Mini-cruises: a weekend sailing to Bruges Prices for trips of this kind are as low as £249 and include meals in the main dining rooms and buffets, childcare and entertainment - in this case X Factor 2005 finalists Journey South, a belting Four Tops tribute band, bawdy comedians and a George Michael sound-alike. Representing such great value, it's no surprise that P&O Cruises expects to take some 20,800 passengers away on short breaks at sea this year, with a further 9,000 in 2012 as more taster cruises are scheduled. With 3,000-plus passengers to get on board for our Friday afternoon departure, I was impressed when the 115,000-ton Ventura pulled away from the dockside bang on schedule. Despite the queues at check-in - a mission equivalent to boarding more than eight jumbo jets at once - the embarkation process at Southampton's Ocean Terminal went remarkably smoothly for me, my wife and our two children, Tilly, aged nine, and six-year-old Hal. The clamour for cabins did put a strain on the lifts - it seemed to take an age to reach our designated deck, one of 15 across the ship. Yet once we had located our cabin, complete with a sofa bed for the children, an unusual sense of calm descended on my family. Not for long: Tilly and Hal were eager to explore the decks, and youngsters of all ages escaped en masse to see if they could spot Noddy and Mr Bump during their regular appearances around the ship. I was surprised to see so many children on board, but they were more than adequately catered for in four different clubs. Hal joined the Surfers, the club for those aged five to eight, who let off steam in the Jumping Jacks room, complete with an adventurous soft-play area. Tilly felt far cooler as a member of the Scuba Club for nine- to 12-year-olds, hanging out in the Den with its big-screen television, beanbags and dance floor. She made friends with other girls of her age so quickly that I was ordered away when I tried to pick her up for bed at 10.30pm on our first night. Needless to say, it was even later the next evening. A full range of activities, including a chocolate party, bungee trampoline jumping, music quizzes and sports were organised by the all-enthusiastic Reef Rangers youth crew, who run the supervised activities on board for junior cruisers. Teenagers (up to the age of 17) could make use of the Decibels activity room, complete with computer games, game shows and DJ contests. On longer sailings there is a Rock School, which gives them the chance to play in a band. As for the grown-ups, the bars and nightclubs - 12 of them across the vast ship - were busy from our Friday afternoon departure until the early hours of Sunday morning. Given the seamless nature of our break - with plenty of adult time to chill in the spa, take a dip in the main pool (protected from the elements by a retractable roof) or dine in Marco's restaurant, the White Room - I can see why more people are opting for mini breaks on cruise ships. It's a great way for novice cruisers to dip a toe in before taking the plunge and booking a longer holiday at sea. A booze cruise to Bruges it may have been for many, but that didn't detract from the sense of getting away from it all to indulge in a rare dose of relaxing family bonding...once we had managed to prise our little Surfer and Scuba members away from their new-found playmates. Mini cruises P&O Cruises now offers a choice of 13 short cruises of two, three and four nights, including a two-night cruise from Southampton to Zeebrugge (for Bruges) on Ventura, with prices from £219 per person. These also include: A three-night cruise on board Oriana departing June 16, 2012. The cruise departs from and returns to Southampton and calls in Bruges (from Zeebrugge), Le Havre and St. Peter Port. A three-night cruise on board Azura departing September 15, 2012. The cruise departs from and returns to Southampton and calls in Bruges (from Zeebrugge) and Le Havre. For families, the price includes childcare and kids' club programmes.