But reading the Princess Cruises’ Inspired to Cruise blog I am going to add many other reasons to my list.

One woman says she went on a cruise because it was on her cancer-stricken husband’s bucket list, another that it was to keep a promise to their son’s birth mother that they would travel the world with him.

But my favourite is the woman who went on a cruise to Alaska to quit smoking. It worked, and without the help of patches, needles or other outside influences. Just a spot of willpower and the novelty of being able to breath the fresh air.

Great stuff!

So now it’s good value, great destinations and also very healthy (I won’t mention the people who put on several pounds while at sea!).

I’ve had two great cruises on Saga Pearl II – around the Baltic, and to Cuba and the Caribbean – but even as I disembarked after a quick lunch, the painters were in, changing the name to Quest for Adventure.

I’ve also had two great cruises on Spirit’s ship, also called Spirit of Adventure, so was delighted to find out that many of the crew have moved across to Quest.

Neil Horrocks, Spirit’s brilliant cruise director, had just flown from Civitavecchia, piano maistro Clive Carrington has swapped the Yacht Club on Spirit for Shackletons on Quest, and I bumped into some of the wonderful bar staff from Spirit who are also now working on Quest.

I’ll be seeing them all again in September, when I join the ship for a cruise around Canada’s north-east coast.

Can’t wait.

Having a laugh in Cooper's

I received a mini-brochure from Saga the other day with the head line Saga Sapphire and the strapline “Some things really are worth waiting for!”

I’m assured it was a deliberate bit of humour after all the problems Saga has had with Sapphire.

The Fincantieri shipyard in Italy didn’t get the refurbishment finished on time, which meant the inaugural cruise had to be cut short, then engine problems meant the maiden cruise had to be abandoned altogether and the following cruise cancelled while it was fixed.

But Sapphire is back in action again. It arrived empty in Southampton yesterday and I was able to get on board and have a quick tour as passengers were embarking for what I hope will be a proper – as in full length! – maiden cruise.

And I have to agree it was worth the wait.

Saga has spent millions on the ship and it looks amazing. And if you think that means it looks old-fashioned, traditional, stuffy, boring, think again. Because while Saga caters only for the over 50s, this has been designed for 21st-century 50-year-olds. It’s fun, it’s quirky, but also has a really comfortable feel.

Here are some of the highlights:

* The pool area. This has a 1950’s beach feel, with beach huts service sweets and ice-cream (all free), a fish and chip bar, and blue-and-white deckchair-style seats and loungers.

The Drawing Room - one of my favourites

* The Drawing Room. This has large cosy chairs and lamp stands modelled after golf clubs, guitars and Buddhas. In one Beatles-styled corner – they call it the larder – you can help yourself to tea and coffee. The library is also in this room, and a couple of computer terminals. This is the first Saga ship to have wi-fi so you can bring a laptop or borrow an iPad (no charge) to go surfing.

* East to West speciality restaurant serving Asian dishes. Very stylish. You need to book but there is no charge.

* The Grill. This is for informal dining and where I’d expect the buffet, except this has waiter-service breakfast, lunch and dinner (there is no self-service anywhere on the ship, which I am not 100% sold on as I always choose a buffet breakfast and lunch). The Grill has a large outdoor area with funky egg-chairs and sofas; inside there’s a show kitchen where you can watch the galley crew at work.

Europe-themed area in Pole to Pole

* Pole to Pole. This is the dining room and themed after different continents – Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas and Australia. As they are operating an open seating system (but with fixed tables and a time to dine available for those who prefer it), in theory you can turn up and ask for dinner in Australia; in practice, you’ll probably end up where there is space. It’s a large room, but a clever layout makes it feel small and intimate.

* Cooper’s, named after Tommy Cooper, with fez lamp stands and jokes on the cushions. It’s a great concept; just a shame they only seem to have come up with four jokes!

The cabin corridors seemed a maze, but it probably all makes sense quite quickly. The three cabins I saw were very smart, with light furnishings. All have bathrooms with a tub and shower.

I’m booked to cruise on Saga Sapphire in the Baltic in July and having had a sneak peak, am really looking forward to it.

More about the ship then.

Click here to find out which they are.

We were not allowed to dock in Ushuaia in Argentina because we had just been to the Falkland Islands and had to miss Chacabuco and Puerto Montt in Chile because of riots and bad weather respectively.

It was no one’s fault but a shame as we ended up having a lot of sea days. Fine in nice weather but not so good when the seas are very bouncy. One day in particular was grim, with big Pacific swells and grey skies.

After two missed stops, we had all been looking forward to visiting Puerto Montt. When it was cancelled as well there was a definite feeling of revolution in the air.

But despite everything I had a great time. Here’s why: 

1. Adonia is a lovely ship. No good at all if you want kids’ clubs, rock-climbing walls and glitzy entertainment but it’s a friendly size – especially good if you are travelling alone. I was concerned about the fixed dining, being at the same table for two weeks, but my five table mates – two couples and the delightful Dorothy, who seems to spend more time on ships than me – were good company. That’s not to say I wouldn’t have preferred open dining, and most of the passengers I spoke to agreed with me. Maybe that’s the next step into the 21st century P&O Cruises needs to make.

2. The speciality restaurants. I had dinner in Ocean Grill one evening and loved it. The food and service were perfect. And the next night I dined in Sorrento. And honestly that was just as good – and at just £5 per person a real bargain. It was just a shame it was empty, so it lacked atmosphere. Ocean Grill was busier but I had chosen to dine there on February 29, when they were serving a free glass of fizz to celebrate Leap Year. The power of the word “complimentary” is truly amazing. 

My thanks, incidentally, to archaeologist and naval historian Nick Slope, one of the lecturers, for joining me for the two very enjoyable evenings.

3. The lectures. By the aforementioned Nick, who gave lectures about everything from the Falklands War to the Mutiny on the Bounty, and naturalist Susan Hazlett, who spoke about whales, climate change and the history of sailing around Cape Horn. They were easy-to-follow and well-illustrated talks. Just a shame P&O doesn’t put them on the TV so you can watch from the cabin. 

4. The crew. Funnily enough, they all said they prefer to work on bigger ships as they keep busier with more people on board (and the bars were always deserted on Adonia because passengers buy cheap booze in the duty-free shop and are allowed to drink it in their cabins) but they were the happiest-looking crew I’ve experienced on a P&O ship.

5. I’ve already mentioned the entertainment. Dire for the most part, but redeemed by the wonderful Drama at Sea group. They performed at the end, which was good planning as I disembarked remembering the best.

6. The destinations. OK, we missed a few places, which was frustrating, but I went to the Falklands, saw penguins, hiked down a mountain in Punta Arenas and tried to have lunch in Castro (I was defeated by my lack of Spanish and the fact they were not serving most things on the menu).

Adonia will be cruising around South America again next year. You can do the whole trip, sailing from Southampton and back, or dip into one of the many sectors on offer. Check out the website for more information.

Here is an update of an article posted in December 2010 on that subject. I hope it is helpful.

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines Fred Olsen has 188 single cabins – a mix of inside, ocean view and balcony rooms – across its four ships, with 64 on Balmoral, 40 on Braemar, 42 on Boudicca and 42 on Black Watch. There are singles cocktails parties where you can meet others travelling alone. All cruises have gentlemen hosts – and there’s one lady host – to dance with the single passengers.
* There is a small premium for a single cabin compared to the per person price for the equivalent twin-share cabin.

Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Epic has 128 single Studio cabins. All are inside and measure just 100 square feet, which means there’s only room for a bed, shower and toilet, but you also get access to a Studio Lounge with TVs and a bar where you can meet others travelling alone.  There’s also a white board in the lounge where you can leave messages and hook up with others to go ashore.
* There is no single supplement for the Studio cabins.

UPDATE: Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway, launching in spring 2013 and spring 2014 respectively, will each have 59 single Studio cabins.

Saga Cruises
Saga has 210 single cabins across their three ships – 92 on Saga Ruby, 58 on Saga Sapphire and 60 on Quest for Adventure – and plenty of activities on board where lone travellers can mix and mingle with everyone else. Open seating dining on Saga Sapphire and Quest for Adventure are a great way for folk travelling alone to make friends.
* There is a supplement of up to 50%.

P&O Cruises
Azura has 18 single cabins – six inside and 12 with an oceanview. They have one “oversized” single bed and ensuite facilities. On board there are singles coffee mornings.
* There isn’t a supplement for the single cabins on Azura, but you pay more than the per person price for a twin-share cabin to reflect the size.

UPDATE: P&O Cruises’ put two single cabins on Oriana last November and it is putting 18 on Ventura during a refit next March.

Voyages to Antiquity
Aegean Odyssey has 16 single cabins – a mix of insides, outsides and two with balconies. Shore excursions are included in the cruise price and there are lectures and open dining.
* Single cabins cost an average £500 per person more than the equalent twin-share cabin.

UPDATE: Voyages to Antiquity has just designated another eight cabins for single travellers to cope with the demand from people cruising alone.

Hebridean Island Cruises
The 50-passenger Hebridean Princess has 10 single cabins – three inside and seven with an ocean view. At dinner, an officer hosts a table for single passengers. The included excursions and drinks make for a convivial atmosphere for lone travellers.
* Single cabins cost from about £225 per day more than the twin-share equivalent.

Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten ships don’t have single cabins but there is no single supplements on their winter Norwegian coastal cruises and they have tactical no supplement offers on exploration voyages on the 316-passenger Fram.
* From mid-October to mid-April, for the Northern Lights and coastal cruises, there’s no single supplement. In summer, supplements start from £236 per person for the coastal voyages.

So I have been really spoilt on my last two cruises. First on Adonia, with the very talented Drama at Sea quartet of actors and singers I mentioned here.

And then again on Minerva the other week, when they had another quartet, this time three talented singers and a pianist, called Canteremo.

The foursome – Louise Lloyd (soprano), Annabel Mountford (soprano), Jonathan Stirland (bass/baritone) and Arthur Bell (piano) – were so good I even forgave the one number they did from Phantom of the Opera.

They played to full houses each evening they performed. Of course they had to do plenty of encores at the end.

I must also mention Pink Champagne, the jazz band playing in Minerva’s Orpheus Lounge. It was real family affair, with Chris Pyne on sax, Anne Pyne on keyboards and their daughter Charlie Pyne on double bass (she is also a singer).

Ray Pawley on drums has been with the group for 15 years, and they were all joined by Jamie Leeming on guitar and singer Catharine Rogers.

They were great and their music really suited the new lounge, with everything from waltzes to the Rolling Stones.

Cruise lines should take note.

They are all coming to the UK on the same day to celebrate the cruise line’s 175th anniversary. As each departs, there’ll be a special deck party.

It means some 14,000 passengers – some embarking, some disembarking – and 6,000 crew will be in the city on one day. Combined with thousands of sightseers and their cars, Southampton is going to be grid-locked.

The ships will sail out of the Solent one behind the other. Once the channel widens, they will line up to have their picture taken from the air before heading off on their individual itineraries.

Surprisingly there is still some space available on three Grand Event cruises – Ventura’s 17-night voyage to the Med, Adonia’s 21-night voyage, also to the Med, and Aurora’s 17-night Baltic cruise.

You can see a bigger map, and find out more about the event by clicking here.

To celebrate, the over-50s specialist reunited 007 with some of his favourite foes (pictured above with me) for a casino royale evening of Champagne, Martinis and roulette at London’s Oxo Tower.

Their survey with customers revealed:

* Sean Connery was their favourite James Bond (60%) but Pierce Brosnan was a big hit with the ladies (twice as many women as men voted for him)

* Oddjob – the one with the steel-rimmed bowler hat- was the favourite villain (20%), followed by Goldfinger (17%) and Blofeld (15%).

* Goldfinger was the most popular film (21%) with From Russia With Love in second place (17%). The new Casino Royale took 16% of the vote among 50 to 54-year olds.

For sure I will be looking out for Daniel Craig (my favourite 007!) on my next Saga cruise.

April 18: Viking River Cruises plan to move into ocean cruising has fallen at the first hurdle.

Reports reveal the company has failed to secure financing for the two ships ordered in December for the new Viking Ocean Cruises affiliate, so the order has been cancelled.

French workers at the STX Europe shipyard in St Nazaire, Western France, were due to build the two 888-passenger vessels and are understandably very unhappy the order has fallen through.

It’s surely no great surprise though. The current economic climate, with financing tight and bargains galore for cruisers as lines struggle to fill ships, is hardly the time to launch a new cruise line.

The yard in St Nazaire now has one order, for the MSC Preziosa, which is due for delivery at the end of March 2013.