Europe - Mediterranean Cruise Reviews

Excellent itinerary with fantastic ports. Embarkation and disembarkation process extremely efficient. Ship a bit older but well maintained and clean. Crew looks happy working there and greets you with a happy smile. Food overall is a notch below that of Princess and Celebrity but main dining is quite good. We would have gone to a specialty restaurant if we did not find anything we liked in the main dining. But we did find something every night and we are glad that we stayed with the main dining. Breakfast is exactly the same everyday and it wasn't that great. Lunch buffet was so so, nothing to be excited about. We travel with a three year old and we love the freestyle. Some ports can be visited on your own. But the shore excursions we joined were quite worthwhile. Entertainment was exceptional. Magic and aerial shows were great. The Elements show was exceptional. 

We enjoyed the cruise very much. We enjoyed the shore excursions even though there was too much to see/do in the limited amount of time. We felt pressed to get off the bus and then back on. The cruise was enjoyable, but we could tell that this was a "training" cruise for the majority of the crew members. Service wasn't as refined as we have had on other cruises. Announcements and the Freestyle Daily would provide certain information and then when it was to happen different details were given. Dining rooms did not have enough staff compared to  other cruises. We always had a head waiter, an assistant, beverage person and separate busing people. And then there was the hand washing advisory (clean hands!), but crew members who worked the dining rooms and buffet cleaned AROUND the condiments on the table instead of moving everything and wiping all surfaces clean.

We had a great time, but NCL needs to pay attention to details.

bed were hard not comfortable food was just ok not crazy with all the ports. very expensive . too much up and down on decks for dinning room nothing straight thru took awhile to find yourself around on the ship.are bathroom floor smelled like urn

We really loved this trip. Be prepared to see a LOT of history! We went a day early to spend time in Barcelona and stayed an extra day in Venice as well. Well worth the extra cost and made travel far less stressful. The ship is a bit older and has a few less amenities, the food was "OK", entertainment was also "OK", but the ports of call make up for any shortcomings! Lots of walking on the tours, so be sure you are in reasonable shape for that.

We have been on lots of other cruises and I would rate this one right up there at the top.

Thank you NCL for a fantastic time on our cruise from Barcelona to Venice...with many stops along the way.  The food was great.  We did not need the specialty restaurants although I am sure they were wonderful  too.  There were so many ports to visit and we took advantage of your planned land excursions in almost every port.  The (only) two days at sea were planned and executed by your staff very well. We loved the shows and attended every one. Lars was a masterful captain who took time to tell us when we were passing various land sights along the way.  Unfortunately many were in the middle of the night.  But that cannot be helped.  I have one complaint. To obtain smaller bills for our Euro on the ship NCL charges a $10.00 fee.  We did not try to change our currency into a different form just wanted to change the denominations.  Shame on you for charging such a huge fee.  Otherwise it was beyond our expectations . We will cruise with NCL again. 

ship was clean, staff friendly and respectful and efficient  in all services from shore excursions to embarking/ disembarking .

There were enough activities / entertainment that every age group can avail of from kids to young adults and senior citizens 

The ship  have good variety of goods in their gift shop but wished they sold more food items like biscuits / chocolate to take back home to give as gift like in Rome airport 

They could have offered better shore excursions in terms of pricing and choices of tourist area to visit 

We loved our cruise on the Norwegian Cruise Line's ship, the Epic. The ship is huge, but very easily maneuvered. There are plenty of elevators to take you to your destinations. The restaurants are wonderful. Not only does the food look great, it tastes great too. We have been on many cruises and the food on this cruise was superior. Our accommodations were extremely comfortable, with ample space to keep everything neat and nice (couldn't believe the size of our shower---so roomy).  The service was outstanding, as were the ports, excursions and the entertainment. We just had a wonderful time.

This was our first cruise.  I went with my wife and her family.  The port calls were good.  We did a couple through NCL and a couple on our own.  I wish the ship had a larger pool; one you could swim a lap in.  I enjoyed the freestyle dining and the entertainment.  My biggest gripe might be small - the elevators were slow.  Many people waited for five minutes, while most just used the stairs.  We had a mid-ship interior room.  The stateroom was nice.  I expected more than frosted glass for the bathroom.  Frosted glass for the shower was fine however. 

All in all, it was a great first cruise, but my wife's family are veteran cruisers and expected the perks that goes with that.  This didn't dissuade us from enjoying ourselves.

This cruise on the Norwegian  Epic was beyond my expectations. From my accommodations  and the whole experience on the boat ,I would highly recommend this cruise. The price was reasonable, and being able to make payments was a plus. Although I did not book my excursions thru Norwegian. I found them to be a little pricey.Overall the cruise ship,the entertainment and all staff were excellent.

This was our second cruise ever so I can't help comparing with our first one (On the RC Navigator of the Seas). About the same ship sizes and both were in Europe at the same time of the year.

The positives:

- BEST positive was Tricia from !!! First one I'll call for our next cruise. 

- The food!!! Really amazing. Lots of choices and great quality

- The itinerary was just perfect. great ports of calls.

- The entertainment was top notch (I found the Circus at 40,00$ a little pricy both worth it)

- The iConcierge app and interactive panels around the elevators. If you don't know what's going on on the ship, you seriously have an problem. Very easy to make reservations.

The negatives:

- The ship was designed by engineers and not architects. They really tried to fit too many things on the EPIC and you feel trapped/crammed everywhere. No huge Atrium, small theater (MUST RESERVE), smaller dinning rooms with low ceilings, smaller state rooms.

- We never felt like going out for a walk. There's just the top deck where you dont feel trapped

- The only "wow!!!" factor was seeing the ship from outside. Up until the last day on the Navigator of the Seas we had the WOW factor every time we went trough the Atrium or entered the dinning room.  

- The staff looked a lot less happy than our first cruise.

- Can't go in front of the ship ("I'm the king of the world" is not an option). Basically you can't have a front view without a bay window (expect on the quiet area deck). 

Conclusion:

Happy with the cruise? Yes

Would I sail on the EPIC again? Probably as a second choice.

Great value for money? Yes    

My husband and I loved our cruise on the Epic.  The food was excellent, and with three sides of glass in the Garden room (buffet style) we hated to go elsewhere to eat, though we did enjoy a few meals in dining rooms.  We loved having a balcony, both while in port but also if I would wake up during the night I had somewhere beautiful yet private to read or watch the moon over the waves for a while.  Entertainment favorites were Blue Man Group, Cirque, and Graffiti.  Tours were excellent though tiring, but there was so much to see.  After several days of architecture, ancient sites, and statues, we enjoyed a scenic tour of Majorca.  (Our feet appreciated that break also.). Temps in October were low to mid 70s.  Perfect for being outside.  We started in Barcelona and had 5 days there first.  The subway system is fantastic and we could stay in a hotel in a non touristy area but one block away was the very efficient subway to everything we wanted to visit.  We fell in love with their balconied buildings and anything Gaudi built.  

This is a very nice cruise ship, nicely decorated and has great shows.  My only slight negative would be for the cruise director to pump more people to attend the activities.  For instance, the white hot party was o.k but on the Jade it was standing room only and everyone looked forward to it because of how it was pushed as the place to be.  Also, I've never been on a cruise where Kareoke had only 4/5 participants plus didn't have variety list of songs. The ship had a variety of activities and classes to take like the different dance lessons but know one hardly showed and I think it's the cruise director job to pump it up(spark the people with alot of self energy).  I'm 50 but still want to be aroused for enjoyment. I am an avid cruiser so I've seen alot more energy than was displayed here but overall it was still a wonderful cruise.  Food was good, shows were excellent, and great atmosphere.

With the exception the Cagney's steak special dining facility, the other special dining food was definitely not worth attending.  Cagney's on the other hand was top rated.

The weather wasn't the greatest for the first two days, 1st day at sea was cold and overcast and the second day stop at Corfu rained very very hard all day with water 2" deep rolling down the small streets.

Santorini did have one highlight which was the antiquity dig which was done by an extremely well trained guide and to see a 3000-4000 BC dig with underground sewage was incredible.

The other two stops were ok with Olympia being done by an extremely well trained archeologist with 26 years of experience.

The day at sea returning had good weather and was the best day of the cruise. 

While I'm glad I saw it and the ship and crew were good....I see no reason to ever return.

Overall our group had a great time on this cruise. The ship was clean and well taken care of, as we were by the staff. The itinerary was great with only one rainy day in Corfu. Our inside cabin 5697 was small but well designed with plenty of storage for 2 and a better than average bathroom.  Our cabin steward took great care of us and our few special requests. The food in the dining rooms was very good and came very close to the best we have had on a cruise ship. The food in the buffet was pretty good.

The entertainment was just average although the onboard singers were pretty good. In general the sound systems in the theatre and in the lounges was over amplified which took away from the experience. 

My only issue with NCL is that they let people get on board and immediately touch food and utensils in the buffet.  Having been on a sick ship (NOT an NCL ship) before.  I wish they would serve food for the first 48 hours as on some other lines (Princess & HAL) in order to prevent the transmission of problems. The simple medical sheet and hand sanitizer can not prevent a problem.  

With a little paint and some simple decor changed NCL could tone down the Hawaiian theme.

I have been on at least 5 NCL curises, the last a wonderful cruise in the Baltic.  This cruise ship, food, preparation, service was NOT up to par with the other NCL cruises I have taken.  I hope this is just a fluke and not a sign of the coming future with NCL!  Equipment was broken, service was not good, attitudes were bad, food in main dining rooms were a BIG disappointment, entertainment was so-so, even a couple of the tours were poorly handled!   A LARGE number of customers were expressing the same thoughts and are questioning NCL for future cruises.  We will give them one more try but everything will hinge on that.  

starting with the embarkation process. That went very smooth. Less then 30 minutes we were on the ship. Finding our cabin was easy. People on board to help. Relied on my own experience as well. New how sips were laid out.  Cabin steward also present to help. Cabin was nice, deck 5 mid ship, outside.

Bed very comfortable. Steward very helpful.  Food ship average. Good selection. Dinning rooms, food was average. Sometimes service cold have been better. Slow to refill drinks. Bring out food. To much time between courses. No fun or very little interaction between waiter staff and people dinning. We we're served our meal but, didn't feel special. Different waiter staff everynight. On board entertainment was average. On two the seven shows I saw on a pervious cruise, same show, same entertainers, same material. The show "elements" had the same material, with different entertainers.I feel asleep during the show. The ports of call were good, better then expected. Except for Olympia. very average, not a lot to see. Big pile of rocks. Overall the ship was clean,but in need of repair. Seats in theather were broke.

Shore excursions were pricey. Corfu is the only excursion I would recommend. All of the others can be done on your own, or for a better price. Many other options are available on shore or on your own.Recommend looking before you buy, ship won't tell you everything. Ask staff sometimes they will tell you.Overall I think the cruise was over priced. Ask about the tipping process. The so call tips are not spread as one might assume. I spoke to our cabin steward he told me that he ws not paid any tips from the $24.00 paid daily. I don't know if that was true or not,but I made an adjustment. I paid him myself. I completed a form requesting the money not be taken automatically. I don't know if the waiter staff receive any of the money paid as tips.  Be careful when ordering a drink. You are charged a 15 percent tip on top of the price of the drink,each and every time you buy a drink. I ordered a beer at a lunch counter. Picked up.myself and took it to my table. The waiter,just opened the bottle and gave it to me.,almost $1.00 tip, for a $5.00 beer. Bring your own on board it's less expensive.Don't forget your water, $25.00 for 6 large bottles of water, purchased on shore for around 3 to $4.00 dollars.  Over we had a good time. We are experienced cruisers. Cruising in Europe is very different from the U.S. Food is different,prices are higher and service is reflected by he staff. 

I must say that the staff was wonderful on the cruise. That being said the food was horrible in the dining room chicken looked boiled, the beef brisket looked and tasted like tofu. We ended up eating in the buffet each night for dinner. My daughter and I got bit 6 times by what we think was a spider. They did come in with blue light checking for bed bugs, we told them many times its not bed bugs but they were at least thorough, however we still continued to get bit each night in our cabin. The music was awful, a group called sound bytes ruined every song they sung and every person I spoke to complained about their music. The fact that the ship did not sell duty free alcohol or tobacco is unheard of. Adding 22% sales tax to any jewelry they sold and telling us that we would have to try to get it back at the airport. There were no "fun" things to do by the pool side, it was just music being played over the loud speaker for most of the days. There were a couple of things but that was it. The excursions except for Corfu, which was a rained out disaster were exceptional. Corfu was pretty much a monsoon. We were made to walk through the rain and even with an umbrella we got drenched my feet were squishing then we were made to sit in our wet clothing to watch dancing and eat delicious food but who could enjoy it when we were so uncomfortable cold and wet, this was the excursion Best of Corfu, and we did not get to see all of the items promised on the excursion because of the rain. Our money should have been refunded even though it says rain or shine, it was so bad that the tenders could not dock against the boat, and ended up being quite dangerous for everyone attempting to get back on the ship from the tender.

When debarking from the ship and going to a hotel in Venice, we waited over 40 minutes for a taxi to take us to a tender who took us to the hotel. This too was poorly planned. I/we will never ever sail Norwegian again.

The wheather was perfect for visiting the ports of call I beleive better than in summer. The ports of call where a good selection. Te food and dining experience exceded our expectations. The entertainment was better than expected a good variety. Having a good mix of sea days and ports of call was well planed.

Starting with Chris Festerman's (Cruises Only Agent) excellent support, this was a wonderful cruise.  We loved Celebrity Cruise Line (sailed on the Equinox).  Everything went smoothly from start to finish.  

The staff, entertainment, and food was first class. We will definitely sail with Celebrity again.  Chris will also be our new choice of agents. He was very patient and thorough in answering ALL our questions. We especially enjoyed the length of our cruise as well as the ports we visited. Having the paid gratuities was also a plus.  It was nice not to have to sign each time we made a purchase.

We cruised last month on the Norwegian Epic.The trip was arranged by Linda Mangione @ cruises only.

Prior to the cruise, Linda spent a great deal of time assisting us in finding the best package and balcony room. She was always available for questions before and after the cruise.

The cruise was wonderful. There was so much to do on board the ship and the entertainment was great. Our room was  standard but well kept and comfortable. Our fear that embarkation and disembarkation would be difficult because of the many passengers was unfounded. We encountered few long lines. An extra plus was the free style disembarkation which means that the passenger can disembark with their own luggage at their own time (prior to 9am). This meant not having to  place your bags out in the hall the night prior to the cruise end or having an assigned time of disembarkation.

We enjoyed this cruise and the ports of call (all wonderful).