I have never visited the South of France, so I was especially pleased to board the Voyages to Antiquity ship, Aegean Odyssey for 6 days sailing along the south coast visiting Nice, Cannes, Marseille, Carcassonne and Barcelona. I love small ships, they are so much more intimate than the large ships, the crew get to know you and what you like, and they make the trip so much more personal, like having your own super yacht. The main thing with Voyages to Antiquity is that they tell you about the places that you are about to visit, the history, what you can see, why it is like it is. This is done in lecture form but not really, everyone gets together in the lounge and a speaker will give you the gripping history up to present day and this gives you chance to ask any questions.

Because the ship is small, you also get to know your fellow travellers. There is no set dining time, you can sit where ever you want in the dining rooms, one is waiter service and the other is buffet style. There are waiters in the buffet restaurant who take your food to your chosen table, so no need for you to walk around with your food. Drinks are included during your meal. I loved the south of France, very Riviera, with long beach promenades, well known hotels and some beautiful medieval towns. The best bit about being on Voyages to Antiquity is being a small ship you can dock right into the town’s port so you are in walking distance of the centre. The ship was beautiful, the staff fantastic, the entertainment low key but special mention to Richard the entertainments director, who is so talented, and the South of France gave me a taster of more holidays to come in this area.