Europe - Western Mediterranean Cruise Reviews

The ship was built in 2003 and has no evident upgrades. Overall, the ship was clean and well kept. The Windjammer restaurant is located on the 11th deck with glass windows which give you a breath taking view of the cities at port.

This cruise was outstanding in every way. Encore was a spectacular ice show. Saturday Night Fever was an amazing evening of singing, dancing and acting. Both - a must see. Each was a little over an hour. Day excursions were fantastic. We booked 2 prior to the cruise and booked 2 while on the cruise. Our favorite was Tuscany and Rome. Make sure if you climb Mt.Vesuvius that you wear good tennis shoes and are able to climb.

We had a wonderful 7 day Med Cruise on Mariner of the Seas, everything about the ship was first class from start to finish, My only complaint was that we had to pay $10 - $12 each to go by coach to the resorts because the port was 2 or 3 miles distance from the actual town. I feel that if I want to go to Genoa, Barcelona,Palma or Valencia that is where I should end up not having to either walk or have to pay extra to get there. This should be free. Sorry to make this comment because everything else was sheer perfection.

HAD EXCELLENT TIME WHILE CRUISING MEDITERRENEAN SEA

Had not sailed on Princess in a long time so was interesting to see the changes. I found the dining room food and service marginal. Amounts were small, quality so-so. Things forgotten too. Then just did the buffets which were fine, lots of variety and wide range of deserts, rice pudding and custard excellant. By taking small helpings, didn't gain a pound either. Staff for tea time attentive. Many were eastern block so language limited. That's the cheap labor market we see on many cruise ships, even long ago. Overall just mid or lower middle market. Princess is what it is. And the giant ships make them even lesser with mob scenes everwhere. But that's a lot of the cruise biz. If you want quality, have to do the smaller ships but, of course, are more costly. You get what you pay for. 

Perfect for me

The ship was very amazing and large. It has plenty to do including ice skating, roller blading, and climbing. We really enjoyed being pampered by the staff. The ship was very clean and neat. Some things in the room could have used updating, but everything was very clean. The ride was very smooth and everyone was very nice.

Princess makes you feel right at home. This was my 5th cruise with Princess, and I keep going back, because I know what to expect--The Best in cruise experiences!

Activities director was incompentent, which ruined the atmosphere in the beautiful lounges. He kept changing the schedules so that the best entertainers "Zig Zag" were never available when scheduled. There were rediculous games that could have been held in a gym instead of the lovely lounges.

The layout of the ship created a lot of congestion in one area and made the ship get familiar and old fast because most venues and shops were in the one promenade area. Lots of smoking everywhere, throughout the ships and decks. Our interior room was actually spacious and nice. We thought the tendering process and the disembarking for port excursions was very well organized. Having a Johnny Rockets (additional fee), ice rink, Flowrider, and mini golf course was very nice!

Great Ship...incredible vacation...already starting to plan the next cruise!

It was an older ship, but nice.

Our cabin on the tenth deck was quiet and had a lovely view. Friends living toward the stern complained of engine noise/vibration, so make sure you are at least mid-ships or forward. The cleaning staff are almost too efficient; the food was fine--though not the greatest--the amenities (gym, pools) are fine. We would have liked a statement from the navigation staff about daily position, depth, speed, etc, beyond what is cursorily provided by the on-board TV. We had to avoid certain places--one whole side of the pool deck, anywhere near the casino--because of cigarette smoke. It was clear people were smoking in their cabins, against the rules, because of the stench in some quarters.

The ship was big, but not too big. It was beautiful in decor and so clean.

During the trip the Staff Quality was pretty good, until we changed Port of Entry from Venice because of the fog (weather issues). The staff was rude, un respectful and did not anticipate the lack of transportation and logistic needed to move us around. Incredibly wrong managed situation, looks like the staff team was not prepared for this type of situation.

Hidden Fee on cabin/room maintenance & if you get sick find a doctor on shore...

I thoroughly enjoyed my cruise onboard the wonderful Grandeur of the Seas. First impressions of the ship were very surprising. The ship looked much bigger than I was expecting. After being on Independence and Oasis of the Seas, I thought Grandeur would be dwarfed by the bigger ships. It was noticeably smaller, but standing next to her at Palma Port made the ship look huge! As we boarded the ship, it was clear straight away that Grandeur was in need of a major refurbishment. Luckily though, Grandeur of the Seas is expected to have a full refit in the New Year. There were no speciality restaurants onboard such as Chops Grille and Portofinorsquo;s. The only restaurants onboard were the two deck Great Gatsby Dining Room and the Windjammer Marketplace. We explored the ship while waiting for our suitcases to arrive. The Centrum is a wonderful area. It is a place where all the decks are connected together and alcoves of little seating areas and bars, such as the Champagne Bar, are located. I would say I prefer the Centrum than the Royal Promenade on other Royal Caribbean ships because of the spirit the place holds. It makes it a lovely spot for catching up with friends and family. The pool deck is also a lovely place on the ship. You can relax in Solarium or sunbathe near the main pool. The Palladium Theatre is one of the grandest theatres in the fleet. I love the sofa seating arrangement where you can have a private sofa for 1, 2 or 3 people. In my opinion it is better than the seating on the Freedom and Oasis class ships. On the more newer ships they seem to cram as many people in as possible, whereas this theatre was muchnicer to sit in. We spent the next day in Barcelona. We visited the Segrada Familia, walked along Las Ramblas and had a trip on the Metro. We boarded the ship just in time as when we got through security, the heavens opened and there was a thunder storm which lasted the remainder of the day! he next day we docked in Ibiza, where we would be docked until 11.00pm so some guests could have a taste of the Ibiza nightlife. There isn't much to say about it really. We had a relaxing day on the beach in the nearby town of Playa de Bossa. The next stop for the cruise was Malaga. Jason and Joan boarded their cruise here on Adventure of the Seas in November last year, so they knew what to do. The next day we arrived in the British town of Gibraltar! This port of call was by far the best place out of the cruise itinerary. Royal Caribbean do not run a transfer into the town, as it is within walking distance of the town centre. I was also shocked when I heard there were no taxis in Gibraltar apart from the Rock Tourrs minibuses which do drop you off in the town for 2 euros each. As I am from England, I loved walking down the Main Street and seeing English shops such as BHS and Marks and Spencers. Alcohol and Tobacco are also very cheap here, but you are only allowed to bring 1 bottleacket back onboard. We walked to the Cable Car station to go up the Rock of Gibraltar. We waited for around 10 minutes. You will see companies outside the Cable Car entrance trying to get you to go on a tour with them. I would advise you not to go with these people. Although they are legitimate tours, it is easier and cheaper to do it yourself on the cable car. Plus it is a great experience! The monkeys were adorable, yet dangerous. If you follow the rules posted around the site, they shouldnrsquo;t bother you. When you go up you should try and keep all bags closed and do not carry and plastic bags as the monkeys love them! (Watch our video on YouTube!) We spent about an hour up there laughing at the monkeys play around and taking in the views of the coastline of Africa, before heading back down the rock. We decided to have a meal in a restaurant called Mamma Mia it is situated next to the cable car station and they serve delicious Italian pizzarsquo;s cooked over a stone baked oven. I would highly recommend you visiting. Day 6 was spent at sea. The most interesting thing happened that day, as a medical emergency happened. The captain informed us that we would have to make an abrupt detour to the nearest port, so that a passenger could get air lifted to hospital. The ship went full throttle to get just off the coast of Cartagena, where we saw a glimpse of Mariner of the Seas! We were eating at the dining room when all this happened, so we took no photos, which was a disappointment.) The ship stopped and dropped its anchor all outside decks were closed off and sunbeds were stacked away. We then waited for the helicopter to arrive. A man was airlifted onto the ship to attach the ill passenger. We were never told what was wrong with the passenger, but it must have been serious for this to happen. The food onboard was fabulous each night. There was a good selection of food on the menu. We had a fantastic waiter called Idege who served us every day. I would definatly like to go back on this vessel sometime in the future. It would be intersting to see what it would be like after the lsquo;revitalizationrsquo; has been done. I highly recommend you cruise on this ship!

p The Epic is nothing short of amazing -- I don#39;t even know where to start! We started with two days pre-cruise in Barcelona -- don#39;t miss La Ramblas and the waterfront seafood resturants (recommend La Barca del Salamanca) in the Port Olympic area and this gave up a chance to reset our body clocks before the cruise. p We arrived at the port for embarking at 12:30 -- it was amazingly fast and efficient -- about 10 minutes total. We we able to head straight to our rooms with our carryon luggage -- our checked bags arrived around 2:30. Mandatory muster drill was at 4:30 -- the only time you can#39;t get something to eat or drink on board -- but it only took about 20 minutes time. Most people were gathering on the pool deck for the Bon Voyage -- it was definitiely a party atmosphere! p Our state room cabin, a forward balcony on the starboard side, was just perfect for two people. Lots of storage space. Heard complaints about the shower/toliet arrangement -- it was actually nice to have them separated. And the frosted glass is private enough, plus there is an additional curtain you can pull if you want more privacy. Our door battery went out the second day -- someone was there within 5 minutes to fix it. Our key card activation in the room (controls the lights) went out the fourth day; again, they were there promptly to replace it. Housekeeping made two stops everyday, and our steward was attentive to all our requests. p Food and drink are plentiful -- expect to pay $7-10 for specialty drinks, they don#39;t skimp on the alcohol, either! If you are a beer drinker, the bucket is the way to go -- they will refill the ice for you! Also a must is the martini tasting at Shaker#39;s Martini Bar, held on the two at sea afternoons at 4pm; 5 full-size of the most popular martinis for $15 (best drink deal on the ship!) -- and Armondo, the bartender is personable and attentive. Tell him Jody Tara sent you and order the sexy alligator or chocolate love (neither on the regular menu)! One day the Rebellious Fish is the drink of day -- don#39;t miss this fruity concoction! Also -- the Svedka Ice Bar is fun -- we did a conga line inside with about 15 people to keep warm -- it was a riot! The Blue something-or-other is VERY strong, beware -- we stayed for about 20 minutes -- WEAR PANTS and SOCKS SHOES! p Our favorite specialty resturant was Moderno Churrascaria -- go hungry! The salad bar is amazing, but save lots of room for the meat varieties and the grilled pineapple! Teppanyaki was a bit of a disappointment -- it was a good experience, but I wouldn#39;t necessarily spend the money for it again. Our favorite complimentary resturant was Taste -- they offered interesting and tasty appetizers (my favorite was a wild mushroom quesadilla) and I had a lobster entree. The Garden Cafe seemed to be the most popular -- and had the widest variety of choices -- don#39;t miss the made to order omletes for breakfast or the made to order crepes at dinner time. p We did NCL excursions in Pisa (Pisa Taste of Tuscany -- a wine and olive grove tour -- well worth it, an 8-course lunch and tasting of 6 different wines, as much as you want, is included!); Rome on your Own (an easy and fast was to get to the city -- then we did a hop-on, hop-off bus tour that zipped you everywhere!), and Local Wines Panoramic Palma (also included a wine tour that was very good!) and still had time to explore iwht a free shuttle bus back to port. p Naples we did completely on our own -- we took a cab up to the Archeological Museum, which is where all the good stuff from Pompeii was taken, cost is 6,50 euros -- be sure to visit the secret room with the erotic artifacts ... p On board entertainment is plentiful -- there were always lots of interesting things to do -- if you don#39;t want to partipate, at least grab a drink and watch the several dance lessons held on the pool deck everyday (people watching is so much fun!). For scheduled entertainment, don#39;t miss the Blue Man Group -- be prepared for lots of kids and get there early for choice seats (nothing assigned). My two favorite venues were Howl at the Moon dueling piano bar (kid friendly until 11pm -- then it gets mighty raunchy, especially after midnight) and Fat Cats Blues Bar. Both have very, very talented musicians! We did not do the Cirque show -- heard lots of mixed reviews -- generally the concensus was just do the $20 option if its on your must-do list. p I would definitely do this cruise again and I am very happy to have chosen NCL#39;s Freestyle cruising! p p

Our cruise out of Barcelona to Italy was our bucket list cruise.  We flew from Texas to Barcelona and stayed in Barcelona for 2 nights pre-cruise. Our first time on NCL Epic and found it to be dramatically different from Royal Caribbean or Celebrity.  If I had one thing to say about the Epic it would be the lack of windows and visibilty to the water.  RCCL and Celebrity ships both have windows everywhere so you can enjoy the sailing experience.  The Epic was not like that at all and I so missed the visual aspect of cruising.  It was a beautiful ship but for this one element.  I stayed in the new Singles Cabins and found them to be very comfortable and well done.  No windows as they are inside cabins but the cost was very affordable for such a expensive trip.  My friends stayed in a balcony across the hall so I could walk across the hall and enjoy their balcony.  The cruise ports of call were priceless a we visited Pompeii, Vatican, Collisium, Pisa and more.  Everyone should visit these places as they are historical and must be seen. The ship was very nice but I missed the windows and that for me will keep me off Epic in the future.  Overall, it was a great trip inside of the lack of visual of the water. 

This cruiseline was top notch 15 years ago. Imagine our disappointment this time around. The morale of the ship staff was horrible and rightfully so. Make sure to read the fine print. They charge an additional $7 per day per person for gratuity to the staff. From what the staff said, they rarely see any of it. What happened to the day when you had the option to tip the people who provided you with good service?