Europe - Eastern Mediterranean Cruise Reviews

Very dated look to ship, parts were dirty and deck 2 near our room had moldy smell in hallway. Solarium did not adhere to the ship's rule of 16 yrs and older only. Nothing but screaming children in area. No seating around pool area available. At breakfast time in the Windjammer cafe, seating was very inadequate. Food was average not what we have experienced on other cruise lines. Port stop in Athens was way too short. Outrageous price of $10 each for bus to Mykonos for such a short ride.

This wa a well organized and very comfrotable shipwith lots of amenities like gym, pools, saunas, steam room etc. Spa activities were very high priced clear worth avoiding and waiting to get home for value for service. Decor was over the top, Fellini sets up a carousel in Pompeii style. Lots of music and dance chances with enthusiastic, animated young staff. Staff was very open, polite, caring and service oriented.

the information desk needs new people and maybe management. Had areas roped off to get into line, but the information desk would still help people whom cut in line. I spoke out about it because the people whom waited were getting angry. The lady blew me off and stated that the counter was for everyone, so I asked why they had an area roped off for a line then, I did not get an answer nor help. Also the ports were to short. only a couple of hours in each place, by the time we waited to get off and get back on. They wanted you to be on ship to spend money with them. One excursion was 69 euro a ticket. I took my family of 3 to the same place and back for a 30 euro cab ride. Have more but I am out of time.

The ship was bigger than I thought it would be. Very nice and clean.

The ship was built in 1996 and is in need of updating. Our cabin needed some work. The light fixture fell and shattered, leaving glass on the floor. The paneling on the wall was pulling loose. We had a couple of mornings where the shower was lukewarm. The room key quit working and had to be replaced. Apparently the ship is going in for refitting in a few weeks. The main areas were in pretty good shape and the food and service were excellent. When we arrived back at our port we had a late flight, so paid extra to stay on the ship and have lunch. When we got ready to leave, the crew kept us past the time of our departure while some crew members left and we missed the last shuttle bus and had to drag our bags down the street to catch a bus to the airport.

It was a nice cruise but was a bit smaller than other ships we have been on (3 others to date) . For instance, it did not have restaurants available ex. french or other cuisine restaurants to choose from that you can normally due for an extra fee, just to change it up so to speak. So just the main dining room and of course buffet on upper deck for less formal dining. Also, limited bars compared to others. I have to admit, It was a fine ship but would try others before this again.

Nasty food, uncomfortable beds, rude out of line staff, and I could go on forever. Basically this ship is to rip people off and get everyone's money, if you go on this cruise, expect nothing more than the worst. The only good thing was the places we went. That's it.

17 Cruises , 2 on Costa. Considering the price this is by far the best italian cruise company. Good meals, clean enviroment, well thought out itinerary Water , coffee and tea available all day Full ship but still enough room for romantic moments and quiet times

This ship is in dire need of an overhaul. It's the shabbiest ship I've ever been on. Every trip to the spa/salon was guaranteed to be an excursion into incompetence!

We went on this cruise with a group of friends and had an amazing time. The staff was wonderful, as well as our stops.

The bigest ship I saw in my life

Everything went great - no complaints. The staff was friendly and attentive and we could get anything we needed. The ship seems a bit out of date when I look at photos of other ships; I understand that it will go under a major renovation soon. Few restaurant choices, but the food in the main dining area and buffet was great. Nice snack choices. Lot's and lot's of food! Never saw the coffee bar, but it would be nice to have coffee "choices" at no extra cost.

Overall good. The ship was nice and clean. I loved the destinations. The water really is that beautiful. You should do homework ahead of time and read about the places. Some like Delos (trip of Mykonos), you can do easily if you take the ferry from the area it drops you off to tender. You can also use public transportation (bus to metro) to get to the Acropolis if you can read maps. I recommend getting someone who knows their way around on Katakolon (either rent a taxi for the day or go on the ship's tour), They have a library on board, but not a lot of information on the sites as they want you to take their tours. The cruise has some good features like rock climbing and an Italian class that is free, but they also try to always get you to pay a little extra- like charging for the sangria to go with the free paella. Word to the wise- avoid something if the waiter tells you to, even if it sounds delicious (ie lobster bisque.)

1. Disappointed in lack of dancing for younger ages (25-55) - not everyone wants to dance to 50's music. 2. Windjammer cafe food was horrid! No taste, soup was even bland. Food was cooled. 3. drinks grossly overpriced. $13.00 for a glass of icky wine is outragous. 4. Room service menu was limited - fast delivery, yet no variety on menu. 5. My porter was outstanding!!! PRofessinal, freindly, always on top of the room. 6. My assistant waiter was excellend. (table 90 l;ate night seating) 7. My waiter main waiter was rude, unfriednly and wagged his finger a lot! 8. Would like to see more interactive items from 1500-1700. Paper folding at the age of 40 is uninterstting.

A very proficient operation

The ship was very clean and the staff friendly. The destinations is the biggest reason we chose this cruise, very fun!

The Norwegian Gem was a beautiful ship. Everything was clean and attractive. The service in the staterooms was perfect, as were the rooms themselves. We had a balcony view which made the trip in the Med.even more enjoyable as we viewed the picturesque islands as we passed by them. The food was good, and we never felt the necsesity to even eat in the restaurants that had an extra cost to them. The buffet was outstanding with a variety of foods to choose from. Every aspect of the cruise was well organized. We especially appreciated the well organized tour excursions and the convenience of the dpearture and return being taken care of by the cruise line. We didn't have to concern ourselves with any details, which made for relaxing excursions. All the tours had great tour guides as well. That all made for great experiences. We have already recommended the cruise to family who are planning on taking the same cruise next year!! We would definitely look for a Norwegian Cruise for our next adventure!!!

The port of call were beautiful and interesting. The food was great. The entertainment was great. The service was wonderful.

As an American, I expect a certain level of customer service. Costa Cruise lines did not meet my expectations at all. For example, we were sold a room directly below the kitchen. It was so loud that there was no chance of us sleeping. We complained at least 2-3 times/ night (I even cried I was so upset about my trip being ruined by lack of sleep). We were put off for 5 days being told that the manager would be leaving a note at our room to let us know what they could do for us. They never left any note and had no intention of doing so. It was just a way to get rid of us for the moment. Day 5 of the cruise we finally sat down with the boat manager who told us that there was nothing that he could do. When asked if they would compensate us in any way, he said that that is not their policy. Apparently, the customer is always right has not made it into their culture yet. It was the worst vacation of my life. And, we could barely walk through the ship because of all of the cigarette smoke. My advice--stick with an American cruise line.

This was our first time on Norwegian. We sailed on the Gem. We were very disappointed with the service. It was slow and just not up to par with other cruise lines we've sailed on.