AS someone whose childhood did not involve a lot of Disney, those Mickey ears are a constant source of amazement.

It starts on the coach ride to the port of Barcelona, when a collective shriek goes up as soon as they appear.

Disney certainly knows a thing or two about what children like, and the big black ears take pride of place on the top deck of the Disney Magic, the elegant Art Deco-style ship on which we are to spend a week cruising the Mediterranean.

Most of the mothers in my local circle – who, like it or not, are well-versed in all things Disney – had no idea that the company ran a sideline in cruises, but it turns out we’re a little late to the party. The fleet of four ships, whose itineraries include the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Alaska, are wildly popular and our sailing sold out months in advance.

The Magic, the first to launch in 1998, has recently undergone a major refit.

The prospect of being invited on board, to see what Disney Cruising is all about, made the heads of my fouryear- old and two-year-old spin.

There are staff everywhere, intent on engaging with the children, but my youngsters are keen on some lunch before a deck party to celebrate our departure from dock – an energetic affair complete with Mickey and his mates and lots of enthusiastic dancing and singing.

Even the confetti that rains down is in the shape of the, by now ubiquitous, ears.

Back in the day I stayed in some nice hotels and I can reliably report that the cabins are lovely.

Designed specifically for families, they are spacious and well-appointed with loads of storage, and bathrooms split into a separate toilet and bath/shower areas.

But some of the real excitement is up by the pools, where the deck’s been ripped up and replaced with new water play areas and the AquaDunk, a threestorey slide with a near vertical launch through a translucent tube that extends 20ft over the side of the ship.

Most of the restaurants have had a makeover, and dining on board is a real pleasure.

Disney Cruise Line runs a clever rotational system that has guests eating dinner at all of the three main restaurants, but with the same two servers every night.

Our servers, Andre and Cornel, were wonderful with the children, learning their likes and dislikes and remembering to bring us a glass of warm milk to take back to the cabin each evening.

My daughter, who discussed her day’s activities with them each night, was genuinely sad to say goodbye at the end of the voyage.

I dined on sea bass, lamb cutlets, tiger prawns and, on the final night, two baked lobster tails on account of enjoying the first one so much.

Animator’s Palate is my children’s favourite restaurant, on account of its black and white theme that becomes slowly more colourful as the evening goes on.

But there are also lots of adult-only areas in the form of bars and the excellent Palo restaurant, tucked away on the top deck where a late-night drink can be taken with not so much as a “Mummy, can I ...” to be heard.

But that’s not what we’re here for, obviously.

Our days promptly become a whirl of kids’ clubs, half-day excursions to Nice and Pompeii, swimming, eating and meet and greets with Disney characters. Their appearances are scheduled but you are just as likely to come across Goofy exiting the lift.

At one point, my son turned and sprinted off down the corridor in hot pursuit of the mouse himself, demanding, “Stop, Mickey, stop!” Mickey duly stopped for a chat and a hug, and my little boy still talks about it.

It’s worth noting that every single staff member was extraordinarily happy to chat to children.

It must be an exhausting job, but the legendary Disney service apparently extends to their youngest guests.

The kids’ clubs, grouped into age groups with staff on hand to facilitate activities, are a focus of the refurbishment, with Marvel’s Avengers Academy providing an area where children can “unleash their inner superheroes” by building up skills over the course of the cruise.

The performance on the final night, the West Endstandard Disney Dreams, about a young girl desperate not to lose her imagination, featured Tinker Bell lighting up the theatre with fireworks and some cracking song and dance routines from the best films of the past 15 years.

As my daughter breathlessly said on her return home: “Tinker Bell was there and she lit up the whole ship.

She magicked the whole ship.”

Travel facts

Josie Clarke was a guest of Virgin Holidays Cruises (www.virginholidayscruises.co.uk; 0844-573-4398) who offer the seven-night Disney Magic Med Cruise from £949 per adult and £699 per child. Departs from Barcelona, calling at Villefranche (for Nice, France), Pisa, Rome and Naples, including flights from London Gatwick and transfers. Prices are per person based on two adults and two children travelling and sharing an inside cabin on a fullboard basis. Based on a departure on August 30, 2014.