Europe - Mediterranean Cruise Reviews

Felt like if I decided not buy something on the ship got less customer service. Should be more items included in the package, whether you got a set number of drinks / beverages ($4.00 for one can of ginger-ale to settle ones stomach is just ridiculous) during the trip and maybe a dinner for 2 or 3 days out of the 7 days at a specialty restaurant to add some variety to the overall experience.

Great cruise. Good time of year. Crowded but not as crowded as later in the year. Temperatures were comfortable. We had excellent weather. Only downside, no day at sea between three busy long excursion days in a row.

We cruised with NCL in 2018 on the Spirit and had a stellar experience. This year on the Star, we were a little disappointed for a few reasons. The ship was recently refurbished and we appreciated it - it was like brand new in many aspects. We really appreciated the updated staterooms (particularly the USB ports next to each side of the bed and the real hairdryer!). However, the layout of the ship is not intuitive and just didn't feel like a home in some ways. First, each stairway/elevator should be a vertical path to access ALL floors, but this was not the case on the Star and it was confusing. Second, NCL could put signs at each elevator/stairway to show which side is Port or Starboard, since the colored doors aren't visible on each floor. Third, there is NOT ENOUGH seating for the buffet and it was a huge problem. Too many 4-tops mean wasted seats. NCL needs more 2-tops, more seating in general, and it was disappointing there was no outdoor seating for the buffet (unless you wanted to walk all the way to Spice H2O). Finally, we were very disappointed there is no forward viewing lounge inside. As for the crew - the stateroom stewards and bar/restaurant staff were great on the Star, but the Shore Excursion staff were not knowledgeable about the details of their tours. In particular, one of the ShoreEx managers was rude and condescending to us, to other guests, and to fellow crew members. In addition, we interacted with numerous people on the Guest Services desk and on EVERY occasion, they either did not know the answer to simple questions, or they gave us incorrect information. or they gave us conflicting information. It was VERY frustrating and makes NCL look incompetent and unprofessional. Finally, the Upgrade Advantage program is VERY frustrating. NCL absolutely must be more clear and transparent about how the program and process works. We got conflicting information every time we called or emailed NCL, and their website doesn't provide enough clarity. It caused A LOT of frustration and angst beginning at 3 months before our cruise, up to 48 hours before our cruise, which was NOT enjoyable. If we could've gotten more accurate information about the process from their website or call center, it would've been better. I'm sure many people complained to NCL that the embarkation process at Tarragona was an absolute disaster. I'm VERY upset we had to rearrange our plans AND PAY for the cost to travel from Barcelona down to Tarragona, only to deal with the mess of an embarkation day. I'm not sure what the solution is, but it would be nice if there was a better process to tender, other than having to wait in a line for 3 hours to get tender tickets (guests started queueing at 7am for 10am ticket distribution for Santorini). That's not a relaxing vacation. The WiFi on the ship was also a disaster. We paid $350 for the unlimited package and it only worked about half the time, and when it did work, it was horribly slow. I get it that we're at sea, but NCL shouldn't ask their guests to pay that much for a sub-par product. Fortunately, the Internet Manager realized the issue and gave us a small credit to our account, which we were happy with. Overall, we still enjoyed our cruise and we do plan to cruise with NCL again next year. This was an absolutely fabulous itinerary, visiting so many amazing ports.

I am not sure that I would do this cruise again but overall, it was what I expected.

Cruise was nice. The ship is a bit smaller than we have been on, and if you are counting on your entertainment being the ship then you might be disappointed. This cruise is about the ports, and we enjoyed all of them!!! We used the excursions, and they were great. We had a great time!

WE WAITED ALMOST 20 YEARS TO TRAVEL TO THESE DESTINATIONS. IT SURPASSED ALL EXPECTATIONS!!!

Yes, its a small ship, but give it a shot! It will likely surprise you!

First time overseas and will definitely consider it again with Royal Caribbean.

I'd do it again skipping Rome. While the excursion tour that we selected and participated with was great, I don't see doing Rome again based on the crowd sizes.

I would enjoy this itinerary more if it was on a different ship with better service, but the ports of call were amazing.

I am really glad we went on this cruise. It was our first time in Spain and this part of France and Italy. I now know what areas I would like to revisit.

Despite of some of the issues that were previously mentioned, we really enjoyed our trip. The time allotted for Crete was insanely short ( it takes approximately 15 or 20 minutes to get from the port into town) ; too short for any excursion.

Beautiful ship, excellent service but food and entertainment need improvement.

Overall enjoyed cruise. Itinerary was great. Ship is small and a little dated.

Staff was outstanding! If I had the time I would have stay on the ship longer

All guest services are in the Centrium where ultra loud music plays forcing guests to lean over the counter and shout to be heard. Very demeaning and unsophisticated to guest and staff. Anyone working here for any length of time will develop hearing loss. Pool deck was useless and very loud music was always present and the stench of cigarette and cigar came across the area. Cruise director seems to believe everyone on the cruise was or wanted to be twenty something. Average age on this cruise I would estimate to 60 to 65. After this experience we have decided to never cruise again.

Ship was nice, great staff. Suggest they have shore information at gangway before people get off the ship. My second sailing on this ship within four months. Disappointed they didn't have lobster on the menu for formal night (had to pay extra)

Overall fantastic itinerary, ports of call were excellent. Ship is well maintained and staff was very attentive.

An exceptional cruise filled with fun and unforgettable memories and adventure! We will be back!

Excepting the long drive to Rome and the poor weather in Florence, I give the cruise 5 Stars!