What it's like to take the kids on their first cruise

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My daughters, aged four and six and usually at each other’s throats, are standing with their arms around each other staring open-mouthed at two twirling acrobats far above their heads.

A rainbow of disco lights sweeps across the theatre, glittering stars are projected on the wall and dancefloor, and my toddler son dances with sheer abandon to the live rock music. I raise a glass towards my husband, smile and take another sip of my negroni.

This is the Panorama Lounge on board MSC World Europa and, over several nights at sea, it has become our favourite spot. There are plush sofas to snuggle up on, spinning chairs for the kids to giggle over and light-up tables to rest our drinks on – all served to our seat, and included in our Premium Extra drinks package. It turns out, evening entertainment is what we’ve been missing.

With three children under seven, I’ve spent the past half decade or so seeking a family holiday that actually works for all of us. On this Mediterranean cruise, it seems I might have found it. And not just because every evening is showtime.