Europe - Western Mediterranean Cruise Reviews

Best Cruise I've had to date.  Was concerned about the size of the Norwegian Epic ship and moving/serving passengers.  They did an outstanding job!!  Crew was fantastic, food excellent and liquor premium.  Nothing bad to say at all about the cruise.  Looking forward to sailing on this ship again in the future when it changes destination.  Only issue I had was with communication between and Norwegian...a few months before the cruise I was informed that the ship would be in drydock longer than originally planned so they had to push my cruise forward to the next month.  I couldn't make that, so I rebooked for the month earlier.  Everything was fine.  Then about a month later I was informed my cruise was cancelled.  This was after I had to rebook hotels and flights (at a cost to me).  Turned out someone dropped the ball and didn't finalize the dates we worked out.  Everyone was very nice and helpful, but I was getting irritated and felt I was being jerked around.  Almost just cancelled because I was losing confidence that this trip was really going to happen.  After hours on the phone for a second time we sorted everything out.  Including my Ultimate Drink and Dining packages that got "lost" in the rescheduling.  Make sure you run hard copies of all your plans/agreements, because when you are rebooked it all goes away in the website and you only have access to your current plans. After all this....we went on the trip and it was fantastic!   Highly recommend this trip to anyone!!   

did not like the decor  or the low ceilings of the ship. you charge us 25.00 dollars a day then tell us the cabin person is not part of the up charge.

A week cruise and only one sea makes for a busy time.  This is a great way to get an overview of some of the great places on the Mediterranean.  However, each port stop leaves you wanting for more of the cities visited. With some much time in port and off the boat, the time on the Epic must be budgeted in order to enjoy all the Epic has to offer.  With the unlimited dining package, we ate a specialist restaurant every night.  

One major disappointment:  We love the thermal spa.  However on Saturday night,  after a late port day, we were told that the spa was closing early.  I ask the manager to contact me, but he never did.  

Did two pre-nights in Barcelona which were great and gave the group of 12 a chance to visit Montserrat; it's a must see.  If you need some relaxation time 7 day is too short, except for one day at sea you are on the move all the time.  Ship was clean, friendly staff.  However, not sure why they charge for entertainment.

Overall it was a nice trip, however, we wish the cabin space can be larger, especially for the bathroom.  The vanity is too short and the sink is way too small.  The amenities in the room is too minimum.   

TOO MANY PEOPLE TO PROVIDE ADIQUATE SERVICE. NO DECKS YOU CAN GO AROUND THE SHIP, NO SITTING AT ALL ON 2 TOP DECKS IN THE EVENINGS, DURING THE DAY THE MUSIC IN THE POOL AREA IS VERY-VERY LOUD, LINES IN THE MORNING TO GET YOUR BREAKFAST, THE FOOD LEAVES MUCH TO BE DESIRED. CAN EVEN COMPARE IT TO MY 3 PREVIOUS CRUISES WITH ROYAL CARIBBEAN.

We would like to say many thanks to the Norwegian Epic for making our first cruise so memorably. We  will for sure be back. Food was great with a lot of things too choose from.

The service staff (housekeeping and waiters) were great and worked hard. the rest of the staff in tours in so called "customer service" were really RUDE, snarky and ignorant. Communication was horrible, they nickel and dime you to death, and the food was only so-so. Having been spoiled by Celebrity and Holland America cruise lines, The Norwegian EPIC was an EPIC FAIL!  

I've been on several Carnival cruises but this was my first Norwegian cruise. I was expecting better food and service but was disappointed that neither measured up to my previous experiences. The amenities were superior - we booked a junior balcony suite that was comfortable and well appointed. The bathroom accommodations aren't too private but shouldn't be a problem if you're familiar with your traveling companion. The entertainment was superior - 2 of the 3 theater shows were Broadway quality (only the Legends show faltered). We did not pay the extra fee for Cirque de Soleil as I'm from Las Vegas and have seen most of their shows. We paid the $20/person extra to try the Ice Bar - didn't compare to the 5 Below bars in Las Vegas and the room was uncomfortably cold - we couldn't finish our second drink we were so uncomfortable.  The food was the biggest disappointment. Unless you pay extra to dine in the Bistro, Teppan or Steak restaurants the food doesn't compare to other cruises. Also I found many of the sauces they added to entrees or desserts detracted from the final product. If you're not sure you're going to like it - order it without or on the side. Most disappointing was the restaurant service. Most servers didn't seem to be enjoying their jobs and rarely smiled seeming more interested in talking to each other rather than the guests.  Of course the star of this cruise are the ports of call and they didn't disappoint. Even when we had a poor tour guide on one of our excursions - the staff discounted the excursion on our bill. Overall I enjoyed this cruise most for the places I visited and if I travelled this area again I think I would experiment with another line. 

Great itinerary!  The Allure is a beautiful ship with lots to do.  We stayed in Sky Loft suite which was nice (largest deck we've ever had - usually stay in Royal Suites).  Bathrooms and closet space both horrible.  So many people on the ship, there was always a long line waiting to get int the Windjammer to eat.  The Suite lounge (perk with suites) and Coastal Kitchen were excellent although concierges were extremely poor.  Food was decent anywhere on ship. Awesome new automated process with finding and viewing your pictures although it only works if you get your picture taken with backdrop as you board ship (based then on face recognition similar to FB).  RCL is testing lots of changes on different ships. Communication of what's being tested is poorly communicated in advance which is a negative if you purchase things in advance. Travel agents have no idea of what's going on although RCL encourages you to book through an agent. 

My wife and I and another couple booked this cruise for our first Europe trip, knowing Allure was an excellent ship, and were very happy with it. We did arrive a day early in Barcelona to enjoy the city, then hit the ship.

Embarkation was smooth and efficient, Allure was as fine a ship as it has always been, and the staff aboard honored our special requests (one of which is a flourless chocolate cake, only generally offered one night a week as a special dessert). We decided to do the Chef's Table, and must recommend this option over any other specialty dining option as the most memorable meal we have ever had. Multiple courses, wine paired with each course, and the chef explaining the preparation and wine selection.

The ports visited in Italy were the most jam packed due to the sites available, but how can you not tour Florence, Pisa, Rome, and Naples-Sorrento-Amalfi Coast.

Our CO agent (Kathy Jezek) did an excellent job with helping us with all details to make this a very special trip

We compared this cruise with NCL to three competitors with whom we have traveled.  On balance the accomodations were by far the best.  This was a good start, however there were inconsistencies in other aspects of our cruise that dissapointed.  The primary area was in food and beverage service. While two premium meals were excellent, the dining rooms were erratic with repsect to presentation and service.  Although we were assured by a manager hat bar drinks were prepared to a standard shipwide recipe, we found some drinks dissapointing in some venues.  We have also been left with the impression that scotch sours ordered by my wife were "watered down" and failed to deliver a satisfying drink even after beign returned to the bar for repair or replacement.

The was an excellent cruise. With the exception of some of the shore excursions we a bit more stringent than we we led to believe, we had a Wonderful Cruise!

This was a very enjoyable cruise especially for first time cruisers of the Mediterranean. Though itinerary was changed dropping Tunis, Tunisia due to political strife, the alternative Salerno, Italy as port of call was an excellent choice. It should be noted that this cruise was actually two 7-day itineraries rather than one 14-day one. Therefore, we had a couple repeated ports of call which was okay with us because it gave us the opportunity to do different excursions the second time around. So we got to see more of each region. Ports of call were very interesting as departure points for excursions. However, they may not have been convenient for travelers who wanted to stay onboard or visit immediate area. They had to use taxis or shuttles to get to many of the closest towns for walking around. But we did not hear those people complaining.

We have taken over 25 cruises and this was the best one yet.  The ports were great and the excursions we took let us see as much of the country that we could. The ship was great and the food was good.  No complaints at all. 11 day cruise for these many ports was just right with 3 days at sea.  Spending 2 days in Amsterdam and 2 days in Rome completed the trip.  I would recommend this cruise to everyone. 

The Silhouette is a beautiful ship and the crew was extremely helpful and friendly. I would cruise on this ship or any Celebrity ships again. However, I would only purchase a ticket which included the drink package because it is extremely expensive and 18% is added for gratuity. The shore excursions are also on the pricey side and we didn't find that they were good value. Our trip into Lisbon was $60 and the tour guide gave no information as we drove around on the bus. When asked questions, he didn't know the answer. Such as, what is the population? He said 1,000. He was replaced half way through. There were two formal nights which are not for us

The ship was very nice and clean. The mini suite was excellent. We had a high floor forward. We had a few stops before Barcelona which were great. It was busy but not overcrowded. After Barcelona the ship was well over capacity. Elevators were always packed and hard to move around the ship even though how large it was. In fact there were no chairs to be found anywhere on the pool decks. We asked about the number that came on at Barcelona and were told that 3500 new people came on and they had over 5300 on board including a lot of children. This was just too many people and ended up being to much for all of the crew as well. I doubt we would take this again if Norwegian is going to sell the ship.

I was totally speechless when the captains wife/girlfriend won the diamond ring at the jewelry store. It was fixed from the start and he even came with her. Of course he did not look surprised.  Food was good. At customer service crew was not well informed. I received conflicting information, incorrect information, and put in the wrong lines which was frustrating.    

The itinerary and excursions were so good (5 ports) that you don't have enough time to enjoy the ship.  This is a very large ship with lot's of areas to explore. Very efficient and friendly staff.      

Fun experience. Overall great service and entertainment. Food could be better. Great to travel with families. Lots of things to do. Great ports of call. Great to meet people from all over the world.