Europe - Western Mediterranean Cruise Reviews

Mini Suite was OK, beds are too short for the average height person, and I did not care at all for the "open bathroom concept".  No privacy al all!! Also the tubs are too high to step in to easily, and very slippery when wet.

The dining experience was good, but not the best I ever had. The staff in the dining rooms were very nice  and helpful.

Did not get to enjoy much of the entertainment because the tours were so long and exhausting, and started so early! Did see the Men of Motown, which was great!

The tours were very rushed feeling, trying to cram too much in. There were limited times to shop, take photos and just relax. Most of the photos I took were from a moving bus window... Tour guides were very nice though. In the future I would choose to make private tour arrangements!! 

Boarding and disembarking were fairly easy.

Overall, the brand new ship is lovely, but it's very large.  First, the staterooms are the best I've ever seen.  Whether the balcony faces the water or the park, they're incredibly spacious and very comfortable.  I was concerned about noise facing the interior, but I didn't hear a peep after 11pm and the view was pretty great to people watch.  The entertainment options were vast as well as the sports and rec and the Abyss was awesome!  The food was just o.k. - nothing terrible, but nothing that really stood out as well.  I expected much more from a new ship, especially Royal Caribbean.  The service level was the same as the food - just o.k.  Some crew members were amazing, while others behaved as if they were worn out and would rather be anywhere else.  I believe the size played a large part of the lackluster service - the crew had over 6000 guests at one time!  You saw it in the stateroom attendants (whom we barely saw but knew they had been there because the room was clean), the dining staff (we felt rushed at times because tables needed to be turned over quickly so everyone could eat), and the bars would run out of items, suggesting you visit another location for the same drink.  The one thing I really miss is the drink of the day.  It's no longer an option which is disappointing because the drink packages were so expensive and a complete waste of money.  Overall, It was a great experience but I prefer the slightly smaller ships where the service is more personalized.  It felt like a really large hotel and not a cruise ship.

The service was wonderful however we found the food not to be the best as we do cruise quite a bit.  Several times during the dinner hour, we didn't receive what we ordered.  

Excellent cruise all round. The food is good in the main restaurants and there is an excellent choice of alternative dining venues at reasonable prices. The staff were very friendly and efficient and the entertainment was brilliant. Chose NCL originally as I was travelling with my grown up son and did not want to share a cabin and the studio cabins in Epic are perfect at a good price. Because of the studio lounge for single travellers my son was able to meet up with others of his own age and have a great time while I had the peace and quiet I wanted.Only negative was the price of the excursions but they were good and very well organised. Embarkation and disembarkation were both well organised and speedy.Was our second cruise on the Epic and would go again if they varied the route ports. 

the food was very good and a great variety

the cost of transporting to the airport is very expensive and not well co-ordinated

charged twice for one shore excursion with no explanation

room steward did the bare minimum  Had to ask for bath robes

guest services never answered the phone

liked the anytime dining

the ship was easy to find your way around  

the teen club was fun for our granddaughter

Outside shore excursions were late and caused stress to get back to the ship on time. 

This was our first cruise & we decided on just 7 days to see if we liked it. Well, we had no idea how big this ship was, 3800 passengers & 1700+ staff. The staff and service on board was excellent. Too many people and children for our liking. Too much noise everywhere, nowhere quiet to sit and chill out. The shows were very good, the trips booked on board were very expensive but we did outside ones which were always easy to find just off the ship. Not to be able to take bottles of water on and off the ship, even if purchased on the ship, was, to be honest, absolutely ridiculous and some cafes didn't even serve tea & coffee with the all inclusive drinks package. The food was generally good, much better in the restaurants than going for the buffet scrummage, there was never a shortage of something to eat or drink somewhere on the ship.

We will cruise again but for us, it will be a smaller vessel.

We're not super experienced cruisers.   We've been on Carnival once and Disney two times.   So, when we booked this more "value priced" cruise of the Western Med., we were prepared for less than spectacular service, food and amenities than Disney offered.   We were very pleasantly surprised with this cruise on the Epic.   The overall design and layout of the ship was quite easy to learn.   Our stateroom (just an inside cabin) felt like a much larger space due to the very clever and effective storage features and efficient layout.   The food easily surpassed that of our previous cruises and the "Freestyle Choice" approach meant we ate where we wanted when we wanted and we never waited.   We were also suspicious of the built-in "service charge" (AKA tips) thinking that all incentive was removed and that we would not see good service.  Wrong again. Everyone from our cabin steward to the wait staff treated us like royalty.   As for the entertainment, we particularly enjoyed the small venue entertainment...Headliner's Club, Cavern Club, Pool Deck, etc.   As for the Epic Theater productions, they were very well done, extremely well staged and full of talent.   However, the shows were a bit raunchy for our taste.  With this experience we have to consider NCL on a par with Disney for our future cruising choices.

First time in a suite which I loved. Nice specialty restaurants and really good food. The shows were very good. Great cabin service. Only thing that was not so great was too many people. Also, I think that the change of shops from the ones in the other ships of this class was disappointing. Did not care for any of the same stuff they always have for sale. Very boring and not worth the hassle of people jumping all over you or not letting you even a chance to see the merchandise. The ship has become more advanced in some areas which are more convenient for the travelers. 

Check in and disembarkation was very quick and smooth. Our cabin, a mini-suite, had ample storage and was very comfortable.  Pre-ordered water was waiting for us.  

We knew this cruise would be port-intensive, and it was.  We took two privately booked tours, and one through the cruise line- Ultimate Rome.  Our guide for Ultimate Rome was not very good but I would still recommend this tour for someone who wants to "see it all" in Rome.  The port is an hour and a half from Rome and I would not risk trying to do this itinerary with a private tour, with Rome's notoriously bad traffic. 

Our privately booked tours, booked through Tour Italy and Provence Wine Tours, were both excellent.  

Service throughout the ship was excellent. The entertainment was the best I've experienced on any cruise ship, especially the Priscilla Queen of the Desert musical.  

Food was fine; best in the main dining rooms.  The biggest problem was cold eggs on the buffet every morning. Also, the buffet simply could not accommodate all the people trying to eat breakfast at the same time, prior to their shore excursions.  Specialty restaurants were disappointing.

Overall I would recommend.

This is the second Crystal Cruise and we have booked our third for next year. The entertainment and the travelers seem to be, on average, well pst 60 years old.  they are delightful, yet quite senior.  As a result, most of the entertainment is geared towards  a traveler who prefers ballroom dancing, Reviews, Magicians and Acrobats.  The one shining light was the Avenue Saloon singer Neal Fullerton.  Thank good ness for him.  He tried to bring us into the 60s (smile). The food is great: the quality and presentation are 5 Star.  Th various food venues are lovely with great choices there as well.  The excursions are varied and the guides are top shelf.  I think it might be difficult to cruise with anyone else after these terrific back-to-back trips.  Our first was to the Baltics last year.  Just fantastic.  

The ports were Great!

The ship was very big and very clean as it is brand new.

The dining room food was just okay and sometimes unedible.

Specialty Restaurant (Chops Grille) was a disaster.  Steak was sent back twice as was raw.  The manager did not charge us (except for 2 glasses of wine). So our anniversary gift special meal was not eaten.  What a disappointment for a big cruise line like Royal Caribbean.

We could not even buy a wine package as on past cruises with RCCL.  THEY ARE REALLY PUSHING ALL YOU CAN DRINK PACKAGES AT US $46.00 p/player plus Taxes.  How sad is that🤔

Two of our pre-booked shows were cancelled.  Should I go on?

This was the most expensive cruise we have ever taken.  Sure shows that BIGGER is not always better.

The entertainment was excellent but that was it. The food was lukewarm to cold in all dining areas except the Wasabi and O'Sheehans restaurants.  Wasabi's food tasted terrible. There was no variety to the menus and very few items tasted better than mediocre.  The floor in front of the buffet was so sticky at 6 am that my shoe was stuck and I had to use so much force to take a step that it broke my shoe. I reported this to someone to clean it up and they said "ok". I saw an officer and reported it again and received the same response. I then reported it to guest services. Guest services took my name and stateroom number but never heard anything more. I had to buy new shoes because of the filth.

We booked this ship after listening to a presentation about it on another ship earlier this year.  Originally booked on Celebrity...similar itinerary.  Embarkation was a mess....no one directing passengers as to where to go ,long lines going around and around.  Even though we had a pre boarding time of 12-1230, we didn't get on till 330.  Our cabin was #8476 at the back of ship...great views of where you had been but long walks to see the shows or activities as well to go ashore.  Otherwise room was pretty standard...didn't care for the decks above ours had a clear view of your balcony,,,just wouldn't book it again.

Food was horrible...even in their steakhouse.  No flavor or seasonings added to anything.... Guy's Burgers was the only food with flavor!  Service in dining areas--main dining room and,wok kitchen only fair and poor at times. 

Shows and entertainment good because of a wonderful cruise director,Jaime.  She made it fun.  Shore excursions--most not worth the price.  Booked the "Sacred Rooms of the Vatican" for $255 each and only spent 10 minutes in this area.  All day excursion,on a hot bus and tour guides who were very difficult to understand.  Other excursions to Palermo,Palma and Marseille lacking interest and appear to be just filling the hours.

Average ship, even though it was new. Average food. Good ports of call. The itinerary was intense, Getting up early the morning for long day, without a day at sea in between can be tiring

I loved the ship but did not enjoy the industrial ports. I booked a balcony room to enjoy the arrival into each but was disappoint by each view. There were a couple of exceptions. I did love the fact that the ship was large enough to accommodate the number of people aboard and I didn't feel as though we were on top of each other,

Overall, this was a great cruise.  After having read a ton of reviews on cruise critic I was going in with no expectations as the reviews were about 50/50.  This was my 9th cruise, my 5th with Carnival.  I chose this cruise specifically for the boat and it just happened to be in Europe which was another location that my husband and I were looking at for vacation.  So I thought this was a win, win situation.  The boat was beautiful and of course very clean as it's brand new.  I found the staff and crew to be very nice and helpful.  The food was delicious and our accommodations were better than I expected.  We stayed on the 2nd floor in the Harbor Family area with an ocean view.  Several things that I did not like were:  the fact that you had to pay to see the IMAX and thrill theater movies, along with the popcorn (when the popcorn at the outside movie theater was free).  You were limited on the number of places to eat dinner if you didn't want to pay extra money.  The anytime dining experience was very confusing for the first couple of nights (checking in on one floor and eating on a different).  If you wanted to lounge at the serenity area, you had to get up very early to get a chair.  The Comedians were terrible.  The first 2 were ok, but the last 2 were not funny at all!  So,  Also, the stop at Sicily was a waist.  Very dirty city.  

I absolutely recommend this cruise. It was a very busy itinerary, but we got to visit so many outstanding cities and sites. Just wish we had a bit more time in each port. Food was the very best on the cruise ship - superb!!! Ship was not crowded, Service was excellent. Word of advice - do not plan your return trip by air on the same morning that the cruise ship debarks - way too many people, long lines at airport, can easily miss your flight. 

people smoking was an issue, other than that a very nice cruise and ship. main dining room had excellent meals. the specialty restaurants seemed to add an unneeded cost

Our state room attendant James was excellent. The dining room staff and bar attendants were terrible. and if you have a drink package watch your bill as they will mess it up. I needed medical attention and it also was very good.

The first thing that stands out for me is the great attitude of the Royal Caribbean staff onboard the Harmony of the Seas.  Everyone greeted you with a smile and an offer of help.  They would go out of their way to ensure your needs were met and was one of the best I have experienced.  the ship is exquisite.  It was easy to navigate and I did not feel crowded for the amount of people who were on board.  The days off the ship are well organized and I was impressed with the level of security they follow.  I was very satisfied with the food in the dining room as well as the buffet.  They provide an alternate for breakfast in the American icon dining room and it provides both menu ordering and a buffet.  It's a good alternative to the buffet in Windjammer.  My negative comments are that some of the shows start late in the evening,  the ice show in particular doesn't start until 10:15, so if you eat at 6:00 it's hard to wait until 10 for a show.  The television selection is very poor.  It's mostly news stations and offer only pay movies at $11.99 each.  When you are touring for 9-10 hours and want to relax in the evening it would be nice to have some movies to be able to watch.  Overall I would highly recommend Royal  Caribbean and Harmony of the Seas.