Europe - Western Mediterranean Cruise Reviews

We have travelled on three different cruises; Carnival 😶, Disney 😘 and now Holland America 😃😃😃😃. This was a great trip with me and my husband and our three children; 17, 14, and 9. We did all the various shore excursions, and it was a great way to get an introduction to Southern Europe. But the cruise ship specifically I would say; great and friendly crew, excellent food, great accommodations and would travel with Holland America and Zuiderdam again.

 

 

It was a great cruise! I recommend it. The ship was organized. The staff was helpful and friendly.  My husband and I really enjoyed the trip. We can't wait for our next cruise.

Very good experience, on and off ship was easy. All Epic staff were nice and friendly.  Food was great!  Entertainment at night could use a little fine tuning.  If you didn't want to pay for entertainment, there wasn't much to choose from.  We traveled with a 16 yo and 18 yo.  The teen center was great for the 16 yo but not much for the 18 yo to do at night.  

Got on in Civitavecchia which is not the main embarkation or debarkation port the whole setup was a mess from the lack of free shuttle to/from the train... to unmarked crusie area and no prior directions. Made it to the port and have no clue where our ship was.. wandered until we found a shuttle bus stop waited 20min to be driven in circles had there been a map or something we would have just walked.

Checked in and our room was ready yay except our luggage took another 2 hours to arrive and then it was only one of the 2 got a little anxious but decided to be patient, the other finally arrived in time for sailing off.

Our mini suite was oddly designed.  In the shape of a wave with restrooms upfront followed by a couch then bed. The privacy issue as many people have mentioned is there... and the room was dirty there were crumbs all over the floor and there were screws loose all over the place. The mini fridge shelf originally was a cabinet but i guess they rethought that one and ripped out the door. Btw they lock the mini fridge the night before you get off and put all your stuff on the shelf in which case all my produce spoiled while I was on my tour.

The room was dirty when we got in but the linens were clean and we were too tired to care. There were crumbs all over the floor bits of food and a thick layer of dust on the coffee maker.  The room steward was great and did everything with a smile even managed to get us towels for the pool well ahead of time. 

The ship is much like the breakaway in terms of layout. 

My issues with NCL were this one they nickel and dime you on everything. Juice is not included only the chemical stuff.. fresh pressed is extra. Every little thing seems to be extra. They even changed the daily service charge mid cruise.

The pools were like hot tubs small and over crowded for the amount of ppl on board it was just not ideal. I tried the slides one night around 7pm aside from the ton of kids and long lines they are poorly made and bruised my back. As for the pools well major let down I came back from an excursion and was looking forward to a cool dip only to get into what looked like a kiddie pool under the big screen in the adults only section and it was warm and filthy and with 10 ppl it was so crowded you couldn't even really move around just stand there in tepid water. The one day at sea was so crowded on deck there was not a single chair available anywhere.  Honestly if I didn't have a balcony to retreat to I would have killed myself in that heat that day. 

The spa fee to use the indoor amenities is $40 per person per day...absurd. They try to up-sell you on their products for 20 min before your massage cutting into the time and after they push it again.. what a pain. Also I took one of their spa deals and they charged me for the wrong promotion and I got sub par service so make sure you bring the flyer with you and they ring you up correctly. No robes are provided either which i think is lousy nor can you use the facilities after to soak you would still need to pay the $40.

Seems the on-board activities are always the same towel folding.. .drink tasting... bowling and pool at the bar at  $.

Unlimited drink package wasn't very useful as had to pay the difference for certain glasses of wine and what not at the bars and dinner. Did not include the coffee and was barely utilized if you want to see the ports then i suggest the dinner package. Although that would require reservations which is tough to do when you are unsure of how exhausted you will be from your day trips.

 

 

 

We had a great time on Allure of the Seas. There was a ton to do and we were kept very busy.  The food was great, the rooms were always kept clean. Checkin and Checkout were easier than going to an airport.  The food was very good, including at the specialty restaurants we went to and the excursions were generally very good.

We began at the pier not knowing that the town of Civitavecchia had suffered a massive power failure, thus rendering the computers for check-in inoperable.  Thus, the boarding process was a chaotic mess, certainly not Celebrity's fault- except, NO ONE from Celebrity made any effort to communicate to more than a thousand sweating angry passengers massed together in a hot warehouse just WHY there was such problems.  The result was pretty ugly, with passengers pushing and shoving through non-working security terminals, angry people cutting in front of others to reach the check-in desks, etc.  Not a good beginning.  To make matters even more stressful, the woman who checked us in gave us serious grief because our 15-year old daughter's last name doesn't match ours.  (I'm her step-father).  Her passport was clearly in order, all of us having passed through Customs without a hitch.  Celebrity had no issues when we made our reservations months before, giving us no hint of any "added requirements".  Suddenly, my wife is being threatened, in a menacing way, that our daughter can't be allowed to board.  ("But, this time, we'll look the other way".)  This was ridiculous, and inexcusable.

    After the life boat drill, as we returned to our room, one of the crewmen exclaimed in a loud voice, "Let's Get This party started!".  Harmless enough, except the message seemed to be that the goal of the ship was a "drink til you drop" Carnival cruise.  (I'm familiar with those).  Not everyone on this ship was there to party.  Though from the music that blared incessantly throughout the ship, whether in the lounges, on deck by the pool, or through the PA system in even the most specialized restaurant, it was not possible to find what some of us were seeking: a little peace and quiet.  Even on the verandah of our suite, the awful music from poolside engulfed us.  I promise the folks at Celebrity that of the roughly 2800 passengers, a sizable percentage were not interested in hearing poorly done 1980s cover tunes.

One aspect of cruising we enjoy is the casino.  In this case, we were greeted by a casino employee, microphone in hand, who sung our first names out to anyone who would listen, with an absurdly enthusiastic "Jeff and Stephanie!  How wonderful to see you!"  As anyone who has been to Las Vegas can attest, that kind of indiscretion would have cost that woman her job in Vegas.  We do not gamble to make friends or become part of some kind of rumba line.  It's a personal experience that clearly, Celebrity does not respect.

Here's a piece of advice   for Celebrity:  Don't schedule Florence Italy as a stop on a Sunday.  With only a half day's time to enjoy one of the world's most spectacular cities, you put us there when the cathedrals and churches were closed to visitors until the afternoon, and for those who enjoy upscale shopping, many of the stores aren't open at all. 

You offer a "teen spa service".  Very nice- we scheduled our 15-year old daughter for a facial.  But, upon arrival, we were told that she isn't allowed to partake unless one of her parents sits with her the whole time.  That is NOT a teenager's idea of a spa experience.

There are a great many more nit-pick complaints, including the wine steward who didn't understand how to re-cork a bottle of very expensive Bordeaux we had intended to enjoy over two nights.  But in most cases, the staff was exceptional.   "Michael's Club", exclusively for suite passengers, was an excellent concept- the manager Bartosz, was wonderfully attentive to our needs, and helped to solve various issues.  Our suite's butler, Cesar, was wonderful.     The specialized dining rooms offered meals far above the cruise-ship norm.  (If only you could eliminate the rock music blaring above our heads).  In every case, the wait-staff and maitre'd were most friendly and helpful.   For breakfast, the one oasis of calm seemed to be the restaurant "Blu", but it was only open from 7:30 to 9:00.  (The typical "all you can gorge" buffet was packed, with a scramble to find a decent place to sit.)

 

I participated in a Texas hold-em tournament just outside the casino, where we were buffeted by what seemed to be a K-Mart blue-light special grab fest for cheap purses and jewelry.  A hundred or more passengers with shopping baskets, swarming over piles of what appeared to be cheap junk.  ("Purses, $10.  Buy 4, get one free!")  Really?  Tacky in the extreme.  An onboard flea market.

 The past four times we have cruised have been on Crystal Cruise Lines.  I now understand why they get the prices they do.  You get what you pay for.  In the future, we would opt again for the more expensive and considerably more sophisticated cruise.  Celebrity seems to try to have it both ways- offer a hint of elegance, with a constant theme that lets everyone know that if you miss the "party days" with Carnival, you can still find them here.  

 

I loved the ship and would cruise with them again but my 18 year old daughter was disappointed in the dining room food and expected more entrees based on previous cruises that we've taken. 

I had a great time on my Mediterranean cruse.  I would highly recommend Norwegian cruise lines.  My flight from the US was cancels so I had to meet the ship in the second port.  They handled it very well.  I was credited for offshore tours I had booked. 

I recommend purchasing day tours ahead of time.  They are much cheaper.  I also recommend the food add on.  It general buffet was busy and can always eat there, but this option allowed me to eat in all the restaurants with no extra cost.

Norwegian also has studios on some of their ships.  If you are traveling also I highly recommend this.  You don't have to pay extra for traveling along.  If you want to meet people they have a get together each evening at 6 or 6:30.  Nice place to meet people

We loved this cruise.  Food was great, room was great, excursions were great.  But, entertainment on board was fairly lousy.  For those who wanted something other than just a place to eat, there was a jazz club, a piano bar, a comedy club, and a karaoke bar.  None of them were great.  The music in the piano bar and jazz club was mediocre at best.  The comedy talent was not very talented.  And the karaoke bar reminded us of a small town strip club (very tacky design, with actual beds in certain parts of the seating area).  These onboard activities are all great in theory but, in our opinion, were executed poorly.  Also, some of the bartenders in some of the bars were not the friendliest people.  We talked to some people on board who loved all of this stuff, but we definitely didn't.

 My first disappointment was the smoking on the balconies. I have asthma and had to endure smoke in my cabin several times a day & especially at night. My complaints fell on deaf ears.I was told my asthma is not a top priority the concern is fire. I was also told you do not want to be sued for false accusation..Why wasn't there more emphasis on the no smoking rules thru reminders by the Captain and in print in the daily brochures. Your extra charges for water out of the room frig-- charges for room service- charge for a can of coke-despite having purchased a premium package for drinks. Prices on wine list not consistent with charges incurred..

The general consensus among many passengers  was the ship was only about extra charges. Impression of the ship when we boarded--it looked like a mall with shops on 4th-5th floor. The high cost on additional restaurants on the ship was also an issue with many people.

 

 

 

Fabulous itinerary, great service. Wonderful food! The staff was very accommodating and delightful. The ports were all wonderful and none were crowded. We've been on many cruises and this was a unique itinerary with lots of fabulous ports. Different than your typical Mediterranean cruise that visits Rome, Venice, etc. Those are great ports as well, but much more crowded in the summer than the ports on this cruise. It was a GREAT value. 

Great ship, great organization. Truly fun for all the family. We were lucky with the accessible stateroom, otherwise the normal staterooms are quite tiny.

As a first time cruiser on MSC, with experience on Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, I was looking forward to learning about an Italian-based cruiseline. It was interesting to note that this line allows passengers to come aboard at each of its ports. That means there is a muster just about every day. Our request for extra towels and pillows (a standard request on the other lines) was met with an argument first, then a two-day delay in providing them. Dinner service was stilted, with the servers not understanding rudimentary English. Servers refused to provide plain tap water , insisting that we purchase water instead. Coffee/tea was also not offered - we were told to go to the cafe and purchase it there. At breakfast, service was poor to non-existent. Occasionally, but not always, we were offered juice and bread. Refills on coffee were available, if you could flag down a waitperson and ask for it. Except for breakfast, the food was either tasteless, or comparable to dishwater (soups) or cardboard (sauces). Only two dinners had portions that were acceptable. All the areas of the ship were invaded by unruly, unsupervised children. Despite signs saying that under-sixteens must be supervised by an adult, said adults were not in evidence. I was extremely disturbed to see toddlers in diapers (expressly forbidden in all pools) present, occasionally with parents, in all the pools. The health hazard of this seems not to disturb the management. Children were roughhousing - pulling or pushing each other into the water, running around the perimeters, generally being totally obnoxious. Needless to say, there was NO place on the ship to avoid these encounters. The crew seldom smiled or responded in a friendly manner, unlike my experiences with the other cruiselines. The ship generally docked far from the cruise terminal, then offered 'shuttles' to town or the terminal for 10 - 15 euros.  

 

 

Hummm.....When I complained about my wife's mattress, it wasn't resolved within the 14 days. Wine list was poor and over priced in my opinion. Too much pushing goods in my opinion and not enough shows, comedy acts, magicians, etc for the 14 nights. Very long waiting times for food to arrive at dinner time. Some tables complained that their food had arrived just plainly warm. Better soundproofing for forward cabins over Palace theater...had to wait noisy bands to finish their shows to be able to sleep. Our Cabin was 6525 so you know what I am talking about. Other cruise lines offer complimentary transportation to and from with NO CHARGE to bus/train stations. Us elderly don't have the mobility like the young ones. Windjammer café closed too early at night....9PM. No midnight buffet anymore....why? Too much greed being placed on pictures....charge less, and more will buy...since it's all digital now.

As a first time cruiser on MSC, with experience on Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, I was looking forward to learning about an Italian-based cruiseline. It was interesting to note that this line allows passengers to come aboard at each of its ports. That means there is a muster just about every day. Our request for extra towels and pillows (a standard request on the other lines) was met with an argument first, then a two-day delay in providing them. Dinner service was stilted, with the servers not understanding rudimentary English. Servers refused to provide plain tap water , insisting that we purchase water instead. Coffee/tea was also not offered - we were told to go to the cafe and purchase it there. At breakfast, service was poor to non-existent. Occasionally, but not always, we were offered juice and bread. Refills on coffee were available, if you could flag down a waitperson and ask for it. Except for breakfast, the food was either tasteless, or comparable to dishwater (soups) or cardboard (sauces). Only two dinners had portions that were acceptable. All the areas of the ship were invaded by unruly, unsupervised children. Despite signs saying that under-sixteens must be supervised by an adult, said adults were not in evidence. I was extremely disturbed to see toddlers in diapers (expressly forbidden in all pools) present, occasionally with parents, in all the pools. The health hazard of this seems not to disturb the management. Children were roughhousing - pulling or pushing each other into the water, running around the perimeters, generally being totally obnoxious. Needless to say, there was NO place on the ship to avoid these encounters. The crew seldom smiled or responded in a friendly manner, unlike my experiences with the other cruiselines. The ship generally docked far from the cruise terminal, then offered 'shuttles' to town or the terminal for 10 - 15 euros.  

 

 

La Divina is spectacular.  Our balcony room was also spectacular.  Large.  With a bathtub!  The largest balcony I have ever seen.  We spent a lot of time in the room and on the balcony.

MSC doesn't quite have it together.  Lots of problems with communicating (not because of language) events.  They were hugely interested in selling the land trips, and, when I asked questions, concerning ports, they were frequently wrong.  One elevator never worked the entire trip, and another one was out the last couple of days.  Some of the food was excellent--mostly the beef dishes; most of the seafood was pretty bad.  Mushy shrimp/prawns; fishy smell for most of the seafood; salmon non-recognizable.  Italian dishes were very good.

The Entertainment was ok--nothing special.  Virtually all of the music was taped.  The Michael Jackson performance consisted of a guy that moved fairly well, but, other than that, it was amateurish.  There were several acrobats that were good.  The singers weren't very good, and the set lists were laughable.  The sets simply didn't hold together.  Whatever the theme, they seemed to throw in several songs that just didn't fit.

I liked that we actually docked at every port except one.  I felt really sorry for the passengers that wanted to use the day at Rome's port to see Rome.  The port was a zoo!  Sure they would rather sell a land trip, but there should be some advice/help for those that want to do it on their on.  The most laughable land trip was one from La Spezia that went to both Florence and Venice.  Simply not possible; plus, for the Venice part, they had you catch a train from Florence to Venice and return.  Maybe an hour in Venice???

We chose MSC and La Divina because it fit our schedule and we liked the ports.  We would choose it again under the same circumstances.  However, if we had a choice, we would probably choose another cruise lines.

Overall the Epic is a great ship.  I have been on a bunch of cruises before, this was my first with Norwegian.  While I did like the freestyle cruising concept, the one disadvantage I experienced was that each time we dined, we had a different server.  On previous cruises, we had one wait staff and they got to know us and that to me was a better experience.  I did hear one couple request a waiter so maybe on future cruises we can do the same.  The food was excellent.  Better than previous cruises.  I'm not sure if this is based on the region we cruised in or the cruise line.  The entertainment was good.  My only complaint is that on previous experiences we had a new act every night and on this cruise it was the same 4 acts over and over again.  Having said that, the quality of entertainment was better.  We had excellent tour guides and the excursions were fantastic.  Tough to beat a European vacation!

The Norwegian Epic had a great looking cabin but some of the space was not very practical.  It looks as if it is newly decorated but some of the details were not passenger friendly such as the lights over the vanity were very dim.  There is a small pull out ledge on which to put your tray if you order room service but there is only one ledge and only one stool for a cabin with two passengers which means one person will have to eat in the bed.  There is also a charge for breakfast room service if you order anything that is not listed in the complimentary menu such as eggs!!   I was also disappointed in that we attended one onboard show which was supposed to be complimentary but we were charged for it on our final bill.  One other disappointment was the adults pool which was very small, maybe a 12 -20 capacity, if that;  the water was also around bath temperture.  But a very pretty ship.

My family and I sailed on the Allure of the Seas this summer on a seven night cruise from Barcelona. We had a junior suite. The room was wonderful with a huge walk in closet. Overall we were very impressed with Royal Caribbean. They were super-efficient both on the boarding and disembarking process. The ship was beautiful inside and out. While the Allure is enormous they have it divided it into various neighborhoods, such as Boardwalk and Central Park, etc. so it never seemed terribly crowded. There were many attractions such as the flow rider, rock climbing, zip line, etc. While they were a lot of fun, it seemed they were closed a lot of the time. The Broadway shows were wonderful too. We saw Mama Mia several times. Some other observations….

The drink plan seemed very expensive. We brought water and pop with us onboard. We also didn’t like the ship’s restaurants that charged for meals, seemed like a rip off. The European ports of call were spectacular. One of our favorites was Marseille. We took the train from the port to the Notre Dame de La Guard. With so much to see and so little time we signed up with Private Cruise Excursions in Rome and Naples. They picked you up at the ship and took you on a personally guided tour. It was worth the extra expense and seemed like a much better value than those offered by Royal Caribbean.

The cruise was overall very good and the boat was overall very good.  

Pros:  Clean, good food, lots of options for entertainment and eating, friendly staff.

Cons:  If you intend to do Rome on your own, there is a shuttle to a parking lot where you have to get another shuttle to the train station.  Its horrible.  Taxi's won't take you - so just be aware of that.  Cagney's on the boat is not the best steak on the boat.  You would think, since its the steakhouse it would be - but we had better steaks in the main dining room.