Carnival Liberty

Sometimes, it's the simplest things that make a holiday. You can have your kids' clubs and teen discos, but one look at the new Carnival Liberty's 65-metre water slide and kids are hooked. The slide slithers and corkscrews into one of the ship's four pools. It is so awesome that within minutes of boarding, every child on the ship, regardless of age, began hopping from foot to foot in anticipation of the type of slides they'd do. For the record, the mummy (lying on your back, arms crossed, head-first or feet-first) is the most popular.

Carnival Cruise ship Liberty was launched in Italy last year for a series of eight-day summer cruises around the Mediterranean, stopping at hot spots, including scenic Dubrovnik in Croatia, Rome and the celebrity haunt of Cannes, on the French Riviera. However, stars and their lifestyles meant nothing to those of us emitting blood-curdling screams as we flew down the water slide. Parents relaxed knowing the slide was supervised by a staff member at each end.

In addition, the slide was overlooked by a six-metre plasma screen flashing music clips that ramped up the party atmosphere, interspersed with scenes from the camera at the ship's bow. This meant we didn't even have to lift ourselves from the deckchair to watch the megaship slip through the straits of Messina at Italy's toe. (Although the two blasts from the ship's whistle had all the toddlers on board howling with fright.)

Each evening, the big screen also shows classic movies (with complementary popcorn) in two sittings, which finish around midnight before everyone wanders back to their cabins. Our ocean-view cabins, even without the luxury of a balcony, were surprisingly large. In fact, they were bigger than our four-star hotel rooms in Rome.

The other sure-fire winner for all children on board was the self-serve gelateria. Smart parents had the kids running back and forth with plastic plates and spoons for them as they lazed. There was plenty of Carnival Cruise staff on hand to help with extra cutlery and napkins for the inevitable spills. Just as popular with adults, as well as children, was the 24-hour pizzeria beside one of the main pools.

From a grown-up's point of view, the ship has some memorable bars, including a custom-designed piano bar. There, resident pianist New Yorker Ron Pass takes requests and encourages the crowd to sing along, however tunelessly, till the wee hours. It also has a fine-dining option, Harry's Supper Club, which specialises in huge steaks and seafood such as lobster tail and oysters. If, however, your children's idea of a holiday is eating chicken nuggets in their swimmers, the supper club with its dress code and hushed atmosphere wouldn't be much fun.

The kids' club Camp Carnival, for two to 14-year-olds, is located in the play area which features a video wall and computer games and a virtual reality arcade. There's also the O2 teen club for 15- to 17-year-olds. It has a nightly disco and this age group also gets its own spa treatments.

We had a take-it-or-leave-it approach to the shore tours on offer. Our 12-hour visit to Dubrovnik was on a sweltering summer's day. While the ship has 13 tours, including kayaking and a jeep safari, we chose to strike out on our own and wander the ramparts that hem the Old Town. It might not have been as educational as following a guide on the four-hour tour, but we set our own pace then stopped for a swim in the clear water that laps the city walls. We also enjoyed a relaxing lunch before wandering back to the ship.

We appreciated the sheer size of Liberty compared with smaller ships we had cruised on. It gave everyone a chance to stretch their wings and enjoy the bustle. But there were still enough quiet corners to make it a rejuvenating holiday.

Written by Belinda Jackson - 23, Autumn 2006