Pace yourself. While a 12 day excursion, visiting 10 ports looks great, you can quickly become tired. We paid for only 3 excursions. They were all very good but I also enjoyed my time with my significant other to explore the the ports on our own. Unless you are addicted to the Internet, avoid the high ship charges and check in the various ports or buy a coffee somewhere in the port for free access. If you like to walk and explore ports on your own, you can still have a wonderful experience.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Efficient check in process
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We did not dine in any specialty restaurants. The breakfast at the Moon,igniting Sonata was elegant and was a far nicer dining experience than the buffet. A lot of variety at the buffet but often crowded. Service at the Moonlight Sonata was excellent.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Entertainers were mostly from the UK. Where were the entertainers from our ports of call, such as Spain, Italy or France? Performers appealed mostly to a younger audience. Attended just a few and then I became bored. The cruise director, Alejandro, was exceptionally funny.
Children's Programs
3 out of 5
Not applicable
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The staff, including the cruise director, ship capitan, cabin attendant and Dining room staff were excellent. Parcicularly good were our cabin attendant, Francoise, and our waiter, Josue, in the Monnlight Sonata restaurant. I also appreciated Oscar, the dining room manager, who obtained a copy of a recipe for me.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The ship was lovely. The cabin was large. First time sailing with a veranda/balcony. Feel spoiled now. Our cabin attendant, Francoise, was wonderful
Ship tip
Pace your excursions or you will quickly become exhaunted. Book the Alhambra early or you will miss the opportunity. Often, free shuttles, such as in Marseille, are available. Unfortunately, the ship fails to tell you that and offers a shuttle for $20 a person. I felt cheated.
Loved the City of Arts and Sciences. Did not pay to enter any of the exhibits, including the aquarium. Not enough time in port! However, the architecture is dazzling.
We walked around this small city. Took no excursions, not even the hop on hop off bus. Hiked up to the Santa Barbara Castle. Path up on foot is a challenge to find. Loved this port. Managed to visit it and enjoy it for free.
Port was actually rather ugly. We hiked up and down the Top of the Rock. Signage was poor. We were never sure whether we actually got to the top or not. Watch out for the monkeys/apes. Many folks I spoke with preferred taking a taxi rather than the cable car due to the long lines for the cable car.
Loved the Picasso Museum. Charming town. Wasted time on the Hop On/Hop Off Bus. Not very many of them. Easy to walk around the city center without the hop On Hop Off Bus,
We hiked up to the Norte Dame cathedral. Well worth it. Views are spectacular. Was disappointed we had to pay $20 per person for a shuttle. Saw a free shuttle right outside the port.
We took an excursion that covered Nice, Monte Carlo, Monaco and Eze. Skip Monte Carlo and spend more time in Monaco and Eze. Practically ran through Eze due to time constraints. Too bad. Eze looked charming.
You cannot see Florence like this. Crazy to spend 3 hours on the bus! We had a great guide for a 4 hour excursion of Pisa. We did visit Florence in 1992 so I saw no need to rush through a visit on the ship in 5 hours or so.
No way would I spend another 3 hours on a tour bus to visit Rome. Know that the visit is on a Sunday. Getting into the Vatican museum is impossible on a Sunday. If you do not mind visiting more of the sights from the outside only, then go. Instead, we strolled the boardwalk in Civitavecchia. It was charming.
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