Europe - Western Mediterranean Cruise Reviews

I have mixed reviews regarding this Cruise.  Although the ship was only 5 years old it's seen soooo many families that it no longer had the feel of a newer ship.

We were surprised at the amount of families traveling with small children with the destination of Europe.  The ship at times felt like Grand Central Station on the Sea.  Although we've cruised on Royal Caribbean, Princess and Celebrity none of the trips we took ever felt this crowded.  Perhaps it was the fact that this ship actually runs 2 cruises at once with one group departing from Rome and the other departing from Barcelona.  It was an incredible experience to meet people from the UK, Sweden, Israel, Canada etc all sailing on the same ship and we thought the food quality in the 6 regular restaurants was very good. It was the crowded, cramped feeling that we enjoyed the least.  The state-room/cabin was also very small and the layout was strange not to mention impractical and allowed no privacy whatsoever.  I'm a small person but when attempting to get from one side of the cabin to the other either my husband or myself had to climb over the bed to get around one another.

The staff was efficient and friendly and the talent on the ship was better than most.  We absolutely loved the guys who played at the Howl at the Moon piano bar along with Marisa and Tony who played in the Blues/Jazz club.

The first half of the cruise which was far less crowded until 2,500 more boarded in Barcelona was much more enjoyable than the later half.

Excursions were also quite pricey on the ship but if one does their homework prior to traveling there are several ways to experience these excursions on your own.

Our suite was very nice and the service on the Haven deck was superior. The rest of the ship was very full of people, this was a bigger ship with almost 5000 cruisers. Internet service (I purchased unlimited time) was poor. At peak times, there was slow to no connection and twice I tried to use the internet café instead of my phone and had issues with their equipment. I felt there was not enough variety in the entertainment. If you didn't go to a "singing" show, there wasn't much to pick from in the evenings. Food was good, but not over the top, as I had expected. Be aware that shore excursions offered by the ship are MUCH more expensive than the same trips offered by travel agents, shop around and you can save. For example, private drivers for a day ashore were offered at $1000 per person, I was able to purchase a private driver for an entire day for about $100 per person, that is a big difference, also transfers from ship to airport are over priced compared to taxi or private transportation.

I really liked the Haven level and will do that again in the future. We had a two bedroom suite, a floorplan that isn't offered by other cruise line.

We have been on the Epic before, so knew we loved the ship.  This time we stayed in a Haven Spa Suite.  If we sail on her again, we will choose a suite located within the Haven.  All was good, ports were amazing.

Overall, this was a very positive experience.  This was my 6th cruise, first time with Norwegian.  This was my wife's 9th cruise, but also her first experience with Norwegian.  Overall, the entertainment was somewhat inconsistent with some excellent performers and some that left me wishing I had stayed in my cabin.  Graffiti, the Flyboys and the Beatles Tribute Band were all smashing.  Legends was alright, while the Rod Stewart impersonator was first rate.  Movie offerings were limited and did not take advantage of the theater facility, relying on other screen locations which were not conducive to focusing on the media.  I refrained from attending some otherwise promising movies because there were too many distractions in the venues provided.  Food was generally up to par with other cruise lines, although the menus in the two main restaurants, Taste and the Manhattan Club, were somewhat repetitive.  I had no difficulty adjusting to the freestyle seating options although we found that some waiters were better than others and there was no way to get back to the tables where the good ones worked.  Our cabin steward claimed to be a rookie on his second week with the cruise line but he was as good as or better than any we have ever had previously.  NCL must train and select their stewards very well.  We only did two of the optional shore excursions and both were problematic.  We had tickets for the hop-on, hop-off bus in Livorno.  When we got to the bus stop on shore, we discovered that there is only one bus for all five cruise ships in port and the bus that was scheduled to leave at 11:00 was already full by 10:45 and the bus would return for more passengers at noon.  Really?  On Mallorca, there were multiple buses to serve the hop-on, hop-off bus tour that we reserved, but when we arrived at the bus stop, the line was nearly a half block long.  After 45 minutes in the hot sun, we finally got on a bus for a very interesting tour that provided a great orientation for first-time visitors to the island.  We opted to take self-guided tours in Naples and Cannes, as well as a train to Rome and back from Civitivecchia.  That worked for us, but we spent three days in Rome just over six months ago, so we knew exactly where we wanted to go during our limited time in the city.  I would cruise with Norwegian again without hesitation.  However, I would not choose them over another cruise line with a better price point for the itinerary I want to explore.    

We thoroughly enjoyed this cruise.  Every port was exciting and offered wonderful excursions.  The ship and everyone that works for Royal Carribbean do their best to make your vacation as memorable as possible.  My only criticism would be that we had prepaid our gratuities which offers a "my time dining"  option which requires you to make dinner reservations between 9:00 - 4:00.  We were so busy in port and never were on board at the appointed time to make reservations resulting in us only utilizing the dining room once.  Overall, this was the most best cruise we have taken so far.  We look forward to many more!

Our cruise was a trip of a lifetime and we were not disappointed. The ship and crew were amazing. The food was delicious. Because we had a suite we received several perks for being in a suite and they were so worth it! I would encourage upgrading to a suite if you can. Royal Caribbean provided us with an excellent Anniversary Celebration!

Sue with guided us in making our plans and she was the best. Available to help with any needs and answer all our questions. I would recommend using Sue for all your travel needs!

I honestly can't say anything negative about our cruise. The ship is beautiful, the crew were outstanding, The entire process of boarding the ship was to our surprise very easy. We had per-registered. We started in Spain, we had arrived a day and a half early to experience Barcelona. We chose to take a double Decker bus tour, which was perfect. We were able to get off at several stops and re-board the bus at any point of its route. All for one minimal price. Plus, we were able to catch additional buses that toured other parts of the city. They are quite easy and accessible.

Palma De Mallorca, Spain was about the same a Barcelona. Marseilles, France was a bit of a neutral day. We choose to not go on a shore excursion and just walk the town, which was quint, busy, and loud. Your typical tourist stop.

However, the shore excursion to Tuscany was a slight disappointment. which may just be a culture difference. Being from USA, the wine tasting we've experienced have been quite different.The tour guide was historical, and quit informed, when we arrived at the winery we had per-conserved thoughts of what was going to happen. We and others on the tour thought we were going to see the barrels, the ceillers, the process of making wines and tasting different wines.  What we found was we were being 'sold' on the extra virgin olive oils that are produced at the winery. We did have a nice simple snack that included 4 wines, and a desert wine, Outside at the family style tables. we felt it to be nice, comfortable and peaceful in the country side of Tuscany. Where we also learned about the white marble in the mountains through out this beautiful setting. All things considered we had a lovely day.

Marseilles, France was a bit of a neutral day. We choose to not go on a shore excursion and just walk the town, which was quint, busy, and loud. Your typical tourist stop.

Beware at Civictavecchia, Italy when you disembark at the dock, there have about a hundred salesman/and women trying to sell you a 'tour' in Rome. Our experience was unsettling, we did accept one tour guide, (what we thought was a tour guide). We haggled for a tour price, which was 200.00 euro down from 250.00 euro for the Private Tour which included tickets to the front of each place's line, and simple entry into the Vatican, etc... once we saw the 'van' an got in, INSTANTLY, I was uncountable, the van was a pigs sty newspapers everywhere, visible dirt on the seats,  filthy arm rest, and in general un-exceptionable! As we left the port, the driver got a call to return to the port, He was instructed to pick up another couple and they were to join our "PRIVATE TOUR".  Once back at the port a nice young couple were waiting for us. We started a conversation with them and they too were told it would be a Private tour, and their tour was to be 200.00 euro also.  After a brief conversation with the 'seller' of the tour we all decided to walk to the train station, about 10 minutes from the port. The train was a fraction of the cost of a 'private tour' we enjoyed the views of the countryside...it arrived in the middle of Rome. Where we continued our day on foot and taxi when we needed one. For warring, their are many vendors, all over the city. Some licensed and a-lot that are not. Plenty of police and army post around the city, which gave us a sense of both secure and cautious. Beware of PICK-POCKET-ERS, we were warned that they would be all over the city. Rome was delightful.

Naples was a fun, free spirit city... I think it was one of my high lights. It is extremely delightful, (yes alot of tourist) but we walked the city, met a number of wonderful Italians. Ate at a family run for 3 generations pizzara off the main stream of the city. We enjoyed listening and experiencing the culture of Napals.

We Highly recommend the Chief's Table Dinner. 

The Chef's Table was Formal and quit enjoyable. Sommeller, Adrian Samuels was excellent well informed and personable.The presentation was elegant.

The Windjammer Main restaurant was extremely crowded an loud with children in and out.  Definitely a family environment. The crew were pleasant and abundant. Tables were cleared and cleaned admittedly. The food was good and plentiful. 

Solarium Bistro Restaurant, we had breakfast there one morning. We found it to be crowded and had to search for a clean table. Casual environment.

Chops Grille was ok... however, to be fair we did have a group of 11. we felt the food to be 'ok' nothing really stood out... out of the 'norm' of a nice restaurant. 

Sabor, was a disappointment. The Spanish flavors were diffident from our expatiation.  The chips and Fresh Guacamole was the best over all.

We ordered room serves twice. Both times for breakfast the meal was your typical 'american' breakfast. With a twist, they only had scramble eggs, not the over easy please. The hash-browns we ordered were under cooked with the taste of cardboard. We had ordered orange juice and didn't get it. The bacon was fatty, The scrambled eggs were a bit runny for my taste. The coffee was too strong for our taste. The second day we ordered Decaf to tone the flavor down a bit. My husband bought Starbucks everyday...

I personally enjoyed the Vitality Cafe', I juice and make smoothies everyday at home... to my surprise the Vitality Cafe' quenched my thirsts with the healthy flare I love.

I personally felt the Vitality Spa was too pricey. Disclosure... we live in Las Vegas ware Spa's and Salon's are abundant. We have the extremely pricey to the neighborhood local Salon's. I did expect them to be pricey, however during the cruise they offered specials which were responsible. Two for one type of deal. If I had had a treatment the first couple of days, I would have felt a little taken advantage of later in the cruise to find a half price special. (just my opinion)

About the ship... be prepared... it is HUGE! I would recommend reservations EVERY NIGHT wherever you chose to dine. Which we had. Otherwise many lines of waiting to be seated. Another observation, be prepared again for 'Dress Codes"... each eatery has its own venue. We chose to dress each night, Tux, Suites, gowns, dresses...etc... 

The ship has plenty to keep a person engaged in activities. From playing cards in the library, to miniature golf on deck 16. Even though we didn't have children on the cruise, it appeared the childrens needs were met. Plenty of pools an hot tubs for both children and adults.... Basketball, to chess.

Lastly, We can not say enough good praise for our Suite Attendant. Dessal Satwashil, He was absolutely one of the best surprises of our entire trip. Dessai from the first time we met to the final departure, Dessai was extremely attentive, resourceful, pleasant, helpful person of our entire cruise!!  Exemplary !! We give him the highest marks over the entire cruise. 

This was my first time using BJ's Travel to schedule a cruise and also my first time on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship.

My experience with BJ's Travel was excellent. The cruise package was a great value and I was very happy with their customer service.  The included onboard spending credit, beverage package and gift card sealed the deal.

I give Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) a gold star for their excellent service throughout the entire cruise.  The Norwegian Epic ship was fantastic.  It is one of the largest ships in the world and I always felt very comfortable in any location on board.  I liked the layout of my Balcony Stateroom and my Stateroom stewart was excellent and very helpful.  The entire NCL staff throughout the ship was always very friendly and helpful, as well.

I really enjoyed the Freestyle dining.  For me it worked perfectly to decide when to dine as opposed to eating on a set schedule like on other cruise lines.  That really added to the enjoyment and relaxation of my cruise vacation.

I scheduled a variety of NCL shore excursions at each port that included, Sorrento and Amalfi by Land and Sea (Port of Naples, Italy), Off the Beaten Path - Hilltop Towns (Rome, Civitavecchia, Italy Port), The Cinque Terre (Florence/Pisa, Livorno, Italy Port), Cannes Walking Tour (Cannes, France Port) and Spectacular Scenery & Flavors (Palma, Majorca, Spain Port).  Each one was fabulous and the weather was thankfully great the entire week.  The tour guides were all excellent and added to the enjoyment of the excursions.  They always got us back to the ship by the required timetable.  Well done, thank you!

I just want to point out that I scheduled the Italy Port excursions noted above, since I had previously visited, Naples, Pompeii, Rome, Florence and Pisa on other vacations. If you have already been to those cities, I think you will find the noted shore excursions to be very different and a lot of fun.  

The internet service on board was good in most locations but not perfect.  I quickly found that using my iPhone in the Internet Cafe usually always worked best.  I signed up for the unlimited internet package, for the greatest flexibility, based on my needs.

Bottom line is NCL and the Western Mediterranean Cruise gets my very highly positive and recommended rating.  Thank you.

Just returned from a flight, Mediterranean Cruise and two night stay in Rome package. (May 22-June 2) On MSC Divina.  Absolutely perfect time was had! I just want to add a few tips that I wish I knew before leaving:

     Upgrade to Fanastica.  We did not, still had a great room but would upgrade for a bigger one next time.

     As soon as you receive flight confirmation go online and reserve you seats.  We sat in 38 A/C great! Add an extra luggage on line, still expensive but cheaper on line and you'll be able to buy souvenires.

     Be sure to book shore excursions with MSC as they are well organized with great guides and you get off the ship first, very handy especially in Cannes where you are tendered. We went on tours SPE08 to Florence, CEQ03 to Nice and Eze, BCN21 in Barcelona and NAP08 in Naples.  I highly recommend all of them!

    Park your car at one of the many hotels near the Miami airport and stay the night you return.  We had a 5 hour drive home and were relived to get some sleep before embarking on the final leg of our journey. We stayed at the Clarion and had no problems at all.

     Do not bother getting to the airport in Miami until after 5:00pm as they do not open windows until then.

    You do not have much time in Palma.  We just got the hop on hop off bus right at end of terminal.

     When you get to Rome at the end, be prepared to leave the ship at about 11:00 on transport to hotel.  We stayed at Melia Rome.  Because of tour times we had booked we were unable to utilize their shuttle.  It was a 20 Euro taxi ride one way but we were dropped off exactly where we needed to be.

     Speaking of tours in Rome, Be sure to pre-book a Vatican tour for Saturday afternoon as the museums will be closed on Sunday.  We went with Viator's Skip the Line: Vatican Museums Walking Tour including Sistine Chapel, Rapheal's Rooms and St. peter's (3731 Vatican).  Then on Sunday, again through Viator, Be sure to book Colleseum and Gems of Rome Semi Private of Private Tour (7595P4).  This was the absolute BEST tour we have ever been on!!! It's run by "Once in Rome" tour group through Viator.

     On the last day, be sure to be in the lobby for transport to airport by 5:45 am.

     Have a fantastic European Vacation.

Very nice ports of call.  Oceania is an upscale cruise experience in all respects including food, service and entertainment.  Mostly older clientele are on the ship.

Specialty restaurants are excellent.  However, in the main dining room we did have a couple of service and food problems on 2 nights.

Also, at the end of the cruise Oceania seemed in a hurry to get you off the ship by having your luggage on your bed the day before docking and having breakfast service stop early with the last time to leave your room being 8am.

This was our first time on Oceania and I missed some of the aspects featured on other cruise lines; for instance, professional photographer photo-ops (not the cheesy pirate costume ones though) and dining with the same waiter each night so he can learn your personal preferences. The staff was amazing with service and friendliness and the food quality/presentation was great.

This particular route was very good and most ports had plenty to do nearby or on excursions. I typically do 50% cruise line excursion and 50% on my own. Both were successful except in St Tropez where taxis were impossible to find. I really wish there had been a sea day for rest midway through as I have a difficult time "wasting" a port day by hanging out on the ship. Most of our excursions allowed us to sleep in until 8am and meet by 9am, which was nice. There are several tender ports which are a pain as Oceania tends to prioritize disembark of their excursion guests leaving independents waiting for a tender seat (this didn't cause any major issues, just show up early). I really wish in Livorno that the port departure time was later than 8pm- Most try to do Pisa & Florence in the 12hr stop and it is a rush. I hired a taxi for the day and did the main Florence museums with plenty of time though. 

Overall, VG cruise and VG cruise line. 

THANK YOU!  Everything about this cruise was EXCELLENT! Every person on the ship I encountered was kind, courteous, and helpful. They went out of their way to make our stay enjoyable. My husband and I were in room 6668. Paula was who fixed up our room. She had a beautiful smile daily and did her job well. I was impressed!  

My FAVORITES were Naofel and Stojan. They were our servers every night when we dined. Because of them, we ended up cancelling two other dinner reservations that had been given to us at the beginning of the cruise. We didn't want to miss out on our time with them. They were absolutely wonderful. They were first class gentlemen. We traveled with my sister and her husband, (they were in room 6142), and they felt the same way. Can't thank you enough for those two men. They made our cruise extra special with some fun memories. They even made a special cake and sang to us, as we were on this cruise to celebrate our 34th, and my sister and her husband's 35th, Anniversaries.

My sister and I experienced the Zip Line... Your extremely handsome team of encouraging young athletic men gave me the courage to do it... and I almost didn't. I began to panic after everything was hooked up. Being on the larger size and a wee self conscious of it, they worked with my fear and helped me overcome it. They were gentlemen in every way. The crowd on the sidelines cheered me on, as well. :D

There is nothing and I mean absolutely NOTHING I could complain about. I loved the power shower in our balcony room, the frozen yogurt machine by the pools, The Garden Cafe in Central Park. The shops, Carousel, shows, etc... My husband and I were living in a dream while on your ship. 

My mom rode on the Allure of the Seas on her maiden voyage and now I was able to experience it. Words could not have prepared me for the wonder of it. It is the loveliest ship I have ever cruised on. I have done two other cruises in the past. One with carnival and one with Norwegian. No comparison, whatsoever. If I am able to plan a cruise again, I will find out where this ship is and plan my trip around it.

Thank you, RC, for the BEST experience on your ship while sailing the Mediterranean Sea. I'll never forget it and as soon as I finish this review, will begin typing out my journal. YOU'RE AMAZING!

Plenty of options for dining and entertainment.  The service always excellent.  I booked already with the same cruise next year in another itinerary.  It just awesome!

We had a blast on our cruise.  The Epic is huge!  It is very well maintained and clean and the staff were all so very pleasant and accomodating.

We really liked the shows we saw, but honestly felt the onboard entertainment was not quite as exhaustive as previous cruises we have been on, with other cruise lines.  There were several evening that we were looking for something to do, and a few times all we could find to do was go hang out at the pool.

If I had something negative to say, it would be about the freestyle dining.  While the meals were all good, especially in the specialty dining areas, we did not feel like we made as many friends on this trip as we have on previous cruises.  This is due in part to not having assigned meal times and tables with other passengers.

All in all a very enjoyable time.  I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I really like the cruise as a whole, however the staff seem tired and not too friendly with the guest.  The service was ok I'm sure it can be improve especially their attitude.  My luggage was broken by the crew that took the luggage from the port to the stateroom.  It was repaired  but when I disembark the luggage was broken again and this time both handles were broken.  Ill be emailing/calling the cruise line to see how can they help, it was a brand new luggage.  Other than that, I had the beverage package which was an excellent choice.  Food was great, the restaurant were awesome! I will cruise again soon!!

Barcelona --a wonderful city! People are friendly and hospitable. The port is clean and efficient--the easiest check-in ever. The ship's crew was wonderful; the upscale restaurants onboard were good, particularly the French one. The ship design isn't the best; you must walk through the casino on your way to several other destinations, the view from the promenade is restricted by the hanging life boats, and the promenade does not circle the ship. But our suite was huge and very comfortable. The structural limitations of the vessel are quickly overcome by the great crew and the excellent ports of call.  I

recommend the excursions you can book onboard, as it can be tiresome and time-consuming to make your own way in unfamiliar cities.  Our guides in Pompeii, Rome and Cannes were top-notch. Great surprises: the monastery, wine and view in St Honorat, the cathedral in Palma, and the amazing architecture, sights and food in Barcelona.  I would consider taking this cruise again, perhaps leaving from Rome next time.  It was a great vacation and an excellent value.  

Very well organized and nice activities on board, specially the guest performers.

Only recommendation, see the possibility of expanding the stay in some ports like Cannes and Naples to more than the standard 8 to 10 hours; i.e spend the night in it.

Our overall trip was very delightful! Our room and service was exceptional! the entertainment was entertaining and a very talented group! For us the night life was great...we are ballroom dancers and found  dance music in all of the clubs! The staff of the Divina went out of there way to get everyone involved and dance lessons were available everyday for people who wanted to learn! We thought the food was good. Dining room offered meals that compared to other major cruise lines/ and the buffet offered more then enough. Being a cruise line from the Mediterranean.. there were people from many European countries and we found that maybe a communication or explanation problem with people knowing where to go..some people pushing there way around..not necessarily MSC fault.  the one excursion we booked from MSC was ok. we had a tour guide that spoke very poor English and most of  our group felt the same.    

We just finished a Western Mediterranean cruise on the Epic. We loved it with the Unlimited Dining and Drinking package. Wine and cocktails were all free along with specialty dining at the best restaurants! The ship is very quiet and smooth even during one night's storm with over 60 knot winds and 11 foot seas. Many interesting shows on board too. Our Suite cabin was really nice. It was well laid out, had a comfortable bed, couch, full tub and shower, and a large patio. We stayed in a mid-ship suite on the Starboard 9th deck and loved it. The top deck has an Adults only rear area with a couple hot tubs and pool. A Jumbo

screen there showed movies after dark and had dancing later. Plenty of other pools and water park rides for everyone mid ship.

The Equinox is a beautiful ship, with a stellar crew. It is clean, easy to navigate. After one day, it is easy to know your way around the ship. For me I particularly like the blu restaurant and will always be part of the Aqua Class just to be able to eat there. The servers are spectacular. The food outstanding. It is an intimate setting that is unlike any other cruise option.