Tall Ships - Majorca to Naples

It was clean and comfortable, if a bit warm, as there was no A/C. It was a nice hostel with a friendly staff. It is easily accessible from the airport; just stay on bus no. 1 until you reach the Gran Melia Victoria Hotel, then walk under the metal bridge and turn left up the metal stairs (there's a lot of them, the only downside I can think of) - the hostel is in front of you at the top. There is no curfew.

They offer clean and comfortable shared dorm rooms. A big ceiling fan and large window meant that although Naples was very hot, we didn't overheat at night. No curfew and a staff who speaks English make this a great place to stay. It's a bit hard to find, though, and the idiosyncratic lift adds a surrealist element to any stay! Naples is a pretty rough city, so be careful! The hostel is located in one of the better areas, near the ferry terminal and the old town. Steer clear of the train station if at all possible.

It was a completely brilliant experience from start to finish! It was not really cruising, but full-on sailing. This is not a holiday for someone wanting to relax - you work a 4-hours-on, 8-hours-off (except the "off" never seemed to materialise) system to keep the ship on course. It was lots of hard work manning the bridge, keeping lookout, setting and stowing the sails etc., not to mention "happy hour" each morning (cleaning to you and me!). However, it's the work that makes this such an amazing trip - you learn loads about sailing, yourself, and your fellow shipmates. I'll definitely be doing it again! If you're interested, check out www.tallships.org for further details, and look out for the special offers - if there are spaces on a voyage, they often cut the price right down.