Lisbon - Cádiz - Lisbon

If you’re looking for a carefree holiday, an all inclusive cruise ticks all the boxes. Silversea run a slick operation and everything is taken care of from the minute you arrive at the airport to the moment you depart. There’s so much to do once onboard - I didn’t pick up my book the entire time! There’s a decent fitness centre, a pampering spa and activities aplenty from 0700 through to dinner. Cookery demos, ship tours, yoga classes, wine tastings, a tour of Steve McCurry’s (he of National Geographic fame) extraordinary photos that are a special feature of the Silver Ray and even origami lessons to name but a few. 

Aside from the gourmet dining and wine pairing across eight restaurants, there’s mid morning nibbles and afternoon tea served in the all day coffee shop. 

As dusk falls the bars come into their own with a talented bunch of pianists, jazz musicians, bands and singers to entertain. The onboard theatre showcases an eclectic array of top class acts from comedians to stage shows. There’s also a casino if you fancy a flutter. The nights are then bought to a close with cocktails and DJ Anthony spinning some tracks to keep the small but perfectly formed dance floor filled till the early hours.

Silver Ray lives up to her ultra luxury tag. She simply oozes quality and is beautifully designed. They've  used acres of marble and glass, so it feels really airy and bright. With more square footage per passenger than any other ship in their fleet, there’s also a surprising sense of space everywhere. The food and wine was exceptional and the delightful service onboard lives up to standards you’d expect from a brand that has been delivering excellence for 30 years.

1. Pack less. The suites are spacious and with well designed storage but large suitcases take up an unnecessary amount of the floor space. Typically I never unpack my case fully in a hotel room but on a cruise I recommend unpacking everything (or better still get your obliging butler to do it for you) and store your suitcases out of the way.  Laundry is reasonably priced and quick, but each deck also has a swanky self service launderette, so you can easily get by with a smaller case and just a few changes of clothes.

2. Silversea cruises are all about the destination - they visit over 900 ports around the world so no matter how tempting that comfy lounger on the pool deck seems, don’t overlook the off shore excursions (one is usually included per passenger at every port). These immersive and authentic experiences are cleverly selected to showcase the major sightseeing highlights but with some extra local insider flavour thrown in. Our walking tour of Cadiz for example included a coffee break at atmospheric 110 year old Cafe Royalty to try their famed picatostes gaditano - a traditional desert made of bread soaked in spiced milk which is then deep fried. Trust me it was delicious!

3. If you are offered the opportunity, you must do a 'behind the scenes' tour. Understanding the workings of your floating small city is quite something - from the scale of the kitchens, how fresh provisions are procured, where the crew spend their downtime, the laundering of all the bedding and towels to the complexity of the engine house and the buzz of the bridge. It makes you appreciate just how much goes into making your cruise holiday just so seamless.