The cruise was sold as 'pearls of the North' (I guess 'places damaged by ww2' is too depressing). Some ports were more 'pearls' than others. The ship mostly docked in industrial ports but that wasn't a problem for us. We walked a lot and used public transport. The ship itself is a definitely a pearl and has its charms, but it wasn't full. Being on Virtuosa when it is fully booked might not be so charming. Some of the spaces on the ship are clearly not set up for larger crowds.
The music everywhere on the ship was good and the volume at shows was better than on any other cruise we've been on before (i.e. not at a volume as if every passenger is deaf, but just a normal decent volume).
Embarkation
5 out of 5
As only about 250 passengers boarded in Rotterdam there were no long queues.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Most food was excellent, especially the pastas and risottos. Some things were less to our taste, but that is the beauty of cruising, you can try things and decide they are not to be repeated.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Daily activities that during summer are probably planned on the pool deck were now in the Galleria which was fun to watch. The art for adults activities were not set up for such a big ship, not enough materials and space.
Enjoyed joining in or watching the dance classes. The dance classes that took place in the sports centre were also good workouts!
Atmosphere Pool
3 out of 5
November and the north sea are not a good combination for open air swimming although there were some brave passengers who still went swimming. There was also a temporary curling lane and a mulled wine/ hot chocolate stand which was nice.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The dancers and singers of the stage show were very talented but the titles of the shows and costumes often didn't make sense. It's a collection of songs and dances where the general connection between them is often hard to see (e.g. a song about Cuba on a Paris themed show).
The guitar player in the l'atelier bar was excellent, unfortunately we only discovered him on our last night.
Carousel Lounge
4 out of 5
Wonderfull (extra charge) shows. A shame this location is not accessible during the day (because of rehearsals).
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Ship tip
When using the buffet walk all the way to the back to see all the options for food. Finding a table was easy in the 'korean bbq' section (entrance on the left coming from the outside pool).
Check out the l'atelier bar and art, usually quiet.
Pleasantly surprised by le Havre. If you know beforehand that it is a 'concrete' town you can see the beauty in all the concrete. We walked around, visiting the cathedral and the St. Joseph church (two very different buildings!), les halles (covered market), the library etc. We also visited the appartement témoin Perret. We arrived to the museum late in the day so there was only a French tour left. If you go earlier in the day there are probably English tours. Well worth it to hear the story about Le Havre and the rebuild by architect Perret.
Zeebrugge itself doesn't have that much to offer. We did a geocache and bought some chocolate (obligatory in Belgium 😉😁). We've been to Brugge many times before but I expect that is where most passengers go.
We bought the Hamburg card online after we docked and used the ferry to go into town and then took a bus to miniature Wunderland. Spend several hours being amazed by model trains etc. Also visited St. Michael's church (up the tower to have a nice view of Hamburg), visited some Christmas markets, shops and the tunnel under the Elbe. Wonderful day.
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