Voyage of discovery

We got to sail-away' from seven beautiful destinations during our 12-day voyage with Crystal Cruises, and to find out why this luxurious experience has resulted in the company being voted the World's Best Large-Ship Cruise Line for ten years running.

My husband and I joined the Ports of Perfection cruise at the end of July, embarking the 68,000 ton, 1,080-guest Crystal Serenity in Venice - a city long on my hit list' of places to visit, and one that surpassed all expectations, but more of that later...

Our ultra-luxurious floating hotel was scheduled to dock at a string of desirable locations - Dubrovnik, Taormina in Sicily, Sorrento, Cannes, Livorno (for Florence), Portofino, ending up in Rome, where we took a flight home.

The immediate impression of Crystal Serenity was one of opulence and comfort. From the moment we stepped onboard and enjoyed a welcoming glass of Champagne, to our wistful disembarkation 12 nights later, nothing was too much trouble. This is a cruise line that more than lives up to its numerous accolades.

To be honest, we found it hard to fault the experience at all - and this was backed up by other passengers, the majority of whom had been taking Crystal cruises for many years, and wouldn't consider sailing with anyone else.

I have to say, we were hugely spoiled with our penthouse on the highest accommodation level, deck 11, complete with our very own butler, Simon - a genial giant of a South African, who ensured we didn't lift a finger for the entire cruise, taking care of excursion and restaurant bookings, dealing with laundry requests, delivering and serving breakfast on our verandah, and leaving delicious little nibbles such as cheese and biscuits or smoked salmon canapes in our room, each afternoon.

Our penthouse was large, airy (due to the fact we could open double doors onto our capacious verandah, overlooking the bright blue sea 11 decks below), with every mod-con and a huge bathroom with gorgeous toiletries, fluffy towels and even a Jacuzzi bath.

Be in no doubt, this is a big ship - our sole previous experience of cruising was on the Seadream, a small but perfect 100-passenger ship, on a voyage around the Greek islands (and entirely fantastic it was too) - so Crystal Serenity, with guests numbering just over 1,000, was slightly daunting.

We should not, of course, have worried at all - the ship didn't feel crowded or frenetic, quite the opposite in fact. At no point did we ever feel there was a crush (apart from breakfast in the Lido Café, which was very busy self-service, and which we avoided in general as there were several other breakfast options) and there were no queues, no jostling, no tannoys (apart from Satchmo at sail-away) no need to bag sunbeds or theatre seats.

In fact, it was a totally relaxing holiday and, most of the time, you would never have known how many people occupied Crystal Serenity.

The only thing I didn't ever quite get used to was the size of the ship in relation to locating the various restaurants, bars, pools and the huge variety of other amenities, such as the spa (where I enjoyed a luxurious facial and massage), the fitness centre, golf driving range, tennis courts, library or the innovative Computer@Sea centre, offering instruction in everything from digital photofinishing to website construction. I realised that everything was either fore or aft, port or starboard, but however hard I tried, I generally got lost!

The staff were kindness and efficiency itself, dispensing drinks with a smile, helping guests on and off the launch used as a ferry between ship and harbour, waiting at table, servicing rooms. We never came across anyone who was anything less than cheerful and gracious.

The dining experience onboard was superb, with a huge variety of places to eat and drink. In fact, you could quite easily spend all day eating a parade of delicious dishes and meals from all over the world - so a visit to the ship's gym might be in order to sweat off the excess calories!

The main Crystal Dining Room offered every delicacy imaginable, and each dinner was a gourmet experience - the very best lobster, caviar, oysters, foie gras - deciding what to order was the hardest part.

We were honoured to join eight other guests, all American, on the Captain's Table. The great man himself, dour but thoroughly likeable Norwegian Captain Otto Nergaard, dined with us four times in all, and entranced all of us with his tales of the high seas.

My particular favourite when it came to eating venues was The Bistro, serving late breakfasts and meeting every other food whim through until 6pm. We enjoyed a cream tea there most afternoons, or you could go to the Palm Court where there was a different tea experience' everyday, from the traditional English, to Baroque-style - with plates of elaborate continental cream cakes.

The Trident Grill did an excellent roast duck quesadilla at lunchtime and the speciality restaurants were unmissable - the very best Italian food in Prego, authentic sushi in The Sushi Bar and delicately spiced Asian cuisine of Nobu Matsuhisa in Silk Road.

On our last day at sea, the chefs produced the most fantastic lunchtime gala buffet. Having not long before had breakfast, it was a bit of a struggle - but we valiantly joined in!

So, as you have probably surmised by now, you are so spoilt onboard Crystal Serenity that you can be happily fed, watered, and occupied 24/7. My particular predilection was for sitting developing a tan beside the pool with a book and a cocktail - the sun shone every day of our holiday, though with temperatures in the high 80s, sightseeing had to be completed in the early part of the morning. We found it unbearable by around 11am.

In the evening after dinner you could choose to play the roulette tables, blackjack or the high-rolling game machines in the casino. This was an expensive pursuit, and it was one much favoured by many of our fellow guests, 90 per cent of whom were American. However, one night my husband couldn't resist the blackjack tables and, amazingly, left the casino $50 up!

Away from the casino, you had a variety of bars to choose from, dancing to a band, a disco, theatre shows or the cinema to choose from.

Which brings me onto the Ports of Perfection we visited. We embarked ship in Venice, the magical floating city. Crystal Serenity was docked overnight there, so the next day we took a private launch around the canals, drinking in the sights and sounds.

We visited St Mark's Square and the Bridge of Sighs, but found the crowds of tourists unbearable, so kept it brief. It was a relief to get back on board. But sailing out of Venice was truly awe-inspiring. The massive cruise ships sail right past St Mark's and the entrance to the Grand Canal, and from the pool deck, with a Bellini in hand, I was entranced by our privileged view of the city.

The next day we sailed the Adriatic Sea all day, bringing us early the next morning to the impressive walled city of Dubrovnik, Croatia. It was an incredibly hot day and, stupidly, we set out to walk the ancient walls.

Flagging considerably, we took the escape route halfway round - it really was too hot to walk.

Day four saw us at sea again, this time the Med - and a sighting of a turtle swimming through the waves many miles from land (much to the admiration of our captain, who had never seen one mid-ocean).

Our next port of call was Taormina in Italy. Perched atop a cliff, the views were stunning, and there were lots of shops, cafés and bars to while away a few hours. The next morning we woke up in beautiful Sorrento - my absolute favourite Italian resort.

Those who hadn't visited before took tours along the stunning Amalfi coast, to Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius, or made the short ferry crossing to Capri. We enjoyed a walk around the (fantastic!) shops, and a leisurely lunch of moules in a pavement café.

After another day at sea, we dropped anchor at glamorous Cannes, in the south of France, staying for two nights. I was less than impressed by this achingly expensive playground of the rich and famous - but the multi-million-pound yachts were a sight to behold. We sailed onto Livorno, gateway port to Florence, and took the one-and-a-half hour coach trip into the historic city. Again, the temperatures were way up, which made sightseeing a bit hit or miss - it was necessary to make copious refreshment stops - but the city itself is magnificent, especially Michaelangelo's David, the cathedral and the Ponte Vecchio bridge.

Our last day was spent in Portofino, an exclusive and impossibly pretty Italian resort. In fact, some guests spotted Rod Stewart, wife Penny Lancaster and their infant son in a pavement cafe. They had married there the previous week.

Next morning we woke up in Civitavecchia, sadly made our farewells and disembarked for the short trip into Rome, and the airport. Many were staying on in the city, but unfortunately we had run out of time.

If I have inspired you to cruise, then in my opinion Crystal Cruises offers the ultimate experience. I love cruising. Waking up in a beautiful new destination every morning without going through the hassle of packing and unpacking suitcases, or negotiating airports, is my dream holiday. See if you agree.

Information: Prices from £3,908 per person for the 12-night voyage from Venice to Rome including return scheduled flights, 12 nights in a deluxe stateroom with picture window with all meals and entertainment, port taxes and basic gratuities. For a Penthouse, the price rises to £8,560 per person.

For reservations and further information call Crystal Cruises on 020 7287 9040 or visit www.crystalcruises.com