<P><B>Sail away with the delightful new novel from Gervase Phinn, bestselling author of <I>The School at the Top of the Dale</I></B><br><br>A summer cruise should be just the ticket for a few weeks of luxury and relaxation - but for the passengers and crew of the <I>Empress of the Ocean, </I>the sights of the Mediterranean are nothing compared to the excitement on board...<br><br>For bickering couple Albert and Maureen, the trip might prove a much-needed escape - or the final straw. Elegant Frances de la Mare is determined to hobnob with the right kind of people - but her penthouse suite proves lonelier than she ever imagined. Meanwhile, precocious twelve-year-old Oliver discovers that guidebooks don''t teach you everything, sparks fly when the port lecturer finds himself upstaged by a popular author, dancers Bruce and Babs can''t keep in step, and cruise expert Neville just wants <I>someone</I> to speak to.<br><br>But as unlikely friendships are forged, feuds bubble in the laundry roo