Picked this cruise as ship was small and for the itinerary. Apart from the rundown ship it met my expectations and I enjoyed it. Just look beyond the dilapidation.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Very easy embarkation in Barcelona
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Enjoyed most meals in MDR though menus repetitive and quite dull. Cutbacks obvious to previous cruises. Avoided buffet except on port days when it was quiet. Food was bland.
Chop's Grille
3 out of 5
Over attentive waiter became annoying after a while.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Cruise director was good managing Spanish and English with ease in the same sentence. Piano players were dull.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Bar and waiter service was excellent
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Dated, not maintained and needs gutting. Disgusting really but reflected in cruise fare
Cabin / Stateroom
2 out of 5
Old with peeling paint and rust on balcony. Dated. It was an adjoining cabin but didn't hear a thing. When doors are let go and slam shut the bed shudders. Hopefully your neighbours are considerate at night.
Ship tip
Great size ship but really dated and poor maintenance. Avoid if you can
Thought tender was dropping us off in Villefranche but went round to old Nice which was 1km from train station instead of the 5 mins in Villefranche. We wanted to walk up to tropical garden in Eze. Not an easy climb but well worth the effort.
Did tour of Cinque Terra with ship. Poorly scheduled. Only saw 2 of the 5 towns. Waisted too much time in first stop Monterosso for 1/2 glass of wine. By the time we got to second stop Vernazza it was rammed with people. Could easily do 4 stops. It's difficult to do on your own as train station is an hour's drive from port but I would do it that way if you want to see more.
Very beautiful. Walked up to castle but closed for function. Continued on to lighthouse. Back into the square and then along coastline in opposite direction. Very nice walk. Go out early to avoid lunchtime crowds.
When you cruise on a small ship that started sailing almost 30 years, it's going to be dated. RC works harder than any large cruise line on maintenance.
*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.
