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Calling at Vigo, Lisbon, Le Verdon and Brest

Embarkation at the new Ocean Terminal in Southampton was quick and efficient even though we were at peak time.

Our cabin was a two bed outside, with a balcony and bathroom with shower - to get a bath you have to upgrade. Décor throughout was tasteful, with bold colours in places but not garish. Our cabin steward was very professional and efficient, hardly ever seen but always there if you needed him. Service on board was generally very good and our main restaurant was The Saffron, which has a good choice of menu and if you wanted something off the menu that was no problem.

All the other passengers that I chatted to thought the food was very good, certainly very plentiful. However one restaurant that did stand out was The White Room, a Marco Pierre White restaurant which was superb. Attention to detail was paramount, the food was presented exquisitely, and tasted incredible - obviously the best was used. The White Room currently has a surcharge of £25.00 per person but well worth it. Other alternative dining options were East, which did look very nice but the menu was not my personal choice and Ramblas, which I really wanted to try but time ran out. On Ventura you also get the chance to opt for Freedom Dining which means you are able to eat in a main restaurant at a time that suits you.

The Waterside and Beach Restaurants are very informal serving buffet food, including afternoon tea, more or less all day long. There are of course several bars and lounges dotted around the ship where you can get a coffee or something a bit stronger, but perhaps my favourite was Metropolis. Situated high up at the aft it afforded 270 degree views around the ship which was ideal when you were coming into or leaving port. Also the best place to go for pre and post dinner cocktails, with a pianist which set the scene beautifully. A novel idea they have in Metropolis is that one wall portrays a different city every night, such as Las Vegas, New York, Rome and Hong Kong.

There is a lot to see and do on Ventura from daily talks, health and instructions by the Spa team, to deck games, sports areas, casino and an art gallery. In the evenings you have a choice of entertainment and to finish off you have the night club Havana. Plus of course the shops and for those who want a good book there is a well stocked library. Ventura has Cirque Ventura, circus skill training school, which is suitable for all ages. I know because I tried the bungee trampoline which is really great fun.

Ventura is a family ship and this should be remembered when booking as the Ventura does get quite a few children on board especially during school holidays, but they are so well looked after that half the time you don't even know that they are there. They have four children’s clubs which cater for 2 – 17 year olds, and for the young they have Noddy and My Bump which you will see around at Children’s tea time, separated from the adults. At night they even have a night nursery which allows the parents some quality time together knowing that their child is being well looked after.

Our cruise had quite a mix of different ages from the very young to the not so young and able, all of whom seemed to love it. They even had three weddings.

Some excursions could be quite expensive for what they were, although they had a good choice, but you had to consider what they included. At several ports it was possible to catch the ship’s shuttle to take you into the local town, as is often the case ships berth some distance from a town and taxi’s are never around.

I enjoyed my cruise on Ventura and would be happy to go again. Bon Voyage!