We enter the cruise terminal without a glitch, straight onto a bus for a five-minute drive to SeaDream Yacht Club’s SeaDream I, past a number of cruise ships docked in Piraeus on this busy Saturday. I’m told later that this is an unusual boarding process for SeaDream I. Usually she docks right up close to the terminal and passengers pass through immigration and straight on to the ship, to be greeted by the captain and a steward with Champagne and canapés.

We’re still handed Champagne upon boarding, liberally refilled while we chat with other passengers on deck and eat from a beautifully presented buffet filled with canapés, hosted by executive chef Tomasz. SeaDream‘s Thai massage therapists wander through the small crowd (SeaDream caters to an intimate 112 passengers) offering neck massages it occurs to me we still haven’t been to our room!

Our stateroom is almost as big as our hotel room in Athens! A big bed next to a big double window, a bathroom stocked with Bvlgari products and a bottle of Champagne on ice. I could definitely get used to this!

Find out more about SeaDream Yacht Club here: www.seadream.com