Very good experience - Ports of call Exceeded Expectations

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 5

Review summary

The ship was great. Very clean, attentive cabin stewards and overall good service. You cannot beat the food. I was traveling with a child, so we didn't dine in the formal dining room because we were just too tired after a day in the heat and wanted a more relaxing come as you are atmosphere. The variety and freshness at the Windjammer Cafe was tremendous! My daughter really enjoyed the kids' camp on board and the hours and activities were great. The ports of call were all stunning, the excursions were great, and the tour guides were some of the most knowledgeable I have ever had. The tour guides really knew their stuff. I would suggest that they add more alcohol to the mixed frozen drinks. After the initial two sips, I was left drinking mix. I tested it out at various bars along the ship different nights to confirm. I don't mind paying $12 for a mixed drink, but not for mix; make sure to let the bartender know when ordering a drink. The excursions to Ephesus that include visiting the Turkish carpet companies - while the introduction to how they weave the silk from the silk-worm cocoon and watching the weaving process is really interesting, beware of the sales effort afterwards. I repeatedly said no, I was not buying a carpet. While I appreciate the customary practice to negotiate everything, I said clear no after no. When the gentlemen finally realized he was not going to make a sale with me, I was told to leave "his rugs in peace" and escorted out. I was also told that I would regret my decision for the rest of my life and how could I deprive my children of such a legacy. Really? Completely unnecessary. However, if you are in the market for a Turkish silk or wool carpet, then you should have no problem and the carpets are stunning. The pool side live music during the day needs to be revamped. Too many "elevator" type songs.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

Onboard Activities

Entertainment

Children's Programs

Service and Staff

Ship Quality

Cabin / Stateroom

Ports of call

Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

Messina, Sicily

Piraeus (Athens), Greece

Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey

Souda (Chania), Crete