All aboard the fantasy cruise

It's taken a while but cruising has finally thrown off its blue rinse and cheesy entertainment reputation, as the latest ships boast martini bars and cupcake shops. With 10% more of us choosing to cruise this year, we love the idea of packing as much as possible in to one holiday, with our fantasy cruise including Venice, the Northern Lights – and Johnny Depp.

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The Italian city topped a list as the favourite port of British cruise goers, followed by New York, Barcelona, Luxor and Singapore... which might pose a few navigational problems for the captain.

Unsurprisingly, the chance to see lots of destinations is why the majority of us love the thought of a cruise, the research from the Passenger Shipping Association discovered.

Given the chance, we'd also like to detour to take in the Northern Lights, the natural phenomenon most of us want to see, followed by a spot of whale watching, plus the opportunity to spy a few dolphins and polar bears.

If that doesn't tempt you – and let's face it, it sounds like a pretty good trip – we'd also like Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean, to escort us to dinner at the Captain's table. Or if Johnny Depp isn't available, we'll settle for Captain Cook, who might not have the cheekbones but is guaranteed to have a few good stories.

Quick facts: New website www.discovercruises.co.uk has tips on how to choose the best cruise for you, as well as the facts you need to know and the fictional myths to ignore.