Mediterranean cruising

9:53am Thursday 15th November 2007

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OKAY, so maybe the cruise ship did suffer a complete power failure somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea between Genoa and Nice.

And, yes, we did spend that night in pitch darkness and a pitching sea as an electrical storm ravaged the idling craft.

But still, as I jumped ship the next morning, clutching a lifejacket and my luggage, and gazed back from the Villefranche-sur-Mer coastguard rescue dinghy at the Island Star's funnels belching out another plume of black smoke, as the crew sought yet again to restart the engines, I couldn't help thinking what a great five days' holiday I'd had.

The trip was a taster of Island Cruises' Mediterranean Explorer, an eight-day cruise exploring the western Med, with inland excursions to Italian cities such as Florence, Pisa and Milan from ports Livorno and Genoa.

Though I was scheduled to leave the ship at Marseille in the south of France, the cruise would continue to Barcelona and Valencia in Spain.

We boarded the 208m-long Island Star at Palma in Majorca, the starting point of all Island Cruises' Mediterranean jaunts.

My cabin was the first pleasant surprise, spacious with a double bed, a sofa and office area, it also had a balcony. The latter was a real boon, allowing me to sit nursing my complimentary bottle of wine while watching a rosy sunset dip below the horizon as well as catching the first glimpse of approaching ports in the morning.

It was idyllic to have the French windows left open at night and to have sleep aided by the gentle lapping waves of the Mediterranean outside.

An exhaustive selection of drinks from the ship's many bars may have helped as well.

You are never far away from a drink or some food on the ship. And if you don't feel like moving a muscle, refreshment can come to you.

The Island Star was accommodating close to 1,200 passengers when I was on board but it also has 573 crew. That is almost one crew member to every two passengers, and they are all friendly and eager to please.

Give a signal, or just look a bit wistful, and one of the Hawaiian shirt-clad crew will be at your side asking if there is anything they can do for you.

All extra purchases, such as drinks from the bar, beauty treatments and excursion, can be covered with a swipe card given to you as you board. The card contains your holiday tab which you settle when you last leave the ship.

There is plenty you don't need to use the card for. Apart from two silver service restaurants, which are well worth the extra expense, I had one of the best steaks of my life at the sumptuous Steakhouse, all other meals on offer are included in the price of the holiday.

The Island Restaurant serves food all day and all night. You could, if you wanted, spend the entire holiday eating.

Sitting on deck in bright sunshine while the sea glittered all around me tucking in to Cumberland sausages and mash at 4pm, having already eaten enough that day to see a family of four through a particularly harsh winter, it was easy to think life couldn't get any better.

Concerns that my round-the-clock sausage diet would catch up with my physique sent me down to the small but decent on-board gym, complete with personal trainer, and the excellent spa where I was wrapped in algae for two hours which felt, if not smelt, marvellous.

The day at sea flew by, but I was still excited when we docked at Livorno, giving us the chance to go ashore.

I was especially pleased with my decision to eschew the standard coach-and-stroll look around Pisa for a 30km bicycle ride to the Tuscan city.

The idea seemed less exciting when our Austrian guide Gunther, sporting a rather too anatomically-revealing Lycra bodysuit, took us on to a motorway packed with honking lorries.

But we were soon on more tranquil roads and eased through a national park and the surprisingly rural suburbs of Pisa.

Once we were in the city, the fun really began as the mass of pedestrian tourists parted in panic at our cycling convoy.

The next day we docked at Genoa and, having been to Milan a few times previously, I joined the excursion to Portafino, a small fishing village and tourist resort on the Italian Riviera.

We took a boat into its beautiful port but while the dramatic coastline is spectacular there was little to explore beyond the pretty village square.

Perhaps the undemanding trip is what most cruise-goers want. Cruises are often perceived as attracting an older crowd. Island Cruises don't have much for kids - a pool and a tiny games arcade seemed about the sum of it - and the passengers were predominantly 50 and over. Still, most had come ready to party and once the sun went down the atmosphere on board got pretty lively.

During my time on board, the ship's theatre paid host to a Robbie Williams tribute act and a production of Grease the musical. Neither could be mistaken for the real thing but they both went down well.

The company's introduction of comedy acts from the Jongleurs club in summer next year suggests they are keen to spread their appeal to a younger audience.

Even without the stand-up, there was plenty of laughter on deck into the early hours with conga lines full of giggling guests and the perma-grinning crew. Even the power cut couldn't stop them.

• Trips on the Mediterranean Explorer route are available from £549.

For more information, visit islandcruises.com