the evening was very good, lots of choice for every taste, Steve Tandy the comedian is extremely funny. The ports of call were all very nice places and the sail-away parties were lots of fun. We are extremely fussy holiday makers, my husband often calling me a holiday snob, and I can confirm that this holiday was first class, I couldn't fault not one single thing. I can't wait to cruise again on the Ventura.