Cruising, they say, is not what it used to be. This should come as no surprise because few things remain the same. Take air travel for instance. I'm told that people used to get dressed-up for a flight. Nowadays you're lucky if your neighbour is wearing a proper shirt and shoes.

Cruising too comes from a rich heritage where the style of the voyage was more important than the substance of actually getting to one's destination. Unfortunately it was with high expectations that I boarded the Queen Elisabeth for Cunard's Holy Land Cruise.

One's initial impressions are good. It seems that the glory days of cruising live on in the Cunard name. The ship is huge, the carpets are plush and there's not a plastic table in sight. Curved wooden banisters provide an impressive backdrop as one descends the staircase to the formal dining room in which a strict dress code is enforced. Meals are exquisite and the service impeccable. But then the bubble bursts. Read more