THE VIEW from our balcony was truly spectacular.

The evening sun was setting over the Prince's Palace in Monaco and bouncing off the multimillion pound apartments that line Monte Carlo's magnificent port. It was the perfect start to the first holiday my husband and I had taken on our own since daughter number one was born 21 years ago.

We had chosen to cruise the Mediterranean aboard Queen Victoria, the pride of the Cunard Fleet, launched in December 2007.

At FIrst we thought we could be taking a bit of a gamble. We were on our own! There were no children to entertain us on this adventure.

But as Victoria gently sailed off across the flat, calm seas, we realised we had made a great choice. The ship is just like a floating five-star hotel. It is so big and luxurious you simply relax and bask in splendour.

The 2,000 crew – one for every guest – relished in making everyone's life at sea an absolute pleasure. And there's so much to do on board that there simply aren't enough hours in the day to enjoy it all.

Our cabin was the size of a Park Lane hotel suite and its king-size bed was as comfortable as I have ever slept in. We had all mod cons including a fridge, two televisons, a marvellous bathroom and, of course, the balcony. Where better to sit, read a book and just relax.

On our First night we met the captain and had pre-dinner drinks before dining in the Princess Grill, one of the Finest restaurants we've ever eaten in.

The great joy of a cruise is that you can go to sleep off the French coast and wake up eight hours later in Italy.

So when dawn broke we were berthed in the Italian port of Livorno. Not the most picturesque place in the world, perhaps, but after a hearty breakfast we were soon speeding by coach through the Tuscan countryside towards Florence – birthplace of the Italian Renaissance – for a fascinating day of sightseeing and learning about the works of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.

In the afternoon it was off to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower before returning to the ship for another brilliant dinner. Each night the menu was extensive. Our choice of crab salad, slow-roasted prime rib of beef and a mouth-watering crème brûlée cheesecake was spot on.

Life on the ocean waves (although it was calm for the entire trip) was grand as we waved goodbye to Livorno and headed for Naples.

The voyage was all inclusive apart from selected day trips ashore and bar drinks, so there are no big bills to pick up, and the costs on board reflected average British pub prices.

Entertainment matched the food and accommodation for five-star rating. The Royal Court Theatre would not be out of place in London's West End and the shows were excellent.

If you have the energy you can party all night in Hemispheres nightclub or visit the Queens Room ballroom for Strictly Come Dancing.

There's even karaoke and bingo in "English-style" pub the Golden Lion and a casino for those liking a flutter.

Of course we did . nd some time just to sit up on deck on the best loungers money could buy. There was always a new friend to talk to when we enjoyed the Ritz-style afternoon teas with sandwiches, scones, cream, jam and fruit cake.

With so much good food about, however, you must watch your waistline. Many guests went to the gym or took dips in the open-air pools, while others took brisk walks around the decks.

After a stop in Crete we headed north and docked at Izmir in Turkey for what turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. We visited Ephesus, where the original temple was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The preserved city, built by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago, has to be seen to be believed. It is an extraordinary place with an amphitheatre for 24,000 people, a library and even the remains of the world's first public toilet, where the elders used to sit and sort out the city's problems.

There was so much history and also much humour.

Back on board, we met up with our new friends and dining companions, Mike and Lynn from Montreal and Geoffrey and Margaret from Hertfordshire, for one last dinner before we disembarked in Athens.

It was yet another evening of great stories, much laughter and, of course, excellent food and wine.
And do you know what? Our much-loved daughters were not on the menu at all!

GETTING THERE:

Cunard (0845 071 0300/ www.cunard.co.uk) offers a 12-night Mediterranean Mosaic cruise on Queen Victoria from £869pp (two sharing) departing from Southampton calling at Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Rome, Corsica, Majorca and Gibraltar.