Europe - Mediterranean Cruise Reviews

If you can imagine a dream come true, you will understand how it feels to cruise Greece, from Athens to Crete, with visits to the islands of Santorini, Katakolon and Corfu.  The cruise line Oceania's ship Riviera was my dream vessel.  Imagine a veranda stateroom with a shower and bathtub; breakfast en suite so my roommate and I were on time for our morning excursions or tours; back to the ship for a delicious buffet lunch in a Terrace restaurant, unless we preferred the Waves Grill.  We enjoyed elegant afternoon tea service in a beautiful Horizons lounge with live chamber music; stayed for cocktail hour (two for the price of one drink).  Later we relished magnificent cuisine in one of four specialty restaurants (French, Italian, East Asian, or Lobster/Steak Grill) or chose a Grand Dining Room banquet.  We liked meeting other interesting passengers at a shared table, rather than choosing to dine together. Then we attended an evening show of superb singing, dancing, costumes and sets in the main Lounge.  We also had the options of a library, computer room, pool/deck, spa and exercise equipment, concerts, dancing, bars, a casino and classes.  Everything was first class at competitive prices.  I asked servers and entertainers about their working conditions.  All of them praised the cruise line for treating them with consideration so they felt rested, well and happy to please us passengers.  The boarding procedures are so well organized that there were no lines or delays (unlike cruises I've taken where we stood in lines within airplane hanger-like sheds with thousands of others who were equally unhappy).  The Oceania mid-size ships are able to dock in or near unique ports and are ecologically less damaging to the ocean and coastal environments.  Wherever in the world you long to visit, I wish you my heavenly experience.  Barbara O'Farrell, NYC bo1@columbia.edu  (despite my 'retiree' message, I check email every day.) 

Overall, the brand new ship is lovely, but it's very large.  First, the staterooms are the best I've ever seen.  Whether the balcony faces the water or the park, they're incredibly spacious and very comfortable.  I was concerned about noise facing the interior, but I didn't hear a peep after 11pm and the view was pretty great to people watch.  The entertainment options were vast as well as the sports and rec and the Abyss was awesome!  The food was just o.k. - nothing terrible, but nothing that really stood out as well.  I expected much more from a new ship, especially Royal Caribbean.  The service level was the same as the food - just o.k.  Some crew members were amazing, while others behaved as if they were worn out and would rather be anywhere else.  I believe the size played a large part of the lackluster service - the crew had over 6000 guests at one time!  You saw it in the stateroom attendants (whom we barely saw but knew they had been there because the room was clean), the dining staff (we felt rushed at times because tables needed to be turned over quickly so everyone could eat), and the bars would run out of items, suggesting you visit another location for the same drink.  The one thing I really miss is the drink of the day.  It's no longer an option which is disappointing because the drink packages were so expensive and a complete waste of money.  Overall, It was a great experience but I prefer the slightly smaller ships where the service is more personalized.  It felt like a really large hotel and not a cruise ship.

We had a great time on the ship, for the time that we spent on it.  We took excursions every day so most of our time was spent sleeping, eating, and walking off the ship. 

Excursions: We enjoyed all the excursions, we had large groups and small groups.  The small groups were worth the cash paid.  The organization of the process for exiting the ship was well organized and simple to follow.  One day my partner forgot his keycard and this is needed to exit the boat, the staff told us to go to reception, right there, and get a new card, instead of running to the room.  The guides on the buses were well versed and literally kept talking during most of the entire trip to inform us of information.  And the drivers, I am quite impressed of their ability to transit the streets and mountains.  When we return

Cabin (282' sq): The cabin was clean and tidy when we arrived, ready and setup for us.  Anastasia was our caretaker.  She and the team had everything clean and kept us well informed of the next days activities, along with some headlines around the world, you could even get full printed newspapers for a price.  The closets fit our luggage perfectly, two large 28" hard sided bags and two 22" carry on bags, there was ample space to unpack and store the bags.  The bed, I thought the bed was wonderful and the pillows were actually great for me.  I do not exercise much and we ended up walking on average 7mi a day, and every morning, I woke up renewed.

Eating: We ate breakfast and dinner everyday.  The buffet, and sitting outside while the sun rose was nice, the buffet was busy with the norms, and a special or two to be made to order.  We did end up the last 3 days to just eat at the grill, omelets and eggs made to order, with a few side to choose from.  One thing I would say is, for a Grecian Delight cruise, pick up some yummy fresh Greek yogurt instead of individual containers. Dinners were also exceptional.  I misread the website, and only reserved 1 single specialty restaurant.  We were able to get 2 of the remaining restaurants reserved, but missed Jacques.  Our 1st night was with Toscana, and the meat was great, they even had like 8-9 olives oil to pick from.  Polo, this was average, I should have gotten the Prime Rib, but my filet was just average.  We shared a table, and meeting the other people was fun.  But, Red Ginger was our favorite, delicious food, again we shared a table and the 2 people at our table we kept running into in various locations and shops.  The other nights we went to the Grand dinning room and had great 5 course meals.  On average we ended up spending 1.5-2 hours eating each night, if I would have made reservations I would have probably set them to 8pm, so we would have just finished eating at 10pm, when we needed to get up at 6am for out next excursion, it ended up better to go quite early.

You know, we really did not do that much else on the ship.  I need to learn to play bridge, as my partner plays and that would have been something to do on our early days back to the ship.

One last thing, this was my 1st cruise ever, so I really cannot compare to anything.  But time and time again from people who have cruised many times in the past, they kept telling me that I am getting spoiled with this cruise.  I was happy to be spoiled. 

The service was wonderful however we found the food not to be the best as we do cruise quite a bit.  Several times during the dinner hour, we didn't receive what we ordered.  

Excellent cruise all round. The food is good in the main restaurants and there is an excellent choice of alternative dining venues at reasonable prices. The staff were very friendly and efficient and the entertainment was brilliant. Chose NCL originally as I was travelling with my grown up son and did not want to share a cabin and the studio cabins in Epic are perfect at a good price. Because of the studio lounge for single travellers my son was able to meet up with others of his own age and have a great time while I had the peace and quiet I wanted.Only negative was the price of the excursions but they were good and very well organised. Embarkation and disembarkation were both well organised and speedy.Was our second cruise on the Epic and would go again if they varied the route ports. 

the food was very good and a great variety

the cost of transporting to the airport is very expensive and not well co-ordinated

charged twice for one shore excursion with no explanation

room steward did the bare minimum  Had to ask for bath robes

guest services never answered the phone

liked the anytime dining

the ship was easy to find your way around  

the teen club was fun for our granddaughter

Outside shore excursions were late and caused stress to get back to the ship on time. 

I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS CRUISE ALTHOUGH NOT SURE IF IT WILL BE IN 2017.  HAVING CRUISED WITH ROYAL CARIBBEAN, CRYSTAL CRUISES, PRINCESS, P & O WE FOUND CARNIVAL TO BE VERY GOOD.  IF I WAS TO COMPLAIN, WE WERE WITH OUR DAUGHTER AND HER FAMILY A THREE YEAR OLD AND A ONE YEAR OLD, I FEEL THEY SHOULD HAVE A SPECIAL POOL FOR YOUNG KIDDIES. WHICH IS HEATED OTHER THAN THAT CHILDREN ATE WELL CATERED FOR AND WE FOUND THAT THERE WAS SO MUCH SOACE ON THE SHIP, NO CROWDING AT MEALTIMES EVEN IN THE BUFFET, LOTS OF SPACE TO LIE IN THE SUN IF YOU WISHED.  THE FOOD WAS EXCELLENT AND WE COULD NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT IT, WE WERE AT ANYTIME DINING AND FOUND THAT WE NEVER HAD TO QUEUE, THE STAFF WERE ANAZINGLY FRIENDLY AND COULD NOT DO ENOUGH FOR YOU.  THE BEDS WERE FANTASTIC SO COMFORTABLE HIT THE PILLOW AND OUT COLD.  WE WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND CARNIVAL WE HAD A CABIN IN THE HAVANNA AREA AND YOU HAD THE ACCESS TO THE REAR IF THE SHIP VUA THE HAVANNAH BAR AND YOU THEN WENT OUT TO A LITTLE HAVEN WITH PALM TREES A LOVELY JACUZZI AND POOL WITH SUNBEDS ETC.

They really know how to do cruising the right way.  The level of excellence can not be found with any other cruise line.  We love all of their cruises and have 3 more planned over the next twelve months.

We sailed on Sept. 30, 2016-Oct.9, 2016 on Jewel of the Seas for a Mediterranean cruise and had an incredible time!  The room attendant, Florendo, our wait servers, Freddy and Melroy and bartender, Abbie were amazing.  They bent over backwards to please us. Our junior suite was big enough for my 2 grown daughters and myself. (1 drawback was the pull out bed was made for a child, not for an adult.) The food, the drinks, the cleanliness and the staff of the ship was outstanding. We definitely would cruise on Jewel of the Seas again. We were spoiled by the crew and being home we certainly miss having our every whim catered to. Exceptional stay on Jewel of the Seas.

well organized. 

Excursion Tour guides should give proper information about shopping and VAT taxes etc.  They lied to us about getting VAT tax not being charged!!!

They gave us forms for processing at the airport.  There was no information (even at the airport information counter).  We were told to go from terminal to terminal.  Had to pass through the security lines THREE TIMES.  Still we could not find anyone in customs to stamp our papers and then we were charged VAT.

So much for tax free shopping promised by Celebrity & Tour Guides.

This was a beautiful cruise ship -- nice layout, relatively big staterooms/bathrooms/balconies, and really good food. As to the ports of call, most could be enjoyed without ship excursions. However, a tour of Ephesus (from Kusadasi) and Pompeii (from Naples) required advance planning. Santorini is beautiful, especially if you make your way over to Oia. Having a day or two in Rome ahead of time (for the Vatican, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum) is a must. 

The days in port are fairly long, which is good since many of the attractions require 30-45 minutes of travel time to get to them. 

The food on the Celebrity Reflection was superb, as was the staff. The entertainment lacked comedians, but had good singers and dancers most nights.   

The new ship was amazing --- room was the best we had on the cruise as was the help.  Food was amazing especially on the Lido which is now served to you at each station.  Bar staff was amazing as were the servers.  Was very impressed with the safety drills etc on the ship... Tamarind restaurant was amazing  --- Pinnacle and French Restaurant were very good but could use some menu improvements. This ship has two new experiences Blend which is a wine experience were you get to blend your own wine and culinary arts centers were you get to watch the chefs make dinner for you.  The may want to look a pairing the two events.  Culinary arts center meals are amazing and you don't want to miss this --- blend was a little pricey at $179.00 per couple but you get to keep 4 bottles of wine but there is no food paring included.  Disappointments - entertainment on this ship was very disappointing none on the decks non at the crows nest etc... they tried to combine all entertainment in one place BB kings, etc... but it isn't the same.  Most ship have comedy shows separate but on numerous evenings the main show room was comedy shows.  This ship also does not have a grand court are alike most in the middle which gives you that wide open feeling.  We took a shore excursion in Santorini the excursion was rushed it included a wine tour that was a mass produced winery that we were hurried in and out of.     

The only thing I did not like about this cruise was the "Open sitting" policy. It was a mess, everybody going to dinner at the same time and being turned around because the dining room was full and told to come an hour later. I only had dinner at the restaurant one time, the rest of the days I went to the buffet. Apparently it is an "experiment". I hope they don't do it with all the ships.

We had a wonderful time on this cruise.  The ship staff was great, very friendly, eager to help and always cheerful.  The facilities were clean and well maintained, and the dining room was lovely.  Our only disappointment was the lack of activities other than the pool for the general populace.  The sport deck was busy with athletes and the one ping pong table was constantly in use.   The pools were fine, and we did manage to use them several times.  The Cruise Director was fantastic and the entertainment was thoroughly enjoyable.  We really loved the orchestra and the production group.  This was a great cruise.

Celebrity Constellation is a nice size and comfortable cruise ship, with good service and excellent cuisine. A good selection of interesting 'Ports of call' with some new places to explore.

Thank you to all the crew onboard the Constellation.

This was our first cruise & we decided on just 7 days to see if we liked it. Well, we had no idea how big this ship was, 3800 passengers & 1700+ staff. The staff and service on board was excellent. Too many people and children for our liking. Too much noise everywhere, nowhere quiet to sit and chill out. The shows were very good, the trips booked on board were very expensive but we did outside ones which were always easy to find just off the ship. Not to be able to take bottles of water on and off the ship, even if purchased on the ship, was, to be honest, absolutely ridiculous and some cafes didn't even serve tea & coffee with the all inclusive drinks package. The food was generally good, much better in the restaurants than going for the buffet scrummage, there was never a shortage of something to eat or drink somewhere on the ship.

We will cruise again but for us, it will be a smaller vessel.

We were happy with the Eurodam, thought the staff were extremely friendly and helpful, thought the food was very good especially in the dining room, enjoyed the piano duo on deck 2, room stewards were very good in room 7096. We understand the need to be safe but were disappointed in the choice of replacement islands for the Turkish ports. I am in a wheelchair and Greek Islands are very hilly and cobble stoney. Rhodes and  Kefallinia were the only two that we could get around to any extent.  If it is true that HAL and other cruise lines were not going to Turkish ports since March, the website should have been changed then, so that customers knew what the real itinerary was before they booked. 

I found the temperature of the ship was too cool in most places (the dining room seemed warmer). Many other people said they felt the same way. The music, although good, was often so loud that it was hard to listen to. This was especially true in the Main Stage and we noticed many people leave again shortly after the show began. The caliber of the Main Stage shows did not seem to be as professional as on a previous Royal Caribbean cruise.

The ship was so well organised.  Although it was full it never seemed crowded and we didn't have to queue for anything, including tenders ashore when we were anchored off.

The food was excellent in the main dining room.

We were disappointed not to be visiting Istanbul but understand the reasons and enjoyed the replacement ports.

The strength of Holland America are its excellent ships, food & some of the best people (crew) that you will meet anywhere. They will always do a little more than you expect. The weaknesses are a thin entertainment schedule & a poor choice of substitution ports once the 2 days in Istanbul & the 2nd Turkish port were cancelled. It is obvious few ports will replace Istanbul but with 4 to 6 weeks prior to sailing I at least expected them to try to find another high quality destination. Instead we get a 2nd day in Athens (other than the Acropolis, a generally dirty & poorly kept city) & the addition of Albania. Given the lack of effort I suspect the ship was probably close to fully booked at the time.

With regards to the entertainment, at our favourite club, the BB King Allstars played 10 of 12 nights. They were a great band to listen to but can't you find another group in addition to them for a 12 night cruise?

What an amazing cruise! From the beautiful ship, wonderful crew, and delicious food, to the fabulous itinerary and informative shore excursions. Windstar exceeded our expectations! We throughly enjoyed our cruise, and we look forward to cruising with Windstar again in the future.