Europe - Western Europe Cruise Reviews

I loved the itinerary. The food was good. The entertainment was first class. The staff on the ship were great. The ship was in good shape for an older ship. Everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Well day one -  a tender trip to Guernsey to catch up with two girlfriends. A lovely time was had.

The rest of the trip - didn't go anywhere, or see anything, as my husband became extremely unwell and was admitted to the Ship's hospital. I became very familiar with Ward 1 and our Stateroom while the staff skilfully and caringly took my husband from seriously ill to being well enough for the long trip home from Southampton to San Francisco then to Sydney!! The care from the two doctors and the nurses was extremely high and we felt we were in good hands. There was talk of medical evacuation but we didn't see the point when they had the equipment needed, including monitors, xrays , pathology testing etc. 

Two girls on Customer Services desk went above and beyond with their help for me at that time of high drama - they were wonderful - Brenny and Elaine. Also great appreciation to the Captain who, as a very special concession, allowed our son on board in Edinburgh to see his sick father. As I said, we did not see or do anything, but we were well cared for. It was extremely expensive care, but hopefully our travel insurance will come to the party.  So, not the cruise we expected, but we are home, alive, and trying to recuperate from it all.

The crew was superb in providing everything we needed and more.  Caribbean Princes is due for dry dock in May which is very timely.  Although we had no problems the physical plant is aging and looks it.

Princess provided tours were disappointing but those tours we booked on our own were great.

Overall, Princess does an excellent job of making sure all are comfortable on a cruise. The personnel who work on the ship are excellent: very conscientious,  professional, and personable.

Some of the tours were just okay. We had a couple of very boring tour guides and one of them (Janice-Inverness tour) was actually so forgetful that it was a bit disturbing.

The Intranet and Internet service was abysmal. At the very least, the intranet service should have worked fine.

As usual, the food was great.

We had a blast!  The entertainment onboard was top notch and the food was excellent as were the choices.  The ports were all interesting and the tours did not disappoint.  We had no issues and the transfer through Princess was seamless.  We were lucky that we had perfect weather the entire cruise.

Lester Ababon and Arnulfo Borlaza were so great! Roberto (head waiter) and Edgar were also marvelous. Really appreciated their making us feel special!

The cruise was well organized and the scheduling optimized our time - except in Le Havre - we opted to rent a car and visit the Bayeux Tapestry and the Normandy Beaches rather than spend 8 - 10 hours on a bus to the Normandy Museum to Rt to Paris

The waiters were wonderful and caring - the only disappointing service was from our cabin Steward who was mostly MIA _ 

The Star Legend is getting on in age, but Windstar has renovated the ship to the degree where it's very nice. Service on the ship was excellent and not really lacking in any way. We experienced a James Beard co-sponsored cruise, where every day and every night was a culinary and wine experience.Wine Lovers take note! Portugal isn't everything it's cracked up to be. It's FAR MORE!

We left out of Amsterdam and 3 great days in Amsterdam before we left on our cruise.

Cabin:  We opt for the partially obstructed balcony cabin to have a balcony at a reduce rate.  However in the British Isles we seldom used it.  1.   It was cold a rainey, 2.  There were only 3 sea days out of 2 weeks.

The cabin was the exact same on all Solstice class ships.  So was the venues.

Cabin steward was great, as the dining staff. 

We ate mostly in the dining room when we could but on port days the dining room is closed for lunch.  So if you don't want to pay you must go the Ocean View Café or pay out at port.  The food in both the dining room and Ocean View was by far the worst than any Celebrity Cruise we have been on.  The soup had no substance at all.  I mean the Chicken noodle soup was ALL broth, vegetable soup all broth..  We talked to the staff but saw no improvement.

The excursions were OK. Most of the tour guides took you to the area showed you how to get around and left  especially if it was raining and the first week it rained every day.  You know the song by the Beatles Here comes the sun.  Well us Americans thought it referred to their love however it really means here comes the sun because they celebrate when the sun does shine!

The entertainment was hit and miss.  The magician was a joke most left.

Some we did not attend because to were to tired after a full day touring while at port. 

This is the first time we had the classic drink package because it was given to us as a promotion and I am glad we had it.  I just could not handle the ships water and thankful we got bottled water with the package.  I must say the bartenders were not very creative and since it seamed everyone had a drink package they really didn't try very hard.  We went to the sky lounge once for Elite evening and I could not even drink the drink they made.  Last time we went there.  This was a first.  This was the 5 solstice class ship that we had been on.

Overall it was fine.  I will never get tired of not having to cook and clean for an entire 2 weeks. 

The ports of call were part of our bucket list.  Saying that, there are several areas that Celebrity cruise line must do a better job of coordinating with the port authorities.  Tendering was, at times, a nightmare.  Long lines and even longer times to dockside were a problem.  The company must look ahead several years to coordinate dock space rather than tendering on this planned cruise.  Staff and quality of food were excellent.  Ship was as clean as a brand new one right our of the shipyard. 

Many of the cruise sponsored side trips were sold out.  Port transportation information for the rest of the cruisers was minimal at best.  

This trip despite these few glitches overall was a wonderful time visiting some of the best that the British Isles has to offer.       

Sailing with Celebrity was a real joy. Our oceanview cabin at the front of the ship was exceptional and really contributed to our comfort and enjoyment. The professional, caring staff made sure our needs were addressed. They were as good as any we've met before. The excellent meals and service in the restaurant were first class. The ship was beautiful.

The challenge was getting people off the ship when we arrived at our destinations. A significant amount of time was lost.

Please accept our appreciation for all your efforts.

SHIP AND ROOMS WERE CLEAN. FOOD WAS GOOD. MOST OF THE STAFF WERE FRIENDLY.  LUGGAGE ON DEPARTING THE SHIP WAS VERY POORLY HANDLED. I OBSERVED LUGGAGE ON ITS WAY TO THE SHIP BEING HANDLED VERY BADLY AND CARELESSLY, STAFF NEEDS TO SUPERVISE THIS CLOSELY AND NOT STAND AWAY FROM THE PROCESS.

The Celebrity Silhouette was nice and not too large. Balcony cabin was spacious, as is its bath. The food on board was what you would expect. It was good but not great. There were many eating options.

The average age on board was 50's, 60's, 70's. Very few kids or younger guests.

The itinerary was great, it was very port intensive. Some ports required tenders, others did not. 

Seabourn service was outstanding from the Captain down the deck hands.  Everyone knows you and is professional and friendly.  Food and wine offer excellent choices and you can request anything with 24 hour notice.  Great Observation Bar for sail away views.

The variety of port calls, the excellent service of the cruise staff, and great entertainment.  I was very disappointed with the internet service.  I used it on two occasions on a pay-as-you use option and found it to be very slow, difficult to maneuver, and a complete waste of my time and money.  I believe I spent almost $30 to review some emails and that was it.  I admit that I am not very familiar with computer operations but I have been using one long enough to get what I need.  The system on the ship however was a complete disaster for me.  I doubt if I will ever use the internet of future cruises. 

My favorite part of this cruise was the itinerary . beautiful ports , even thou ,they cancelled two of the ports we were schedule to visit.

We were very happy with the cabin service , and dinning room service , but i think the entertaiment part could be better . For example he nights of karaoke , they didn't have any songs in spanish , and they were several spanish people traveling in that cruise .

Overall, can't say enough great things about this itinerary and the Crystal Symphony team.  While the staterooms are a bit tired, the staff more than offsets this with their dedication to service and excellent food, beverage and entertainment experiences. The liquor and wine, included in the fare throughout the ship, we're all top shelf. 

You won't go wrong with this itinerary if you want to get a great taste of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Channel Islands.  My recommendation is to book your tours on your own as the savings will help off set the cost differential for those upgrading from mid-tier cruise lines to luxury cruise lines.

Crystal does a great job particularly with entertainment and shore excursions.  Food and wine are always outstanding.  They also have several lectures and other onboard activities that are very interesting and useful.  While a bit more expensive, in the end, you get what you pay for.  Service level is outstanding and training and selection of staff is evident. No complaints on my end.

Visiting Liverpool.  My grandmother was born there.  Scotland and Ireland are beautiful.  They should offer a handicapped tour of Edinburgh Castle for people who cannot climb up the hill to the castle.

We enjoyed the food and entertainment, but it took too much time when getting off and re-boarding the ship. Also, the bath room can be improved. The space in the shower is way too small.