Europe - Mediterranean Cruise Reviews

Corazon was our room valet, and she was wonderful; excellent job. Dudley was our asst. waiter, and we loved him; beautiful smile, and so nice; did a great job...deserves to be a full waiter. Cyrel was our waiter and did a good job. Food was unbelievable...always good, and such a variety. Ship clean & sanitized. Room nice size and comfortable. /we joined our balcony with 2 other couples and enjoyed hanging out on it. We thought the evening shows were marginal. Two magicians, and they did 2 of the same tricks. We looked forward to a staff variety show, but there was none. Compared to other ships, the evening entertainment was definitely lacking. Woman singers were good.  We loved the covered drink package, that was included, as was the tip package and $300 on board credit. Celebrity was extremely efficient in organizing passengers, esp getting on and off ship. Could not hear announcements in our room..had to go out in the hall. Liked the way the safety drill was handled.  Al in all, a super trip.

We thoroughly enjoyed our recent cruise out of Barcelona . Aside from a delay on day 1 due to gastro intestinal issues during the previous cruise, everything went very well. The ports of call were great, my husband and I had gone to Mallorca for our honeymoon in 1977so it was very nice to return there. Barcelona itself was great, a repeat visit will be necessary as there is so much to see. Our ship was beautiful, and most of the time it was hard to believe that there were close to 3000 passengers on board. Service was impeccable particularly in the dining rooms and ocean view cafe. We had select dining, so different waiters pretty much every time. They were all excellent.  We are not huge fans of shows but there were two excellent female singers and the regular cast of singer/ dancers were very good. Magician not so good, funny but the tricks were lame. The hot glass show was top notch and we went to it several times, it was always different. We took a couple of excursions which were very educational, the guides were so knowledgable. Some regret at not taking more excursions but since some were listed as strenuous we decided against them due to physical issues. We had a concierge cabin, not sure if it is worth the extra charges but perhaps we didn't take advantage of the services. This may be due to lack of information which was missing in the first few days. Afternoon canapés were a miss, we figured out we could get our own little plate of goodies at the ocean view cafe around 4.30 pm. Classic beverage package was more than adequate, we had some very good wines and the speciality coffees were the best.  All crew and personnel were very friendly. All expectations were met and in many cases exceeded.

Ship, service, food were excellent.  Excursions were well priced and reflected the quality of the cruise line.  All inclusive wines and drinks were of high quality and service was accommodating and responsive.  Entertainment also was very good.

We were pleasantly surprised to find how wonderful the Spain & Portugal sailing was.  Friendly local people, good weather, beautiful scenery, great ship with friendly crews..., we enjoyed very much.

con: food was not so great   Lack variety, at times salty. At dinner you were charged for water and where not offered tea or coffee with dessert.

Pros: great nighttime entertainment.   We enjoyed having a stop at different port almost daily.  Cabin size and cleanness was great.  Staff just ok not overly friendly. It was great meeting so many people from different places that spoke different languages making this a unique experience.

It was a very good and fun trip over all and I would recommend this trip to anyone.

However, there are so many hidden costs that surprise us at the end of our trip.

These costs should have been told to us before we boarded the ship.The shore excursions were fairly good except the  tour leaders who walk so fast and our free time was so limited.

This was my 6th cruise, but the first time on Norwegian Cruise Line.

We found that toilet flushes in our stateroom were queued with flushes from other staterooms.  Sometimes, there was no noticeable delay between a button push and an actual flush.  More often, there was a 20~30 second delay.  In quite a few instances (around 8 a.m. or before we were about to disembark for shore excursions), there was a 5-minute delay (I actually timed this delay several times)!  This was embarrassing.  I have not experienced this phenomenon (i.e., queuing toilet flushes) in other cruise ships.

The destinations (port calls) and shore excursions were good.  It could have been quite good with a better ship, better food and better entertainment program.

My first cruise and not my last. I absolutely loved this cruise destinations and the ship was amazing from the dining to entertainment was superb! I would definitely recommend this cruise to all my friends and family. Be sure to get the package deals if offered which I got and it was perfect included beverages, tips, and on board credit. Staff was amazing made new friends and can't wait to see them again on my next cruise.

Cruise was excellent, but very busy. Ship was great with good food and plenty to do. No problem getting in free dining rooms when you wanted. Really liked freedom to eat when and where we wanted.

My wife and I had some difficult times touring Venice, Rome and Florence on our own.  Norwegian Cruise gave us little help in Venice just recommending the monorail "people mover" that put you still hours away from St. Mark's square. The ship's guided tours in Rome and Florence were over priced in my opinion. One of the Ship's Shore Excursion workers gave us wrong information on where we would land in Mykinous, Greece. That was annoying along with not giving us more information about the Florence and Pisa tours that allowed Internet access. Onboard ship Internet access was priced by the minute. There was hardly any news information except for the BBC that concentrated on England and Ireland.  Everywhere onboard our ship seems there are too many extra charges. No free water but the contractors providing the tour gave out free water while our ship charged for bottles before leaving for the tour. Why? I had my wallet stolen in Rome- standing up in a crowded subway we took so that we could quickly catch the next train to Civitavecchia and not miss the ship. We were surprised that we had to take two buses in Civitavecchia. One to reach port entrance because of where the ship had docked and another, out of pocket expense, bus from the port to the train station. A change in location from our last trip to this port.Information from the Ship's shore excursions always seemed to be at the wrong time- while eating breakfast. We were really tired by the time we reached the last port. We felt like we had walked across half of Europe. The Shore Excursion people were negligent, in my opinion , of providing more information on where the ship docked and how to reach points of interest usually some distance away from where we docked. Again it was all about money. Let's squeeze some more tours from our passengers!   

Desilución casi total, deben mejorar las actividades, tener más organización con relación a las excursiones, los empleados deben estar más orientados y ser más amables. Lo único que puedo decir, sobresalio en este crucero, fueron los empleados en la cena ( los meseros ) fueron muy amables y complacientes. Pero para mi en general le doy un tres de 10. Tomé esta linea de crucero por la ruta que tenía, que incluia Turquía, Egipto ,Israel, y algo de Grecia, pero a último momento fué cambiada, y ya no tuve tiempo para cambiar el crucero y por eso lo tomé, pero aunque ya conocía la linea en otro crucero que había hecho con ellos y sabía que no era excelente, esta vez fué demasiado decepcionante. 

It's my 1st time to me to take Cruise in Europe.  Out of my expectation, both for the cruise and all beautiful cities.  Costa Deliziosa​ is very suitable for family.  And I like the ​atmosphere onboard.  The only pity is that 5 hours ​excursion is too short, better add 1-2 hours for each city,

Oceania Lines are one of the best to cruise.  The food was wonderful,, the service was terrific and the itinerary was perfect.  I was busy the entire time using Oceania destination excursions (all were very good) but was too tired to stay up for the evening entertainment! I would highly recommend this cruise to anyone who is interested in ancient history.  We added 2 days at the end in Athens and saw the Acropolis and other classical ruins.  Just a delight.  The trip home was LONG so I would have appreciated at least a direct flight from Athens to Atlanta, which we did not get.  However, I'm resting at home now!

Delta SkyMiles Cruises, and Amani Richardson who books cruises for that company, helped us select a week-long cruise from Barcelona through the Western Mediterranean aboard RC's Allure of the Seas.  It was great from the moment of arrival.  RC checks baggage prior to boarding and the luggage magically appeared on our floor within hours, while we boarded and explored the ship.  The trip was great and included Mallorca (where we took a guided bike ride tour enjoying history, and the city), Marseille/Cassis, France, where we took a guided bus tour, and enjoyed the history and the countryside; Cinque Terre in the Liguria Region of Italy, in which we also enjoyed a fantastic bus and walking tour lined up by RC, enjoying three of the CT towns on the the countryside, as it were (vineyards on the hills), the vibe of each of three of the towns, and ferry rides between them; Roma, Italy, which we explored on our own (having been there before) after a train ride into the city (which I would recommend doing only if you have already spent time in Rome); and finally we stopped in Naples, where we caught a fast ferry ride to the Isle of Capri, which once again we explored on our own, the atmosphere of the towns, the flavors and the countryside (I would recommend to anyone in shape. walking down the steps and ramps from the middle level of the Island, rather than taking the funicular ride or cab both ways - you will see another side of the island and beautiful gardens and homes built on the hills right up close).  Of course, aboard the ship, we had great meals each evening with serves and staff who enjoyed their jobs and making their customers happy.  We saw great shows, that included a Queen impersonator rock band, an ice show, the musical, Mamma Mia, and a beautiful song, dance and acrobatics show, called Blue Planet.  We missed the diving show.  Each of the performances were great.  On either side of the cruise we spent a full day in Barcelona, Spain.  We can recommend the Cotton House, a great newer hotel located at Gran Via de Corts, Catalenes, 670.  It is affiliated with Marriot.  We went to Guell Park created by the artis Gaudi, (a Must-see for anyone interested in contemporary art), a couple museums, including one in the Montjuic area, a low mountain or high hill location from which there are also great views of the port and part of the city.  The first night we had in Barcelona, we enjoyed a drink and dinner at the Miramar Hotel in Montjuic, a great place for both and for wonderful views.  Upon our return after the cruise, we found our way back to Montjuic, and walked around a bit, took in the national museum of Cataluna, some Spanish guitar music outside the museum, the views, and a walk by the 1992 Olympic Village, before we took a skyride (Teleferica) down from Montjuic near the Miramar Hotel to the area near an expansive beach called Barceloneta, where we walked on a boardwalk and enjoyed a nice inexpensive lunch with wine, some more walking and then returned to the hotel to rest, freshen up for dinner and the Flamenco show we went to that night at Tablao di Carmen, a fantastic show about a 15 minute cab ride away from our hotel.

We chose this because we were able to see two different parts of Croatia (Dubrovnik & Split), as well as Venice (Italy), Athens (Greece), and Ephesus (Turkey). It's hard to say what our favorite port of call was... I highly recommend all of them! We went in late September/Early October 2015 so things were much safer in Turkey... however you are VERY far away from the instability so I would still recommend going while you still can. Plus, they will eventually likely close Venice since it's literally sinking into the sea. We used our bank and our local AAA office to convert the currency for Kunas (Croatia) and Lira (Turkey). While you can use Euros in those cities, you will save MUCH more money paying with the local currency. In Dubrovnik, we paid 30 Kuna for a Taxi... they were charging 15 Euros... so we paid about $4 instead of $16. 

As for the ship, it's beautiful. Trivia is SO much fun. I would do this cruise again. 

the ports of call were great and the shows awesome, however Norwegian cruise lines tend to be too crowded; difficult to find good seating in lounges and cafes. Too many activities onboard require additional money, and activities are bland and not creative. Service is a little impersonal compared to other cruise lines. I have taken better cruises.

Amazing destinations, both for beauty and historical context.  Voyage was more intimate given 140 passengers, where there are only two cabin decks and you meet majority of passengers during 7 days.  Weather in late Sept was comfortable to where you did not end your day hot and exhausted.  Food was of high quality as expected.  Due to weather we were unable to use watersports platform which was our only negative to the trip.  Finally, excursions while not unreasonable in cost, could be attained for half the price DIY.  With the exception of the Evening in Ephesus, which was the highlight of the entire trip.  Average age skewed older (avg 65). Would highly recommend both this ship and itinerary.

This was our fourth cruise and the itinerary was perfect.  Enjoyed all four ports, especially Kusadasi, Turkey and Piraus/ Athens.  Staff on board the Jade very nice and accommodating.  Entertainment was top notch at the Stardust Theater.

Staff in every dept went the extra mile to accommodate guests. Food was just ok. One or two good shows.excursions very well organized. Enjoyed free style dining

This cruise is very family oriented. The ship was beautiful and the entertainment was hilarious. The staff on the cruise was extremely friendly and the service was excellent.