Of all P&O Cruises' ships, Ventura is the vessel most geared to families, with top-notch children's clubs, five pools and entertainment for all ages. This tasteful, comfortable ship combines elegance with some genuinely lovely contemporary features; visit the Metropolis Bar, where a panoramic video backdrop provides you with different cityscapes at cocktail hour. Or sit on deck on a hot, Mediterranean night sampling grilled king prawns and spaghetti with lobster from Marco Pierre White's The White Room, in our opinion, one of the finest restaurants at sea.

Ventura has a wide assortment of further places to eat and drink, not least The Glasshouse by TV presenter Olly Smith, with a long menu of wines by the glass; and on deck 15, The Beach House, a light, airy, family-friendly restaurant with gourmet pizzas, ribs, wraps and decadent puddings like chocolate fudge cake. East offers fine Asian cuisine and there are three main dining rooms with a choice of Freedom Dining (at whatever time you please) or traditional dinner sittings.

Every night is an occasion on Ventura. The Tamarind Lounge is used for everything from quizzes to dance contests, while the Havana Show Lounge has a DJ and on some nights, karaoke and the Arena Theatre stages West End-quality performances.

The children's clubs cater from age two to late teens, with separate spaces for each age group. Parents love the night nursery, where small children can sleep for part of the evening, supervised by the ship's nannies, allowing quality adult time. There's fun to be had ashore, too, when Ventura cruises the Caribbean in winter, thanks to a new range of activity excursions, from Segway tours in St Lucia to zip-lining in Barbados.