A BOURNEMOUTH couple who won a Daily Echo readers competition cruise, have just returned from a whirlwind tour of France, Spain and Guernsey.

Jenny and Michael Woodhead, both 75, could hardly believe it when told they had won the seven-day cruise on the new P&O flagship Britannia, after entering the competition held by the Echo and Fred Olsen Travel.

"I still don't really believe it," said Mrs Woodhead of Benbridge Avenue, even though she and husband Michael have now returned from their luxury cruise on the brand new new liner Britannia.

This is the biggest prize the couple have ever won and marked their first ever cruise. It took them to La Rochelle in France, Bilbao and La Coruna in Spain, then St Peter Port in Guernsey before sailing back to Southampton.

"We did enjoy it. It was a very interesting cruise," said Mrs Woodhead, on the towering cruise ship which was voted Best New Ocean Ship at the Cruise International Awards 2015.

Among the highlights of the £2,000 cruise was the tasty food. They had three restaurants as well as buffets, grills and grab-and-go to choose from. "The food was spectacular. Hats off to the chefs," she said.

Another delight was seeing dolphins leaping out of the water as they sailed through the Bay of Biscay from Spain to Guernsey. "We were very lucky," she said.

As this was their first venture on the high seas and they did not know exactly what to expect, she said the help and advice offered by Gareth Duggan, branch manager of Fred Olsen Travel, Westbourne was "invaluable" before they sailed.

The couple who have four children, 13 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, are keen Daily Echo readers and having tasted success say they will continue to enter the newspapers competitions.