P&O Cruises Azura: Why I'd recommend cruising with kids after our holiday around the Mediterranean

Family is everything. It makes your heart swell in a way that nothing else can. Holidays are pretty special too. Just the thought of them gets us through tough times at work and cold English weeks.

Yet these two loves don't always prove to be a match made in heaven. What are the chances of finding a holiday which is straight out of everyone's dream? There's a 12-year gap between my eldest and my youngest so the challenge is real. We all love going away and exploring new places but different things make us happy.

The idea of me and all three 'kids' (aged 12, 18 and 24) sharing a cruise cabin and not falling out seemed remote. But with hubby left at home to work, I was determined that it would be at least as idyllic as when we'd escaped for a cruise just the two of us.

All of my friends were intrigued. Although thousands of families spend their summer holidays on P&O Cruises every year, there are many more who are sceptical. Perhaps that is going a bit too far, most simply hadn't considered it. Fast forward a week and everyone who saw our photos wanted to know when we were planning our next trip and if they could join us.

You see, you make friends quickly on a cruise so everyone is happy. There is minimal planning because boring days are non-existent. How could you be bored when there is a new city or even country to explore every day? The look on my youngest's face when he saw the size of P&O's Azura was picture perfect. There are now larger ships on the seas but Azura is still immense and beautiful. What an exciting way to start. The look of relief on my face when we entered our cabin - without suitcases because the dream team at P&O make sure they are delivered straight from the plane to your room - was similar.

I had wasted my energy being nervous about a squashed-holiday because there was plenty of room. We had a double bed and a sofa bed, which the crew made up and tidied away for us each day. The wardrobe and cupboards had enough space for all of our clothes and it was a luxury for me to see everyone do their bit to keep it tidy ... knowing that it would then be magically cleaned while we were away having fun.

The cabin had a fridge, kettle, shower over bath, toiletries, TV and the most important thing of all (for me) a balcony with sun-chairs. There is nowhere else I would rather read my book, sip Prosecco and gaze at the horizon. That is what a cruise gives mums-who-need-a-break like nothing else can.

One glance at the daily list of activities and it was clear that we all had different plans. The best thing is, that was absolutely fine. We could all do our favourite things, keep in touch and meet up whenever we wanted. The cabin keys also work as money, linked to your onboard account so we didn't even have to be together to buy drinks. The ship’s shops and spa offered plenty of ways for everyone to splash out on without even mentioning the number of cocktails and mocktails consumed.

With a touch of nostalgia for when the older two were little, we all headed up to the kids’ club on the first evening. There are so many events for all ages throughout the day that we were a bit overwhelmed by the timetable. Fortunately, just like all the crew on Azura, there was a friendly face happy to explain and encourage my youngest to sign up.

All the safety things are in place for anxious parents yet there is enough freedom for the teenagers to go wild. Who wouldn't want to play hide and seek across the entire ship, battle with pals in PlayStation competitions and learn new skills from sport to music, arts and crafts? The eldest was first to admit that she was a little bit jealous of the ready-made group of new friends.

We have tried a lot of kids' clubs over the decades and this timetable is the best we've seen for teenagers. Our two days at sea passed in the blink of an eye. Between us, we played sport, sang karaoke, heard live music, watched incredible shows, joined in quizzes, partied til 4.30am (not me, I hasten to add), indulged in massages, ate til we could feast no more, drank til a little after we probably should have stopped and made friends for life. Azura is so huge that by the end of the week we were still heading in the wrong direction and loved having a good old laugh at ourselves.

Sicily

It is hard to choose a favourite day from our week because each one was so different. Our busiest turned out to be one which we 'planned' ourselves in Sicily. Ok, so it wasn't very well organised but that was all part of the adventure. We unknowingly stumbled into the best pasta restaurant in Sicily, we found our dream dress shop from Insta only to be disappointed with the styles, we made a last-minute decision to try the cable car which was wonderful and we dipped our toes in the sea ... some of us left with very wet clothes! We laughed at every wrong turn and captured photos, including some with a smoky Mount Etna, that we will look back on with love for decades to come.

Taranto, Southern Italy

We did a full day's organised excursion called Cliffs and Caves in Taranto. The kids were decidedly unimpressed with the idea of caves - until they saw the spectacular stalactites and stalagmites. The sunlight streaming through a tiny hole in the ground was quite unlike anything you’ll see elsewhere. I was there to breathe deeply and inhale the magic of being underground. They were there because I'd picked it so they had no choice. However, very quickly, they realised they could nail the most insanely good photos for social media. The walk on the cliff tops was hot. The whole trip was hot, as you would expect in August, but we made the most of our time in Italy. I would definitely recommend it ... and the kids would too, even though that means mum was right.

Cephalonia

In Cephalonia, I followed the kids' request and booked an excursion on a boat. We snorkelled (although there were hardly any fish), paddle boarded, reclined on the little speedy boat and created huge splashes in the sea. It was only a small group of 12 on the trip and we were neither the oldest or the youngest. It suited the more mature among our crew as well as the little children. While we loved Azura, if you can manage to get closer to the waves on a boat excursion then that would be my top recommendation.

If we did the same cruise again, we would all make time to explore Malta. Flying in and out without actually seeing anything of a country is a classic cruise mistake and I wish we had managed the timings better to truly experience this beautiful island. For now, its secrets remain just that to us.

There was double heartbreak at the end when we made a final late night trip to the buffet. A group of teenagers who had been strangers just a week earlier, were sobbing their hearts out at the thought of disembarking and going their separate ways. It is amazing how special holiday friends become as you explore new places and go through experiences together.

The other tears (almost) were from those bidding an overly fond farewell to the buffet. It was somewhere between a romcom and tragedy. Oh, how everyone loves the food onboard P&O Cruises.

The youngest adored being able to pick exactly what he wanted to eat at any time of day, the middle one thought it would have been rude not to put the 2am catering to the test and the eldest was besotted by the afternoon tea. My personal food highlight was being able to go to high-end restaurants where children are just as welcome as adults. Everyone is treated the same whether you are Marco Pierre White - who was onboard at the same time as us and is a joy to learn from - or a 12-year-old not sure how spicy they like their curry.

Most importantly of all we created memories, relaxed together knowing that P&O Cruises know exactly how to cater to the needs of all ages and enjoyed a warm fuzzy feeling of shared time that will live in our hearts forever.

Would I recommend a cruise for teenagers and children? Put it this way, I'm going to have trouble persuading my family that there is any other way to travel after our magical week of summer sailing.