Europe Cruise Reviews

The cruise staff was all very friendly.  The ship was lovely, but there could have been more to do for the under 60 crowd.  We loved the ports and had a great time.  But with 6 women all together, how could you not!

We are a family with two kids and we loved it! There some things you should know about the cruise. First, there are free shuttle in most of the cities, no matter what the cruise line says. We paid $50,- (4 Persons) to take the NCL shuttle into Marseille, an we asked before about free transportation...the answer was "no". However, a couple of 100ft away there is a free shuttle we found out later from passengers from another cruise ship. This was a bit "anoying". If you like to save money, check the ports, most of the rental car stations deliver to the port. So do your own shore excursion...super easy in Europe and safe!

We took the cruise in June, be aware that it can be really hot outside this time of the year (90F/35C+), means: If you like to visit historical sides like Pompeji-there is no shade! The destinations are great, Europe light but plenty to see.

Overall, we cruised a lot before with NCL and other cruise lines. If you´re used to it, you know what to expect!

NCL: The cabins are overhauled and the food was excellent. By the way, you´re visiting Italy, France and Spain- go local!!! Great restaurants and bars-use this opportunity

Overall I can recommend this cruise, no matter if you´re with a family, single or with friends.

One more: There is a train going to Civitaveccia from Rome City for 15 Euros p.P. (taxi and cruise line ask 50 Euros p.P.). Easy travel, if you plan to stay in Rome before/after the cruise. If you travel direkt to/from the airport Rome (FCO) to Civitaveccia, you have to take an additional train for 10 euros and swith trains at Roma Triento (central station) which is easy.

Have a wonderful cruise and enjoy western Europe!

I won't book another Norigean cruise again. I have booked a Royal Caribean cruise for 2018 for 14 nights. I love cruising but this was by far the worst customer service I have experienced on a cruise.

The Azamara provides a quality experience.  The ship is just the right size for us at 680 passengers (not too big, not too small).  The food was consistently excellent at all venues.  Open seating at dinner is much appreciated. The all-inclusive pricing is truly that and there was no pressure to spend more.  The staff could not be friendlier.  The captain made himself very visible and bid us a good tour each day and welcomed us back as we return.  Cruise Director, Eric De Grey, is a talented entertainer and a friendly, visible person during the cruise.  The entertainment staff , especially the 7-piece ship orchestra, is talented and energetic.  The special Azamazing Evening on shore is unique and wonderfully planned.  Azamara is an overall great cruise line for middle agers (no children-friendly facilities or events).

 The ports chosen on this particular cruise were amazing I would highly recommend doing your own sure excursion not booking it through Royal Caribbean because we have much more success with way less money spent. The food on this trip was just OK it wasn't great . We desperately wish the ice cream machine was on 24 hours a day because every time I went to get ice cream it wasn't functioning it only on during food service hours. The disco really needed a DJ that and you have to spin music because he wasn't able to play any requests it seemed that he just had a particular  check that he had to play and was difficult to keep people on the dance floor and keeping the party having fun. They could've used many more bartenders because it took forever to get a drink. The dining staff and the room stored were absolutely amazing and the rest of the stuff is tremendously friendly. But my daughter got sick and was quarantined and they would not allow her to be quarantined in our room with the balcony and made her stay in her inside cabin several days therefore she missed seeing the sights what she could've easily seen out the window and it would've made it much more tolerable

The restaurant staff were very attentive.  The stateroom cleaning supervisor was excellent, she was very attentive, friendly and professional.  The shop attendants were very helpful.  One of the Casino attendants (can't remember his name, but he was from Honduras) was not friendly at all.  

The food at the main restaurant was excellent, except the Lobster bisque.

The shows were good and Clo, the cruise director was excellent.  She was funny, friendly and professional.

I would have to say my favorite port was Cannes,  It was a beautiful city and the tour was exceptional highlighting all the wonderful attractions there.  Of course, Rome was truly magical but having been there before, I found it even busier with all the tourists so it was not as enjoyable as I remember it the first time.  It was my grandson's first visit there, however, and he was in awe at all the history that surrounds you there.  It was a wonderful cruise in all respects.

We really enjoyed all the ports we stopped and this was a great way to see the British Isles. The majority of the shore excursions were good. The ship was average at best, food and service was very inconsitent from area/day to day. 

Would return to the area however most likely will not return to Princess as I believe they have slipped well under the value you receive on Royal Caribbean and Norwegian lines. Disappointing as they seem to have some better itinerary's.  

The food was excellent..  Incredible variety  

the entertainment was great.  The Caribbean Princess entertainers were awesome as were jo Little and Phillip Browne.. The ship was beautiful and very clean.   Staff was extremely nice.

The cons were:  I fell down some steps in the ship due to water on a step.  The medical office wanted 95.00 just to see me.I feel that since I fell on their property, no fault of my own, it should have been covered.

They had an omelet station at breakfast in only one room and closed at 9:15 AM even though breakfast was served until 11:30..

The decaf coffee was not good.   They used a Nescafe syrup that they put into a machine,.  It tasted instant and we always enjoyed on other cruises a soft serve ice cream machine that was open 24 hours..  this ship did not have one...

Would I sail with Princess again?   Yes!

The staff were very courteous, friendly and professional. The ship was spotless all the time. I will be recommending this cruise to everyone. My family and I had a lot of fun. 

Food quality and variety was far below the previous 7 Princess cruises we have sailed on.  Excursions were not very good and overpriced. Entertainment was excellent but you needed to arrive 40 minutes early to get a seat

The best entertainment in the high seas; very professional, engaging, and talented group of people. The celebrity dancers also performs on pool deck and Reflections lounge prior to a theme dance party.

The Blu restaurant staff were great, friendly, warm, and very attentive.

It was an exhausting itinerary since there was no sea day until after the 5th port and then the day before embarkation. Three days of sea day may be better.

I love that you were not hounded to be photographed. 

My favorite part of the cruise was Palma De Mallodrca.  I thought that the majority of the cruise help were awesome.  I thought that the Customer Service Representatives were awful and not helpful at all in fact I found them to be hostile.  I have been on several cruises and yours was the first one where I was denied juice and beverages and made to pay for them.  Over all I would not recommend this particular cruise to anyone and I don't think that I will cruise on MSC ever again. We were charged for TV service that we never received and were initially told that the charge would be taken off our account but it wasn't.  The culture of some of the clients was one of hostility and aggression.  I deal with aggression everyday at work.  I go on a cruise to get away from that.  I felt that I had to put on my "game face" in order to eat, participate in excursions or to disembark the boat.  Your company should put something in place to combat this type of culture.  You should set the example of care and concern for your customers.

We've been on many cruises.  The destinations, food and entertainment were better than the others.  Service was a bit hit or miss.  We would recommend this cruise to others as a good way to visit beautiful places in the Mediterranean.

our favorite part of the cruise was the service we received from our waiters at dinner and our room server. They all made us feel special despite the thousands of people in the cruise.

the shows and activities on board were varied and of very good quality.

things to improve: add at least one more ice cream station by the pool and keep them open for a longer time.

The ship is beautiful and very very well maintained.  The food and the restaurant staff are all incredible. Overall we had a very nice vacation.

However, because of the numerous customer service issues we encountered, I would not sail on the Rivera again. I don't need to be dealing with incompetence on my vacation - a theme which was consistent between many of the guests we met during the cruise.  I feel the customer service management on this ship needs to improve significantly.  A few tips from Marina would help!

Loved the itinerary. When we boarded we found the process a bit confusing - not very much help with signage to help us find our way. We understand the crew has a great deal to deal with on the first day but they appeared tired well into our trip.  We also noticed less staff was present.  We found our cabin steward was very helpful and attentive in many ways - kudos to him!  NCL entertainment is alway fabulous- we enjoyed all the performances we attended.

The Five O'clock Anywhere Bar was cold and sterile and atmosphere was cold including the seats -not conducive to staying for a second cocktail. Comment on the entertainment...terrible. More bars should have blenders.  That seemed an issue when ordering blended drinks.

Excursion tour guides were all very informative and pleasant except for the lady who did the Athens tour.  She seemed a bit disinterested and abrupt.

This Med cruise was wonderful.  Our AA cruise specialist, Jeremy, was very attentive and guided our selections for a beautiful on board experience.  Notifications and reminders were helpful.  Embarkation went smoothly and ahead of schedule.  On board, the Oceania crew and staff were fabulous.  Rooms were clean and comfortable and we enjoyed our large balcony.  Committment to excellence was very apparent... from the housekeeping personnel, to the venue servers, to an outstanding evening in La Reserve, a seven course dinner with wine pairings... which was overseen personally by the senior executive chef... and was our favorite evening.  Gourmet food, informative cooking classes and wine tastings aboard were excellent.  The only downside were the Oceania cruise excursions.  2 of 3 were sub par due to audio issues... couldn't hear half of what was said.  The excursions we booked on our own via the Internet were 100% better in quality and price.

We cruised on the Norwegian Star to the Adriatic Sea on June 4-10. It was a birthday celebration for hubby, and he was pleased. I was glad that we did not have to tender into any ports. Everyone from the captain to the "Washy, Washy, Washy, Happy,  Happy,  Happy" did try their best to please and serve, which really made us feel welcomed. The ports were all interesting, which was why we picked this cruise. The food was fine for the most part, especially at Cagney's. The shows were good - especially impressed by Wu Lan, the beautiful contortionist. Vincent, the Jude Law look-a-like cruise director really revved up the spirit and instilled a feeling of family for the entire cruise. The Soul Brothers were rocking - fun running into them at the ports. We made some nice friends, which made our time on and off board very pleasant. Booked for next year already!

We had 27 in our group ranging from 7 months to 64 yrs old.  Employees were great and treated us like family.  The ship is a medium size ship and we were never fighting the crowds.  Wish the pool was modernized.  Overall great adventure for our family.