My husband was very resistant to the idea of cruising but he had promised that we would go on a cruise for my 60th birthday and I held him to that promise. I researched ships and itineraries carefully, and had been assured by friends who recommended it, that Equinox was the ship for us - and they were right.

Embarkation at Barcelona went very smoothly, taking no more than 10 minutes from getting out of the taxi at the port until we were actually on the ship. That certainly impressed him and from there on, everything was pretty much just fabulous! We spent a few hours exploring the ship and then we went to our cabin where our luggage was waiting outside. It was perfect, a good size for the two of us with adequate storage in the stateroom, and a light and airy room where you could actually see to put your makeup on - something you so rarely find even in the best hotels these days. I didn't even need to phone for extra hangers! I loved the well-laid out storage in the bathroom, too and the rather sophisticated shower was great and surprisingly easy to operate, even for me who generally prefers a bath.

In our cabin, there was champagne on ice and fruit waiting for us, and every afternoon a modest tray of canapes was placed there, and they changed the fruit and iced tea (which we never touched anyway) daily. Read more