A Mediterranean cruise made for the perfect family holiday

Cruising with the family was a wonderful way to celebrate a big birthday and a silver wedding anniversary.

It had been a long time coming. We hadn’t been abroad as a family for years so, with our silver wedding anniversary plus a big birthday for me on the horizon, we decided 2013 would be the year of the cruise.

In the years BC (before children) my husband and I had never considered such a thing. We happily booked one package trip after another the Algarve, Yugoslavia, Turkey, Malta, Spain . . .

Eventually, though, the appeal of these beach holidays started to wear off and we were considering something more adventurous when family life took over. Before we knew it, we found ourselves enjoying caravan holidays the length and breadth of Britain, kids in tow. So a family trip somewhere hot and sunny was long overdue.

The best way of making up for the ‘lost years’ was to fit in as many destinations as possible. Each of us came up with a favourite place to visit then we headed to the travel agent with our wish list.

Our chosen cruise, with P&O, started in Southampton, stopping at La Coruna in Spain, Gibraltar, Ajaccio on the French island of Corsica, Civitavecchia in Italy (with a visit to Rome), Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Cartagena in Spain then back to Southampton.

The cheapest option for accommodation was an inside family cabin so, as we wanted to travel during the school summer holidays and these dates are snapped up quickly, we booked almost a year in advance.

The time flew by, though, and suddenly we weren’t just looking at our ship in the brochure we were standing on the quayside gazing up at Ventura itself.

This fantastic floating hotel accommodates more than 3,000 passengers and 1,200 crew. Much as we loved stopping off at the various ports you could quite easily fill your time on board.

It offers everything from spectacular shows, current films and fun quizzes to a relaxing spa, well-equipped gym and a wide range of shops.

I particularly enjoyed Reflex musical memories from the ’80s. The movies were good too but watching the film The Life Of Pi, which centred on a shipwreck, was a bit unsettling . . .

Our 14-day cruise included six ‘at sea’ days but there was absolutely no chance we could get bored. In fact, our 14-year-old son enjoyed the teenage club so much that he’s been nagging us to book another cruise ever since we got home.

The ship was so vast it was easy to get lost and even on the last day I was still heading off in the wrong direction.

However, no matter where we went we were greeted by smiling staff. From Morris, our excellent cabin steward, to Charlie Carr, the friendly captain, we couldn’t fault the impeccable service.

As for the food where do I start? We have never eaten such delicious meals. Buffet breakfasts offered everything from traditional fry-ups to an assortment of the freshest fruit and yummiest pastries.

Lunch could be whatever we fancied, from healthy salad to tasty curry, and if there was any room left we could enjoy a traditional afternoon tea with dainty sandwiches, scones, crumpets and teacakes.

Evening dining options were completely flexible, from a posh five-course sit down dinner (steak, salmon, lobster) to burgers and pizzas from the grill.

On our cruise there were four formal nights which gave us a chance to dress up and made the meals even more special. With all that happening on board it was almost a wrench to disembark at the various ports, but somehow we managed.

We weren’t disappointed by any of our ports of call but the family favourite turned out to be Barcelona. Filled with amazing buildings designed by Antonio Gaudi, it’s an architectural feast. For sports fans there’s Barcelona’s impressive football stadium and, for shopaholics like me, enough stores to last a lifetime! It’s somewhere we’d love to revisit as one day just wasn’t long enough.

In Rome the Colosseum and Roman Forum were busy yet completely breath-taking. Standing there surrounded by all that history was hard to comprehend.

Beautiful Monte Carlo gave us just a glimpse of how the other half live, with massive yachts, stunning supercars and immaculate buildings. The perfect place to people-watch while dreaming of winning the lottery!

It wasn’t all luxurious lifestyles, though. The pretty ports of La Coruna, Gibraltar, Ajaccio (birthplace of Napoleon) and Cartagena gave us an insight into the lives of ordinary people and offered a flavour of each place.

We may have waited a long time for this holiday but it was definitely worth it.

As well as all the fantastic ports we visited, my highlights included . . .

Watching whales and dolphins frolicking beside the ship.

Sipping cocktails at the pool.

Swimming in the Mediterranean off Corsica.

The amazing aquarium in Monte Carlo.

Getting dressed up for some very posh meals.

Sitting on the deck watching the glorious sunset and feeling a warm breeze even though it was almost nine o’clock at night.

Waking up each day in a different place with so much to explore.

As a family, we are now definitely cruise fans so hopefully we won’t need to wait until our golden wedding anniversary to enjoy our next one!