Do take some time to consider what you wish to see in each port of call and think how it fits into a wider itinerary.

It's nice to have a mix of history or culture, with perhaps a culinary tour or even a day just to wander independently, and a little planning can make for a more balanced trip.

Fact File

Years in travel: Over 22 years.

Years working at Mundy Cruising: 4 years.

First job in travel: I sold villa package holidays for a company called Florida Villas.

First cruise: In 1986 I worked for Travelex aboard the Orient Express which sailed 7-night cruises from Venice. I ran the bureau de change on the ship.

First cruise with Mundy Cruising: I travelled with European Waterways onboard the tiny L`Impressioniste along the Burgundy canal in France.

Best cruise dining experience: Best dining has to be Europa 2 in Elements. An Asian fusion restaurant it was best in every way.

Best non-cruise holiday: A trip to Morocco, we booked to stay at a small 3 room Riad in the medina of Marrakech owned by a swiss lady called Jacqueline. Then we hired a private 4-wheel drive car with a driver and guide and were driven through the Atlas Mountains to the desert where we camped out in tents overnight, had dinner cooked which we ate round a camp fire and watched the stars.

Interesting fact about yourself: I lived in Turkey for 12 years and both my children were born in the local hospital in Marmaris.

Ocean cruise lines sailed: Crystal Ocean Cruises, Seabourn, Hapag-Lloyd, Azamara, Cunard, Fred Olsen.

River cruise lines sailed: AmaWaterways, European Waterways.

Expedition cruise lines sailed: Silversea Expeditions

Areas you've cruised: Western Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean/Adriatic, Baltic, Burgundy, Indian Ocean.