Europe - Eastern Mediterranean Cruise Reviews

So-so experience. Cabin was small despite having a balcony. Service was okay, but just okay

Like l said before there was limited areas for adults on the Getaway without having to pay extra but the ports were wonderful they were my bucket list destinations and the meet and greet should be done at the beginning of the cruise to meet fellow military people and ask everybody to stand a say a few things about themselves for a few minutes but the food and drinks were outstanding and entertainment

Dated ship as i stated. Many refurbs needed. Food way below a nice cruise line. Activities ok. Too many children running amok. At 309am we went for coffee, teens were laying in hall to elevators and doing flips. Many younger ones running in narrow hallways. I get trying to get families on board, but there needs be a way to keep them in hand. Children in pool alone with lifevest parents in jottub, a young girl in constellation lounge alone during trivia. We felt bad for her so hubby helped her with questions. Parents came right before bingo game started.

Been on 3 cruises, ncl and princess rank higher - due to better ship, entertainment, food etc..

The cruise was fantastic, overall. Would definitely do it again,

Had a good time. Food was good. Very entertaining staff.

I loved her time on the NCL cruise. I would give it 4.5 stars. The only five star would be deducted because the shows were average on most nights for a 10 night cruise having only around to four real stage shows is not what I was expecting. But in general I thought it was great. The boat was clean, the service was attentive, friendlyand fast, the food was excellent, with plenty of variety and a few daily go-to's. We had the drinks package and the drinks were plentiful and generous and pours. We never got bored

We recently took a cruise on the MSC Lirica from May 18th to May 25th, 2024, and unfortunately, it fell short of expectations on many levels. Here's a breakdown of our experience: Major Issues: Noisy Balcony Room: We paid extra for a balcony room, only to discover it was located near a common deck with loud parties at night. This significantly disrupted sleep for our entire family. Missed Port & Inadequate Compensation: A technical issue caused a schedule delay, resulting in a missed port stop at Ancona. The offered compensation of $50 per person was unacceptable considering it represented a quarter of the promised itinerary. Limited Pool & Crowding: The pool area was small and constantly overcrowded, making it difficult to relax. Other Disappointments: Restricted Beverage Options: The non-alcoholic beverage package options were limited, making it a regrettable purchase. Repetitive Entertainment: The nightly shows featured the same performers, leading to boredom after a few days. Unreliable WiFi: Despite paying for WiFi access, it wouldn't work in our room, only in common areas. Disorganized Santorini Excursion: The overpriced Santorini excursion wasted valuable time waiting for other passengers and resulted in a rushed visit to Oia village, the main highlight. We left the tour group in Oia and could have saved money exploring independently. Limited Washrooms: The common areas, especially near restaurants, had limited restrooms with only two stalls per toilet and two toilets per floor. Restrictive Breakfast Schedule: The plated breakfast service had a limited timeframe of 7:30 am to 9:00 am. Extra Charges for Activities: Many activities we were interested in, like yoga classes, came with additional costs. Smoking Area with Better Views: The designated smoking area offered superior views, which felt unfair to non-smokers. Overall Experience: Our experience on the MSC Lirica cruise was disappointing. The missed port due to technical issues, coupled with inadequate compensation, was a major letdown. Several other aspects, like limited amenities, repetitive entertainment, and poorly planned excursions, detracted from the overall enjoyment of the trip. Recommendation: Based on our experience, we cannot recommend the MSC Lyrica cruise to others. Additional Tips: Consider researching alternative cruise lines or itineraries that better suit your preferences. If you choose MSC Lirica, be aware of potential noise issues with certain balcony rooms and factor in extra costs for desired activities. Opting out of the beverage package and planning independent excursions in some ports might be more cost-effective.

And now for the meaty stuff. I had prepaid Crew Appreciation but this didn't stop me being charged $34 a day for Cruise Appreciation. I complained and the transactions were removed. Rather than a corresponding credit it simply disappeared. Then the Sea View bar charged me for drinks under $11, A credit was applied to my statement by Guest Relations. As you can see my trips from Deck 7 to Deck1 increased for Guest Relations. A hold was taken for 7 days as per contract at $60 x 7 days. Before I had reached that amount another hold for $80 was applied. Back to Guest Relations and asked why and was told it was a calculation, I asked what the calculation was and was told it was a calculation. I began to get concerned about how many holds were going to be applied inappropriately as to many would max out my CC with hods reducing my available credit making it difficult to pay. I asked if I could prepay 300 on my Visa to avoid more dodgy holds, this was point blank refused. I was told to settle my account in cash on the last day, what cash, I didn't have any, this a cashless cruise. I am now completely stressed out by the whole experience. It is a personal tiny mini Horizon/Post Office Systems IT experience. This is the Holland America contract. "The day you board, Holland America Line places an initial hold on your credit card for $30 per person per cruise day. Once you've spent the initial hold amount, we will authorize your card for the total of your onboard purchases to date plus an additional $30 per person per day for the remainder of your cruise. I believe they violated it and refused to explain why. The reason for my lack of credit on my Visa is that the 5* hotel I stayed in Athens for 3 days prior duplicated the billing transaction and it took time to credit the error I travelled on this ship 15 years, it is now a shadow of its former self.

This was a wonderful Cruise. Unfortunately, Israel was cancelled but so glad we got to Egypt. The employees of NCL on this Cruise were absolutely phenomenal - always smiling and welcoming. We will definitely cruise again with NCL.

Another excellent cruise with NCL the refresh of the Gem has been very successful, the only disappointment was that there is no longer a decent single malt scotch whisky available in the drinks package.

I am supremely disappointed in my Azamara experience. I booked a cruise 2.5 weeks prior to departure. I booked the cruise directly with Azamara’s 800 number because it was so close to the departure date. We paid considerably more for the cruise than our friends because it was so close to the departure date, which is understandable and was acceptable. I was told by the booking agent on the phone that we would receive a $500 per person on board credit. The credit was never applied. On board the ship, the Pursuit, one customer relations rep, Marlon, told me it was my travel agent’s fault. I used Azamara to book it! Beyond that I was repeatedly read to from a script that stated if I couldn’t provide an OBC in writing that it would not happen because they had no proof and they required written proof. Basically, they assumed I was trying to get something I wasn’t promised or that I was an outright a liar. Customer Relations was very poorly trained. Is this a bait and switch tactic by Azamara? Our four friends with whom we cruised do not have an e-mail or anything in writing that reflects an OBC, they received their OBC credit. I had no illusion that the credit would happen. I do however wish it had been addressed in a more thoughtful or sincere manner. Their staff behaved a in an accusatory manner and it came off as a bait and switch… “pay the higher rate and in return we will reward you with this on board credit”. Since returning home 2 weeks ago, I have reached out to Azamara by e-mail and phone. I’ve had no success in getting any response from them. Again, a customer relations fail. I fell for it, don’t let it happen to you!

18 months since we have been on board Azamara and two years since we have been on board the Quest, but within minutes of embarking the Quest for an 8 night Croatia intensive cruise, we were greeted by several officers and welcomed back as family. You can’t put a price on that. One of the major benefits of small ship cruising. It was a smooth and speedy embarkation - we were on the ship within minutes of arriving at the terminal in Chioggia. It really felt like coming home. We had a veranda cabin on deck 6 which was perfectly fine with plenty of storage space, a decent sized balcony and an adequate bathroom. We were also blessed with one of the best stateroom attendants we have ever had in the lovely Edgar. All four Azamara ships are pretty much the same with guest services, and concierge on deck 4. The main discoveries restaurant is on deck 5, together with Atlas Bar, future cruise sales, shore excursions, the shops, Mosaic Cafe and the Cabaret Lounge. Deck 6, 7 and 8 are all staterooms. Deck 9 is where you will find Windows Cafe (buffet), The Sunset Bar, The Patio, the pool and hot tubs, the Pool Bar, Gym and spa. Deck 10 is the walking/jogging track, the Drawing Room, The Living Room and the two speciality restaurants - Aqualina and Prime C. There is also a table tennis table and dart board on this deck. Finally on deck 11 is a sun deck. Despite this ship being at full capacity it never felt crowded and it was never a problem getting a seat wherever we wanted one. We shared our dining options between Discoveries Restaurant and Windows Cafe Buffet. We never had a problem getting a seat in either venue, but we do like to dine early. We had a brilliant waiter in Discoveries Jhun - food was always hot, service was great and they were flexible with regard to our dietary requirements. Another option for lunch is The Patio where we ate on a couple of days. They serve a selection of burgers, salads, onion rings, nachos etc. food was lovely but service was always slow. The two speciality restaurants - Prime C and Aqualina were available at $35 dollars per head and proved popular with many of our fellow guests. One of the things we loved about this trip was the free room service breakfast - there was a big variety of cooked and cold items to choose from and service was always cheerful and prompt. With regard to the Spa, as regular readers of our reviews will know we feel the spas on American ships are horrendously overpriced so we don’t use them. We didn’t book any shore excursions for the same reason. As for the entertainment, the ship has a band, a piano player, a disco, the usual shows, guest speakers and quizzes. We particularly loved the crew karaoke. The things that Azamara are outstanding at are their Azamazing events - on this cruise they arranged a fabulous choir to perform in the local town square in Koper, Slovenia, and they also have their white night (we dress in black as we are rebels 😉😉) with entertainment, the officers cooking and a parade of all the crew. If you are lucky enough to be on a cruise with Ryszard Gusmann as Hotel Director, don’t miss his crepes Suzette - they are legendary!! Two other special things happened on this cruise one was the meeting of the four Azamara sisters who came together in Koper, this has only ever happened once before. Also on the cruise into Kotor, Montenegro there was an informative commentary and local food served, as well as coffee with rum liquer. If we were going to be critical of Azamara at all it would be with regard to their internet, which is better than some but not as good as others. However if you are coming on holiday to switch off that would not be an issue for you. In summary, we enjoyed our Azamara Quest cruise so much we decided to stay on. The reason for this is that all the staff on board have been welcoming, friendly and efficient. The officers are highly visible including the Captain and are always up for a chat. We think that Ryszard the Hotel Director is the best on the seven seas, we have never seen a HD who is so hands on and engaged with his passengers. The same can also be said for David his Guest Relations Manager, and Tulita and Romz their team. Regular readers will know we often criticise guest relations but this cruise has proved that Azamara still have the best ! We have cruised many times over the last year but this cruise on the Azamara Quest has definitely been the best. It certainly will not be 18 months before we sail with Azamara again !! Azamara make you feel valued and part of the family - something we really appreciate.

Overall the cruise was a solid 7/10. Not at par with some other cruises I have been on but it was ok overall. Not sure if this is reflective of the 'Celebrity experience' as this was our only cruise ever with them. I didn't see a great difference.

Great itinerary- NCL Jade ship on 10/05/23 to Greek isles - luggage was dropped by ncl in the ocean and retrieved. Another guest in party had the same experience. After days of requesting funds to buy makeup/toiletries; I was give 400. On board credit and told to file a claim for all my damages. After remittance on my receipts for $736. I was told no other payment would be allowed because they are offering a 10% future cruise credit. I am very disappointed, that was not fully reimbursed. I had to purchase a new suitcase $299. as it smelled after they cleaned it onboard and 3 fine watches required batteries ($60. Each). I cruise frequently and I have not experienced this type service. We booked a suite and they readily admitted to the damage and dry cleaned my clothes but my personal items being restored shouldn’t be subject to a future credit. I will be contacting their corporate office. Claim #467214. And they should tell people not to file a claim (lots of work) if they don’t intend to provide reimbursement. Date of experience: October 2023

Mykonos was good but the ship was not good at all I would never go in it again. The club was even empty. The layout was poor, most stuff was run down and broken, the staff was not helpful, they were "out" of everything because they didn't want to go and get more. It was a very disappointing experience. I did like the window in the room though but I can get that elsewhere.

Cruising is a means to an end for us. We loved seeing Santorini and Split and Dubrovnik. We have another cruise planned for 2024 on RC as the dates and ports match our needs.

The cruise price was excellent, but the drink package prices were exorbitant, especially since so much time is spent off ship. The ports were fabulous!

Great week. I would love to spend more time in some of the ports. The ship was excellent and the th itinerary was wonderful.

Worst Royal cruise I've been on. Definitely checking reviews next time.