A wonderful cruise with good weather when it mattered, on a comfortable ship with great crew, fantastic food and interesting companions, around the Canaries, Maderia and Gibraltar. Can life get any better?
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Embarkation at Santa Cruz, Tenerife was very easy. Met with a nice cold glass of water, followed by a trouble free completion of paperwork, then straight to the cabin. Only downside was the hour waiting for suitcases - being on first sitting, almost went to the restaurant in my walking clothes.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Food and dining were exceptional. If there was a problem, it was a first world problem, i.e., which of these items shall I select!
Tintagel Restaurant
5 out of 5
Excellent service, excellent staff, excellent food in an excellent environment. Maître D' and his team have this to perfection.
Tintagel Restaurant
5 out of 5
Excellent service, excellent staff, excellent food in an excellent environment. Maître D' and his team have this to perfection.
Tintagel Restaurant
5 out of 5
Excellent service, excellent staff, excellent food in an excellent environment. Maître D' and his team have this to perfection.
Tintagel Restaurant
5 out of 5
Excellent service, excellent staff, excellent food in an excellent environment. Maître D' and his team have this to perfection.
Tintagel Restaurant
5 out of 5
Excellent service, excellent staff, excellent food in an excellent environment. Maître D' and his team have this to perfection.
Tintagel Restaurant
5 out of 5
Excellent service, excellent staff, excellent food in an excellent environment. Maître D' and his team have this to perfection.
Tintagel Restaurant
5 out of 5
Excellent service, excellent staff, excellent food in an excellent environment. Maître D' and his team have this to perfection.
Tintagel Restaurant
5 out of 5
Excellent service, excellent staff, excellent food in an excellent environment. Maître D' and his team have this to perfection.
Tintagel Restaurant
5 out of 5
Excellent service, excellent staff, excellent food in an excellent environment. Maître D' and his team have this to perfection.
Tintagel Restaurant
5 out of 5
Excellent service, excellent staff, excellent food in an excellent environment. Maître D' and his team have this to perfection.
Tintagel Restaurant
5 out of 5
Excellent service, excellent staff, excellent food in an excellent environment. Maître D' and his team have this to perfection.
Tintagel Restaurant
5 out of 5
Excellent service, excellent staff, excellent food in an excellent environment. Maître D' and his team have this to perfection.
Tintagel Restaurant
5 out of 5
Excellent service, excellent staff, excellent food in an excellent environment. Maître D' and his team have this to perfection.
Tintagel Restaurant
5 out of 5
Excellent service, excellent staff, excellent food in an excellent environment. Maître D' and his team have this to perfection.
Tintagel Restaurant
5 out of 5
Excellent service, excellent staff, excellent food in an excellent environment. Maître D' and his team have this to perfection.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Onboard Activities - N/A
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Being a musician, would have like the cocktail lounge musician to have played more "cocktail lounge" music, would have liked the duo in the Lido lounge to have selected music more suited to her voice (she was mellow and totally unsuited to singing Status Quo!), and would have like the piano player in the Lido lounge to have played more piano and less backing. That said, the entertainment in the Neptune Lounge was top notch, particularly the show put on by the crew (housekeeping and engine room). For my money, that was the most genuine entertainment and the best.
Children's Programs
There were none!
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Service and Staff - top class. So sad that some passengers see fit to transfer their misery onto the staff, who smile the whole time. Can't say a bad word - they were all first class.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Ship Design and Cleanliness - off for a refit after returning to Southampton, though looking tired, still kept pristine. A suggestion though, would like the pattern on the carpet to indicate bow and stern - I never did get the correct corridor to my cabin on the first attempt!
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Cabin - A little and in need of a spruce, but that's all. No complaints, except that it took me two days to find the main light switch, which was hidden behind a chair!!!
Ship tip
Advice? Be polite to the crew - they'll make (or break) your trip
Tenerife - Spent three days walking the island, which sadly was still affected by the bad weather of the previous week with closed roads and footpaths. However, bearing in mind the snow across Europe, we did well with sunny and warm weather.
Gran Canaria - Managed a walk up in the mountains. The port is very close to the city, so getting in and out was not a problem, though the weather in the mountains was!
La Palma - Very short time here, docking at 08h00 and leaving at 14h30. although there was just enough time to get up to the main volcano, visit the crater and have a quick walk to the lower volcano.
Madeira - Wonderful walk from Prahina to Sao Lorencao, again, the port being very close to the buses. Best of the weather too, with Funchal being in cloud, yet the peninsula being in bright sunshine.
Gibraltar - Almost a mile into Casemates Square from the port and, whilst not one of the prettiest, very clearly signposted. Thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon spent here - plenty of time to walk from Boudicca, along Main Street to the Cable Car and up to the summit, before walking down back to Casemates Square and on to the ship.
Disembarkation - always an experience having to be rid of suitcases by 01h00! However, a long slow breakfast following exit from the cabin (at 08h00) and a wait in the Secret Garden Lounge until 09h45, was completed by a very easy departure from the ship and a simple matter of collecting suitcases from the belts.
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