This Newcastle local has just won an eight-day Mediterranean cruise

Heather Cowling thought the news was too good to be true when she received a call telling her she's won an eight-day Mediterranean cruise for a couple onboard Viking's luxurious ship Saturn.

The Newcastle local has been entering travel competitions for 20 years but has never won a thing.

"So it was really exciting to get this news - I couldn't believe it at first," she says.

A collaboration between Explore and Viking Cruises, the voyage is worth $15,190 a couple.

It starts in Istanbul in March next year and visits Greek islands such as Crete and Rhodes, before finishing up in Athens.

Heather is not new to the world of cruises. In the past she's voyaged to different parts of the world - from the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and the Baltic to the white wonderlands of Alaska and Antarctica.

But many of the ports on this Mediterranean adventure will be new for her.

"I have been to Athens but haven't been to any of the other ports, so I'm really looking forward to this cruise," she says.

But it is Istanbul that she's most excited about. "Turkey has such beautiful architecture and palaces and mosques. It's something I have never explored," says Heather, who'll be joined by her husband, Michael.

"I do have a couple of girlfriends who really wanted to come and they might fight Michael for it," Heather says.

In addition to the cruise, the reader giveaway also includes a $2000 flight credit per person. And it confirms that the idea of cruising the Mediterranean is an extremely popular one, with more than 13,000 entries received in the competition.

If you're planning your own sea adventure, we have some good news for you: Explore's next issue (on Saturday September 16) is all about the glorious world of cruising.

Over a bumper 48 pages, the travel section will take you on adventures around the globe with the world's leading cruise lines - from an excursion along Japan's lesser-known southern region to colourful South American ports.

Plus you can look forward to reading about all the latest trends in this industry that is exploding in renewed popularity.

Whether you want to go on a music cruise or are contemplating a solo-travel experience, we have expert insights as well as the lowdown on what voyages to book.

If you've always thought cruising is not for you, this issue may be the one that changes your mind. Don't miss it.