Europe - Western Mediterranean Cruise Reviews

again too many children and too many rude adults

Third time on the EPIC and would go again if trip and ship meet my desires.

Great experience for a first-time cruiser. My 6 year-old daughter came with us and enjoyed herself tremendously with the variety of ship activities and shore excursions, although the latter also added to our cruise cost quite a bit. 

We loved our neat and cosy balcony stateroom although we wished it were bigger. In the end, we  suitcases on the balcony floor to manage our packing. 

They served a good variety breakfast buffet at the Garden Cafe although we wished the menu could have been varied on the 7 days we stayed. Of the main dining rooms, we favored Taste over Manhattan Room for the food. Cagney's was a disappointment - for the $30 cover charge. 

 I have been on a number of cruises and never felt the need to write a review until now.  If you are considering a cruise onboard the MSC Sinfonia here is what I would say:

Pros:  the ports were beautiful (Salerno, Genoa, Ibiza, Olbia, etc.) and the ship was clean.  The food was average, I've had worse on other cruise lines.  The EXTERNAL entertainers were very good and fun to watch, particularly the Spanish dancers.

Cons:  the embarkment process, like most of the processes on board the ship, were disorganized and slow.  Different passengers embarked at different ports so it felt like a hop on/hop off bus more than a custom cruise.  Staff were indifferent and generally unfriendly.  They took no interest in the passengers.  In fact, there was little attention to customer service anywhere on board.  If there was a cruise director, I didn't see or hear from him or her...or the captain for that matter.  The manager of the dining room was rude and unaccommodating.  Excursions were poorly orchestrated, short, and generally not worth the value.  Our second excursion left one hour late and it was absorbed by the passengers, even though sufficient time was left before boarding the ship.  When I complained, I was told it wasn't their problem (my opinion:  maybe they don't run the excursions but they damn well represent them).  Internal entertainers (the "regulars") were untalented and the choreography was pathetic.  You had to pay for water.  Photographs were average and posed.   Even the swimming pool experience was awful - the water was cold and changed nightly with the ocean water.  Children were allowed to run rampant (and loudly) around the ship without any supervision.

MSC would be well served to see how the real cruise lines do it so they can improve.  My biggest gripe was they didn't seem to care.  There was no attention to the customer experience whatsoever.  My advice:  pick another line.  There are many good ones out there:  Royal Carribean and Norwegian being two of them.

day at sea was hard to get sun chair - people put towels and then left. Too much reservations needed.

This ship was a huge disappointment. I had been on NCL in the past and expected the Epic to be awesome. The food was terrible. I have been on Royal and there is no comparison. I never paid for a specialty restaurant. Even their specialty restaurants were nothing to talk about. The cabin was so dark, you couldn't see where your eyeliner ended! If you didn't dine by 10-10:30 you only have the choice of eating a burger, pizza or greasy fried fish.

The ship appearance of the ship was very clean and the staff was very friendly.

It was my 1st trip to Europe but not my 1st cruise. As I have cruised for many years with my family, I have become ( in my mind) a ship expert. The Norwegian Epic was such a great ship from the layout right down to the service. I traveled solo so NCL's solo traveler cabins exceeded my expectations. The cabins actual offer more room per person than a cabin for 2. The room provides lots of storage room and a studio lounge, (where all the solo travelers can mingle). I wished NCL would place more solo cabins throughout their entire fleet, they are definitely on the cutting edge of cruising.

I have cruised with Carnival several times before and NCL was a disappointment.Service was not good,staff not friendly,food not very good.Some staff were rude.The evening dining left a lot to be desired.With the freestyle dining you dont get the service.Also the dining options,selection was limited.The entertainment with the exception of Blue Man Group  was terrible.Stateroom was fine.The excursions were rushed.Embarking and disembarking went smoothly though.First and last cruise with NCL.Dined at the Cagneys steak house and the Japanese dining place had to pay for those and still was not impressed.Next time i will save myself a lot of money and cruise with Carnival , and receive exceptional service and food.

I thoroughly enjoyed my recent cruise on Liberty of the Seas.  However, from the time I left the ship and arrived at the airport ( less than a half an hour), Royal Caribbean had added charges to my expense account and placed a second hold on my  bank account.  This tied up funds that I needed to use for my return trip home.  This exact situation happened to me when I cruised with Royal Caribbean in December.  Still on vacation - on a holiday weekend (in December it was only a few days before Christmas) - I have to pay international phone charges to make contact with my bank.  One charge was removed promplty.  Then, this morning (I've been home for two days), I see that a hold remains on my account in addition to the withdraw that my bank released to Royal Caribbean yesterday.  After almost an hour on the phone, with a Royal Caribbean associate who initially denied the double hold, we contacted my bank.  Through that contact and a follow up call from my banks representative, I was told that my bank funds were unavailable because Royal Caribbean was not releasing the hold.  The authorization has been taken care of and after yet another days wait, my funds will be available.  Just be aware that this can happen and pay close attention to Royal Caribbean charges.

My first cruise and I love it. Staff is great : always friendly, helpful and smiling. So nice to see smiling faces on your vacacation.. When I came back from excurtions, kind of tired, staff were greeting passangers on the entrance of the ship with glass of juice or water, making you feel like you came home and they are waiting for you. I am a single taveler and had a studio 12508, which is great. much better then expected: spacious(for me), very well organazed and clean, Thanks for Dandy, who took care of this. He is very pleasant and professional guy. Entertainment is matching to different person's taste: from karioke to clasic music and songs. My special thanks to guitar plaeyr LUIS Garimaldi and singer JOHN( unfortunataly I don't know his last name). They make my trip more colorful and enjoyable. I bought CD of this music to remember my great time. I enjoy watchig show 'Classic graffity' They are amazing ! Piano duet is very good. ' Blue Man' is not my style, but a lot of people like it.

I think that this cruise was decent, their were some petty things that i disliked but overall 👍🏼

I got on Noordam because I'd like to visit Tunis, Tunisia, had visited other ports already. 

It was at sea on 5/20.  I left my iPhone on the hand dryer in the handicapped bathroom outside the ship gym.  40 minutes later, it was gone.  Yes, my own FAULT for being forgetful!!!

My daughter (a first-year college student) was going to travel alone in China, learning the language.  I have all the apps and info on the phone to stay in touch with her (I speak Chinese), and to make sure she is safe in the country. 

The ship staff, other than searching my stateroom, told me to wait until it was turned in.  At my repeated requests, the cruise director mentioned once on his daily TV chat—“if you lose something, go to the front desk.  If you find something, return to the front desk.”  Most people, including myself, didn’t hear this.

With extreme worry and stress, I developed an acute infection, and begged for some sort of public message-a desperate plea (a half-page flyer) at my own expense and work for the return of the phone.  Whoever got it may not know how much the phone meant to me; and the phone maybe totally useless for him/her.  I felt the need to let the person know.  It might just be a kid who picked the phone up.

But the hotel director criticized me for being accusatory when I said the ship could do more to help.  And the security head told me that “your daughter will be ok”.

I requested to see captain Bart Vaartjes.  The reply was “the captain doesn’t have time to see you, and NEVER will have time to see you!”  “Feel free to write to Holland America Company and report this!”

I understand that a cruise ship could not make an announcement for everyone who loses something.  But shouldn’t an exception be made when a smart phone, with so much info on it, was missing at a public area?  No security camera was available. 

My daughter is still struggling in China.

The phone is on airplane mode.

Captain Bart Vaartjes announced the cancelation to Tunis only the night before the ship was supposed to visit there.

I took this trip with my mother, who is older and my son who is 9.  This was a once in a lifetime trip for my mother.  She really wanted to see Genoa, and Rome (the Vatican in particular). We wanted a more family experience, so I cannot speak on the night life of the ship.  We were more interested in the excursions, and the family activities.  While on the ship, I made occasional notes about our experience. So, here goes:

*Excursions The tour guides are awesome and very informative.  The busses are comfortable.  The excursions are definitely the way to go but a bit overpriced.  example: almost 300 euro (99 a person - children almost as much) to bus us into Rome and explore on your own.  We initially wanted the Vatican excursion, but since the payment is non-refundable we waited till we were on the boat to buy - and they sold out!  They actually sold out of ALL the Rome excursions.  The only reason we were able to get the "on your own" excursion is because while we were talking with the excursion desk, someone came up and cancelled their "on your own" excursion due to illness. Came all this way and didn't get the excursion that we wanted. We weren't told that we needed to book early, or that selling out was possible.   They don't give you info on how to get around on your own - this makes you feel like you need an excursion to actually see stuff.  We really wanted to see the Chateau de If in France, but they never advertised it till the day of - then when I called to ask about purchasing this trip, they cancelled it due to lack of interest (possibly due to no information given out about it?)  Anyway, we ended up getting off the boat and going to see the Chateau on our own.  It was FAR less expensive than the excursion prices. 

You pay for "all day excursions" but you spend about 2-4 hours out and about - the rest of the time your driving to the place.

MAPS. Would be nice to get maps of destinations before you arrive at the destination (I guess you could get them from the excursion desk, but they should give them to you with your daily itenerary.  We felt pretty lost) Just another thing that seems geared toward making you take the expensive excursions.

*You feel like you're being nickel and dimed the whole time Internet prices are WAY overpriced - check it out.  Your head will spin. WiFi should be free.  Just my opinion.

Water and soda are not included in cost of cruise -  Water and coffee are offered in cafeteria only. On top of high priced drinks (2,80 euro for Sprite - 2,60 for water) you also pay service charges.  Doing the math, this costs over $5 for a drink.  A bit steep considering you NEED water, and you end up having to pay for it.

*Food: Not that great. Service was bad. Cafeteria was a nightmare of rude and pushy people.  This was difficult for us, with a child and my older mother.  There were handicapped people on the trip too - I have no idea how they managed. Coming in off late excursion, after missing the dinner - not enough food at cafeteria! Also, NOT ONCE did a server offer to bring us a drink (alcohol or otherwise).  Not. Once.  This cruise seems to cater to people who are drinking = spending a lot of money.

*other things: Ship was full of pushy people.  It felt over crowded and people thought nothing of elbowing right in front of you.  Ridiculous when you are trying to make sure your family stays together so that you can board busses together, eat together in the cafeteria, etc.  I found that my polite ways wore thin by the end, and I just had to be as rude as everyone else to actually not be pushed around.  Not pleasant.

*Steward He was so pleasant.  I really liked him.  I must say though, that like another reviewer I called the front desk to request hangers on day 3 - they never arrived and I think she didn't understand what I wanted.

*Other things that are not the ship's fault but would be nice to be informed beforehand: Being ripped off while traveling in foreign countries. Genoa - once the boat drops you off at port they tell you to take a taxi.  Then the taxi drivers never start the meter and they give you arbitrary prices that are twice as much as they should be (I know this because the first taxi we took from the airport upon arrival did run his meter and we were able to use a credit card.  VERY IMPORTANT - if they say they don't take credit cards, it means they don't intent to use the meter and you will be ripped off royally.  It happened to us twice before I wised up).  The ONLY place we stopped to eat at in Genoa was the PIZZERIA DA PASQUALE.  They charged us 75 Euro (over $100) for 2 personal sized pizzas, 2 sodas, 1 water, and dessert.  When I went to the counter to pay (totaling no more than 40 Euro), I handed the woman my credit card, and she just went ahead and charged 75 Euro to it!  I had no recourse since they made no effort to breach the language barrier.  My Italian is very poor but I was able to get around.  This happened on our first day abroad.  Genoa was such a disappointment.  I guess this is another good reason to stay with an excursion unless you are familiar with the language and customs.

*On the positive:  Malorca- best excursion. When we got back, we had the option to stay in town and get a shuttle (included in package) or come back on bus. Beautiful town - guide was great. Very pleasant.  But it took another passenger asking the guide for us to know that. People in the excursion office never Informed us that we could actually stay in town and shuttle back.   

IN CONCLUSION: I know this review sounds exceedingly negative, but I really wanted to be honest about our experience.  We just expected more, considering my family will never be able to afford to do this again.  My mother spend over $3000 in air fare to get us to the ship (then cost of cruise, and all the little extras you get charged for), and then the main excursion she wanted was sold out.  It was just disappointing for the amount of money this trip costs. 

The Silver Spirit is just the right size for convenience, meal options, great ports, and a fabulous crew.

Overall we thought the ship was good. We had surprisingly NO PROBLEMS getting around on a ship of this size; didn't get lost at all. Staff was friendly but wait staff in Manhattan and Taste we found lacking a few times. Biggest issues with the ship itself were how teeny the room was and the mediocre food. We'd never been on a big cruise ship before (only cruise experience was a river cruise in The Netherlands a few years ago), so have little to compare it to. Decor was nice but was surprised to see how dirty the walls were in our room and the carpet likely needs replacement. I'd imagine it's difficult to keep carpet clean with so many people in and out all the time and very little time between guests to clean thoroughly. The walls around switch plates were quite soiled but other surfaces were very clean. Our steward was great, took care of concerns quickly, called us by name, bed very comfortable. Lighting was dim in the room but pretty. Did NOT appreciate being left behind by the tour guide in a strange city when I got sick one morning. Entertainment was really good- variety and high quality. Cirque was great as was Blue Man Group. Loved that bowling was available and wish the hours of availability for that were more broad.

We liked the Epic because it is a newer ship and laid out nicely. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The food was good and available. The entertainment was fair but we didn't choose the ship for the entertainment. We absolutely loved the quiet serenity of the spa and the thermal suite. We spent a lot of time relaxing in the whirlpools and lying in the chaise recliners watching the ship pull away from the ports. My husband and I are tall and we appreciated the king size bed in our suite. We had a wonderful time.

We had a great time on the Costa Favolosa. The cabin was very large, clean and comfortable. The servers at dinner time were excellent and the food was very good although small portions. I really think that the policy of embarkation/disembarkation at multiple ports is great. No long lines to embark and the process was effortless. I was very disappointed in the evacuation drill after embarkation. There was a good film but total disorganization when going to the muster stations. Crew were totally unorganized. The breakfast and lunch hours were much to limiting and we often found restaurants closed for this purpose. Also, NO coffee or even water at dinner. This is silly considering coffee and water are offered at every buffet station.

The servce was great, the food spectacular.

The ship was very nice. We enjoyed the overall experience.