We went on our first cruise in October 2019 to celebrate a combination of big birthdays and our wedding anniversary. It was with a little trepedation that we went in all honesty as I suffer from vertigo and my wife was not too keen on sailing. We could not have been more wrong however, from the moment we set foof on the ship, the Independence of the Seas. A fantastic homely sort of floating hotel, entertainment centre and transporter.. We both absolutely loved it, my wife especially who was like a child in a sweet shop. The time went so quickly. The food was absolutely out of this world, as everyone who has cruised will tell you. The entertainment was plentiful and of a very high standard. Our cruise was a non-fly one, from Southampton, going to the Western Meditteranean. Whilst the port excursion to Barcelona (especially the Camp Nou) was amazing, as were all the port stops, the highlight was the visit to Lisbon. What a superb city with so much to see. We would both thoroughly recommend anyone to go there, if only for a day or two. It has everything, with a very relaxed atmosphere and of course the weather is just to dream about for much of the year. The whole holiday was the best value for money we have ever had possibly. Our awaited return to cruising (and especially the Med) has regretably been put on hold due to the pandemic, but hopefully those times will return again soon. Thanks for reading.