Europe - Mediterranean Cruise Reviews

Mykonos was beautiful as were the views in all the ports.

Rhapsody of the Seas is an older vessel with not as much to do on board as some of the newer ones but was a perfect size for the ports we were in. We went into port every day but the last one so not having much to do on ship was OK with us.

The dining staff we had for dinner was top notch. Everything we had on board was great. We had the 'pick your own time' dinner. We went the same time every night  except one and had the same staff each night. Well worth trying to get the same ones so they get to know you and what you like.

Entertainment wasn't as great as on the larger ships, but was still good.

A little disappointed with Argistoli, the Mesilea (sp) cave was not as great as it was built up to be. The Mythos beach was gorgeous though the bus ride to it was a little scary.

The Rhapsody is a beautiful ship. It's midsized so it's easy to find your way around it. The crew were all very pleasant. Only problem the first night we had a very uncomfortable mattress and had to wait till the next next day for a new one. 

The ports were all beautiful! Especially liked Corfu and Kotor. The Acropolis is Athens was amazing and the blue and white houses in Mykonos were lovely! 

Some of the shore excursion tour guides were really awful but I think that's the luck of the draw. 

Overall, wonderful experience. Don't miss trying the local cuisine. It's delicious!

We like cruising.  There is no hauling baggage from place to place, food, entertainment, friendly staff and social activities abound.  You only get a taste of places you stop at though, as you always need to keep in mind getting back to your ship early in the day (usually around dusk). 

This ship is one of the best, though its age shows here and there.  Medium size (with ~2,400 Passengers), it was clearly designed with engaging and entertaining the passengers in mind.  I would judge the majority of passengers as older on this 12 day cruise. 

A bit on the down side.  They really try to sell you a lot of stuff on this ship.  There is an extra (and substantial) charge to use their "specialty" restaurants, drinks (particularly alcoholic), laundry and any other services (such as skin care, massage & such. There is plenty of food included in the price of admission which makes these extras optional).  The on board shops lean toward jewelry, perfumes, art and the like, most expensive.   We also miss the ice and chocolate sculptures, and carved fruits/vegetables that we have seen on previous cruises.

All in all, I could recommend this ship and this cruise.  I want to go again.  

It was a great trip.  I recommend the Greek islands to all.  It is a great destination.  Cultural and entertainment. I would repeat this trip. It was a great trip.  I recommend the Greek islands to all.  It is a great destination.  Cultural and entertainment. I would repeat this trip.

The ship was beautiful, unbeknownst to us the ship was in drydock 3 weeks before we boarded, all new decor was very tastefully done, our suite was gorgeous with a very large, (55inch I think), flat screen TV. The bathroom had 2 sinks, large jacuzzi tub and separate shower. The food was good, the staff wonderful. We went to Albania, Greece and Italy and did several of the tours all very interesting, guides very well informed, however several were very strenuous, the terrain is very hilly and uneven surfaces, if you see 3 people in the box for that tour it is VERY strenuous! I don't think I realized that fully. Disembarktion  was the easist i have ever done. This was our 33rd cruise and I can't wait to go back on the Westerdam.

There was great service.  The ship seemed quite private - there were no lines for anything.  The service was quick, and there were may places to go where you felt very private, quiet and away from it all.  This was very relaxing.  The entertainment options were somewhat limited but given the two options of a loud ship with a lot of entertainment options or a private, intimate feel, I much prefer the latter.

The accommodations on the cruise ship were great as we got a cabin with a balcony. We were a group of 10 and we were all on the same deck. The service was excellent and the customer service desk was very accommodating with money exchange. The food and variety was also good. Some of the excursions were full. It would have been nice if more guided tours with trolley transportation were available. The best part was in Capri as my son had his wedding there. 

We originally booked this cruise becsuse of the ports having never been on MSC becore. The guests changed at every port so it was constant caos!! We felt like no one ever settled down! You could NEVER get a place at the pool because as you were off on excursion, new people boarded and went straight to the pool. If you stood in line for and waited your turn someone would walk to to the front of the line and butt in.

We love all the ports of call. Especially the Croatian ports since that is my heritage.  We were not impressed by the food service on the Norwegian Star.  Would only recommend ship if friend was looking for these ports and there was no other ship in area to go on. But we knew this when we booked and had a great time anyway. We found one of the best servers in the Aqua dining room and then requested her for the remaining days on the ship. 

Guest relations is always top-notch with NCL! From the minute you board to the minute you disembark, the NCL staff is right there, making sure your experiences are positive. My husband and I both loved the shows! The first night was a dinner show and I had the best steak of my life - plus the show was spectacular! I don't think we had any negative experiences at all. Our room was perfectly cleaned, the food was plentiful and accessible. The excursions were good, but we really enjoyed the restful and relaxing environment on the ship.

Thanks, Norwegian Cruise Lines! We will see you again in the near future!

I have traveled using other cruise lines such as: Princess, Royal Caribbean, Big Red Boat, etc. But my experience with NCL was most disappointing. Just a few highlights: Their crew member stole my wife's jewelry and $600 cash from safe vault in our room; They were charging nickels and dimes for everything, no laundry machines or ironing facilities on ship, medical center was out to get you (gave me 6 pain killer tablets for $364), and entertainment programs were just average with ridiculous prizes meant for babies. I will have to think twice before I use them again.

Very disappointed. Very friendly crew, but food was not very good. I won't even say what was in my salad on day 1, bones in my fish filet on day 2; specialty restaurants were better than the regular dining rooms, but not great. Entertainment was good. but you needed to get tickets (no charge) in advance for the main shows. Not enough time in the ports- everything was rushed. I've been pn several cruises, and this was the most disappointing.

The tour guide on the Rome/Coliseum excursion was dreadful!  She could not speak English very well at all.  We were on Bus #9, Shore Excursion #CIVF5611.  Her name was Flavia.  in fact, we had to pick her up at the train station in Rome.  She was not very knowledgeable -and we couldn't understand her.  There will be more reviews on this from the passengers on this excursion.  We also had another lady named Daniella on the bus--but she did not do the tour.  We also had to walk through a  very long dark tunnel to catch the bus at the end of the tour. Cars were speeding through the tunnel and we had to walk through it in a single file.  It was not the safest or smartest thing to do!  

We purchased the cruise to go to Ephesus, but that port was dropped week after our final payment. Replacement port was Kotor 45min ride by car from Dubrovnik which took entire day to get on the ship. Instead of letting us stay later into evening like the Princess did with their guests, we left beautiful Dubrovnik at 5PM only to waste time in the middle of Adriatic See.

Price of the cruise dropped after the decision to skip Turkey, but there was no refund possible by the Royal Caribbean company.

Santorini, Dubrovnik are worth the trip.  Kotor was ok and Katakolon with Olympia Archeological site 25min by rental car away has also a value.

This was a very nice cruise all in all.  The ports were fabulous.  A mix of quiet relaxing places and more energetic places.  Just could not have been a better mix.  The ship is new, and I believe larger than Seabourn has fielded in the past.  It showed on occasion.  At times it felt crowded, especially at dinner time.  The ship does not have enough tables in its restaurants to seat the number of people aboard if the ship is full.  I suppose that makes sense as some have room service, some skip a meal, etc.  But nevertheless, it was annoying to have to wait an hour or so for dinner, and on one occasion not be seated at all.  The dining venues close at 845 pm or so, which was before dark, and that seemed early.  After spending a day ashore, who wants to rush around to try to have dinner at 630 or 700?  We finally just gave up on the dining schedule and ordered room service each evening at 9 or 930 and dined on our balcony or in our room.  That was fine and the food was good.

The staff was, in general, very good.  There were a few who could use some training in customer service.  But I suspect that is true for any cruise line. 

All in all it was a very nice cruise, and I am glad we had the experience.  But Seabourn needs to polish up its service and ship schedule if it wishes to continue to be considered a luxe operation.

The food was mediocre at best- edible but tasteless.  The Norwegian team was clearly not well trained or experienced in their positions in the buffet area.  Dirty dishes stayed on tables on the pool and bar decks for half of the day before the tables were cleaned.  Three times I saw employees be scolded harshly and rudely in front of passengers in the buffet area.  Drink machines were broken frequently.  Desserts were least impressive and lacked any creativity or flavor.

Our room was clean and daily service in our room was prompt and adequate.  The chair in our room was so old the leather had cracked open.  The exterior Plexiglass half-wall on our deck stayed filthy the entire cruise. 

The activities on board were outdated and stale.

The Excursions team was very professional, well trained and knowledgeable.

I won't cruise with Norwegian again- my previous experiences with Royal Carribbean and Celebrity were both much better.

The only nice thing I have to say about this cruise is the staff were friendly. The room was like every other boat which was not bad. I have sailed on 12 cruises and this line is horrible. I thought the activities were blah and the food was not good. Hardly a good selection of food in Buffet. 

I found their excursions to be very expensive for what you get. 

Never again will I cruise a Norwegian Line!

The Mediterranean itinerary was excellent.  Every port was interesting.  The ship is large and well laid out, and even though it was full, it never felt crowded.  The new Horizon Court and Horizon Bistro buffets are especially well designed, so we hardly had to wait in line to get food, and there were always available tables.  The service staff was excellent.  Our balcony cabin was a little smaller than other Princess ships like Grand, Star or Ruby, but otherwise very comfortable.  One major improvement in every cabin was the flat screen TV and the on-demand channels/programs they offered.  (I think all Princess ships should have this.)  We were very disappointed with the quality of the food.  With the exception of the Crown Grill, the food in the buffet and dining room was just mediocre.  However, the pizza in the Alfredo's Pizzeria was surprisingly delicious; it is not well patronized by the guests, but IMHO, it is definitely a "not-miss" and it's free.  The entertainment and activity programs they offered were similar with other Princess ships; however, the Cruise Director's staff of the Royal Princess was mediocre, which really made the entertainment less enjoyable.  Overall, I give 5 stars for "ship layout, service, itinerary", 4 stars for "cabin", and 3 stars for "food, entertainment".

The scenery was my favorite! The food was great as well! My room attendant Edwin was excellent.  He kept the room clean and neat.  I was disappointed in my spa appointment.  Detox & Inch Loss -Ionithermie.  It was very expensive and does not work so  I loss over $600 on that one event.

The favorite part of the cruise for me definitely were the excursions. I would improve on the number of passengers on board a this ship stopped two times on a Sunday in Barcelona and on a Wednesday in Rome to embark and disembark passengers.