Dina Cain overcomes her apprehension of cruising and finds a little love in the Mediterranean for MSC Cruises

The MSC Poesia cruising down the Grand Canal

TO BE honest, I find the sea a scary beast. I'm fine in the sky because it's just the odd hippy, hippy shake in a rare pocket of air; but the idea of a ship riding bucking waves on a black night miles from land is, well, a little unsettling to say the least.

I haven't set foot on the water, if you get my drift, since being violently seasick on a cross-channel ferry 30 years ago, so when my husband, Barry, suggested we book a week-long holiday with MSC Cruises on the new Poesia out of Venice during our 12-year-old son's autumn school break I was shocked to hear myself say ‘yes'.

I've always considered cruising to be the holiday from hell, combating those roaring seas on a glorified holiday-camp of a ship top heavy with rotund, retired paunches and bow ties, conversations about medical procedures over dinner, and waltzing to Moonlight Serenade played by a four-piece band of men in white dinner jackets as we collide with an iceberg. I was assured it was impossible to hit an iceberg in the Med. After all, it was October.

I guess the main reason I agreed to try and overcome my fears was because the three of us had never been on holiday together (it's a long story), and it could be the last opportunity before our son, Elliot, inevitably decides he wouldn't be seen dead with his parents and goes off in search of teenage kicks. Oh, and I also quite fancied the sound of a Balinese massage in the on-board Aurea Spa.

My life in London is a litany of chores that I do in the hours I'm not working full time. Washing, ironing, cooking, cleaning, shopping, you name it. I was in need of memories to share, to find a dream in a moment, and to relax.

It turned out I needed MSC Poesia - the ultimate search engine where you travel without moving as you sleep the sleep of the gods in a huge bed you never have to make. How wonderful to wake up in a room flooded by the sweet sunshine of an Izmir morning - the Greece of yesterday now a far off memory - with just the thought of breakfast in the Villa Pompeiana on my mind, and not having to cook it.

Docked at the port of Katakolon for Olympia

If retirement is like this, bring it on. Thing is, this was nothing like retirement - another preconception shattered. The ship was full of 30 and 40-something couples and that meant a healthy amount of well-behaved kids, mainly under 10, who could have danced all night and usually did in the late bars. But Poesia also abounded with elegant 55-plussers who shared late nights with the next generation in the Moulin Rouge and the startling Zebra Bar that's exactly what it says on the tin - a piebald paradise of stripes that shouldn't work but really hit the spot.

British accents were few and far between - only a small percentage of the 3,500 passengers hailed from the UK - and that meant lashings of la dolce vita, la Vida Loca and c'est si bon. At 92,000-tonnes, Poesia is colossal, yet she dished up a true Euro experience that was perfect for a cruise virgin like me.

I don't suppose I looked much like one though, as I scoffed my heart out in the Villa Pompeiana buffet restaurant during the breakfast, lunch and teatime buffets every day. The food was to die for and I probably ate enough for three. I figured it would

be at least 10 years before I had another cooked breakfast, so why waste the opportunity?

We dined every night at 8.45pm in the bustling elegance of La Fontagne on our allotted table along with two very presentable English couples, a retired engineer and his partner, and a science teacher celebrating his 50th birthday with his wife, a nurse. There were several alternative restaurants that cost a little extra, including the Kaito Sushi Bar and L'Obelisco for fine Italian dining.

The on-board kids clubs were great for younger children, but those self-conscious packets of zest - the 12-15-year-olds - tend to shun what they perceive to be any kind of regimentation, especially if they're from the UK. Elliot seemed perfectly content to wander around the towns - Bari, Olympia, Istanbul, Dubrovnik - with us.

Elliot cruised for free, along with everyone else aged 18 and under sharing a cabin with two adults, and, considering the voracious appetites of ravenous adolescents, that's a serious bargain. Cruising is a lot cheaper than most people think, especially for families.

I enjoyed the after dinner shows in the Carlo Felice Theatre. It's obviously tricky trying to please a multi-national audience, so MSC rely on the purely visual - magicians, mime artists, acrobats and jugglers - interspersed with lots of singing and dancing. The sets were amazing and the theatre eclipsed most West End venues in both style and size.

I adored our cabin. It was the most magical room I'd ever known; not only did we wake up in a different city every morning, but it made itself up - twice a day! I didn't have to lift a finger; I hadn't felt this free in years. I happily discovered that you can lose your way on and find yourself at sea, especially if you've got a balcony from which to watch the sun rise in Venice. It's just not worth leaving home without one.

Oh, and I must confess, I kind of fell in love again. I really enjoy a dressy party - it's good for the soul to linger long in the shower and then take a couple of leisurely hours to get ready - and we had two formal nights on board. It doesn't really matter what you wear on a Poesia ‘formal' night because with such an age and nationality range the fashions are too diverse for uniformity. You could never feel uncomfortable; you're too busy enjoying yourself.

When Barry complimented my dress, black cocktail with a whiff of lace, it suddenly felt like we were going on a date - dinner, a show and cabaret in the Moulin Rouge. I couldn't remember the last time we laughed over breakfast or danced at midnight. I couldn't remember the last time I realized I was one half of a romance that had been going on since I was 18. This cruise put a little love in our hearts - Italian style.

I never did make it to the Aurea Spa for a massage - I was far too busy relaxing, and eating. Maybe next time.

Visit www.msccruises.com