'Could life get any better than this?'

STANDING on deck as we left port, the late afternoon sun like molten gold on the water, and only the open sea and the horizon in front of us, I began to wonder whether life could get any better.

It was about half way through my eight-day cruise around the coast of Spain and I'd finally left the stresses of life on shore behind. I had a couple of hours before dinner and the most taxing decision I would have to make that evening would be whether to have my martini with vodka or gin. It was sheer bliss.

Before boarding the Caronia at Southampton, I had never been on a liner, and my ideas about cruising were derived mainly from the black and white movies I love. Surely my 21st Century cruise couldn't begin to compare to the on-board glamour of the classic Bette Davis melodrama, Now Voyager. Well, actually, it did.

Walking into my cabin for the first time, I found my suitcase already waiting and a bottle of champagne on the table. As we left Southampton, a jazz trio played for us as we sipped drinks on deck. I had a feeling I was going to enjoy this.

Within a day or two, I was beginning to get to know my fellow passengers, who although mainly over 50, represented a real cross section of ages, nationalities and backgrounds. From elderly American widows to families with young children, everyone seemed to have made themselves at home.

"Cruising is becoming more casual," Captain Nick Bates told us as he showed us round the bridge, itself a fascinating experience.

"In the past, people had the idea that it was very exclusive and very expensive but that is beginning to change. We are getting a lot more first time cruisers, in fact a huge number of first time cruisers, and that's good to see."

As a North-Easterner, I had an immediate affinity with Caronia - the last passenger ship to be built on the Tyne. She began life in 1973 as the Vistafjord but was re-fitted in 1999 and re-named Caronia. Smaller than her more famous sister ship, the QE2, she carries just under 700 passengers, and is described by Cunard as a "classic liner in the traditional sense".

She boasts a ballroom and dining room, which can both accommodate all passengers at once, three lounges and bars, a nightclub, cafe, shopping arcade and health spa. Her teak decks and gleaming mahogany fittings exude elegance, conjuring up images of the golden age of travel.

For me, one of the most impressive features of the cruise was the food. You could eat all day if you wanted to and I'm sure some people did. Most of our meals were taken in the Franconia dining room, which offered a fantastic a la carte menu - a far cry from the buffet-style meals I had been expecting. From broiled lobster tail to hot Grand Marnier souffle, everything was cooked to perfection and served impeccably.

We also dined in the more intimate Tivoli restaurant, which specialises in Italian food and where tables have to be reserved. Even the rough sea, which made two of my group distinctly seasick, didn't diminish my appetite for lobster ravioli and the best tiramisu I've ever tasted.

As tempting as it was, there was more to do than eat all day, and there was a plethora of activities on board, ranging from art lectures to ballroom dancing lessons. There is a computer suite and a cinema, as well as library and an outdoor swimming pool. I could certainly have kept myself occupied if had chosen not to go ashore but, having travelled all that way, I was determined to explore some of the ports we visited. Our cruise began in north-west Spain at La Coruna and followed the coast round to Alicante at a leisurely pace, before crossing the Mediterranean to Rome, from where we flew back home.

From the medieval centre of La Coruna, with its exquisite Romanesque church, we traced the shoreline to the lighthouse and climbed the 250 steps to the top. On one side, we had a view across the town - surprisingly sprawling and modern - and from the other, we were able to watch the Atlantic waves crashing onto the shore.

In Cadiz, we wandered through narrow alleys, soaking up the sights and sounds of one of Spain's oldest settlements, its decaying glamour epitomised by the magnificent but crumbling Baroque cathedral.

From Malaga, I chose to take a coach tour to the Alhambra. I studied history at university and had always wanted to visit the spectacular Moorish palace, perched high on the hillside above Granada. It didn't disappoint.

The building itself is beautiful - its stucco walls, forests of pillars and exquisite mosaics - but its appeal goes much deeper. Even when it was thronged with tourists, I could sense the history in the place, almost hear the laughter of women drifting across the courtyard from the seraglio.

The sultans of Granada were expelled from Spain at the end of the 15th Century by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella but the Alhambra remained an important palace. As I stood in the centre of the room where the Catholic Monarchs sent Christopher Columbus on his journey to the New World in 1492, I felt the electric thrill of coming into contact with the past.

Our last stop was Alicante where, happily, we found ourselves moored next to the sailing ships taking part in the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race. With their towering masts, they conjured up an entirely different age of sea travel, although nothing would have tempted me to swap their romance for the luxury and comfort of Caronia.

I can't think of a more civilised way to travel. My only complaint would be that eight days just wasn't enough. As the coach taking us to the airport pulled away from the harbour, I craned my neck to catch a last glimpse of Caronia's distinctive red funnel, and it was with a heavy heart that I finally looked away.

TRAVELFACTS

Christen sailed on the Caronia with Cunard. For more information or bookings, call 0800 052 3840 or visit the website at www.cunard.co.uk.

She travelled to London Kings Cross, courtesy of GNER and to Southampton with South West Trains. For GNER fare information, call 08457 225 225. South West Trains can be contacted on 0845 6000 650.