Our cruise got off to an inauspicious start with our TomTom breaking down just as we entered Southampton. With luck and memory we were able to find Alternative Cruise Parking in Marchwood and were transferred to the ship. Boarding was pretty straightforward and we were in stateroom 4006 by 12:30pm.

We'd booked a getaway fair for the first time and were disappointed to find our balcony was metal fronted but more disappointed when we found out we were dining at 8:30. We dined that night on a table with two other couples who were also disappointed but really poor company because of it. After dinner my wife approached the Maître D who was being berated by another disgruntled diner and took an amazing amount of abuse from this person before politely telling him he wouldn't get a table for two. My wife spoke to him with trepidation but despite his previous experience was kindness itself and transferred us to an earlier dinning time, with our gratitude.

Our cruise was probably the best we've had over three cruise company's. The ports were the usual Mediterranean stops with the exception of St Raphael in the south of France which was also a tender stop. Barcelona was as usual brilliant a town we always find something different to do. Livorno was a good stop but our Pisa tour could have done without the rain. Read more