Guest Post by: Samantha Bull

Summer should really be referred to as Med Season, as summer holidays are as equally anticipated as much as the melting snow and balmy afternoons at the park. According to statistics, just under a million Brits headed out to the tranquil azure waters of the Mediterranean at the start of the decade, and it's no secret as to why the number continues to grow.

Romantic, mysterious, evocative and mesmerising - there is something incredible about the deeply intoxicating waters that encapsulate the untouched island havens and that give way to ancient ruins, cobbled walk ways and the finest of Mother Nature's offerings.

One of the most popular ways to experience the sensational delights of the Mediterranean is by hopping aboard a cruise. Pampered in the lap of luxury, a cruise to and around the Mediterranean is the opportunity to enjoy the holiday of a lifetime - there are no airport delays, no dragging heavy luggage for endless hours up and down stairs, and on and off public transport, no getting lost in a foreign country with a language barrier, no queues and the best part of all - no stress.

You can even take your kids. There are family cruises with so much to do you will never hear the dreaded words ''I'm bored!" and you can even take your in-laws. You will all be whisked from one exciting adventure to another so you may wonder if they were even there at all. Pop off in for lunch in Athens, step out in Dubrovnik and drink tea in Istanbul. This and more is all possible on your cruise to the Mediterranean and you can see it all here on this page at Cruise1st.co.uk.

There are museums, there is shopping and there is the legendary mouth-watering Mediterranean cuisine; so be prepared to ditch the diet and leave it at home. Then there are the beaches. The crystal clear, breeze ruffled turquoise waters of the Med are the very images that brings the dream of cruising the Med came to life in the first place, and it's all-encompassing with wall to wall islands, swaying trees of citrus and olive, and soft cashmere beaches everywhere you look.

There is no better way to see the world and the incredible delights and cultures it has to offer than by taking a cruise on the Mediterranean. Whether you are going for the food, the weather, the chance to snorkel the underwater marine palaces, the historic sights, the shopping or the island hopping, this is one holiday that will meet and exceed your every expectation.

Cruise for a handful of nights, take the family on a cruise for a week or take the full package, staying for two weeks or more. See it all, experience the magic and soak up the sun and the fun in one of the most breathtaking destinations in the world. Swim with dolphins, eat pizza in Italy, lie on a beach in Santorini and let ice cream drip down your chin - but whatever you do, make this the summer that counts; book a cruise trip to the glorious Mediterranean.