'You've got a brilliant mix of beach holiday, shopping holiday, sightseeing, city break and Mediterranean cuisine - all in one'
It's easy to take for granted just how lucky we are to have an international airport just a few miles from our city centre.
Over the May half-term I tried it - and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Staff can't do enough for you, there's a huge range of things to do and see, the choice of food is wide - and that's before you've even stepped off the ship. The essentials It only takes three hours from Manchester to Rome's airport, and from there we got the MSC shuttle from the bus station to the port at Civitavecchia.
The terminal from which the MSC Divina departs from Civitavecchia is spotlessly clean and spacious with friendly service. If you've got everything in carry-on luggage there's no need to leave it and wait for staff to bring it up to you, just carry it to your room yourself if you're able and crack on with your holiday.
If you're able bodied and worried about your calorific intake, there's obviously loads of stairs and corridors to work them off on a cruise ship - I decided on day one that the one thing I was going to avoid was the lift - but there's also a well-equipped gym. After our late lunch we headed back in the cabin, and it wasn't long before we heard that special whirr that meant we were pulling away from the dock. It was a gloriously hot day in Rome and it felt so exhilarating to watch the sea sparkle, seagulls, soaring above, as we set sail.
One day two alone there were 43 activities, starting at 9am and running until midnight. Board games, regular live music, a table football tournament, kids talent contest, dance lessons, a penalty shootout, a family quiz show, exercise glasses, and shopping promotions on perfume and jewellery, a lottery with a 230,000 euro jackpot and a disco.
Izmir is much bigger than Mykonos - it's Turkey's third biggest city - but is also a really easy place to spend a day without getting lost. The excursions you can pre-book include Ephesus - keeping with the classical history theme - the Church of Mary, which dates back to the 5th century, and good old fashioned shopping. Or you can do as we did, which was to pick up a map at the port after arriving, and follow the blue route along the seafront for a stroll through the sights.
Life on board On our eight day, seven night trip we had two sea days, but with so much to do there was absolutely no chance of getting bored. Sunbathing on the deck with a cocktail, nipping in and out of the pools, all the cares of the world melt away. And as if that wasn't enough relaxation, you've got the spa, with huge spa baths overlooking the ocean, a range of saunas and steam rooms, and brilliant masseuses.
While the buffet has a great choice from morning to night with a range that will satisfy even the fussiest of eaters - you can sometimes find yourself touring to find a table. The complimentary restaurants offer smaller menus and a more formal dining experience, but again with sea views. If you fancy a trip further afield, there are MSC excursions to Capri, but after exploring the excavated city, its streets reclaimed by glorious wildflowers and birds, with the sun beating down, we fancied a wander around Naples - and there's loads of incredible architecture to take in within walking distance of the port.
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