Cultural Cruise
Aurora Cruise Review
Contributor Level:
First Mate
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 22
Helpful Votes: 221
Northern Europe And Scandinavia
Sail date: May 02, 2023
Ship: Aurora
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 1 year ago
Review summary
A cruise full of cultural delights and culinary disappointments. It caters for those aged 75 + in all aspects.Embarkation
Quick and easy. Left car with CPS and after checking in and going through security, was onboard within 15 minutes.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Lido Grill was disappointing as the burgers etc were made from cheap meat which reflected in the taste and appearance. The various salad on offer in the self service bar was always limp and unappealing.
Beach House, the food was awful. Starter of nachos was minimal in size with hardly any sour cream or guacamole. Main of steak sizzler was swimming in an inch of thick brown greasy liquid and dessert of carrot cake was stale. We did complain as ate here on other ships n the fleet and the meal was fantastic. Response we received 'sorry, you didn't enjoy it'.
Horizon buffet, repetitive menu both in savoury and sweet options but the food was hot. Special Dietary requirements poorly catered for. Never seen so much green jelly in my life !! Salad and cheese were partially frozen at times ??
Main dining room, very repetitive menu and sometimes duplicated for several days with just one option altered. Vegetarian options well catered for with at least 3 different main options daily but yet again repetitive.
Onboard Activities
Lack of imagination and aimed at those 80 years and over.
Entertainment
Aimed at those of a certain age namely aged 75 and over.
Few glimpses of normality though. Finnish Folklore and Billy Joel tribute were excellent.
Jazz trio OK if you like that genre of music.
House band Pulse, pianist Katie and busker Augustin were mediocre. Heard better and more in tune at the local pub.
Theatre shows rehashed from 10 years ago.
Service and Staff
Staff were helpful and friendly although it was difficult to order a drink at times.
We only saw our cabin steward once which was on embarkation day.
Ship Quality
The ship was immaculate and constantly being cleaned with ongoing maintenance occurring daily.
Cabin / Stateroom
Our cabin was lovely, spacious, plenty of wardrobe storage and in very good condition. The sliding door whistled badly if it was windy though plus the tap in the bathroom wash basin refused to work daily so we had to repeatedly request for it to be fixed.
The TV was very small and only picked up 7 channels, some of which didn't work constantly due to a poor signal
Ports of call
First time here and feels very reminiscent of the communist era due to the architecture, layout etc despite gaining independence.
A few old buildings remain but most of the city was destroyed by both the Germans and Russians at the end of WW2.
We took a shore excursion called 'Back to the Village'. It was a very interesting and authentic experience with hands on knowledge from the guide who was born and raised in the town in the 1980's (still lives there today).
A destination with a lost and evolving identity.
Thumbs Up
0
We were in the highly industrialised part of the port rather than the old one as you initially sail in. The ship docked opposite the oil refineries and a heavy petrol odour was present throughout our time there both on deck and in the cabin. It was so bad that we couldn't sit out on the balcony.
There's not much in Aarhus apart from concrete and boarded up buildings plus lots of grafetti so I'd recommend booking an excursion.
We visited Silkeborg where the Tollund Mam and Elling Woman are housed (60 mins on the coach) then had a 90 minute boat ride along the river and lakes on a paddlesteamer which was very scenic.
One of my favourite destinations.
We took a boat trip around the harbour and it was nice to see the sights from a different perspective.
The city centre is a 45 min walk from the cruise terminal. Very easy to find as you just follow the waterfront from the ship. Flat route so not strenuous.
This port and area reminded me of the small Victorian seaside resort where I live . Lots of lovely old buildings, fairground stalls & rides and an extremely short walk from the terminal.
We stayed onboard ship due to having visited many times in the past. It's lost its charm now due to commercialisation.
Simple to walk into the old city though from the ship.
First time here and not as industrialised as I imagined.
If you walk through the park opposite the cruise terminal, you'll find a free museum. The town is very busy with lots of stores.
We visited the maritime monument and U Boat in Laboe. Neither suitable for those with limited mobility.
Plenty to see and do. Hop on off bus is excellent for sightseeing.
The Vasa Museum is worth going to and the HOHO bus stops outside.
Disembarkation
Quick and easy as self disembarked.