The ship is beautiful, cleverly combining traditional Italian decor with modern facilities. The staff is extremely kind and helpful. The entertainment was FABULOUS.
I would simply caution those that are seeking an "elegant" or "sophisticated" atmosphere. There are really two types of guests on this ship that do not mix:
1) Well-educated (mostly European) who prefer to dress up in the evenings and show good manners in public rooms by talking at a moderate level.
2) Absolute slobs (mostly north-Americans and Latinos), who spend most of their days drinking alcohol and gambling. These people are generally obese and show complete disrespect for other guests and for the staff by attending dinner with shorts and T-shirts, and speaking very loud at the table.
Clearly, we had a difficult time with the second category because they ruined some of our dinners..
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Absolutely excellent food at dinner, with a 7course meal offered every night. The meals are refined and tasty, served in an elegant fashion. The Lunch buffet caters to both European and American tastes.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Enterntainment is either shows (extremely talented artists), various crafts, gambling, or theme nights. We loved the shows because the artists were beyond anything you would expect on a cruise.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Very friendly staff, with helpful people. Their willingness to help is obvious. The cleaning staff is very kind and offers personalized service.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The public rooms are well kept, and spacious. The Decor is very nice, because it combines both the elegance of Italian tradition with the comfort of American ships.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Cabins are very comfortable and clean. We were suprised by how modern everything was.
This was a SCAM !!! Once in port, their are only two options: either you pay 25$/person for a one-hour cab tour of the town, or you pay $7 for a mini-bus that will take you to Altos de Chavon, a completely artificial make-shift town built for American tourists, without a soul in it.. Altos de Chavon is like going to Disneyland. Your minibus will have to pass 4 security stops before actually reaching this completely sealed-off area, where you will be greeted by vendors as soon as you get off the bus. There is nothing real about this place, and you will notice that there are no cars anywhere. It is a complete TOURIST TRAP.
Unfortunately, there are NO OTHER OPTIONS. We wanted to see the real Dominican Republic, but the port area is secured, and there isn't even a public bus or a public cab to take you anywhere out of this secured zone.. Obviously, these guys leave you no choice but to go with the $25 cab / hour / person. We never got to see the real country, and decided to stay onboard
The town is not very exciting and the island's landscape is average because there is no lucious vegetation, but the Catamaran tour is definitely worth it if you like to snorkle.
A beautiful beach, but nowhere else to go. You're stuck on the beach, because it's a militarized zone. Also, the snorkling is of no interest at all because there are no coral reefs and hardly any fish. The buffet was good, but beware of mosquitoes while waiting in line. We WERE the buffet !!!
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
