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I joined the P&O cruise ship Oriana while she was docked in Rome in September 2008.
My cabin type was an Ocean View and was surprisingly spacious! It had all the amenities we could need; TV, en suite, and in traditional British style, tea and coffee making facilities. Having had a look in an interior cabin I would definitely opt for the Ocean View Cabin again, the window makes a lot of difference.

Our first port of call was Alghero in Sardinia where we anchored and came in by tender. Beautiful old cobbled streets, quaint shops and some good designer shops to be had too. I took a coach up to Capo Caccia where the views are spectacular, well worth the trip and inexpensive too. P&O offer various organised excursions, but be careful which one you choose as you could end up sitting on a coach most of the day. Personally, I think doing your own thing and exploring Alghero is a great way to experience Sardinia, there are boat excursions from the marina which are easy to do yourself if you want to sea Alghero's stunning coastline from the ocean but close-up.

Back on board there are a number of places to eat - a buffet style restaurant, a pizzeria, standard dining room for the evening, as well as two restaurants where you can pay a supplement to eat - Terrace Grill ( great on a balmy evening ) or Oriana Rhodes - Gary Rhodes restaurant. Both of them are well worth paying the extra for. There is definitely something special about Oriana Rhodes, a must is the "chocolate wine" - Rubis - delicious, smooth and tasted distinctly like chocolate!

We had a lot of time at sea and managed to pass the time well taking advantage of the Mud Massage in Oasis Spa, sunbathing by the pool, making use of the hot tubs, sauna etc... Crichtons was also a great way to pass the time playing card games, board games etc...Or if you fancy a little gamble Monte Carlos casino is a must.

If Strictly Come Dancing is a favourite tv programme then Oriana's dance classes are perfect for you. Harlequins is ballroom by day and nightclub by night!

I was quite surprised by the shows on board Oriana , they were of a very high standard and the entertainers genuinely enjoyed performing for the crowd. The Theatre Royal was transformed into an Abba setting on one night and a Songs from the Shows on another night. They really did pull in the crowd from the ship and if you weren't there when the doors opened you would miss out.

Gibraltar was our next port of call before sailing up the west coast of Portugal and Spain and into the Bay of Biscay en route to Southampton. Gibraltar is quite an experience! From where Oriana docks you have a clear view of the runway and the cars driving across the runway between the Rock and mainland Spain, very unique! A trip to the top of the rock is a must, and mingling with the monkeys is unavoidable while you are there. If you enjoy shopping then you will love Gibraltar's choice of High Street stores, perfumeries, off licences and tobacconists....there are a lot of savings to be had.

There is a lot more I could say about my Oriana experience and all of it good.....If you think a cruise is something that would interest you then send me an email and I will happily advise on which ship and destination would suit you....