Europe - Mediterranean Cruise Reviews

We took this cruise to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary.

The Island Princess crew met all of our expectations, they were friendly, helpful and motivated. The food was great and the entertainment staff was super. The ports of call were excellent and the tours we took with Princess were organized well.

We loved every minute of it. The food was excellent and the excursions were also.   We did a shorter version years ago and I would highly recommend the longer version.

Celebrity is the ONLY line I will use.  They blend upscale, comfortable, busy, restful, sumptuous, and fun.  Southern Europe was on our must-do list for a while and this cruise gave us a big return.  Loved the ports, especially Malta (too bad about unrest in Turkey - would've loved to see Istanbul).  Luminae (the restaurant reserved for suite guests) was a brilliant idea!  And Victor surely knows his wines!

This was a wonderful experience, from start to finish.  Every aspect of the cruise, from the stateroom, to the food, to entertainment, was top drawer.  

We chose this cruise mainly for the ports-of-call, and were not disappointed.  The ship is definitely dated, but was very clean. Probably the smallest cabin we have ever had.  We literally had to get off the bed at the end when getting up to use the bathroom - there was not enough room to walk around the sides without running into either a chair or the desk.  The service was excellent, but we felt that the ship nickled and dimed for everything.  First ship I have ever seen that charged for room service.  (They advertise free room service with a $7.95 convenience fee + service charge.)  Not a big deal, as we never use this, but thought it worth noting.  The drink prices were higher than any other ship we have sailed on as well.  The food was fine.  Some nights were great, others were just ok.  We didn't have any bad meals.  Food at the buffet was fine, but nothing special.  The salad bar was lacking for sure and the selection of fruit wasn't great.  We enjoyed most of the entertainment and really liked many of the areas to sit and have a drink, read, etc...  There are never enough chaises near the pool, but at least we could find one on another deck.

Did feel that there might be a plumbing issue on the ship.  Our totally did not always flush on cue, and there was sometimes a 'sewage smell' when walking around.

Again, great ports, service was very good, food was good.  I would say our experience was slightly better than what we were expecting, so that is a win!

Ship was the perfect size. Ports were all awesome water was very smooth most of the time. Small problems were mostly taken care of. Overall a very fun time. Wether was great too 22 -26 most days

Really enjoyed our cruise - the Rhapsody of the Seas is a smaller ship, ~2000 guests, which made it a wonderful experience. While the ship could have had a smidge more shops or slightly larger showers in interior cabins, we wouldn't have changed much else. The staff were incredibly friendly, the ship was very comfortable and the itinerary was great. The only thing that could have been better on itinerary was an extended day or overnight in Santorini (maybe skip Crete?). Really a fun cruise and one I would recommend for anyone looking for an intro trip to Greece.

This was the BEST cruise itinerary we've ever taken!  We had a fabulous time!!!  There is so much history to see in Europe, we were pleasantly overwhelmed!  The 12 day Grand Mediterrean cruise is the PERFECT itinerary to see so much.  There were many excursions to choose from and we were happy with every one we went on.

The cruise staff were so pleasant and helpful.  We are very thankful for all of the hard work they put in to make the passengers as comfortable as possible and wanting for more!

We've been on many cruises in the past and we thought that this particular cruise was a little on the quiet side compared to the others that we've been on.  That's certainly not a bad thing, however we weren't sure why.  I guess we are used to having music blaring and more upbeat vibe.  We figured it might of been the cruise itinerary.

We highly recommend this spit and cruise itinerary!

Great itinerary!  The Allure is a beautiful ship with lots to do.  We stayed in Sky Loft suite which was nice (largest deck we've ever had - usually stay in Royal Suites).  Bathrooms and closet space both horrible.  So many people on the ship, there was always a long line waiting to get int the Windjammer to eat.  The Suite lounge (perk with suites) and Coastal Kitchen were excellent although concierges were extremely poor.  Food was decent anywhere on ship. Awesome new automated process with finding and viewing your pictures although it only works if you get your picture taken with backdrop as you board ship (based then on face recognition similar to FB).  RCL is testing lots of changes on different ships. Communication of what's being tested is poorly communicated in advance which is a negative if you purchase things in advance. Travel agents have no idea of what's going on although RCL encourages you to book through an agent. 

This was my first cruise and have heard from many that compared to other cruise lines this one is really excellent. The food and service were great. Detailed menus with lots to choose from and good quality. The sushi restaurant was our favorite. We were more than satisfied with the drink selection, and very impressed with the included wine and spirits. Staterooms and balconies are very clean and comfortable. 

If I were over the age of 50 I would probably give the cruise a 4-5 star rating. However, being in my 30's I'm not sure if this cruise was the best choice for my husband and I. The ship really caterers to the older generation, which makes sense since it's the vast majority of their client base. Most of the activities and shows were geared toward them, and the ship's decor is quite dated. The pool area looks like it needs an update as well.

I would highly recommend the cruise for those who want to be pampered, eat great food, and enjoy a quiet relaxed atmosphere, and do not want or need something geared toward younger generations. 

Older ship.  Many tourists are rude.  Buffet is average.  Got tired of it.  Did not book excursions through NCL because got lower rate with independent company.  Will try another cruise line next time.

When I read the itinerary for this cruise, it said it started on Sunday in Venice and you could use the ship as a hotel Sunday night as it didn't leave Venice until Monday. Well, what they didn't say was it left Venice Monday at 1 am. Which meant you really had Sunday to see Venice. What a let down. And I wasn't the only one who thought that.

Next, like most ships now, if you want a really decent meal, you have to dine in the 'exclusive' restaurants. Otherwise, you're going to get so-so food, not hot or cold, served by someone who could generally care less. I refused to cave and decided to pretend I was back in college. Come to think of it, dorm food was better.

My wife and I and another couple booked this cruise for our first Europe trip, knowing Allure was an excellent ship, and were very happy with it. We did arrive a day early in Barcelona to enjoy the city, then hit the ship.

Embarkation was smooth and efficient, Allure was as fine a ship as it has always been, and the staff aboard honored our special requests (one of which is a flourless chocolate cake, only generally offered one night a week as a special dessert). We decided to do the Chef's Table, and must recommend this option over any other specialty dining option as the most memorable meal we have ever had. Multiple courses, wine paired with each course, and the chef explaining the preparation and wine selection.

The ports visited in Italy were the most jam packed due to the sites available, but how can you not tour Florence, Pisa, Rome, and Naples-Sorrento-Amalfi Coast.

Our CO agent (Kathy Jezek) did an excellent job with helping us with all details to make this a very special trip

We compared this cruise with NCL to three competitors with whom we have traveled.  On balance the accomodations were by far the best.  This was a good start, however there were inconsistencies in other aspects of our cruise that dissapointed.  The primary area was in food and beverage service. While two premium meals were excellent, the dining rooms were erratic with repsect to presentation and service.  Although we were assured by a manager hat bar drinks were prepared to a standard shipwide recipe, we found some drinks dissapointing in some venues.  We have also been left with the impression that scotch sours ordered by my wife were "watered down" and failed to deliver a satisfying drink even after beign returned to the bar for repair or replacement.

Just completed our 9 day cruise with Rhapsody.  Great itinerary with the Greek isles, Athens and Kusadasi/ephesis.  Very pleasing cruise, staff and accommodations. 

Starting in Venice, arrived a day early to enjoy this great city, then adding Kotor Montenegro ( a neat surprise), Corfu (palace was nice, the monastery a waste), Athens ( got to do the Acropolis!), Mykonos (shop,eat, drink, repeat!), & Argostoli (keep walking - a cool little town when you get a little past the initial waterfront), ending back in Venice was a perfect itinerary. Each port was special and different.

The ship staff was very friendly & helpful, clearly wanting to make a good impression, save for one front desk supervisor who needs to be relocated to the engine room so he never has to talk to Guests.

This was our third R.C cruise but first in a number of years. We had expected R.C. to exceed competitor cruise lines from our recent cruises in the past year, (2 carnival & 1 Norwegian), however on several levels R.C. fell surprisingly short: from the stateroom (pillows were flat & hard, no frig, lacking storage & amenities.), to the music (no variety-all the same- 'elevator' style, & no cultural music infused from the destinations visited), to the shows which were just ok but far short on inspiration & production quality as we experienced on Carnival & Norwegian, & the food which had uninspired menus, nothing reflecting local ports cuisine. Very average quality. (service was very good though)

Sorry, R.C. but there was no WOW from you on this cruise. We have gained new respect for your competitors & will choose them (also Celebrity) for our near future trips. 

The was an excellent cruise. With the exception of some of the shore excursions we a bit more stringent than we we led to believe, we had a Wonderful Cruise!

Had a fabulous time on the cruise and on the excursions in the Greek Islands. The one major complaint is that the Jade is an old ship with very little activities on the days at sea, other than eat and sit by the pool for the most part.  The other complaint is that they charge for everything.  There are only 2 "Free" restaurants for dinner other then the buffet Cafe and about 7 pay restaurants so you find yourself eating at the same two restaurants every night and waiting on line to get in.   Been on other ships where they have things like rock walls, ice skating rinks etc....

This was a very enjoyable cruise especially for first time cruisers of the Mediterranean. Though itinerary was changed dropping Tunis, Tunisia due to political strife, the alternative Salerno, Italy as port of call was an excellent choice. It should be noted that this cruise was actually two 7-day itineraries rather than one 14-day one. Therefore, we had a couple repeated ports of call which was okay with us because it gave us the opportunity to do different excursions the second time around. So we got to see more of each region. Ports of call were very interesting as departure points for excursions. However, they may not have been convenient for travelers who wanted to stay onboard or visit immediate area. They had to use taxis or shuttles to get to many of the closest towns for walking around. But we did not hear those people complaining.

We chose this cruise based on ports and we were pleased with most of them.  The ship itself was easy to navigate and the food was delicious!  If our cabin was better, I would have rated this cruise higher.