THE Birdman of Hollywood was confused. Steven Lee - actor, bird-trainer and no stranger to a Hawaiian shirt - had rescued a budgerigar from the briny off Paros, lifting the ailing avian out of the Aegean and aboard easyCruise Life, where it now sat, happily, if somewhat unsteadily, at the poolside bar.

But if Lee, from Los Angeles, was expecting applause for this selfless act, disappointment loomed in the ample form of Outraged Mother-of-Two, from Leeds: “You shouldn't be carrying that thing around,” she said. “It's not natural.” And this from a woman with hair dyed the colour of a speeding fire engine - little surprise that Lee appeared nonplussed.

Relations looked set to deteriorate further - California dreamer v Northern grafter - when a waiter's offer of drinks restored the sense of global harmony. Ah, the family of man! Outraged Mother-of-Two turned her attention to a large beer, while the Birdman checked on the progress of his new best friend, still sitting happily, if somewhat unsteadily, at the bar - a posture later adopted by some among the paying guests.

The 100-strong crew of easyCruise Life has its work cut out. On the second sailing of Stelios Haji-Ioannou's latest Mediterranean dream two weeks ago, 600 passengers from as far afield as Vladivostok and Dodge City signed up for the easyCruise approach - the low-cost model pioneered by easyJet - on a seven-night cruise taking in five Greek islands plus a night in the Turkish port of Bodrum.

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The venture comes three years after easyCruiseOne gave the glamorous ports of Nice, Cannes, St Tropez and Monaco a taste of the real world by depositing a couple of hundred madly partying, mainly British budget travellers on their doorstep. A raucous success, yes, but not, it seemed, to everyone's taste.

“I'm in my cabin, which is about the size of a rubbish skip, and I'm doing the housework,” wrote Times Travel's Tom Chesshyre, describing - among other indignities, such as orange-coloured headboards in the cabins - the fact that passengers had to pay for room cleaning.

So, how does easyCruise in the Aegean compare with its predecessor, which has since enjoyed a makeover? Certainly the budget approach is firmly in place, with passengers paying for meals, excursions and, yes, room cleaning if they want it. But there the similarities end: easyCruising, Greek-style, appeals to a broader age range, families included, and the company's American links result in a wider, and more interesting, mix on board.

In the ship's 219 cabins, simple design and muted tones have won out over orange orthodoxy. Our 20sq m superior cabin had window views and an en suite bathroom with shower, perfectly adequate for a family of four. And the cleaning? Well, as every child knows, that's what parents are for.

Meals offer excellent value, with good-quality mains for ¤10 (£8) and kebabs and pasta from ¤5 to keep children happy. Cretan and Macedonian wines are matched with the menus, which include Greek dishes (moussakas ¤7.30) as well as crowd-pleasers such as the club sandwich (¤7.30).

But the real stars of the cruise are the island destinations, with easyCruise Life offering what amounts to a budget primer of the Aegean, stopping at Kalymnos, the tourist haunts of Paros and Mykonos, traditional Syros and Kos. The itinerary ensures variety, and each island offers the promise of easy exploration. Seen enough of the shops or bars? A ¤10 taxi trip will have you at a sheltered beach with a nearby taverna in less than 20 minutes.

Shore excursions are also offered, ideal for parents struggling to keep children entertained. Recalling a friend's miseries on a tour of mainland Greece, with two youngsters pleading “No more old stuff, Dad”, I was reluctant to even contemplate a ¤38pp castle excursion out of Bodrum. In the event, it was a highlight, a tour of Crusader strongholds followed by a gulet trip with lunch on board, stops for swimming and a diving contest off the boat's foredeck.

At the end of each day - hot, weary, happy - the only decision facing passengers is whether to remain on shore or return to the ship for a relaxing evening. Those who stay on to dance their way through three decades of ouzo-fuelled Eurobeat, are in no hurry either: the ship rarely lifts anchor before 3am, setting off for a new island, and a new day.

The promise of adventure means different things to different people, of course. For our two boys, it was the lure of an isolated beach. Outraged Mother-of-Two was off to buy sandals. And the Birdman of Hollywood? Well, there was a breakfast rumour that a man in a red Hawaiian shirt with a budgie on one shoulder was already the talk of the tavernas.

NEED TO KNOW

EasyCruise (0871 2100001, www.easycruise.com) offers seven-night Aegean islands and Turkey cruises aboard easyCruise Life departing every Saturday until October 11. Cabin-only starts at £105pp, based on two sharing. The price for a family of four sharing a Panoramic Suite is from £952. EasyJet (www.easyjet.com) flies from Gatwick and Luton to Athens from £61.80 return

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