This was our first ever cruise and I was very apprehensive of spending a week in the company of so many people.

We had decided to take the option of onboard credit and so booked our own arrangements for getting to Southampton and parking the car. The night before the cruise we drove down from North Yorkshire and checked into the Botleigh Grange Hotel on their Gourmet Cruise and Stay package. We felt the hotel was greatly in need of redecoration but the room was very comfortable, clean and quiet. The six course dinner was very good; excellent selection and well cooked and presented. The only critism of the restaurant I would have is that it was more of a function room than intimate restaurant. If they'd turned the lights down a bit that would have helped.

The hotel package included a taxi to the port the following morning and there was plenty of parking for us to leave the car safely at the hotel. Read more