This was our first cruise and it did not disappoint. We had been recommended to go with P&O for various reasons. In this case the destinations were good and we had two 'at sea' days. Embarkation ran like clockwork, we arrived in Venice around 5pm and were on board within an hour. Really smooth. The first 'at sea' day was straight away, which gave us a good chance to find our way around, and locate all of the various areas on-board. It also coincided with a black tie evening which was a very nice occasion and very well done by the staff. Kotor was fabulous, Corfu very hot, the straights of Messina interesting, Civitavecchia the gateway to Rome / Vatican Museums, Ajaccio quiet peaceful and a joy to visit. All of which finished in Genoa all too soon. It is easy to plan your day at the various stops prior to departure with a little poking around on the internet, but I heard only good things from those who went on the organized excursions. The ship was a good manageable size for us first time out and the staff throughout were fabulous. Entertainment was good and there were lots of activities and things to do especially on the days at sea. As we booked the cruise quite late and were allocated the 18:30 sitting for dinner which we initially thought was good as 20:30 is usually a bit late for us eating a main meal. If you want to see the sail away then quite often the 18:30 sitting is too early so next time the later slot will be selected. For a cruise sceptic - which is what I was - this was one of the most stress free holidays I have had for a long time. Now the work begins to book the next one !!