I never thought I’d say this but huge cruise ships aren’t bad at all. Until now I’ve avoided them like the plague - at my age Aurora and Arcadia are more my style - but four winter weeks in the Canaries and the Med on board P&O Iona (as a solo passenger) has made me think again.

Iona is certainly big. With up to 5200 passengers and 1800 crew (1800 being just about the total number of passengers carried on Aurora, which gives you some idea) I staggered on board weighed down with both luggage and preconceptions. How would I cope, going from child-free to child-friendly, from fixed dining times to free-for-all, from relaxing sea days to needing a holiday app to plan every detail? And above all, how would I navigate 19 decks and reach heaven alone knows how many bars, restaurants, shops and cinemas?

Well, to those still stuck in the past like me, the future proved to be not as frightening as feared. Read more