Travel Editor Amy Bould and her family joined the cruise set and had the time of their lives aboard P&O’s stunning new liner

Sitting on the balcony, we suddenly heard splashes in the water – which can be disconcerting when you’re hundreds of miles off land in the middle of the Atlantic.

Peering over the rail we saw a school of dolphins, racing to the bow of the P&O new cruise liner Azura, our home for a 16-day Mediterranean cruise.

Shouting at the boys to come and see, we stood and watched these beautiful creatures jumping out of the water as the Azura cut through the waves.

That was just one special moment in a holiday packed with such times – and that’s what a cruise did for us. Time to enjoy each other and our children, time to switch off from the daily grind, time away from mobile phones and data connections and simply time to do nothing at all.

Having never cruised before, I can’t say it had ever really appealed. With preconceptions that cruising was really for older people or those without children, and that being stuck on a ship for more than two weeks would drive me stir-crazy, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

P&O’s new ship is being targeted at those who are looking for a return to more traditional cruising, with more formal nights, an elegant interior design and ballroom dancing taking place every night in the impressive Atrium of the ship.

But this ship is also geared up for families, with children’s clubs and activities, and on a family-friendly cruise like ours, there’s even Noddy and Mr Bump on board with special children’s teas in the buffet and a night nursery on board so parents can enjoy some adult time too.

And although the pools were sometimes packed with children, there are two adult-only pools on board – with one in the Retreat, a special adults-only area with a spa at the front of the ship which is paid for by a daily pass.

Initially concerned about taking two children, aged three and six on board a ship, we needn’t have worried as rails are high, balconies safe and fully-qualified staff called Reef Rangers run the clubs which are split into four different age ranges.

Which meant for Mark and I, we had the most relaxing holiday we’d had in years, and enjoyed more meals à deux in 16 nights than we had in the last six years!

Azura is the largest of P&O’s ships, with just over 3,000 passengers on board and more than 1,000 staff. That means the levels of service are second to none, whether that’s in the buffet restaurant or from the cabin stewards.

The Coral pool area on the Azura

Ronald, our steward, was an absolute star and my hero for the holiday. How I loved going down to breakfast and returning to our lovely cabin to find fresh towels, bed made, the children’s shared sofa bed put away and everything tidy and pristine.

I didn’t lift a finger – no cooking, no washing-up, no bed-making, no ironing (and I chucked everything in the massive washing machines on the last day so I went home with clean clothes in the suitcases!).

Our home for the holiday was a superior deluxe cabin with a balcony. That means a kingsize double bed, a lounge area with a sofa which was also a pull-out double bed, a bathroom with a full-size bath and shower, changing area with an open wardrobe and the star of the show – a balcony, not over-looked, with two recliner chairs and foot stools and even room enough to lie down.

The balcony made our holiday, it meant we could watch every docking and sailaway, and the highlight was sailing out of Venice.

We were on the port side so we’d got up early to go outside on the starboard side and watch Venice unfold before us in the morning from the dizzy heights of deck 17, but it also meant that as we left in the early evening, we sat in our own space with a glass of bubbly and sailed past St Mark’s Square which looked so close you could almost touch it.

Which brings me nicely round to our itinerary – how else can you visit four countries, with seven different ports of call, and only unpack once?

To be able to see so much, to go to sleep in one place and wake up in another, was so exciting and having the initial two days at sea down to Malaga gives you time to explore the ship and really relax into your holiday.

The old city of Malaga is well worth a walk round, you can book tours in advance and while on the ship, but we had a wander before heading for the beach – literally a ten minute walk from the port.

Then there followed another two days at sea before arriving at Katakolon, the jumping off point for tours to Olympia.

Next up was Corfu, somewhere we know very well, and we’d booked a car in advance to travel to the north-east of the island where the prettiest bays can be found.

Back on board we were sailing for the Adriatic and when we woke the next morning the black clouds were looming. We toured Dubrovnik in the pouring rain, fantastic city (if you’re fairly fit you should walk the walls) and a new cable car is now up and running, if the weather is fine!

Then it was on to Venice, a city like no other. The Azura was operating a motor launch from the dock which means we joined vaparettos and gondoliers as we moored up at St Mark’s Square.

We were warned that Venice could be expensive, but found ourselves in a courtyard restaurant for a very reasonably priced pizza and knew we’d picked well when six gondoliers joined us on their lunch break.

However we did get stung at a bar just round the corner from St Mark’s with a prime viewing spot of the Grand Canal. Two beers and two fruit juices set us back 48 euros.

But it was worth it just to watch the world go by.

Then it was back to Croatia and the island of Korcula, known as Little Dubrovnik. It’s beautiful but with two boys straining like puppies to be let off the leash, we found a taxi and headed to Lumbarda beach for the afternoon to build sandcastles and paddle in the sea.

Enjoying an ice cream on deck

Heading back on board, it seemed like a turning point. We were starting our journey back although we still had five days to go. Two and a half days at sea, followed by an afternoon in Gibraltar, then a two day sail home to Southampton.

But what surprised me was how much I enjoyed the sea days. It was brilliant to be able to see new places, but it was equally as good staying on board, enjoying leisurely lunches and dinners, finding a quiet spot on deck to read a book, watching the children in the talent show or doing a treasure hunt around the ship on Pirate Day.

I looked forward to the days at sea after a several days at new ports, whether relaxing on the balcony or discovering the delights of the food on board Azura.

We went for Freedom Dining, which meant we could enjoy a four course meal in the formal restaurant at a time of our choosing, or experience the Select Dining restaurants, like Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar’s Sindhu or the best bison burger ever tasted at The Glasshouse, where speciality wines are offered by the glass.

The only waiter service restaurant with outside dining is Seventeen, which offers fine dining at the stern of the ship where you can watch the wake and see the sun go down. The food is superb, the view even better… and knowing the children were asleep only one deck below in the capable hands of qualified staff meant a completely relaxed and special meal.

Yes, on board the Azura you can do a lot, eat a lot, party a lot and even shop a lot – but sailing the ocean for me was the chance to do not a lot, in fact, almost nothing at all. Which is surely what a holiday is all about.

Factbox

• Prices for a 16 night Central Mediterranean cruise on board Azura (A118), travelling between August 5 and 21 2011, start from £1,991 per person sharing an inside cabin with £25 on board spending money.
• Itinerary: Departing from and returning to Southampton, ports of call are Malaga, Cephalonia, Dubrovnik, Venice, Korcula, Corfu and Vigo.
• The fare for a family of four sharing a superior deluxe balcony cabin  is £11,164 total (£3,479 per adult and £2,103 per child). Each adult would now receive £100 on board spending money.
• All prices are on a full board basis including all main meals, entertainment and child-care.
• For more information or to book call P&O Cruises on 0845 3 555 333, visit www.pocruises.co.uk or see your ABTA bonded travel agent.