Europe - Mediterranean Cruise Reviews

Traveled for honeymoon/ birthday and neither was recognized by the ship or staff.  Stayed in a suite and requested hypoallergenic pillows in advance of cruise.  Upon arrival I was told only down were available as my advanced request was not a priority (why offer a pillow menu at all?).  Very limited options for vegetarians (salad or pasta only) nothing inventive.  Suite came with butler service, but it did not exceed normal service on any other cruise.  Cruise needs updating.  Penthouse suite with extended balcony only came with one lounge chair.  Drink service at bars and by pools was non-existent.  

Overall a very nice ship.  Good ports, not too many days at sea, excellent attentive staff and a good value for the money.  The ship did show some signs of wear and tear and some parts of the ship could definitely be upgraded, but the staff made up for the negatives with their cheerful attitude and excellent customer service.  The menus in the restaurant were just OK, nothing fancy.  Was a little disappointed to not see any lobster in the main dining room and also we had a pay an additional fee on top of the additional fee to enjoy it at the French Restaurant.  Aside from that, the food was pretty good.

This was our first cruise and many friends had told us how great cruising was but none had been on this particular cruise. I am big on using the internet to research places and had downloaded an app (Ship Mate) to track the ships progress. I paid for the top WiFi package so I could access the internet on 2 devices. Internet access was not available in our state room and spotty on the upper decks. Couldn't use the app or research our excursion destinations. Very frustrating. Also, couldn't smoke a cigar anywhere but the starboard side of the upper two decks and it was too windy in the evenings.

We enjoyed the excursions and met some great people but the ship was crowded and relaxing lounge chairs were hard to find. IF we cruise again we will likely try another cruise line or a larger ship.

The on-board activities were mainly inane--towel-folding lessons, fox-trot lessons (the fox-trot became passe 60 years ago).  Too much bus-riding on the off-ship excursions.  Why Argostoli?  Nothing but a third-rate cave and a so-so monastery.  Surely some other island would have been more interesting.  The solo guitarist for the last night dance party was really disappointing.

We really enjoyed everything about this cruise!  The ship was immaculate & every crew member we encountered was professional, personable & accommodating!  We tried 4 specialty restaurants & enjoyed them all, especially Murano & Tuscan Grill!  We also enjoyed the dinners in the main dinner room & the service was wonderful too!  Peter, our waiter, was so nice & attentive!  The evening shows offered a nice variety & great talent!  Best of all, were the fabulous ports!  We loved visiting so many Greek islands & Taormina, Sicily & the Amalfi Coast were so beautiful!  I highly recommend this cruise & Cruises Only!  Christina Drumm was such a pleasure to work with & everything went so smoothly!

This cruise was the finale for a 6 week trip to Italy...we circled this country in 18 days and we were constantly amazed with it's awesome beauty.  We took a much needed break in Rome for 12 days, then off to be spoiled on the Celebrity Reflection for 10 days.  From our first sighting of this incredible ship, to the speedy boarding, to the effiecient staff, we were wisked away into Reflection Heaven!  Our balcony allowed us to move away from the crowds and enjoy our lovely views of the ports and islands.  And after a busy day on shore, it was wonderful to return to our cabin, which was well maintained with every attention to detail.  We enjoyed the made to order omelets on Deck 14, the "Adults Only" pool and spa lunches, dinner in Morano and Tuscan Grill.  Evenings there were many choices for entertainment or we could just retreat to a quiet evening on our veranda.  And when it was time to return back "to reality"  the disembark and airport transfer was made even more enjoyable with our guide on the coach ride back to FCO.

this was our first cruise and boy, did we pick a good one.  The staff was amazing.  We were spoiled rotten.  There was nothing overlooked and when we had questions, everything was answered perfectly.  Our excursion experiences were well organized and everything we expected.  Thank you so much for a trip of a lifetime.

The Reflection is a lovely ship with a terrific staff from the Captain down. They are very organized from our dining experiences to the tender system and port transfers.

We chose this itinerary because it went to the three Greek islands that I have wanted to visit the most and I was not disappointed. They are all quite different but can be crowded which we expected.

We enjoyed the other ports very much but Ephesus in Kusadasi,Turkey is not to be missed, just as spectacular as the Parthenon (Acropolis) in Athens.

excellent cruise  the staff was outstanding   did not really understand "inclusive"   but did have an amazing time  looking to book one for later this year, same cruise lines

Enjoyedcruise so very much. Much to do and see. Also time to rest and enjoy quiet time. Enjoyed the Diamond lounge, and the crew there was exceptional.

The ports were great but the vessel needs upgrading and overall  

 the lower level hallways had a pungent odor.

Toilets on many floor were blocked especially bad with many passengers complaining and the crew agreeing there was a problem.

I feel sure they will have to attend to this immediately.

for the length of the cruise the menu was quite repetitive but good.

The ports were amazing, Kotor was the best. It is a must see. 2 days in Rome would be better than 2 days in Venice. The staff were nice and accommodating. The food was much better the second part of the trip. Due to the high prices of the shore excursions we did many of the sights on our own, by hiring a driver when we got off of the ship. Also, the shuttle prices were a little high. We wanted to spend more time in the spa on the at sea days, but, again, the prices were beyond normal, a facial was $169 for 50 minutes. Overall, it was a great trip and we had a blast.

First cruise experience and was not let down. Great ports and as much as you want to do on or off the point and excursions on your own or through the ship.

My daughter and I just finished our cruise on the Norwegian Epic from Rome, Italy to Florence/Pisa, Cannes, France, Palma Majorca, Barcelona, Spain, Naples, Italy, and back to Rome.   Overall, the cruise was great.  We had some issues getting from the port to Rome and vice versa which cast a dark shadow over the cruise.  I do wish that the cruise line would provide a complimentary shuttle from and to the port.  That is always the hardest part as well as costly.  We wound up being scammed in the FCO airport first and then again in the train station.  That one service alone, if provided by the cruise line, would make all the difference (they offer the service but not at a competitive rate and certainly not complimentary).

We had an aft balcony cabin, 9295 on the NOrwegian Epic. The views from Aft are amazing but no more so than the side views.  The bed was by the balcony which was perfect.  The bathroom and shower are in two separate compartments right by the door which was not at all ideal.  The plexiglass doors did little for privacy so we had to keep the curtain closed and make sure that nobody came to the door while one was in the bathroom or taking a shower.  Not at all optimal but not horrible.

The ship itself is beautiful with lots of things to do including a casino, pool tables, bingo, bowling, movies, rock climbing, water slides, and lots of food.  However, other than swimming, everything had an extra charge.  The pool was $2 a game.  Bowling was $7 per person per game (fun but could rack up in charges fast).  That was a bit annoying but I guess standard.

The food was free.  Not great.  Not horrible.  Bland.  Lots of variety but it all seemed to taste the same.  Norwegian has also just recently started charging for room service so we didn't use that except for continental breakfasts (no charge for that) but the selection was starch or other starch and very bland.  We did it for the coffee basically.  The wait staff was very friendly but it was difficult to get refills on anything.  I think they were simply too busy.  One drink and that was pushing it on all meals in every single venue.  O Sheehan's Bar and Grill had the best complimentary food and service on the whole ship.  The Manhattan room had a lovely presentation and great ambiance but the food was bland with a very limited selection.

We used the unlimited beverage package promotion which was simply great.  I would do that again whether free or not.  However, it is not available via room service even with the extra service charge.  Go figure!!  Also, it was difficult to get a second glass of wine at dinner unless you went to the bar and got it yourself. 

The shows were great and very entertaining.  Howl at the Moon was lively and different.  The Dance show (forgot the name) was also very good and lively.  Cirque and Dinner was okay.  We paid extra for the premium seating and still had an obstructed view which was disappointing.  Again, I was unable to get a drink refill (soda this time) during dinner.  That's a recurring problem.

The gift shops don't have books or anything other than jewelry, perfume, and souvenir type items.  The library is nice but only open at certain times?  The book that I got immediately fell apart (old/stiff spine) when I got it to the cabin to read.  I returned it in the book return bin but imagine that will probably be added to my bill later.

The NCL excursions were expensive but pretty darn good.  It took the guess work out of planning in a foreign speaking country.  In hindsight, I should have booked the SkyMilesCruises excursions at a discount but I thought that I would be able to DIY.  Once in Italy after being scammed twice, we decided to take no more chances on DIY and booked the NCL excursions.  Addtionally, I wish there were either more affordable options or just more information provided to help the customers plan a DIY excursion.  Even the free shuttles from the port to the city centers are no longer complimentary.  Again, nickel and dime for everything.  It was disappointing and different from our last NCL cruise.

Technology - the NCL Concierge App is good and very helpful for planning excursions and entertainment.  Basically, it's good for booking anything that will cost more money.  It was very helpful actually.  However, it does not have a deck map which should be the very first thing on the APP but is just not there.  I looked many times thinking that I must have just missed it.  It's not there.

WIFI - available but at an additional price. We didn't purchase it until the last day when my 18 year old daughter went into withdrawal and bought it for herself.  I will never buy it for myself.  It should be complimentary.  A wifi package alone would be a huge improvement.

The casino was just fun.  LOVED it!  I'm not a gambler and only played for 10 minutes total but I loved it.  There is no smoking allowed in the casino.  That is a misnomer.

Overall, the cruise was great.  The staff were very friendly and nice.  Just busy.  I probably will do another cruise but will look at other cruise lines to see if the packages are more inclusive so that I don't feel nickeled and dimed for every tiny thing.  I will look for a cruise line that has better packages that include more options for transportation, excursions, beverage packages, food, and internet/wifi.

I have mixed reviews regarding this Cruise.  Although the ship was only 5 years old it's seen soooo many families that it no longer had the feel of a newer ship.

We were surprised at the amount of families traveling with small children with the destination of Europe.  The ship at times felt like Grand Central Station on the Sea.  Although we've cruised on Royal Caribbean, Princess and Celebrity none of the trips we took ever felt this crowded.  Perhaps it was the fact that this ship actually runs 2 cruises at once with one group departing from Rome and the other departing from Barcelona.  It was an incredible experience to meet people from the UK, Sweden, Israel, Canada etc all sailing on the same ship and we thought the food quality in the 6 regular restaurants was very good. It was the crowded, cramped feeling that we enjoyed the least.  The state-room/cabin was also very small and the layout was strange not to mention impractical and allowed no privacy whatsoever.  I'm a small person but when attempting to get from one side of the cabin to the other either my husband or myself had to climb over the bed to get around one another.

The staff was efficient and friendly and the talent on the ship was better than most.  We absolutely loved the guys who played at the Howl at the Moon piano bar along with Marisa and Tony who played in the Blues/Jazz club.

The first half of the cruise which was far less crowded until 2,500 more boarded in Barcelona was much more enjoyable than the later half.

Excursions were also quite pricey on the ship but if one does their homework prior to traveling there are several ways to experience these excursions on your own.

Our suite was very nice and the service on the Haven deck was superior. The rest of the ship was very full of people, this was a bigger ship with almost 5000 cruisers. Internet service (I purchased unlimited time) was poor. At peak times, there was slow to no connection and twice I tried to use the internet café instead of my phone and had issues with their equipment. I felt there was not enough variety in the entertainment. If you didn't go to a "singing" show, there wasn't much to pick from in the evenings. Food was good, but not over the top, as I had expected. Be aware that shore excursions offered by the ship are MUCH more expensive than the same trips offered by travel agents, shop around and you can save. For example, private drivers for a day ashore were offered at $1000 per person, I was able to purchase a private driver for an entire day for about $100 per person, that is a big difference, also transfers from ship to airport are over priced compared to taxi or private transportation.

I really liked the Haven level and will do that again in the future. We had a two bedroom suite, a floorplan that isn't offered by other cruise line.

We have been on the Epic before, so knew we loved the ship.  This time we stayed in a Haven Spa Suite.  If we sail on her again, we will choose a suite located within the Haven.  All was good, ports were amazing.

Overall, this was a very positive experience.  This was my 6th cruise, first time with Norwegian.  This was my wife's 9th cruise, but also her first experience with Norwegian.  Overall, the entertainment was somewhat inconsistent with some excellent performers and some that left me wishing I had stayed in my cabin.  Graffiti, the Flyboys and the Beatles Tribute Band were all smashing.  Legends was alright, while the Rod Stewart impersonator was first rate.  Movie offerings were limited and did not take advantage of the theater facility, relying on other screen locations which were not conducive to focusing on the media.  I refrained from attending some otherwise promising movies because there were too many distractions in the venues provided.  Food was generally up to par with other cruise lines, although the menus in the two main restaurants, Taste and the Manhattan Club, were somewhat repetitive.  I had no difficulty adjusting to the freestyle seating options although we found that some waiters were better than others and there was no way to get back to the tables where the good ones worked.  Our cabin steward claimed to be a rookie on his second week with the cruise line but he was as good as or better than any we have ever had previously.  NCL must train and select their stewards very well.  We only did two of the optional shore excursions and both were problematic.  We had tickets for the hop-on, hop-off bus in Livorno.  When we got to the bus stop on shore, we discovered that there is only one bus for all five cruise ships in port and the bus that was scheduled to leave at 11:00 was already full by 10:45 and the bus would return for more passengers at noon.  Really?  On Mallorca, there were multiple buses to serve the hop-on, hop-off bus tour that we reserved, but when we arrived at the bus stop, the line was nearly a half block long.  After 45 minutes in the hot sun, we finally got on a bus for a very interesting tour that provided a great orientation for first-time visitors to the island.  We opted to take self-guided tours in Naples and Cannes, as well as a train to Rome and back from Civitivecchia.  That worked for us, but we spent three days in Rome just over six months ago, so we knew exactly where we wanted to go during our limited time in the city.  I would cruise with Norwegian again without hesitation.  However, I would not choose them over another cruise line with a better price point for the itinerary I want to explore.    

We thoroughly enjoyed this cruise.  Every port was exciting and offered wonderful excursions.  The ship and everyone that works for Royal Carribbean do their best to make your vacation as memorable as possible.  My only criticism would be that we had prepaid our gratuities which offers a "my time dining"  option which requires you to make dinner reservations between 9:00 - 4:00.  We were so busy in port and never were on board at the appointed time to make reservations resulting in us only utilizing the dining room once.  Overall, this was the most best cruise we have taken so far.  We look forward to many more!

Our cruise was a trip of a lifetime and we were not disappointed. The ship and crew were amazing. The food was delicious. Because we had a suite we received several perks for being in a suite and they were so worth it! I would encourage upgrading to a suite if you can. Royal Caribbean provided us with an excellent Anniversary Celebration!

Sue with guided us in making our plans and she was the best. Available to help with any needs and answer all our questions. I would recommend using Sue for all your travel needs!