Russell's Don’t Follow The Crowd Top 10

1 Avoid the morning buffet crowds and opt for the main dining room and have your breakfast served to you, lovely Eggs Benedict, pancakes or steak and eggs? – you are on holiday after all!

2 On a clear night at sea try and catch sight of the moon, ideally from your balcony, or find a quiet spot on deck, it’s an incredibly romantic and serene moment to savour.

3 If you can manage it, travel with smaller luggage so you can carry it on board with you and get your cruise started even earlier, works a treat on disembarkation as well as you can pack your last night clothes without needing an extra overnight bag.

4 Visit the spa when the main dining rooms are open for the evening, you will enjoy all the fantastic facilities and you may well have the spa to yourself, a great way to chill out and prepare yourself for the evening festivities to come.

5 Check out the promenade decks for some lovely loungers to while away the hours in peace and quiet, a great place to enjoy a good book and also benefit from the lovely cooling sea breeze.

6 Taking an excursion; remember to order breakfast from room service the night before and start your day off hassle free.

7 Take the opportunity to try something different from the vast choice of food on offer, worse case if you don’t like what you have ordered you can choose something else, it’s not a problem.

8 On sea days head as far up and away as you can from the pool areas to enjoy sun and relaxation in a quiet spot, there are lots of nooks all over ships, so find your favourite and relax!

9 Pre plan your port days with a bit of research, so many ports have some great sights really close by and also have some great public transport links not far from your ship, or pre book a private tour and get out and explore the world and experience something new

10 Enjoy, you are on holiday, embrace the cruise experience and start thinking of your next cruise and what you want to see and do next – it may even be the same cruise again!