Europe - Mediterranean Cruise Reviews

My family of 5 took what we refer to as "Our trip of a lifetime" of the Norwegian Spirit.  We choose this particular cruise for the itinerary and timing...we have cruised many times before and have never been disappointed... until now. The ship was lovely and clean but the lack of customer service and not being up front about on board credits and cell phone compatibility leaves us wishing we waited for Carnival to return to Europe!  To get right to the point I have Sprint as my cell phone carrier and was told that it is incompatible with Norwegian...at least the Spirit....and I have an I-phone and Norwegian blocks the I-cloud!!!  If we were made aware of this...we could have worked around certain issues but it is not disclosed anywhere. Next as part of a promotion we were given $250 on board credit per stateroom which I asked if I could use toward gratuities...and was told yes...but when the final bill came they left over $300 credit on my account and said I could only use part of it...but 2 days prior to leaving I asked to see my bill and was never told that It could not be used toward gratuities...why would anyone leave a $300 credit on their account?  We could have spent that 10 times over...nowhere on the bill does it state that you can not nor does it state it on the paperwork I received from my travel agency.  Hear is where I lost all respect for Norwegian Cruise Line...as I was arguing about the bill their only solution was to take the money off of the gratuities for the employees!!!  Why should they suffer because the company is trying to pull a fast one on the consumer!  Shame on them...I will never cruise Norwegian again knowing that is how they treat their employees!

As for the lack of customer service...they need to take a Carnival cruise to see how it is done right.  To give just a couple of examples...my 11 year wanted an ice cream cone...they only have one machine...it was empty...but there was a sundae bar right next to it...so I ask the girl behind the counter for a scoop of ice cream for my son's cone that I was holding and she told me she could not give me one until 5:00!  I said are you kidding me the machine is out of order but she would not give me the ice cream so we waited for 5:00 and then she disappeared!  Still in disbelief I went to ask why and after 15 minutes I was put the phone with a chef that said it should not have happened...but it did. Then there was the pillow incident...the pillows were flat and hard and I had a very hard time sleeping so on the 4th day of the cruise I asked my steward for a different pillow...he told me to call customer service so he did not have to go and get it...I complied against my better judgment only to be told by housekeeping that is the only pillow available to me since I am not a VIP!  I still can not believe she said that to me...so no pillow for me for 2 more nights...then 2 different pillows showed up in our stateroom because I did not respond to a paper left on my door asking me if my problem was resolved to my satisfaction. We had several staff members be absolutely rude to us which has never happened on any of my other cruises.  We also had the unlimited drink package...good luck finding a waiter on the ship to come and get your order...we would wait no less than 1/2 hours to get a drink...most of the time we would just go to the bar ourselves.  My 11 year had a drink or soda package and we do not drink soda and I specifically asked if he could get virgin strawberry daiquiris  and juice...I was told yes...but no they would not give him either!   They say it is free style cruising but it is far from that...dinner there are 2 restaurants you can use unless again you want to pay more but really only one because you have to be dressed according to the dress code to get in to one of them.Then there was the matter of room service...they charge you $7.95 plus gratuities every time you use it.  And if your kids are in their camp there is a fee to feed them!  I have never been charged to feed the kids on my other cruises.  There unfortunately where many of these little incidents which made us very unhappy and they did not care at all...the lack of customer service was unbelievable!

We chose this cruise upon the request of our daughter to see Europe as a graduation gift. She wasn't sure where she wanted to go so we decided to visit multiple countries with the idea that after this trip she would better know where she would like to return in the future for another visit.  Her goal was accomplished. We had an awesome overview of each port and close cities and now anxious to return to several for another visit.  

As always we found Norwegian's freestyle cruising perfect for us. We were able to plan our itinerary ourselves or allow them to do it for us.  There was plenty of entertainment provided, but also lots of quiet zones.   Having a daily choice of eating times and venues is awesome compared to being assigned a time to eat as we have experienced with other cruise lines.

We found the crew to be extremely helpful and personal. Our cabin steward knew our first names the first day. Great job Conrad!

For us, twelve days proved to be a little to long. We would probably chose a shorter cruise if we did it again. Possibly staying in the embarcation and debarcation ports extra days.

This cruise proved to be a wonderful way to see many of the best places of southern Europe. Starting in Barcelona was the perfect way to get your feet wet to the European lifestyle, then traveling to France, Italy, Greece and Turkey was historical, beautiful and interesting. It would be difficult to go to all these places in one trip if you were on your own, so this cruise was a great way to see so much! I was especially excited that this trip included Turkey (Istanbul and Ephesus), and I was not disappointed! I felt safe knowing that all my belongings were safe on the ship and it was such a relief to visit Europe and have most of the logistical details planned for me. 

I've been on several Caribbean cruises in the past with Holland America Line, so this was a pretty new experience. In comparison to Holland America, the food in the main dining room and buffet (the places included with your cruise fare price) was not excellent, but still good. Because we picked this trip for the ports of call, the food was a bit of a trade-off. 

Reflection is a beautiful ship.  Although it holds about 3,000 guests, we never felt crowded. We had an Aqua-class cabin, and it was lovely.  Blu was excellent for breakfast, but we did eat occasionally in Opus for dinner (Opus offered lamb more often, and I'm a sucker for lamb!).  Qsine is a not to be missed dining experience - a feast for all the senses.  The central atrium is a nice visual (mid-ship aft) but it can be noisy. Our cabin was forward, so we were not bothered with noise, but we did wonder about the cabins on the lower decks closer to the atrium.  Took a variety of excursions - some from the ship, some private, some non-ship group. Crowd control for ship tours was MUCH better than the Royal Caribbean cruise in 2013.  My cruise selection is more destination driven than ship driven, this was my first (but not last) cruise on Celebrity.  Compared to Royal Caribbean (Toyota) this was much better (Lexus). We didn't take advantage of Canyon Ranch Spa until the last sea day, and that was a mistake! We definitely should have taken advantage of that sooner.    

We had a blast on our cruise.  The Epic is huge!  It is very well maintained and clean and the staff were all so very pleasant and accomodating.

We really liked the shows we saw, but honestly felt the onboard entertainment was not quite as exhaustive as previous cruises we have been on, with other cruise lines.  There were several evening that we were looking for something to do, and a few times all we could find to do was go hang out at the pool.

If I had something negative to say, it would be about the freestyle dining.  While the meals were all good, especially in the specialty dining areas, we did not feel like we made as many friends on this trip as we have on previous cruises.  This is due in part to not having assigned meal times and tables with other passengers.

All in all a very enjoyable time.  I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I really like the cruise as a whole, however the staff seem tired and not too friendly with the guest.  The service was ok I'm sure it can be improve especially their attitude.  My luggage was broken by the crew that took the luggage from the port to the stateroom.  It was repaired  but when I disembark the luggage was broken again and this time both handles were broken.  Ill be emailing/calling the cruise line to see how can they help, it was a brand new luggage.  Other than that, I had the beverage package which was an excellent choice.  Food was great, the restaurant were awesome! I will cruise again soon!!

Barcelona --a wonderful city! People are friendly and hospitable. The port is clean and efficient--the easiest check-in ever. The ship's crew was wonderful; the upscale restaurants onboard were good, particularly the French one. The ship design isn't the best; you must walk through the casino on your way to several other destinations, the view from the promenade is restricted by the hanging life boats, and the promenade does not circle the ship. But our suite was huge and very comfortable. The structural limitations of the vessel are quickly overcome by the great crew and the excellent ports of call.  I

recommend the excursions you can book onboard, as it can be tiresome and time-consuming to make your own way in unfamiliar cities.  Our guides in Pompeii, Rome and Cannes were top-notch. Great surprises: the monastery, wine and view in St Honorat, the cathedral in Palma, and the amazing architecture, sights and food in Barcelona.  I would consider taking this cruise again, perhaps leaving from Rome next time.  It was a great vacation and an excellent value.  

Very well organized and nice activities on board, specially the guest performers.

Only recommendation, see the possibility of expanding the stay in some ports like Cannes and Naples to more than the standard 8 to 10 hours; i.e spend the night in it.

It was a good trip over all. The food was great as well the staff. That is all I can say for right now. fdffddfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdffdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdf

Relaxing cruise great itinerary Thoroughly enjoyed Lumina dining room. Rashes our waiter always a smile and most attentive. Loved our room steward Roman and butler Alex.

The cruise was fantastic!  All four stops were totally "different" from each other --and all beautiful in a unique way.  The fact that the cruise begins in Venice allows for another fantastic opportunity.  We couldn't be more pleased.  

This was the second time we had been on the Jade (different ports) and it has been updated since our last cruise.  Great quality all the way around.  

The check-in was a nightmare with 300 or more people waiting hours to check on to the ship.  Since we were not Aqua class or above it was not a pleasant way to start the cruise.  Our balcony room had mold in the shower, ratty towels, some towels with spots not removed in previous cleaning and holes in bed linens.  The food was a joke.  Leg of lamb and other lamb dishes that tasted like mutton.  Steaks that were 3X4 inches and about 1/4 inch thick, two bite appetizers, etc. I have never felt like a second class person until I went on this cruise.  Except for a few exceptions the entertainment was corny and not professional.  Room service was awful.  If you wanted a real egg, it was $7 to $9 otherwise you had powdered scrambled eggs.  I had to print that I wanted a plate for my food, a basket of rolls was two.  There just seemed to be a real general lack of attention to detail.  Although our cabin person and our waiter in the dining room were wonderful it did not make up for the shoddy food or patched carpet etc.  in the room.  I felt I did not get my moneys worth for what I paid.

Our overall trip was very delightful! Our room and service was exceptional! the entertainment was entertaining and a very talented group! For us the night life was great...we are ballroom dancers and found  dance music in all of the clubs! The staff of the Divina went out of there way to get everyone involved and dance lessons were available everyday for people who wanted to learn! We thought the food was good. Dining room offered meals that compared to other major cruise lines/ and the buffet offered more then enough. Being a cruise line from the Mediterranean.. there were people from many European countries and we found that maybe a communication or explanation problem with people knowing where to go..some people pushing there way around..not necessarily MSC fault.  the one excursion we booked from MSC was ok. we had a tour guide that spoke very poor English and most of  our group felt the same.    

This was our 1st cruise....and our honeymoon! We loved it......the staff was superb and some of the nicest people you could ever be with on vacation. The food was also very good....we didn't buy the upgraded food package but were very happy with the complimentary choices. We stayed in a cabin with a window....i think next time we will splurge for a room with a balcony and a little more space. Other than being small, the room was very nice, nicer than we expected! The cruise stops themselves were great! We especially loved Santorini & Mykonos.

We just finished a Western Mediterranean cruise on the Epic. We loved it with the Unlimited Dining and Drinking package. Wine and cocktails were all free along with specialty dining at the best restaurants! The ship is very quiet and smooth even during one night's storm with over 60 knot winds and 11 foot seas. Many interesting shows on board too. Our Suite cabin was really nice. It was well laid out, had a comfortable bed, couch, full tub and shower, and a large patio. We stayed in a mid-ship suite on the Starboard 9th deck and loved it. The top deck has an Adults only rear area with a couple hot tubs and pool. A Jumbo

screen there showed movies after dark and had dancing later. Plenty of other pools and water park rides for everyone mid ship.

The Equinox is a beautiful ship, with a stellar crew. It is clean, easy to navigate. After one day, it is easy to know your way around the ship. For me I particularly like the blu restaurant and will always be part of the Aqua Class just to be able to eat there. The servers are spectacular. The food outstanding. It is an intimate setting that is unlike any other cruise option.

It was a good trip, the staff was very friendly and made it a fun trip and a relaxed trip.  There was one day that we had to stay in line for a couple of hours to get back to the boat.  But there was a good reason to it, there were high winds and the staff wanted to protect the passengers so they waited till it was better to get us on the boat.  After they started moving us in the lines when faster.

We had an amazing time visiting all of the ports, which is exactly what we went on this cruise to do. However, I was extremely disappointed in the quality of the ship's amenities as well as the staff. In the total of the 7 days we were on the Epic, we did not experience one pleasant Norwegian staff member aside from our housekeeper. Bar, restaurant and towel staff where miserable and not very accommodating. Food was mediocre at best. Was also disappointed in that everything seemed like it cost extra. Many of the dining rooms, shows, and entertainment were an extra fee. Elevators might as well not have existed as it would take at least 10 minutes to get one; most of the time we walked the several flights of stairs to get where we were going. I'm glad we went on this cruise not for the ship, but to experience the cities we visited. Would definitely recommend a Mediterranean Cruise, but with a different cruise line!

Ship was centered around the casino, specialty dining and a costly dinner show.  It seemed we were constantly passing through the casino to get anywhere.  We enjoyed the complimentary dining rooms but found they were seldom open for breakfast and lunch at convenient times.  The specialty dining was over rated and was not worth the extra $30. per person!  Complimentary entertainment was average. This ship lacked anything special compared to other cruise ships.

Our room steward did an outstanding job...Go Reggie!!

Many cruises and 6th on Norwegian, this was the worst. Most of the crew was not trained well, so many incidents that make the vacation a disaster.  First, the two bags we had only one arrived. The other was returned by the cabin crew even though the name tags were spelled exactly the same. The bar tender didn't want to take a order for a beer because he was so busy, and the spa didn't give the service that was booked. At the garden cafe, the staff can't get an order of cappuccino correct. The highlight was that the Garden Cafe worker dumped a big bucked of coffee on the ground and splashed up all over me and my daughter. The customer service managers were not apologetic and not customer oriented at all. I will not recommend a cruise with Epic to anybody.