Other (Asia/Africa/Middle East) Cruise Reviews

The staff were very nice on the ship in general. The ship had good deck space for sunning, small cabins in all categories. the showers were good in the cabins. the gym was quite small. smoking in the public rooms was excessive on this itinerary but lots of public places. The ship had a nice card / game room. The ship was kept very clean at all times.

THe Costa Classica is an older ship but well taken care of. The cruise was good value for the money. The service was excellent and the food catered to the nationalities of the passengers. I would have preferred more local cuisine from the countries we were visiting so that we could sample a little of the local culture. All in all, it was a very enjoyable cruise.

We loved the size of the ship. We had plenty of choices of restaurants, activites and entertainment. Our stateroom was adequate and storage was enough for two females (lots of shoes)! We thoroughly enjoyed the spa and exercise facilities, although they could have used a few more employess in the spa. Overall we had a wonderful time and we would defininatly cruise on this ship or the sister "Journey" again.

THIS WAS OUR 8TH CELEBRITY CRUISE AND THE WORST WE ARRIVED AT 9 PM AND HAD TO CARRY OUR BAGS A LONG WAY AND ONTO THE SHIP; THE SHIP DID NOT GO TO THE PORTS PROMISED IN 2 CASES TO SAVE MONEY FOR THE SHIP; THE TOURS ALWAYS INCLUDED A MANDITORY SHOPPING HOUR AT A RIP OFF JEWELRY STORE. WHEN I COMPLAINED THE TOUR DIRECTOR SAID THAT THE TOUR COMPANIES CONTROLLED THAT. HE WAS NOT TOO BRIGHT. THE SHOWS WERE MEDIOCRE AT BEST ON A POSITIVE SIDE THE CABINS AND FOOD WERE EXCELLENT TH

Notice of Nagasaki port cancellation was sent a month before sailing without any reason. No refund or booking cancellation was allowed. No adjustment was made to the total charge. Disorganized in handling passengers passport. Ship held all passports and issued copies which cannot be used for any money exchange on shore. Overall service was poor.

We are a newly wed couple teaching in asia for a year. we wanted a way to see asia, and this cruise stopped at great places and it was for a GREAT price with the help of . We arrived to our stateroom, which is clean and nice, and found the bell person had shattered our bottle of red wine in our luggage and stained our clothes. House keeping tried to help remove the stains for free, but still some were not saved. Front Desk said "it was our fault, we were suppost to hand carry it." So they werent helpful in replacing our wine or damaged clothing. Then our room was under a galley way that had workers being loud at night. this wasnt a problem for ANY other guest cause they couldnt hear it due to their elderly age. but if was an issue for us, they moved rooms for us, and we had even a better view...so that was ok. And a few days into the trip I had a rash all over my body...due to either the soap/lotion/detergent we dont know what. The nurse was rude and didnt help my problem, but the nicest supervisor of front desk helped with ALL the medical charges and followed up on our new room. She made us happy again. We were literally the only young couple on the trip and felt mistreated, but Daniela made up for it. The food was ok, got a little boring after 2 weeks, we think they food was blan to fit the palits of elderly people. The entertainment was actully funny. The event staff was fun. The elevators seemed to always be broken. The stores on board sold CHEAP duty free stuff. The boat was VERY clean ALL the time, we loved that. The port speaker didnt know much about the places and his only answer to our backpacking needs was "take a taxi." The staff over all were VERY friendly and nice. Room service is complementry and yummy! It was a GREAT vacation over all, and very relaxing and again the ports we docked at were AMAZING!

The ship was a perfect size to accommodate our needs. Not too large to get lost but not too small to be cramped. Daily activities were well planned however the tours offered require some fine tunning as time allocated was insufficient in most ports and unnecessary stops were made along the way. Overnight excursions listed as two day trips were in fact barely one full day. Hotels offered on the overnight excursions were excellent. It was an extremely aggressive trip in that there were a number of ports which perhaps could have been included on another trip or this trip could have been extended by at least two days. It was however, an wonderful experience and certainly provided us with destinations that we are likely to return to in the not too distant future. Viet Nam was a true experience and one not to be missed.

Condition of ship was initially a diasater. Just came out of dry dock and was dirty inside and out. Really took away from our thoughts of being a really special deal! Trip got better but condition of boat was still poor at best.

The Pacific Princess is a relatively small ship by today's standards, about 34,000 tons; which had both advantages and disadvantages. The advantages included no crowds, no lines, and no waiting for most ship's services (except the laundromat); the disadvantages included not as many services as today's cruisers are becoming accustomed to.

The Perfect Storm!!! My wife & I cruised from Sydney to Bali on the Regent Seven Seas Explorer. The Pre-Cruise Sydney Icons & 1st half of our voyage from Sydney to Cairns was all speed ahead 5*/Excellent, however, since arriving Papua New Guinea, our voyage was reversed into 1*/Poor, given poor decision making by RSSC, including significant Excursion Tour Safety & Security Issues! The factors, which caused this reversal, we signed up for an Excursion Tour, entitled: “GUR-005 TAWALI SNORKEL & SKULL CAVE Duration: 8.00 Hrs Date: February 04, 2023 07:30 AM” Significant excursion Tour Safety & Security Issues! Drive in Buses from RSSC Explorer/Alotau Port to Transfer Destination: Three small cramped fully occupied 20-passenger buses & 56-Passengers. Three hour round-trip drive on rickety, unsafe (tires were bald, at least on our bus) & non-Air Conditioned buses and bumpy, unsaved & washed road at times (80+-degrees & 80+-humidity; RSSC advised in advance the buses may not have Air Conditioning and the road may be bumpy & unpaved at times). Transfer Destination from Buses to Boats which would take us to Milne Island: Upon arrival, there were high-surf, which were dangerous, ferocious & unsafe weather conditions. Further, there were only two small flat, fishing skiff-type & unstable boats were present, with small outboard motors, no life preservers, & no first aid kits...and no RSSC crew- &/or staff-member presence whatsoever. We were advised by the local tour operator these two small boats were our transportation to Milne Island, where an additional boat(s) would take us to the Skull Caves. [See photos of these buses & two small boats, high-surf & no RSSC presence whatsoever.] Immediately, several of us indicated we were “not” going out to sea in these conditions, especially with these only two small barebones unequipped boats and, subsequently, fairly immediately, all passengers were in agreement, and we should immediately return to ship, of which, RSSC decision makers back on ship finally relented and we subsequently made our return to ship. Before departing from the Transfer Destination back to ship, we & a few other passengers learned from the local tour operator, it was “RSSC who made the decision to proceed” with the Excursion Tour “despite” the unsafe weather conditions & barebones unequipped boats AND the “local tour operator’s multiple advisories & warnings NOT do so”. RSSC potentially put our lives & others in eminent danger ⛔️ ⛔️ ⛔️!!! [Please see screen shot photo of the text communications between the local tour operator’s per RSSC.] In summary, if we hadn’t drowned perhaps something else crime & violence-wise would have happened to us & our group of 56-passengers on the PNG Skull Cave Excursion. There are a lot of upset passengers on this ship as a result of these actions and not just us & our group, however numerous other PNG Excursions! Numerous passengers we’ve met on ship decided it wasn’t safe to get off & did not do so. We were advised by other passengers on the ship that the US, Canada & the UK governments have more severe travel warnings on travel to PNG! Someone in the higher ranks of RSSC did not do their due diligence & risking passengers welfare & lives by going to PNG and NOT listening to local tour operators warnings! The End (fortunately)! Sent from my iPad

OUR ADVICE: CHOOSE A DIFFERENT COMPANY! Take your “inner explorer” elsewhere. We took the last cruise of the 2022 Antarctic season with Hurtigruten (Feb 28 to March 17). It turned out to be a COVID disaster for us and many others on the ship, MS Roald Amundsen, and Hurtigruten was completely disorganized, incompetent and unhelpful in its response. After two pandemic years avoiding infection with the virus, 11 days on the ship was enough time for us to come down with COVID. We believe, upon good information, that COVID came onto the ship through the incompetence (and greed) of Hurtigruten. Thirteen passengers bound for the cruise were on the same plane from Europe to Santiago. When antigen tested before boarding in Punta Arenas, two of those passengers tested positive for COVID and were turned away. The other 11 passengers from the same airplane did not test positive and, despite exposure to COVID from the two who were positive, were allowed to board the ship without any further restrictions or period of quarantine. That we believe is how the virus arrived on the Amundsen. Further, no efforts were made to enforce masking or social distancing on board. For example in the so-called Explorer Lounge, passengers would enter wearing masks but as soon as they were seated, usually within six feet of other non-affiliated passengers, they would remove the masks in order to consume coffee, etc. Thus an airborne disease is allowed to spread through a confined space. By day 11, both my wife and I tested positive and were sent to the so-called “Red Zone” on level four for quarantine. (I should say here that not everyone who was positive for COVID was sent to the Red Zone, since Hurtigruten soon ran out of space there and thus allowed some passengers to quarantine in their more comfortable original quarters.) Despite our many requests for information about the state of the illness on board so that we could understand what protective measures to take (e.g., remaining in our cabin), such as the number of infected passengers, Hurtigruten refused to give any information, claiming that such information was confidential which is of course absurd because we were not asking for the names of the ill passengers. For those infected who were sent to the Red Zone, food was delivered to us cold and often inedible and by the end of our stay there, on sodden paper plates. Two times in each 24 hour period, we were allowed to go onto an outside deck of the back of the ship, filled with ship machinery, with other ill passengers for “fresh air”. I am 70 years old and my wife is in her 60s. Despite that, only once, early in our confinement in the Red Zone, did the incompetent so-called ship’s doctor knock at our door to determine if we were still alive; he appeared fully decked out in a HazMat suit, did not offer to enter our quarters and did not check our vital signs or even apply a pulse oximeter to determine if we were oxygenating appropriately. As we arrived again in Punta Arenas, letters were distributed to the ship’s passengers. Incredibly enough, the letters conveyed the information that those passengers who did not get COVID, would be compensated by receiving either (passenger choice) a 40% reduction on a future Hurtigruten cruise or a 15% refund from the amount paid for the current cruise. Those of us who were infected with COVID on the ship were offered just one thing—-the advice to seek compensation from our travel insurance! I had several calls with members of the staff on the Amundsen about the crazy inequity of this arrangement and was told that it was a decision made by Hurtigruten corporate headquarters. Insult followed injury. When the passengers were disembarked from the ship, the uninfected passengers went first, having been told to place their luggage outside the door of their cabin to be transferred by the staff to the buses awaiting below. Those of us who were sick/infected, having waited to leave our cabin until after the well were removed, had to carry our own bags to the first level and out to the buses. Imagine, the well were not to carry their bags but the sick had to do so. Very typical of the Hurtigruten experience. We were then taken by bus (35 COVID positive passengers—-we counted) to a “COVID quarantine hotel” (awful—-see our review on Trip Adviser). There we waited in queue for an hour in the cold outside (again, sick elderly people!) to be allowed to check in. I will not go into detail about the terrible COVID hotel experience except to say that Hurtigruten refused to pay for any part of it, and we were charged an additional 50% for early check-in at 11 am. We were told that there would be a “team” of Hurtigruten representatives at the hotel to facilitate; there was a single port agent who was not a Hurtigruten employee and did nothing whatsoever to “facilitate” anything. The final insult was that due to our need for additional quarantine time (Chile requires 7 days after a positive test), we missed the charter flight from Punta Arenas to Santiago that we had previously paid for as part of the Hurtigruten package so we had to purchase our own air tickets which of course Hurtigruten took no responsibility for, since we had made the mistake of getting COVID on their ship and thus obviously could not get on their charter flight. DO NOT TAKE A HURTIGRUTEN CRUISE!

For the price I thought it was excessive and it seem that the future expeditions to Antarctica are even more expensive and Lee’s days I was lucky that Cristal went belly up 2 weeks after my sailing

Wonderful trip, great itinerary, memorable visit. Staff were great, helpful and friendly. Egyptologist was knowledgable and always available for questions. and Tour Manager was great.

Overall, I was disappointed with cruise. The cancellation of Bahrain and Qatar was a real bummer. The fact that the price I paid later dropped by $1,100 and RC wouldn’t give me the difference or at least some back in the form of an OBC was maddening. The crew was awesome as were the shows. I just had a much better experience on Harmony if The Seas in every aspect. I think I’m spoiled with the Oasis class ships. No more smaller ships for me. Despite all the gripes and things that occurred, I’m still a gonna be a faithful RC cruiser.

Ganz schlecht, Indien komplett ausgefallen, Abu Dhabi auch, Entschädigung freies Internet für knapp 2000 Gäste!

Well worth an experience! It caters for all types of adventures...you can lounge in the library for some quiet reading time, lie on the deck and catch some sunays. My favourite spot was on the deck at the back of the ship. Was hypnotic and cathartic to sit and stare out onto the water, enjoy the blue skies, beautiful water, and sipping on a delicious cocktail!

Some of the ports were in the middle of no where which was disappointing with 1.5 - 3hr drives to get to see the sites.(Phu My and Laem Chabang Port Klang. Placing a half day stop in in Malacca was also pointless as tenders could not get everyone off in time.

What a disappointment All Vietnam ports closed Hong Kong too And the ship knew it wasn’t open before the cruise, and still wouldn’t let us cancel and get a refund Terrible They knew before the cruise Too many sea days Too greedy We should all have had the option to cancel Vietnam was why we booked this cruise And Hong Kong too They should have let us postpone till virus scare is over What disappointing cruise

My upcoming Cruise with Celebrity… My upcoming Cruise with Celebrity Cruises on the Millennium from Tokyo to Vancouver was recently cancelled by Celebrity because of the Coronavirus. I have no issue with Celebrities decision to cancel the cruise, safety first, what. My issue is with the extraordinary level of Customer NO Service with regards to communicating and refunding monies to passengers such as I who have paid in full for the Cruise, Hotels and Airfares. As I booked this Cruise in the US but am now in Europe, I am unable to call the US 800 number and if I call the European office I am referred back to the US office. Emails one asks, ahh yes emails. I have received only one email from Celebrity informing me that I would receive a refund for the cruise passage only, back to my credit card after two billing cycles. Any hotels and or airfare cost would only be reimbursed up to a maximum amount of $300 upon submittal of cancelled receipts. As I have expended over $3,000 on non-refundable, non-changeable airfares and hotels associated with this cruise, its safe to say that I am not happy with Celebrity Cruises. To add insult to injury the email stated that I would receive a $300 voucher for a future cruise with Celebrity. I would like to tell them what they can do with there voucher only my complaint might not be posted. To date all of my emails to Celebrity Cruises have gone unanswered and so it's safe to say that I will never book a Cruise with Celebrity again and would advise those who are planning a cruise to avoid Celebrity. They have a reimbursement policy and a customer service department that are non-existent when an issue arises or for a request for a refund is made. PS: This is the first review that I have ever written which should tell you the level of dissatisfaction that I have with Celebrity. PSS: The actual date of this cruise was to be May 10th, 2020 but as this site will not allow future sailing reviews I entered any past date in order to post my complaint. Also, as I will not be taking the cruise my review is based solely upon the company Celebrity Cruises itself and all other associated reviews were a mandatory requirement of this website for which I offer no first hand knowledge.

Cancelled last minute by princess They could of cancelled earlier but if they did would have to pay more