Europe - Mediterranean Cruise Reviews

Overall, this was a great cruise.  After having read a ton of reviews on cruise critic I was going in with no expectations as the reviews were about 50/50.  This was my 9th cruise, my 5th with Carnival.  I chose this cruise specifically for the boat and it just happened to be in Europe which was another location that my husband and I were looking at for vacation.  So I thought this was a win, win situation.  The boat was beautiful and of course very clean as it's brand new.  I found the staff and crew to be very nice and helpful.  The food was delicious and our accommodations were better than I expected.  We stayed on the 2nd floor in the Harbor Family area with an ocean view.  Several things that I did not like were:  the fact that you had to pay to see the IMAX and thrill theater movies, along with the popcorn (when the popcorn at the outside movie theater was free).  You were limited on the number of places to eat dinner if you didn't want to pay extra money.  The anytime dining experience was very confusing for the first couple of nights (checking in on one floor and eating on a different).  If you wanted to lounge at the serenity area, you had to get up very early to get a chair.  The Comedians were terrible.  The first 2 were ok, but the last 2 were not funny at all!  So,  Also, the stop at Sicily was a waist.  Very dirty city.  

I absolutely recommend this cruise. It was a very busy itinerary, but we got to visit so many outstanding cities and sites. Just wish we had a bit more time in each port. Food was the very best on the cruise ship - superb!!! Ship was not crowded, Service was excellent. Word of advice - do not plan your return trip by air on the same morning that the cruise ship debarks - way too many people, long lines at airport, can easily miss your flight. 

people smoking was an issue, other than that a very nice cruise and ship. main dining room had excellent meals. the specialty restaurants seemed to add an unneeded cost

Our state room attendant James was excellent. The dining room staff and bar attendants were terrible. and if you have a drink package watch your bill as they will mess it up. I needed medical attention and it also was very good.

The first thing that stands out for me is the great attitude of the Royal Caribbean staff onboard the Harmony of the Seas.  Everyone greeted you with a smile and an offer of help.  They would go out of their way to ensure your needs were met and was one of the best I have experienced.  the ship is exquisite.  It was easy to navigate and I did not feel crowded for the amount of people who were on board.  The days off the ship are well organized and I was impressed with the level of security they follow.  I was very satisfied with the food in the dining room as well as the buffet.  They provide an alternate for breakfast in the American icon dining room and it provides both menu ordering and a buffet.  It's a good alternative to the buffet in Windjammer.  My negative comments are that some of the shows start late in the evening,  the ice show in particular doesn't start until 10:15, so if you eat at 6:00 it's hard to wait until 10 for a show.  The television selection is very poor.  It's mostly news stations and offer only pay movies at $11.99 each.  When you are touring for 9-10 hours and want to relax in the evening it would be nice to have some movies to be able to watch.  Overall I would highly recommend Royal  Caribbean and Harmony of the Seas.

The ship was clean and there was attention given to keeping it that way and to frequent handwashing etc. The room (studio) was adorable and just right for one person without being claustraphobic.

The food was so-so- some of it was terribly commercial and there were very few gluten free choices. I had a hamburger about 97 times because of this. I feel there could be more effort made to have a few more "clean" choices for all types of dietary restrictions. The fresh fruit was usually bad as if was toast before we set sail to begin with.

The part we liked the least was the pool area. I understand wanting to get people in the mood to have a good time but it was so loud most of the time. Too loud for us to be out there and we are only in our 50's. You could not have conversation if you were trying to eat at the outdoor cafe and you could not doze off if you were sitting out there. Others around us - every single time- were complaining about. I called to complain and was told my comment would be forwarded to the Entertainment department. This was not a spring break frat party in the Caribbean - this was a bunch of adults on a European cruise. The music did not need to be screaming loud and pulsating all day long.

I would LOVE an opportunity to put my two cents in on the gift shops. Higher quality items, drug store necessities and more variety would have sold well.

I have been on 40 cruises in my life.  Prior to this trip only one was on NCL, the Norweigian Wind about 10 years ago from Hawaii for 10 days.  It as by far the worst cruise I've ever been on and I vowed to never go on a NCL cruise again.  Vacation dollars are quite valuable to me and to waste both the money, my time and the experience on a completely terrible trip is a lasting image. 

This trip was flawless.  With nearly 5000 passengers on board I never felt cramped, rushed or slighted.  There were no lines ever and the food and entertainment was terrific.  The only restaurant that we found disappointing was Cagney's Steakhouse, worst steak on the trip, poor service and a disappointing experience. Other than this the only thing I would change is to add another sea day.  The pace of this many ports on a seven day cruise is over kill.  The pool area is so nice it's a shame not to be able to se it.

The last thing to discuss is, I am a smoker.  There are way more smokers than places to smoke.  The area on the pool deck didn't have enough space because some people camped out there with the entire families including babies, not allowing others to use the area.  I usually gamble but did not even spend even a single dine on this ship in the casino simply because the smokers were stuck back in the corner and ashtrays were difficult to find.  If the casino wants my money, they will need to earn it.  I did go to the casino in Monte Carlo and unfortunately they keep too much of my cash.  I do have status with several casinos in Vegas.  They work hard to earn my money.

The Cruise was absolutely fantastic. As with many past Celebrity cruises, the overall holiday was first class from the condition and standards of the ship to service from the crew.

Nice ship, cabin was excellent.  Balcony, and bathroom larger than normal. Cold refrigerator - yeah!  embarkation/debarkation very fast & easy.  Overall service was good.  

entertainment okay, but not as good as in the Caribbean - needed comedian(s).  

Our other 2 Celebrity cruises were better, especially the food.

Food was good, but repetitive.  Food menus for the Dining Room were not available on the TV, and often not posted until meal time.  Large variety to appeal to global audience, but execution could be better.  Breakfast- same every day, same potatoes, daily muffin (not labeled, and same nearly every day), fruit selection.  Lunch - outdoor grill open only a few hours - product selection limited.  Specialty salads limited, and repetitive.  Quality control - lettuce? Soups - almost no selection unless you want broth.  Crackers stale. Management present, but not paying attention - staff performing their daily ritual.  Dinner in the dining room good, but menu had some unusual choices. Dining room service was very good.  

Good itinerary.  Need more time/earlier arrival in Santorini.  Poor excursion in ephesus, not as advertised by ship, focused on shopping for crafts & carpet.

Favorite ports were Mykonos & Bodrum.  Castle tour in Bodrum was good, and allowed for option to walk back to ship through the shopping area - vendors not as pushy as Kusadasi.

The entire cruise was a most enjoyable experience, expecially, the Ports of Call, and Celebrity excursions.  The downside to this review was the excursion in Florence which did not include going onto the Ponti Vecchio bridge (shops), nor did it include visiting any of the structures in the piazza such as the Santa della Croce church, burial place of Michaelangelo, etc.  The tour was hurried and concentrated too much on shopping, which would have been alrignt, had it included the above referenced sights!

The cruise itself lacked nothing really. The ports were outstanding as was the food and dining service. The stateroom was always kept beautifully. We had special difficulties that stemmed from our sadly having missed our flight to Rome and consequently the first two nights of the cruise. Trying to board the ship in Santorini was extremely difficult because of misinformation and communication failures on the part of the Celebrity administration as to exactly where and how to board. Once on board we were completely ignored. Halfway through the cruise I reminded the room attendant that the concierge class was entitled to certain amenities that we were not receiving. I guess no one had informed him. Our anniversary, noted in our passenger information, was totally overlooked.

I believe there needs to be a much better way for Celebrity to communicate with unfortunate people who miss the embarkation through no fault of their own, and once aboard, a special effort should be made to welcome them. Frankly, we found it shocking.

We have no complaints with our cruise.  Our son go sick back in New York and Celebrity couldn't have been more accommodating.  The staff was so compassionate and helpful.

Good cruise, the only downside was the weather on the first and last two days. Wrong time of the year from Southampton. First class food and drink, service excellent. Would have liked more time ashore in Gibralter. and Barcelona

This was our first cruise. The Celebrity Constellation is a wonder ship with very nice and efficient crew in all aspects of service. The ship is comfortable, clean, modern and the food and service is top notch.

We would wholeheartedly promote Celebrity for anyone wanting a very good cruising experience.

the ports of call were very good,entertainment was great food as always varied and tasty.the crew on all levels were very helpful and couldn't do enough for you

the only criticism would be the overpricing in the spa and under trained staff 

excellent cabin and cabin crew,food in all restaurants very good,select dining is fantastic ( it was amazing that a member of crew in select dining remembered us from a previous cruise some years ago) entertainment and bars also very good all round an excellent cruise for us both 

It was good to come back to Independence , have been on a lot of ships but, this is still close to my heart is looking a-bit tired but the atmosphere on board is still the same as it was at the beginning of her sea life. The whole cruise was a sheer delight, my wife and I enjoyed all the entertainment and the food on board was a real delight.The itineraries was just what we wanted and was really surprised at Cartgena, that was well worth the trip alone. Can't wait to see Independace after the re-fit.

THE PORTS OF CALL, WAS THE BEST SELECTION OF PORTS, I HAVE CRUISED.  THE STAF WAS VERY HELPFULL. THE LAYOUT OF THE SHIP WAS EASY TO GET A ROUND THE RESTAURANTS WAS EXCELLENT

cabin was spacious and balcony was great.  Very good service from a friendly staff.    Premium drink package was a great and the food was very good.  We had such a good time that we booked our next cruise while on board. 

Embarkation and disembarkation were very easy.  

We were in awe that a ship this size could run so efficiently.  Wait times were significantly shorter than times on other ships we have travelled on.  Ports were very accessible.  Children's activities are contained so you are not overun by boisterous children screeming and running about.  The food quality was consistent in the dinning rooms and specialty restaurants.  Cabins contained ample storage space and temperature controls worked well.  We hope to travel on this ship in the future since the experience exceeded our expectations.