This was our first venture into a cruise holiday and we chose this particular route as it enabled us to sail from Southampton which meant we had the first three days at sea which was perfect to relax and settle into the holiday.
Getting on board was very slickly handled with no queuing, clear instructions and very helpful crew. The bags are taken from your car as you pull up so no carrying of these either; we simply had our feet up in the 'stateroom' within 30 minutes of arriving - lovely.
The cabin - sorry 'stateroom' - was very comofrtable, well equipped and with a neat ensuite shower room. We didn't go for a balcony but I can imagine that this would be a great feature if your budget runs to it. If you book a balcony, make sure you don't have an overhanging deck above that may take the sunshine.
The port of Ajaccio is just a short walk from the ship so, if you do not want a guided tour of the area, it is very easy to simply explore yourself. And Ajaccio is beatiful with many shops, market, restaurants, historic sites (inc the birthplave of Napoleon) and beaches. If you want to see around Napoleons birthplace then get there early as there were big queues.
We took a shuttle bus into near the Vatican and explored Rome ourselves as we've been there many times. The trip was about an hour and a half but all on a comfortable bus, well organised and not expensive.
We again only took a shuttle bus into Florence but it was a comfortable trip with an excellent guide who took pleasure in telling the history of Florence and the area.
You'll need a shuttle bus for Marseille as its too far to walk but it well worth a visit. France's second biggest city and plenty to see.
You can walk into Gibraltar and whilst it is not the prettiest place you'll every see, it is very much worth a visit. There are masses of shops (many duty free goods to be had!), historic sites and a trip up The Rock is a must.