Weather and Nasty Virius

Item: Aurora
Rating: 4.1
Author: DeepFriedMal

Aurora Cruise Review to Europe

DeepFriedMal

Contributor Level: Second Mate

387 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 9

Helpful Votes: 138

Overall rating:

4.1 out of 5

Mediterranean

Sail date: April 26, 2024

Ship: Aurora

Cabin number: C230

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 month ago

Review summary

Some lovely ports but the rain and the NoroVirus made this a bit tiresome.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

We were advised to arrive late due to a deep clean and we arrived on time and went directly through, very easy.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

The large majority of the meals were really good with no problems at all, but we did find the menu did not give us much choice on a couple of times. We did the Glass House for lunch twice and that was very good and Sindhu for one evening again smashing.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

Lots of talks which we did go to (very good and varied), the quizzes were great (good sense of humour) we didn't win this time, not even the 'Ship wine'.

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Some new visiting entertainer some we really enjoyed some was not our cup of tea but the Headliner shows are almost the same as the last time we were at sea.

Children's Programs

Adults only cruise.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Always with smiles and nothing is too much trouble, despite all the cleaning that was going on.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

Aurora is now the oldest in this fleet so it is showing signs of wear, but the crew are always painting etc. The only pain in the design is the fact the Alexandra dining room is on deck 6 but you have to go via deck 7 to get to the aft stairs and lift to get to it.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

We decided to go for this inside cabin to encourage us to get out around the ship, but we did find it small without a balcony (which we are now used to) and when at sea bouncing a bit, it was noisy with all the coat hangers banging against each other.

Ports of call

Southampton (London), England

3 out of 5

We only drove through it to get to the docks.

Thumbs Up 0

Cartagena, Spain

4 out of 5

Dock really close to the shops and not far to the castle and old Roman ruins (you have to pay to get in), with a couple of supermarkets and lots of shops an easy walk on flat ground.

Thumbs Up 0

Cagliari, Sardinia

4 out of 5

You are not allowed to walk through the dockyard so they lay on a bus to take you to the main gates which are not that far away, however we did a trip this time and really enjoyed it (may have been the wine....)

Thumbs Up 0

Dubrovnik, Croatia

5 out of 5

There was only a couple of ships in and we got in early via the shuttle to the old town and managed a good walk around and shopping, but before lunch it was very busy which made it hard work. I did manage to get my Game of Thrones fix.

Thumbs Up 0

Zadar, Croatia

4 out of 5

We docked a fair distance away and got the shuttle into the drop off point very close to the Sea Organ, which was a bit disappointing. It makes a sound with the waves and the air but not a lot to look at.

Thumbs Up 0

Trieste, Italy

4 out of 5

Easily walkable into town with some very expensive shops. The local authorities could have been better at directing us from the ship - we just followed those walking off, and found some free wifi just over the road, but as it was a bit wet, didn't really see the best of this port.

Thumbs Up 0

Messina, Sicily

4 out of 5

We booked a late trip as the forecast was for wetness (and it was), the clock at the cathedral at noon is worth a look but it does get busy, we found a shop on the corner for a very nice sausage roll which was a good idea as the trip only included a bun with some ice and lemon.

Thumbs Up 0

Gibraltar (U.K.)

5 out of 5

A lovely time as the sun was shining, most of the shops open (it was a Sunday), but managed to get what we wanted (duty free drink, and a birthday present for my grandson).

Thumbs Up 0

Disembarkation

3 out of 5

Waited in the theatre and got off the ship rather quickly but finding all of the luggage was a pain. I think somebody had taken one of ours then returned it 30mins later.

Traveler Photos

Stromboli - the active Volcano we passed

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