Voyager of the Seas to Mediterranean

Once the biggest cruise ship in the world, Voyager of the Seas took the cruising world by storm (pun wholly intentional) when she made her commercial debut in 1999.

Inside, the benchmark Royal Promenade soars upwards through several storeys, and runs as a ramrod straight boulevard right through the heart of the ship. Crossed by glass floored bridges and lined with bars, shops and cafes, it stages an astonishing indoor 'parade' once per cruise that has to be seen to be believed.

This ship simply has it all, from an indoor ice skating rink used to stage spectacular shows, to an aft facing flow rider that allows wannabe surfers to get their full Hawaii 5-0 on. In between, there are water parks especially for the kids, and ample pool and hot tub areas- including an adults' only Solarium- for the rest of the passengers.

The ship is as busy as she is big, with a two storey disco, a vast casino, and the enormous, three level main dining room. Alternative, extra pay venue such as the superb Chops Grille steakhouse give Voyager of the Seas a slightly more intimate, upmarket feel.

Royal Caribbean really upped their game in terms of cabin sizes with this ship; even the insides are far more generous than ever before, while the suites are a real hazard to activity of any kind. On this ship, the more you pay, the more space you get.

While you might think that getting on and off such a huge ship is time consuming, Royal Caribbean actually do a very good job with this ship. Even when tendering ashore (such as at Villefranche) it never seemed to take overly long. I admit to being pleasantly surprised at that.

An ideal ship for families, Voyager of the Seas offers programmes for young sailors of all ages, from toddlers through to teens that will keep them busy all day long, and well into the night.

In short, Voyager of the Seas is an all singing, all dancing floating fairground, one run with considerable flair, and offers no shortage of fun for all ages.