Cruise Reviews

Boarding the Celebrity equinox for my short break, to be honest I was expecting the “same old” kind of ship. (Beige) but I could not have been more wrong.

The staff we’re out to welcome me as I walked onboard, genuinely enthusiastic about their home, their jobs & their ship and so they should have been. The Equinox is truly a modern, luxury cruiser. Soothing modern design and innovative features made me feel at home.

She’s contemporary, but with traditional features. Innovative without being silly. I was really impressed with the focus on “the little things.” I won’t bore you with the details but they’ve really listened & acted on customer ideas (and that makes allot difference)

Some of my highlights
Walking on top deck – in the sunshine, barefoot on a REAL lawn!
Watching the hot glass show – intricate works of art created before my eyes.
Tasting – truly excellent food, from a quick snack to al la carte dining (as standard)
Feeling that I wasn’t just one of the crowd

This class of ship (Solstice class) is Celebrity’s largest class of ship ever. But the space has been used really well. They’ve created more small Intimate areas on the ship & larger main areas. So you never feel in a crowd & there is always somewhere to my taste just around the corner.

The standard balcony cabin I had was one of the largest I’ve seen, it was genuinely comfortable. It had everything we needed & more.

I did feel that she was a ship for couples, don’t get me wrong children are more than welcome & catered for very well – but the ship felt more couples orientated.

Overall I would sail on her again (tomorrow if I could) without any hesitation & I will continue to recommend her, and her identical sisters to every cruising couple I speak to.

Loved this ship - my favourite ever !
Great size ship, loads to do on board.
Food was top notch. So much to choose from, and always delivered with a smile.
Outdoor areas with the real grass and games was something completely new.
Solarium area on the ship was my favourite area, really relaxing with hammocks by the pool etc - totally chilled !
Really cool night club. just loved everything about it !

Equinox was my first experience of a Celebrity ship and I was extremely impressed! I have never seen such attention to detail in decoration on a ship, very contemporary, stylish and fresh. The lawned area is a great feature, it offers something totally different to experience onboard. The cabins have been designed to be more spacious than other ships and they certainly are! The most noticeable difference in size is the bathroom, especially the shower area, it was the biggest shower/bathroom I have ever had in a standard balcony cabin on any ship. The food onboard was exceptional in both the buffet restaurant and the main dining room with a huge range of choice. The staff onboard are exactly what you would expect from a 5* cruise line, attentive without being over bearing and friendly, nothing seems to be too much trouble for them. The public areas and lounges are very welcoming and each offer something different in the way of evening entertainment. Overall this was a fantastic experience and I would highly recommend both this ship and Celebrity Cruises.

Had a great time aboard millennium ! As a regular RCCL customer I really enjoyed the whole cruise experience but with that extra attention to detail and superb service that celebrity had to offer it really made it special. The food really was amazing and the service was second to none. We went in high season so there was a mix of couples / families on board and it was very very hot ! I love the greek islands but i also enjoyed the chance to visit rome and some of the more interesting ports, i've uploaded some of the pics (notice the shot from Enigma Cafe in Santorini, great spot with breath taking views !). All in all great selection of ports and all round high standards.

I'm off for a western med cruise aboard Azamara Quest Later this month so it will be interesting to see how celebritys premium brand compares. I'll post a review and plenty of pics when i get back.

Happy Cruising !

Paul

we have just returned from our cruise had a great time on the jade staff at reception not too accomadating our requests were left in obeyance rather than being dealt with. Drinks including the 15% very expensive in comparison to some other cruises , food good nice restaurants entertainment average, piano bars very good, lack of lounging areas inside ship.Staff around the ship excellent worked very hard,we had a very small cabin in comparison to other cruises the tv was tiny and not a flat screen and the programes available were very limited and most were not english.Overhaul good holiday good value for the money would go again at the right price.

If you have not tried Costa then you should, especially on this ship. I have cruised extensively and really enjoy the feeling of relaxation on board Costa Ships. I have always found the staff on board to be very friendly and nothing is too much trouble. The food is excellent as is the service in the restaurants. The best thing about the entertainment is the vast choice of different bars and lounges, something for everyone. I would also take one of the drinks packages, they are fantastic value for money. The mandatory service charge takes the bother of tipping at the end and is also well worth it, they try really hard on board and deserve it.

super ship, only 2 yrs old, every comfort, very modern. we had a balcony cabin and it was excellent. our 11 nights were smooth even when we had some rough seas, this ship was not affected. Costa ships are EU Flagged (Italy), so they meet every regulation, so safe.

Meals were excellent, especially in the formal down stairs dinning rooms. the staff could not do enough and every evening meal had a new theme, with the best being the italian night, when the waiters start singing. the atmosphere is great throughout the ship. the theater was really impressive. we did not use the casino but it was always busy as the slot machines are 1 cent a time, so most put in a couple of euros and get a lot of plays.

we took the x1 drink package (you ring costa cruises to book this) and it gave us unlimited bottled water, unlimited bottles of wine (!) and beer with lunch, dinner and at the bars between 1200 and 1600 when the buffet is on. it cost 100 euros per person, but a bottle of wine at meals was 19 euros plus 15 % so it was really good value, in fact when we finished a bottle of wine with our meals the waiters brought another bottle of water and a new bottle of wine! (and you can take the bottle of wine from the restaurant and sip it in the entertainment bars or on deck or take back to the cabin etc, they are very relaxed).

we flew to Nice France and took a local train to Savona Italy to catch the ship, which gave us some time in Montecarlo.

Costa Cruises (part of carnival) were really good value, i would use again.

I agree entirely with a Mr Jones review, but would like to add I disagreed with passengers being aloud to smoke in casino and europa bar area which I thought was a very big saftey hazard, and waiting for a accident to happen, I would like to add I thought the crew were all very helpful, and most could speak English.

This particular cruise changes picks up/drops at every port, so look forward to being woken up by baggage handling almost every night. Because of the different languages being spoken by passengers all announcements including entertainment act introductions seem to drag on forever. Please remember that the lifeboat drill takes 7 times longer as instructions/demonstrations are repeated in all languages. Attending the buffet breakfast is an experience and takes you back to the good old days of "Hi De Hi", that is if you can manage to obtain a table and hang on to it (keep one person seated at all times). The buffet selection is very poor and when snacking out of hours in the buffet restaurant, you have a choice of "pizzas" providing you can establish which of the serving counters will be open (the buffet restaurant has at least 8). The main restaurant service is a bit mediocre, with portions being small and picturesque.
It was found that the fun part of the meal was the excitement of what you would receive, often the description on the menu did not match the dish served. The food quality also varied from rejectable to tasty (I am looking forward to pizza again). Towards the end of the week many people had caught on to ordering a main course as a starter in order to satisfy themselves without having pizza.
There seemed to be one thing in common with most english people at the end of the week and that was "we will be glad to get off this ship".

The following applies to people embarking/disembarking at Savona.
Please read the instructions from Cruise Club UK, because Easy Jet arrives at terminal 2 in Milan Malpensa and the coach departs from terminal 1. When we arrived a Costa rep was awaiting for us at terminal 2, but managed to group together more passengers than the coach could hold so we (8 in total) ended up being transferred to terminal 1 after waiting around for 2 hours (yep this was going to be a long day). However embarking was relatively easy, could this be because we were probably the last coach.

The coach trip takes approximately two and a half hours including one stop from Milan to Savona

Disembarking was relatively easy, mainly because the multi disembarkation ports meant that only a small section of the passengers were disembarking.

Arriving at Milan Malpensa terminal 2 via terminal 1 (and the airport inter-terminal bus), it would seem that the Costa coaches cannot manage to take passengers to terminal 2 direct even though the majority of passengers were flying Easy Jet from terminal 2.

At the check in at terminal 2, the Easy Jet personnel were found to be very helpful and enabled people to transfer to vacancies on earlier flights. Costa reps could learn a lot from these.

Please Costa remember the following.
That just by organising transport to/from terminal 2 at Malpensa could make the Costa Holiday a more pleasant experience

We thoroughly enjoyed this last minute booking.
Condition of the ship, food, and entertainment all first class.
Only problems were the fact that smoking is allowed in several of the main bar areas, casino and even the lobby.
Food very good some of the meat dishes occasionally a bit tough and chewy.
Why oh why do they have to charge such ridculous amounts for bottled water not even well known brand.....noi excuse.
The itinaray icluded a trip across to Limassol but we were only there for just over half a day, hardly seemed worth it, better to go to Crete which is somewhat prettier anyway.

This is the first cruise my husband and I have ever been on, and would recommend it to anyone! The trip was for my 40th birthday and I cannot fault anything. The ship is beautifully designed with a contemporary feel. The ship was extremely clean, and all staff were excellent. Our stateroom attendent was lovely (he made a dog from our towesl one night because we told him we had dogs!), the waiters and somellier in the Grande Cuvee were fantastic - A good balance of friendly and chatty but still efficient. The entertainmnet director and his programme of entertainmnet was very well thought through and balanced. The selection of food in all areas was incredible, and always manned/served by helpful and friendly staff. The only negative comment I have is about the other travellers. We saw a lot of people who refused to sanitise hands at entrances to areas, even ignoring staff posted with sanitisers. Sanitising of hands is in place for a reason, if people cannot adhere to these rules, they should not be allowed in. Latly, despite there being a dress code in place, we observed people dining in Grand Cuvee restraunt with tracksuit bottoms on! Come on people, put some effort in!

recently booked through cruise club uk, to travel on our first ever cruise with the royal carribean int.. adventure of the seas.
although i apreiciate this was our first cruise, so have no others to compare with, we were delighted with the experience we had, and look forward to booking the next!!
we went as a family of six, with the oldest being 62 years old and the youngest being 7 yrs old (with a teenage boy also in tow!!)
this ship sattisfied all our ages with something for everyone, we only took a 5 night short canary cruise, but it left us wanting more..as 5 nights was not enough to do everything we wanted!
food was fantastic, and although the rooms on the inside cabin were very small, we soon adapted, and found them very comfortable.
hope this is a help to anyone considering this cruise.
our standards are usually of a picky nature..but not nessesary on this liner!

happy holidays
kelly and paul x

We went on the Brilliance of the Seas in April around the Arabian Gulf and had an amazing time. The ports of call were fantastic. My favourite's being Muscat in Oman and Abu Dhabi. Muscat was not what I expected. Its a beautiful city with a fantastic promenade and fabulous souk. Abu Dhabi was clean and quieter than Dubai and we will definitely return there.
The ship itself is fab, clean and has the wow factor. There is ample bars and lounges with something going on day and night to suit every taste, we never had a problem finding something to do. The food was amazing in the main restaurant and in the windjammer buffet. We also eat in Portofino speciality restaurant one night, which is something I urge everyone to do, it was superb. Also the sea view cafe is great for lunch.
Overall I would recommend this cruise to everyone.

We travelled on this expedition ship in Papua New Guinea in March 2010 and had a wonderful time. It is a small ship owned and operated by Coral Princess Cruises in Australia. It carries 72 passengers and is very new. The ship has a wonderful excursion tender called the 'Explorer' which is the best and most comfortable I have seen. Staterooms were very big and the crew were fantastic. We want to go back and do the cruise in the Kimberley area of Western Australia which looks fantastic.

Probably the best cruise ship in the world !


After many years of enjoyable cruise holidays on both smaller ships and truly huge ones. I found myself genuinely excited about the new Celebrity Solstice and what she has to offer.

Solstice is a sophisticated ship that caters very well indeed for adults and children with an abundance of facilities for many tastes and ages. The overall standard of dinning and service is the best I have experienced on any Celebrity Ship. We dinned in Murano twice during our holiday and the food , choice of wine and overall experience were the best I have experienced at sea. I found that each of the restaurant managers took real pride and ownership of the restaurants offerings. The QSINE restaurant was a real experience aswell, it was modern and quirky , I would advise anyone to pre book this restaurant who likes social eating !

To summarize this ship really did have it all and is appointed beautifully to a very high standard with great service.

Went to the Caribbean on the Freedom of the Seas, and what a ship - huge !
Amazing array of facilities with the ice skating rink, climbing wall, flow rider, golf,etc on top of everything else ! You will never be bored.
We were a bit unlucky with the weather but, ports of call were brilliant with Grand Cayman, Labadee, Ocho Rios.
Didn't know what to expect of Labadee, but basically it is a Royal Caribbean play island - bit surreal !
Staff were amazing, they were friendly, fun, really made the holiday.
Although it is a big ship there is loads of space on board, and lots of different areas to spend time in.
Really enjoyed this ship and loved the Caribbean.

What we thought of The Ship

The ship was really nice plenty of places to sun bath never had any problem getting a space round the pool. The spa was really nice we got a day pass to uses the spa but it does not include the treatment but if you’re not planning to do a treatment I would book one. If you have a treatment booked you get the use of the therapy rooms for 30 min before and after. The 4D cinema was great would say you have to go at least once.

Favorite places on board

The Atrio bar was one of my favorites because it is big and airy and there’s is plenty of room for all the guests and the staff where really nice. The Club Deliziosa, does carry a 20 euro’s cover charge but is well worth it, different menu to the main restaurant and much more relaxed. The food was really good if we had gone in there the first night i do not think we would have gone in the main restaurant for the rest of the cruise because the service was great it, was nice and quite and but you never felt rushed.

Children’s Facilities had a quick look though the window and there seemed to be quite a bit for children to do.

Food

Over all the food was really good i had a few odd meals but my friend loved everything she ordered and she had snails???

The buffet restaurant had food there all day
• breakfast was good plenty of choice
• lunch again lots of choice from sushi to thing for sandwiches and the pizzas where always hot and there from 11 am onward
• afternoon tea again pent of choice and never a shortage of anything
• evening meal the menus looked good but never went always went to the main restaurant or the Club Deliziosa

The main restaurant had pent of choice and the food was served very quick not many minutes between courses which did make you feel a bit rushed but over all the food was great.

Entertainment i.e. casino & bars

Bars: We found all the bars we used where of a great quality and the staff where very helpful and friendly and always asking if you wanted another drink. I would always recommend taking the all inclusive drinks package like we did as it saved us a lot of money.

4D Cinema: This was so much fun a lot better than the 3D films out at the minute for the 4D parts and they made the chair move and mist getting sprayed at you made it even better

Spa: This was really nice the staff were not as friendly and willing to show you round but the actual facilities where really good

4X4 excursion in Abu Dhabi with BBQ This was better than the one i did in Dubai a couple of years ago the dunes where higher and i think our driver wanted to see how quick he could make some one scream, the food at the BBQ was excellent and soft drink where included for everyone as well but a can of beer was 5 euros for a small one and 8 euros for a large one

The Theatre we only went once and i would not have gone back the first night was a juggling and acrobats show. The second night was a Chinese acrobat’s show. The one we went to was called I Had a Dream. Now we though musical song and may be a seen or 2 from a musical, but we got the crew singing and the cabin stewards singing things like Black Velvet and Like a Virgin??? Not what we where expecting.

Disco /night club: The dance floor was big and had quite a big bar and it was on 2 levels. We went twice the first time they played 2 songs in English the rest was Italian the second time we went was St Patrick’s Day and we where the only people in except bar staff so we left.

Overall the entertainment was aimed more at the Italians

Service

Over all the service was for a really high standard

The cabin person was really good the cabin was spotless and he always left us after sun and things and they changed the towels and bedding daily

Guest relations could do with more staff on the desk this was the only place we ever had difficulties with the language barrier there where only a few staff who spoke English. We saw one couple having problem explaining that one of the bar staff came over from the atrium bar and translated it into Italian for the passenger.

Bar staff could never help enough really friendly and happy all the time

Restaurant staff very friendly and helpful really quick service

Cabin

The cabin was great our balcony was really big loads of space very nicely decorated and we where above the theater but could never hear it, the only noise we heard was the lift on check out day pinging and the Italian passengers shouting as they walking past but never any ship noise.

Drinks Package

We had the J2 which was well worth the money we drank it very easily each day with out going stupid because a bottle of wine £20-30, a glass of coke £2.50, ****tails £6.25, glass of wine £4.50 so did not take many drinks in a day to get your money’s worth from this package.


Any other tips for travelers with Costa

Book a drink package of some form
On the Deliziosa they have these thing called totems which are great you can

• book in the 4D cinema
• book excursions
• book in restaurants
• book in the spa
• and loads more saves any confusion with language

Take plenty of sun cream as the ship does not have any to buy

Emirates Business Class & Lounge

Manchester airport the lounge was great with it being new. The food and drink was really good lots of magazines and papers showers and computers. Staff where really friendly

Dubai airport lounge even though it only about 2 years old it needs some work doing to it the floor near reception was a solid wood floor but had holes and uneven bit where the wood was starting to fall out in it the staff where not as friendly as Manchester but they where polite

Check in at both airports was really quick and our luggage was first off both times

The flight was good the kept us toped up on wine all the time and plenty of food the movies are the same as economy and there is loads of choice. The business class seats where not flat beds which would make it so much better on board.

Norwegian Epic was launched in June 2010. This is NCL's newest & largest cruise ship, with a large array of entertainment, dining & family venue's on board.
You can literally dine 'around the world' there were themed restaurants, my favourite being the Argentian one named 'Churrascaria'. Ive never known a cruise ship with so many restaurants on board .. there are many lounges & bars including an 'Ice Bar', Comedy Club which was good fun with audience participation, Bliss Lounge with a bowling alley was also a favourite. The casino on board was one of the largest Ive seen ... Sports enthusiasts will love outdoor facitlies with climbing walls, water slides ( one of the largest at sea Ive seen ) swimming pools, hot tubs, basket ball court & even a 'beach club' which converts into an open-air night club in the evenings.
I stayed in a 'new wave' balcony stateroom on deck 9, which were modern & contemporary in design. The bathroom facilities had a seperate wc & shower unit with a frosted glass door, the vanity unit being in the main cabin area, although there was a drape you could pull across for privacy from the main cabin. This layout may not suit all guests though. I was lucky enough to view most of the stateroom types including the suites/villas & was most impressed with the Spa Suite's which gave you exclusive access to the Spa....great for relaxing. A great idea from NCL was the single inside studio's for our solo travellers, which also had an exclusive solo's lounge where you could meet up & have a drink with your fellow single guests.
Overall this a fabulous ship with the most fantastic facilities on board & will suit families / couples & singles alike.
View the photos on our website/facebook page.

We sailed on the Carnival Dream on its first sailing out its new home port of Port Canaveral (Orlando). This was a special 9 night cruise, rather than the usual 7 nights. As the ship was brand new it looked fantastic, and more than lived up to our expectations. The food was great, no complaints at all. The buffet itself had the largest choice of food I have ever seen on a cruise ship. There is the usual Pizza and Burgers, and the buffet lines themselves, but also there is a Mongolian Wok area where you pick the ingredients from a large choice, and they stir fry it for you right there. There was also a curry station, and a deli station, where they make sandwiches of your choice, on a huge range of breads and made how you like it.
The entertainment and activities was non stop all day, with soooo much to do.
My favourite part of the ship is the new wrap around promenade which is open from above, so your not in shadow. You can lie on a sun bed, take a dip in one of the 4 jacuzzi's that overhang the side of the ship.
The Carnival Waterworks on the top deck was excelent for kids, and grown ups too!
There is also a giant movie screen by the main pool, for movies.
Another feature of this ship is at night by the main pool, they have a lazer show, which has to been seen!!!
We had a fantastic time on Carnival, and connot wait to go back!

Just a short cruise with our 2 boys, first time with Carnival and I was truely impressed. The ship was very beautiful, easy to get around without getting lost to often ! Dining rooms, food and service was excellent, the choice was unbelievable. The childrens facilities were great, I could nt get my youngest out of it !!
Lots of different bars and lounges, great shows & entertainment. Cabin steward was really imaginative with his towel animals with a different one every night. Overall a brilliant holiday.

Well this was our first time with Azamara but our second time around doing several of the ports included in this Greek / Turkish Med 10 Night itinerary. I have to say in short that the service, food and overall experience on the Azamara Quest really was second to none and a unique experience. I hope you find this useful if you’re thinking about making Azamara your next choice, I can whole heartedly recommend them ! ! ! We have included some pictures as well on the user images tab, please feel free to leave any questions / comments and I’ll try to respond

The Ship / Service
Being a smaller ship (30,000 tonnes) the Quest had a very different feel from larger ships it felt much more intimate and friendly and everything is so close to hand. We found that we got to know everyone in a very small space of time and after about the third day we were greeted by the ships officers and staff on a first name basis in the Discoveries Restaurant and the Pool Bar and Casino. We never had to queue for anything and the open dinning option and relaxed dress code meant we could please ourselves each day and we had much more freedom to enjoy the ports of call. I must recommend as well the thalassotherapy pool which we had two passes for the duration of the cruise. This included use of the steam / luxury showers ( 7 jets !) in the spa centre and had a private deck to relax on. During the whole cruise we only met two other people on there and couldn’t believe more people weren’t taking advantage of the facilities.

Everyone that we met and spoke to didn’t have a single complaint to make about anything onboard which was a first for me as I know how particular my fellow cruises can be ! One evening during the ships entertainment on the pool deck, we noticed that the Captain of the ship and the Officers were joining the guests for a chat and a bite to eat. When we spoke to them about how we were finding the cruise, the itinerary and the food etc. we found out that the staff are treated very well onboard and it made a lot of sense as it really did reflect in the outstanding levels of service and the friendliness of the staff. We found there was a real mixture of ages and nationalities on the ship and quite a few families. As well, I must add that while the service and overall quality of the dining is superb, at the same time the atmosphere is very relaxed as well as the dress code (which we both thought was much better). Some people got dressed up on the occasional evening as we did on a couple of evenings as its nice to make the effort but there are no requirements to.

Food & Entertainment
The specialty restaurants (Prime C & Aqualina) were spectacular but we found that the Main Dinning Restaurant Discoveries was that good that we only tried them once each. (But I would definitely recommend trying them) We also enjoyed the windows café and inparticular the Sushi Bar and the noodle station (I’ve included some pics), when you’re in these small ports with dramatic back drops such as Santorini its great to have the option to dine outside and admire the view as we did many nights in the windows café out on the deck.
The wine included in the price of the cruise was changed each day and included with lunch and dinner, we found on most days the quality was excellent and was chosen to accompany the dinning options.

Ports Of Call

With most of the ports of call Quest would arrive early in the morning (around 7am) and not leave until 10 pm which made the whole experience when visiting the ports of call much more indepth (we haven’t seen many other cruises that stay in ports that long) We could explore around the ports in the morning and visit the various historical sites / points of interest until the afternoon then visit the ship and the thalassotherapy pool for a couple of hours sunbathing and spa then head back out in the evening when the ports come alive. In one day in Mykonos we visited the beach for the morning then headed out for some sight seeing in the afternoon then enjoyed a meal in the bay looking out to see, you really do feel like you’ve visited and experienced all the ports have to offer when you get a full day and evening their. We visited Athens, Santorini, Kusadasi, Bodrum, Mykonos and Istanbul. We would like to say we had a favourite but in all honesty each place had its own charm, highlights and contrasts. We would definitely recommend the grand tour of Instanbul as it’s a fascinating city steeped in history and we had a great meal out in Rhodes sampling the local cusine (we had kleftico).

All in all a great experience and after enjoying several years cruising I can certainly appreciate now the benefits of a more intimate and service orientated cruise experience, which offer more time to enjoy the ports of call.


Paul & Samanatha

Sorry Yossef, I mis-spelt your name. Was thinking about the camera shop "Jessops". Sorry.

Just back home after a week on the M.S. Fleurette from 2nd to the 9th of August, 2010 What a fantastic time my friend and myself had. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves from start to finish. The excursions were top class, also the tour guides were very patient, especially as I wandered off so much. Jessop's most common phrase that week was "Where's Sheena" He deserves a medal for not losing his patience with me. A very friendly boat, made lots of new friends that I'm sure we'll stay in-touch with. Food is excellent with plenty choice and caters well for those with special dietary requirements. My only complaint is "The cabin, the wooden base on the bed, "ouch" I lost count how many times I hurt my big toes on it. I'd recommend this cruise to anyone, I didn't want to leave.

Where to start !?

Well this was our first time with Azamara but our second time around doing several of the ports included in this Greek / Turkish Med 10 Night itinerary. I have to say in short that the service, food and overall experience on the Azamara Quest really was second to none and a unique experience. I hope you find this useful if you’re thinking about making Azamara your next choice, I can whole heartedly recommend them ! ! ! We have included some pictures as well on the user images tab, please feel free to leave any questions / comments and I’ll try to respond

The Ship / Service
Being a smaller ship (30,000 tonnes) the Quest had a very different feel from larger ships it felt much more intimate and friendly and everything is so close to hand. We found that we got to know everyone in a very small space of time and after about the third day we were greeted by the ships officers and staff on a first name basis in the Discoveries Restaurant and the Pool Bar and Casino. We never had to queue for anything and the open dinning option and relaxed dress code meant we could please ourselves each day and we had much more freedom to enjoy the ports of call. I must recommend as well the thalassotherapy pool which we had two passes for the duration of the cruise. This included use of the steam / luxury showers ( 7 jets !) in the spa centre and had a private deck to relax on. During the whole cruise we only met two other people on there and couldn’t believe more people weren’t taking advantage of the facilities.

Everyone that we met and spoke to didn’t have a single complaint to make about anything onboard which was a first for me as I know how particular my fellow cruises can be ! One evening during the ships entertainment on the pool deck, we noticed that the Captain of the ship and the Officers were joining the guests for a chat and a bite to eat. When we spoke to them about how we were finding the cruise, the itinerary and the food etc. we found out that the staff are treated very well onboard and it made a lot of sense as it really did reflect in the outstanding levels of service and the friendliness of the staff. We found there was a real mixture of ages and nationalities on the ship and quite a few families. As well, I must add that while the service and overall quality of the dining is superb, at the same time the atmosphere is very relaxed as well as the dress code (which we both thought was much better). Some people got dressed up on the occasional evening as we did on a couple of evenings as its nice to make the effort but there are no requirements to.

Food & Entertainment
The specialty restaurants (Prime C & Aqualina) were spectacular but we found that the Main Dinning Restaurant Discoveries was that good that we only tried them once each. (But I would definitely recommend trying them) We also enjoyed the windows café and inparticular the Sushi Bar and the noodle station (I’ve included some pics), when you’re in these small ports with dramatic back drops such as Santorini its great to have the option to dine outside and admire the view as we did many nights in the windows café out on the deck.
The wine included in the price of the cruise was changed each day and included with lunch and dinner, we found on most days the quality was excellent and was chosen to accompany the dinning options.

Ports Of Call

With most of the ports of call Quest would arrive early in the morning (around 7am) and not leave until 10 pm which made the whole experience when visiting the ports of call much more indepth (we haven’t seen many other cruises that stay in ports that long) We could explore around the ports in the morning and visit the various historical sites / points of interest until the afternoon then visit the ship and the thalassotherapy pool for a couple of hours sunbathing and spa then head back out in the evening when the ports come alive. In one day in Mykonos we visited the beach for the morning then headed out for some sight seeing in the afternoon then enjoyed a meal in the bay looking out to see, you really do feel like you’ve visited and experienced all the ports have to offer when you get a full day and evening their. We visited Athens, Santorini, Kusadasi, Bodrum, Mykonos and Istanbul. We would like to say we had a favourite but in all honesty each place had its own charm, highlights and contrasts. We would definitely recommend the grand tour of Instanbul as it’s a fascinating city steeped in history and we had a great meal out in Rhodes sampling the local cusine (we had kleftico).

All in all a great experience and after enjoying several years cruising I can certainly appreciate now the benefits of a more intimate and service orientated cruise experience, which offer more time to enjoy the ports of call.


Paul & Samanatha

I cruised around Dubai in May of this year on the Costa Deliziosa, This is the first ever cruise I have been on, and would find it hard to go on a normal resort holiday ever again. The costa staff were very helpful from the minute we arrived at the port in Dubai, and would go out of their way to assist you in any way they could. The cabins were spacious and clean with very large balconies. The food was excellent and restaurant staff were brilliant, nothing was too much trouble for them, and they was very entertaining,and made mealtimes an enjoyable event. They had shuttle buses at every port of call for those who wanted to do their own thing, we was well informed about all ports and also events that was taking place on the ship. The spa treatments was fantastic and totally relaxing and didnt cost a fortune. It was a memorable holiday, and would highly recommend this ship from start to finish i found the whole experience faultless. Well done to Costa staff and Crew of Costa Deloziosa you do a fantastic job.

Fantastic ship, really beautiful, staff and service was brilliant...the staff could nt do enough for you and always had a smile and a good morning for you. The choice of different bars and entertainment supplied something for everyone. The casino, night club was great - lots of quiet areas as well....The additional pasta course at dinner was very welcome, if you like Italian food, have it !! Not just Italian food thou, great fish, steak, deserts etc.
One of my favorite ships and experiences so far...

Azamara Journey

Staff on board the ship could not do enough to help you. Everything seemed like it was tailored to your individual needs.

The cabins on the ship were perfectly spotless and very modern décor. We were really surprised by the size of the cabins, as the ship is quite small in comparison to others, we were expecting them to be smaller than normal. When we arrived, they were actually a really good size.

The food on board was of exceptional quality, and the choice seemed never ending, and still managing to vary each night. In the buffet restaurant you could choose every thing from serial to smoothies for breakfast, as well as the usual options. In the evening meal we had the choice of food from Beef Wellington to Stir-fry in the main dinning room as well as having the choice to dine in the buffet restaurant. One of the best things that we found in the main restaurant, is that part of the menu stayed the same each night, with a range of traditional English and American foods on them which ensured there was always something you liked, and with the ever changing menu’s in the a-la-cart restaurants, the food could not be faulted

With regards to the two specialty restaurants I would recommend people should book before they travel, as we found that they were so popular they were difficult to book on board, due to the high quality of food served. We would certanly have gone in these more if we could.

The ship is designed more for the couples market, rather than families, with very little facilities to cater for them. But having said that the staff are always on hand to make children feel welcome and included.

My first impression of the Azura is that she was a lot more modern than what I expected. Having spoken to many people with regards to P&O I had the impression that the ships were quite traditional. Where as when we got on board, I would say that the ship is more designed with couples in mind. P&O are certainly trying to appeal to the younger market here.

The evening entertainment on the ship was really good. I wasn’t expecting all the bars to be open all the time, but they were all really good. I would recommend the glasshouse if you fancy a nice glass of quality wine, or there’s a cabaret bar or the night club (Manhattan Bar).

The food on the ship was of a fantastic quality, with a number of restaurants to eat in. I would certainly recommended booking into the Indian Tapas restaurant, as the food in there looked exquisite.

The spa with its treatment rooms looked fine if you like that sort of thing but its major attraction was the reserved pool and settee loungers in luxurious purple – quite eastern harem like. The rest of the upper open decks has plenty of sunbeds – there must have been one for everybody and some to spare

The Cabins were of a really good size and very modern décor, with a good size balcony, with plenty of room to maneuver around, you never once got the feeling being claustrophobic.

Overall, she is certainly a step in a new direction for P&) and would certainly recommend her to both new and old P&O passengers.

This was our first time cruising and as a young English couple in our twenties we were slightly hesitant as to what we might expect as a holiday - any reservations we had soon faded as we boarded the Azmara. We were absolutely captivated by how stylish the boat was the décor, furniture, layout, lighting – everything was well thought out and presented to such a high standard, we really no idea that we were on a boat and felt more like a high end hotel.

The three stand out areas for us were firstly the staff, for every two guests there is one member of staff so the service you receive throughout is world class, they can not do enough for you and they even think of things to do for you that you don’t even think about yourself. Every staff member is smart, engaging, friendly, and helpful and they really help to make your holiday a relaxing, indulgent delightful experience.

The second impressive feature is the amount of activities that the boat offers you, you can get as involved as you want with what they have planned throughout the day and into the evening, and if you don’t fancy it then they don’t make you feel awkward. We were surprised at the mixture of ages, we thought we’d be the youngest by miles however there were lots of groups of young Americans our age and younger in the mix as well as older couples. The amenities are tremendous considering it is a smaller cruise ship compared to others, they really have everything you could need on board and again everything is clean, tidy and thoroughly presentable.

The last area which we really enjoyed were all the bars and restaurants, everyday you can have breakfast on your balcony over looking the new country you have arrived in over night – look out for hungry seagulls! Lunch is an enormous yet elegant selection, foods from around the world, we ate sushi everyday, they will make you any kind of sandwich and the hot food selection was always really impressive and to a high standard considering the scale. For dinner you had so many options, something for everyone and any occasion. We loved the steak and seafood restaurants – definitely worth a visit for a special dinner whilst you’re on holiday.

We visited 6 places in our 7 day cruise and it really felt like such a longer time away from home, we really unwound from daily life and completely relaxed in sailing life. We would definitely recommend this cruise line to any of our friends for a holiday with a difference, with refinement and with first class service.

Had amazing family holiday with our 3children on costa. Yes it's an Italian ship but hey just love meeting different nationalities and learning their ways. My children loved dressing up,seeing great variety of shows,tasting different foods,seeing lots of places and meeting new people. They also felt safe and we were confident to offer them some freedom to go to different activities. All staff were lovely, ship was very glamorous and though 3500passengers never felt like more than 100 at any time.will definitely be going again...can't wait....cruiseclub were also brill at info and paperwork. No more land hols for us.

Having seen an advert in a national newspaper for a Western Med cruise on the Azura, I obtained a brochure and discovered that P & O were offering a fantastic deal on the cruise commencing 27th April. An outside (obstructed view) cabin was on offer at £799. As these cabins are obstructed by lifeboats they are only available for grades LA & LC. All these cabins are on E Deck and as the lifeboats do not extend the length of the ship, booking one of these cabins seemed to guarantee:-
(i) An obstructed view cabin on E. Deck
(i) A cabin which could not be placed in extreme forward or aft position
What an offer! I could not believe my luck and got in touch with my travel agent immediately.
I was delighted to hear that the obstructed view cabins were available, but my travel agent went at great length
to clarify the terms of the contract with P & O:-
(i) P & O reserved the right to select the number of the cabin. That did not worry me in the slightest
as I knew the cabin cabin would be on E Deck
(ii) P & O would guarantee that I would recieve a cabin which would be at least the same grade that I had
booked but may also upgrade my cabin. Fine, I may even be allocated a balcony cabin.
(iii) I would not be allocated my cabin number until a fortnight before sailing.

Eventually, I received my cabin allocation. I had been given an upgrade to a JD cabin which is situated on P
Deck, underneath the theatre and quite near the front of the ship. It was three decks lower than the E Deck I had anticipated. It is a cabin I would never have booked
under any circumstances as it is on the lowest passenger deck and in a poor location. Had P & O broken their contract? No! Although it is probably one of the worst cabins on the ship, there is no blocked view from the small porthole. Consequently, it is officially an upgrade according to P & Os own grading system.

Naturally I phoned customer services in an attempt to change the cabin. I was told that it was not possible as the ship was fully booked. I asked if I could pay for an upgrade and received the same response.I then asked if my name could be put on a list in case there were any cancellations and was told that this was unlikely but I could check in a few days time to see if the position had changed. I waited 3 days and checked on the P & O website. SURPRISE, SURPRISE, Not only were outside cabins available, Obstructed view cabins were available on, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, ON E DECK AND WHAT IS MORE THEY WERE NOW BEING OFFERED AT OVER £300 LESS THAN I HAD PAID.

Naturally, I phoned P & O again asking for my cabin to be changed back to the cabin I had originally booked. I went to great lengths to point out that I was not seeking any form of refund. I was told that as I had booked through an agent, I would need to make the transfer through my agent.

Having gone through the whole of what had happened I contacted my agent. He got in touch with P & O who, apparently stated that they would not dowgrade me back to my original choice of cabin on E Deck. After all, P & O had chosen to upgrade my cabin at no extra cost. Very ,very re-assuring!

There is a lesson to be learnt. P & Os contract on "getaway fares" is a restrictive contract an is a device
which seeks to avoid all the legal implications contained in the law of contract. It leaves the consumer in a situation whereby P & O are able to allocate any ocean view cabin to any person such as myself who books the Cabins under the category of "Obstructed View" because this means that whether or not the "Obstructed view
cabins are availble at the time of booking, P & O can use the loophole in their agreement to allocate a cabin
in the "part obstructed view" or "outside" cabin categories, and thus dispose of all the unwanted surplus cabins to unsuspecting customers such as myself who believe they are obtaining a bargain.

I have grave doubts about whether the courts would be prepared to uphold such a contact which seeks to bi-pass all consumer rights under contract law. It is a case that I intend to test in the near future

fabulous cruise. Cruise club arrangements were first class,all transfer travel and staff excellent

This was our 4th cruise. The first was around the Eastern Carribean with RCL (Independance of the Seas) and the second was 10 days with same vessel to the Canaries from Southampton & lastly with the “Brilliance of the Seas” on a cruise/stay from Dubai round the Persian Gulf. Whilst we enjoyed Celebrity and would probably cruise with them again, we did prefer the RCI 'Brilliance of the Seas' as we found the ship smaller & although older,had a great feel of age old style & ambience. Celebrity Eqinox was very modern & a little clinical in design & seemed to cater on this cruise for majority of couples of whom many were from North & South America (as the ship was sailing from Fort Lauderdale to the Western Carribean), with the average age of passengers (50+ and older).
We felt there were a number of subtle cut backs & money spinners to previous cruises both in the food,drink & tours,so forgive us if this review is longer than some!
Remember our review is based on our own personal experience & may differ from others,but all we can do is say it as it was!.

PRE CRUISE: Our tour operator CCUK in the package offered, booked my wife & I to Miami via BA who impressed us with everything in their 'in flight' service, and thereafter a shuttle bus was arranged to take us to the Hilton, Fort Lauderdale Marina. A very good class hotel with our room looking out directly at the super yachts,the hotel being very close to the marina, port, and shops etc, within walking distance for buying the allowance of 2 bottles of wine etc to take on board by midday.
Our Balcony cabin was ready at 1pm. & a Bottle of Gin,6 tonics & a large octagonal selection box of nuts was provided as a welcome presumeably from Celebrity or our tour operator as there was no message with this? Oceanview buffet for lunch opened (good selection on the day and crew were very helpful.) Luggage arrived by about 2pm.Pleased to note lifeboat drill carried out before ship sailed. Ate dinner in MDR at 8.30 (despite the fact CCUK had done their best to reserve 'select any time dining' around 2nd Jan), plus we had prepaid a wine package with tips up front (as a pre requistite),but having gone direct to the MDR on boarding, the Maitre D on the desk was dissapointingly unable to oblige when we approached her.. Food we felt was average on some evenings compared to previous cruises, particularly in the Ocean View Cafe.The table for 2 booked in the MDR was cramped alongside another table for 2 & therefore offered little privacy. We thought the MDR service a little lax at times as more time seemed to be spent by our waiters on larger tables(no doubt where heavier tips were to be acquired?). The Wine package was mixed up on the 1st night as well as having to wait till nearly the second course before being served the wine.
ENTERTAINMENT: Shows in theatre at 7pm were of the highest calibre we have experienced,...really on a par to the West End Theatres.. Hosted by Cruise Director Jason who was good (if anything,sometimes too over exposed),but friendly and was always involved around the ship chatting to guests throughout the cruise.
Our balcony cabin was on Deck 8 & had better deck chairs then experienced before with RCI.The cabin seemed to have more hanging space & overhead cupboards for extra space than experienced before on RCI.The adjustable slim line TV was interactive (keeping a daily eye on bar bills was very useful!)and had a good selection of films/picture, plus the novelty of a continual CCTV of the ship's bow & progress. . Bed was extremely comfortable and bathroom was good with a shower, single wash basin and toilet. Shower head in ceiling was fantastic. Always plenty of hot water too, and quality towelling with beach towels as well.Our cabin steward was ZENON and was the best we have had. However Celebrity should take note of that particularly with British passengers, to automatically supply a kettle for tea, rather than having to ask for one.(as supplied on all RCI ships travelled on)
Towelling dressing gowns were not supplied on arrival, but when asked for, it was explained this was a delay in the laundry turnround situation.
Breakfast in the cabin was a real treat on several ocaasions & very prompt on timings required.
EXCURSIONS: We prebooked 3 only as we found these very expensive,but in particular the tour guide PETER(a Jamaican) was excellent & knowledgeable on the Belize Wildlife Tour.However we had incorrect advise re camera charges printed on the tickets on tour info for the Zoo of $24. Our tour guide advised us this had been abolished which was annoying as many ship's passengers on this tour did not take their cameras for obvious reasons.I am a keen wildlife photographer & advised Celebrity tour office on board of the situation who hopefully have rectified this error for future passengers.We were awarded 20% refund (each) off the tour cost for flagging this up. There are some reliable tour guide companies ashore that can be contacted at half the price which we used.
RESTAURENTS: We mainly used the Oceanview buffet for breakfast and lunch but more than often finding a table is always a nightmare though, no matter what time.The MDR was mainly used for dinner. Food in MDR was good on the whole, although there was not as much variety as RCI last year & fresh veg in short supply, unless asked for as extra.
For example the arrival of the anticipated 'once off'' lobster was dissapointing as it was very bland & the experts told us this was Carribean lobster which is cheaper than the local Maine Lobster.The Crème Brule however is to die for.The so called 'Shrimp' Cocktail, be warned, is our Prawn Cocktail, but our tip is don't settle for the unusual yukky 'red horse radish' dressing, but ask for the 'Thousand Island' or Mayonnaise dressing.Although the quality of ingredients may not be as good as other cruise lines, the presentation and variety of all the food was generally good. Even if you request something thats not on the main menu, they will present your food to you in a great unique way.
ACTIVITIES:Enjoyed the South American dance bands & attempted the Zoomba....great fun. We did do the 'Behind the Scenes' tour on the last sea day to be shown & explained how the kitchen operation comes together to serve the thousands of passengers & crew at sea, which was well worth while.
The library was used & well laid out, but could do with more stocking of soft backs.
Indoor pool was excellent haven with the closed roof against coller weather & the rather noisy outside pool.We couldn't really grasp why such loud thumping music prevailed here most days when the average age group of 50+ needed to be catered for, with perhaps some ambience music? The music seems to be catered for the stagehands/crew who set up the sound systems,.... or the DJ is out of sinc with the age group on board!!
ENTERTAINMENT: This is all down to personal taste again but we can say we enjoyed every act as they were all superb including the visiting comedian who although warned us he would nearly break all the taboos of colour, creed, age etc, & he was sesnible enough to just not go over the 'thin red line'..... very amusing & was not using extreme foul language and double entendre jokes,..... Again our personal opinion.
DISEMBARKATION: Having read various reviews was a bit worried about this & rightly so,as it was horrendous through no fault of Celebrity, but shortage of US Immigration Officers.. We had luggage group 17 which was for 9a.m. We went to MDR and waited to be called. At 9.30 we were not called until a good 1-1 ½ hrs later. We had to snake our way around a long line to collect our luggage and then had to take seats to wait & proceed to another snake line to clear customs.ALL IN ALL ABOUT 3 -4hrs!. There were only about 4 Immigration desks open and there was no seperation for different countries.A few hundred Brits were about to start a riot & many were stating they would not go on a ship again that diembarked at Miami!!! The US not only charge $14 for foreign nationals for the priviledge to enter their country(ESTA), but neither they or the shipping lines would seem to be aware of the possible loss of faith by many British & foreign vistors in problematic situation with Immigration & the possible loss of revenue at this port, if this continues! We waited about 15 minutes for the shuttle bus to take us to a hotel booke by Celebrity for a day room prior to a late flight.(we did not fancy a tour prior to the night flight).The Hotel departure day ticket was omitted to be printed off in the documents sent to us fro our tour operator which left us in a panic as to which Hotel & where we were booked in.(No Celebrity personnel was able to help us at the terminal).However we took a gamble that it would be the Hilton at Miami(being near the airport) & luckily our guess was correct!
Outward/Inward Flights to Miami
Inward to Miami BA 207 was brilliant with first class service, food & free drinks.The stewardesses were well dressed & polite.
Outward flight BA1529 shown on our printed schedule was another story.We were told we would instead be flying American Airlines (Boeing767) despite being shown as BA 1529 on our schedule by our tour operator. Our understanding was AA were used if BA seats were fully booked up. The service was appalling all the way from lack of assistance at Miami to acquire seating/boarding tickets via computer terminal(1/2 hour wait for attendance) plus initially unable to seat 2 together. Aircraft was so basic that there were no earphones in the seat pockets, only the odd overhead TV's with a charge of $2 to view a film. Told spirits would be charged at $7 but not that the wine was free. We complained quoting our BA flight out & prepared to pay cash but told abruptly credit cards accepted only & took our card. The Steward disappeared for some time only to come back with our credit card & announce the spirits would now not have to be paid !The Air Stewardesses in particular needed to go on a course on customer relations & look more closely at their attire. Stewards were ok. All in all we are amazed BA has any association with AA if AA are creating this sort of image & service!
WE WILL NEVER FLY WITH THEM AGAIN.
CLOSING COMMENTS:All in all not the best departures after a generally enjoyable cruise! Would we cruise with Celebrity again from Miami,...NO. However elsewhere – probably. We have not booked an open passage on board. as we have a busy 2014 in Europe.. Crew were very friendly and helpful and the ship was kept spotless,but we would re iterate the ship did not create that real feel of ambiance & value for money, unless presumably you are prepared to go the extra mile & put your hand in your pocket with quite a few more dollars for Concierge Class & Aqua Club. Sadly we are in a world recession & even the cruise lines are now feeling the pinch & of course subtly the paying passenger will suffer,not only with more pressure to spend more money on board, but inevitably with some cut backs!

Everything went brilliantly well with the transfers to and from a wonderfull hotel (Fairmont the Palm )and then it all started to go downhill when we arrived at the cruise terminal.We were picked up from the hotel at 12.00 and arrived at the terminal at 12.30 only to be told that check-in would not open until 15.00,only to be told that we could not have access to the cabin until 20.00 - what a waste of our time just hanging around !
The first of several horrors then started to appear :- I booked and paid good money for a balcony cabin and I am sure you can imagine my horror when I went out onto the balcony only to discover that it had a restricted view due to the lifeboats.I went to querry this with reception and they told me that there were 2 types of balcony available (normal and restricted view).Now nobody at Cruise Club had ever mentioned this to me and I was very disappointed to start the cruise under these conditions.

Another thing worth mentioning is the complete lack of forethought by whoever decided where to have the smoking areas on board ship.I had to walk down a smoke filled passageway just to get from the Atrium to the Tiziano restaurant every evening - surely in this day and age a better solution could be found to placate the smokers.

One other thing that cannot go unmentioned is the location of the gents toilet at the forward end of the Botticelli restaurant :- it is possible to see men using the urinals when seated at the 2 tables outside the single door,all other toilets onboard have 2 doors to eliminate this major health issue,not to mention the visual impact .

Overall the food and service was very good in the Tiziano restaurant,but the bar service in the Botticelli was somewhat lacking at times.

I don't think I would travel with Costa again and I would advise people to think twice before they chose Costa.

We spent 9 nights on the Spirit from Barcelona and back via Madeira, Tenerife, Lanzarote and Malaga the weather was not too bad really hot in The Canaries but very windy in Malaga. We had a midships inside cabin on deck 9 and had no problems with the movement of the ship in fact I had trouble sleeping when I came home the movement of the ship rocked me to sleep every night but I would recommend earplugs we were near some Dutch people who came back to their cabins rather late and they were very noisy. The cabin although not large had everything we needed and yes your cabin steward will get you an iron so don't bother taking one just don't need it on the first day otherwise you have a time slot. We found both Windows and the Garden Room Dining Rooms to be below standard but Raffles more than made up for that the food was brilliant the staff were quick and very helpful. We saw someone drop their food on the floor and within seconds there was a barrier in place so nobody was in danger of slipping up and within 5 minutes it appeared nothing had happened everything had been cleared up. We tried The Bistro (now that's a misnomer!) all I can say is brilliant we eat regularly in France so are used to French food but this was something else; my steak could have been cut with a spoon (and I like mine blue - that is dead but hardly cooked) and I have never had a better meal not cheap but well worth the money. The coach run by NCL is worth taking in to Funchal as it is a fair walk from the dock to the centre of town the market is well worth going to and you could get some interesting pictures. We didn't like Santa Cruz it was very built up and there wasn't much to see in actual fact the nearest I could think of was Benidorm on a bad day! Arricife is fairly small but there are some interesting buildings and some very nice shopping to be had if you look in some of the smaller buildings the market was not open when we were there but there are some clean toilets and a cafe you just have to walk through lots of people to get there (I'm not sure it might have been their Job Centre) and it was very pleasant under the trees. In Malaga there are coaches to the entrance to the port but we took the electric road train which was great it ran about every 20 minutes and we saw most of the port and for 4 Euros each return was really cheap. Malaga has plenty to see and yet again it is worth going to the market (better than anything I've found in England) unfortunately we ran out of time and didn't have time to visit the castle on the hill but we managed the cathedral and had time for tapas a first which we enjoyed. What did we think of the ship well we will be going again (to Greece and Turkey next time) and think that for the money it was good value there is always somewhere to eat (the panini in The Blue Lagoon are to be recommended) and most of the staff are very helpful in fact our Steward was so helpful we put him up for a Vacation Hero and he got the badge so they do reward on the passengers recommendations! We have been on the Sun to the Baltic and the main dining options were much better but otherwise we were impressed.

P&O Excursions do not cater well for disabled people. These are contact details for inexpensive, disabled- frendly mini-buses in the Caribbean:
ANTIGUA Jenson's Taxi Service 1(268) 723-2619 jensontaxi@gmail.com Chair hoist
GRENADA Elvis Andrews (473) 440-0653 Cell: (473) 407-1767 Adequate Wooden ramp
BARBADOS Chris Hunte (246) 231-2216 (246) 416-8566 Chair hoist

Azura is not a disabled-friendly ship:
On Deck 15 there are far too many sunbeds which make even walking through for the able-bodied difficult, even quite dangerous. Unfortunately to get from the lifts at one end of the deck to the other (where the two self-service restaurants are) we had no alternative but to try to clear a path through the sunbeds/tables/chairs.
Access on Decks 16 - 18 was definitely restricted for anyone in a wheelchair or on a mobility scooter.
Although there were some disabled toilets throughout the ship, the doors were difficulty to open and access was not always direct, ie with sharp twist and turns - not exactly disabled friendly.
For able-bodied people everything else was absolutely lovely but we definitely would not recommend this ship for the disabled.

My first cruise and it rated above average, but I have nothing with which to compare it. The cabin, food, entertainment and all the staff rated highly. On the down side.... smoking on board was a big surprise and disappointment. There were designated areas for smoking but these could not be avoided while walking from the stern to the bow on the entertainment decks.

iam satff undertsand bad wotwer very bad ABRINA SHE AT CHRESSS ANTOELLA satff seivce bar satff drinr
murch

We were cruising for the 1st time so nothing to compare against but we feel that it would be churlish to complain about anything much on this very well run cruise. The public areas were clean and the rest of the ship seemed very well maintained; both main restaurants were nicely appointed, and the food was very good - Raffles Buffet could be a bit of a scrum at times but we could hardly believe the choice of food available! We tried Cagney's Steakhouse one evening which was excellent. The only slight downside was that our cabin was looking a little 'tired'; having said that we were hardly ever in it as there was so much to do on the ship, and off the ship when in port. Checking in at Barcelona and disembarkation at the end of the cruise were very efficient. A big thank you to the crew of the Spirit and to the staff of Cruise Club who guided us through the booking procedure from begining to end. Already booked for our next cruise, this time to the Caribbean in 2014.

Just returned from the Journey - from Athens to Mumbai. As this was our 25th wedding anniversary we decided on a suite. All I can say is "wow!" We have cruised many times before and now I feel that I have been spoilt. The food was second to none. The room was perfect. Our butler, Pravin was the most gracious man I have ever met - always there to please. Whilst Azamara is not the cheapest, you certainly get what you pay for. We ate at Prime C and Aqualina and both were great. The Captain was always on show and readily available for a chat. He was also very informative with any news he had to share. We had a fantastic time whilst on board, and there was plenty to do if you wanted it. Personally, I wanted to chill by the pool - which I did with little noise. If you want things to do for the children, this isnt for you. We had a fantastic time and hats off to Azamara for getting it perfect!

Our first Costa Cruise and we were not let down at all. The Favilosa is spotlessly clean, the staff could not do enough for us and the food in the dinning room was excellant and hot. The ship is brighly decorated in Italian style and I thought better than NCL- Jade. The all-inclusive package is very well worth the money. The wine we were drinking in the dinning room would have been 27 euros and we had 2 bottles a night. It is a good buy for non-drinkers as all soft drinks, bottles of water and good coffee is avaialable on the package. A bottle of water is nearly 3 euros. We had the five night trip as a taster cruise. We were in our ports for only half a day each, you must remember to keep your watch on ships time and this can change again during a trip. Unfortunatly some people were left behind but the captain delayed the ship for about 45 minutes and kept blowing the horn as a signal. I had read about the Italians being pushy etc and was prepared. (other reviews were helpful) The lifts were ok as most of the time they were not too busy. They do push in when we are queing and they expect others to always move out of their way but hey ho we were in Italy and on an Italian ship so when in Rome....
Now for the smoking policy-for smokers it is great as they have provided indoor space in about 4 bars which generally had good air conditioning. Upstairs in the Lido bar, which has a covered roof for the winter was great as smoking was also allowed there on one side all the time, other areas were restricted whilst in port. It is strange to see people who do not smoke sit in these areas and wave their hands about complaining of the smoke. I don't smoke but sat with my partner in the smoking areas most of the time. It did not bother me being with a large group. We had good fun and met a good group of people, smokers and non-smokers which included other eurpoeans. This made our holiday.
Food-The food in the dinning room was really lovely, we were on the first sitting and it was always hot. Seven courses which you could double up on if you did not fancy one of them, my partner often chose to have 2 bowels of soup. I am a veggie who eats fish and I had some good choices. There is a menu of 'always available' at the front of the menu if you do not like the choice at any meal. There are nights where the waiters sing and dance which was fun and entertaining. The buffet restaurant got busy at certain times so it was worth working out the nest times for breakfast and lunch, we did not use the dinning room for these meals. For those who cannot seem to cope without an omlette bar there is now one in the buffet but only one. The omlettes are samll so ask for two or three, they will be happy to oblidge and this is where the toast machine sits, also where they fry eggs. Plenty of food always available in the buffett. The pizza was simple but good, I did not eat in the pizzaria. Entertainment- I only joined in one night for the Miss Costa Favilosa, I thought it was a belly dancing night, oh how wrong I was but never mind I thought and I won it and no not a free cruise but a Costa towel for my efforts.
Cabins-we had a disabled cabin which was large and spacious with a wet room, it was near the lifts which I could hear early in the mornings but the cabin made up for it. Our cabin steward was great she always looked after us, one set of friends we met had a different tale to tell with theirs and had to complain.
Bar service-fantastic there were no problems with getting drinks on the all-inclusive package.
Tips- the gratuities are reasonable at 7 euros a day which still leaves you feeling able to tip those who go the extra mile for you.
Trips-I only went to one which was to Pompeii which was very good despite our guide telling us to pay attention he was actually vey good. Other ports there were often port buses to the town. We used to Red open top bus in Malta which was a little scarry and not as good as other countires where I have highly recommended them.
Boarding the ship-this was very busy at Venice and I was prepared for the queues, some previous Costa users said that this was not always the case.
Airport Transfers-only one complaint in whole of trip. We flew back from Milan, the coach dropped us off at terminal one despite us all flying from terminal 2. The trip with luggage and pushy people was a nightmare, I wich I had taken a taxi between the two parts of the airport, it is several stops on the shuttle bus which was hard to find, packed and went too fast.
This was such a cheap cruise, the value we had must have been 150%. I will go again and I can highly recommend it. Go with an open mind, do some research so you are prepared. Remember you get what you pay for it is Italian and vey different from P&O. Thank you Costa and Cruise Club and to all my new freinds. Margaret

What a stunning ship. The Costa neo Romantica has been fitted out to a very high standard with luxurious furnishings throughout.
A smaller ship, so really friendly and you get to meet the same people throughout the cruise.
Food was fabulous and the lovely touches like the Chocolate bar, Pizzeria and Wine and Cheese bar were terrific for a change if you wanted it.
Entertainment was limited and there is no theatre, however this did not bother us as we don't really do shows.
Outside space is beautiful, with large daybeds and very contemporary outside furniture.
We stayed in an outside cabin which was beautifully appointed and had lots of storage and a modern spacious bathroom.
Staff were excellent, warm, friendly and cannot do enough for you.
We did 10 nights around Portugal, Spain, France, Holland and Germany finishing up in Savona,Italy.
This is a great ship for couples of all ages.

The newly refurbished cabins were quite large with excellent quality bedding and new, very comfortable beds. However, our cabin number 7051 was beneath the Spa which was undergoing major refurbishment so during the day there was almost constant drilling and banging as there was in our daughter's cabin next door. As she was unwell for several days it was very noisy trying to rest. As the ship was full we were unable to be moved. Also, as we were opposite a main service area there was a lot of noise and on several mornings we were woken up at 5.30 by this. The staff were all very polite and the service and meals in the dining room were very good (even though we did not always get what we ordered!).

Smoking was allowed in lots of areas, including bars and entertainment rooms, which drifted over to the non-smoking sections. This was very unpleasant, especially if one suffered with breathing problems. It was a shame that this policy was allowed, so for this reason I would not recommend this ship. I do not know if any other Costa ships have the same policy.

This ship is different to traditional British cruise ships in as much as it picks up passengers at most of the port stops meaning that the clientel was very cosmopolitan. Britons appeared to be in the minority and announcements were generally made in 5 or 6 languages. Communication with the crew was however not a problem. It appeared that 24 hour tea and coffee was not the norm, only at meal times and was frequently served with hot milk. There were many coffee bars where drinks could be purchased and I would recommend the daily drinks package, although this encouraged one to drink rather more than usual! The dress code at meal times was very casual even on the formal nights.

There is no theatre on this ship but mainly musical entertainment is provided in cabaret bars and other communal areas.

In spite of the criticisms we found the cruise good fun and we did enjoy it.

This review relates to the newly refurbished and new concept offered by Costa on their NEO Romantica.The decor is quite restrained compared to their other ships, but very good. They have done away with a theatre and replacee it with retail space, only places to see entertainment is in lounges where some of the seats dont face the "stage" or you are very likely to find curved sofa type seats which can accommodate as many as six people ambushed by only two persons very well spread out and ,as is the absolute nightmare on this ship smoking !!!
Smoking seems to be permitted everywhere and hoards of unruly children ,running on"stage" during performances ,throwing food around in the restaurant( 2nd sitting ) The Maitre ,d seemed unable to interveen
so as not to offend "The Italian Lifestyle "
Coffee is available in your cabin,in egg cup size cups at a charge of 2 euros as is bottled water,shampoo etc has to be specifically requested, but is free
As with all cruises the photographers are there to record your every move ,prints are 20 euros each
The breakfast buffets are good, the grill restaurant is not bad but very limited choice,the evening meals are good,the witer service excellent, they work so hard and always courteous , their suprise night is worth the wait and they assure me they do not receive the 6 euros a day you pay for housekeeping etc. just 130 euros a week.
As in all things in life you gets what you pays for, just that with Costa you gets a lot of secondhand cigarette smoke for free

The whole experience with Cruise Club from booking, pre departure support, flights, transfers and cruise experience was brilliant!
Our first time with Holland America and they compare very well with Cunard and the pre and post cruise services offered by Cruise Club are significantly better than offered by others.
We did Barcelona to Venice and the food, service and entertainment were excellent throughout. Their attention to detail was excellent, for example, cold towels distributed to guests as they returned to the ship.

Having just come back from this ship, I wanted to share my thoughts.
This was the most relaxing week I have ever spend on a cruise, and I have done a lot!!
As the ship only holds 700 passengers, there is never any trouble getting a table in any of the restaurants or even a sun bed (you don;t need to get up at stupid o'clock and put your towel out!)
The food was the best I have had on any ship, and I highly recommend Aqualina.
The staff are superb, and again nothing is too much trouble.
Anyone thinking of booking a cruise with Azamara - Don't hesitate and book, you will love it as I did.

My friend and I did a shore cruise in May, just after the launch of this ship.
We had an amazing time, the staff were wonderful, and nothing was too much trouble for them!
Our cabin was a balcony on deck 8, and we have no complaints what's so ever.
The balcony was larger than I was expecting, which was a bonus.
The food was always plentiful in the buffet and of really good quality, again we had no complaints.
In the main dining room, our waiter Eric was fabulous, he really went above an beyond to make us feel comfortable, and welcome every night.
Fascinosa is a wonderful ship, they everyone will love.

Having not really cruised before aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines, I was very curious and of course anxious to see what they had to offer.

We arrived to pick up the ship in Malaga, picked up a local cab at the airport and 15-20 minutes later we arrived at the ship (cost was €27 for anyone without transfers!).
Boarding at Malaga was very easy, had to wait about an hour in the holding area but that was due to our early arrival. We were on the ship by midday.

The ship itself is typically NCL, bright, colourful and lively with a sort of oriental/pacific feel. The bright theme for the décor carries over with the staff and crew, they couldn’t do enough for you and always had a smile on their face.

Had an extensive look around the ship and the main standout feature is the tremendous selection of different dining venues on the ship, you can have anything from Italian to Japanese to American! The choice is pretty much unrivalled on any other cruise line. The Teppenyaki Grill is a particular highlight but make sure you book well in advance!
Also being an English breakfast fan, I noticed that they offer a great thick pork sausage & back bacon at the buffet, aswell as the usual chipotle and streaky rubbish you come to expect on the American ships. But if you prefer a lighter breakfast, they have loads of fruit and pastry selections as well as pancakes & waffles for the sweeter toothed diner.

Facilites and entertainment in the day were very good, always an activity in the lounge, and outdoor music and pool games around the family pool which is entertaining to watch. The evening entertainment was also a very high standard, we managed to catch the crew show which was hilarious, and also a themed production which was brilliantly engaging and thoroughly enjoyable throughout.
Late on the Spinnaker Lounge has a DJ playing until the early hours if you’re like me and like a drink and a dance after the shows.

Prices on board are what you would expect on a US ship, price for a pint of Stella was about $5 or so plus the 15% service charge, and a cocktail about $7 again plus service grat. But for this you get decent branded alcohol, Grey Goose vodka, Bombay Sapphire etc etc rather than your run of the mill local stuff. Bottle of wine was up at about $24 for the lowest price white wine and about $27 for red.
Excursions are a little expensive I feel with most cruise lines, and NCL is no exception, if you are confident abroad, do your own thing. That said the choice of excursions was ample and the tours seemed well guided and well organized.

We left the ship in Barcelona and had an extra night on the Ramblas - which is a must, take the open top bus tour, its €24 euros and you get access to the whole city, and some excellent photo opportunities.

To sum up, we had a great time & would absolutely recommend this ship to anyone if you prefer a relaxed, freestyle dining experience with a fun and vibrant atmosphere, and considering the price you can get on this ship most of the year its amazing value for money as well.
Well done NCL Jade!

Having not really cruised before aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines, I was very curious and of course anxious to see what they had to offer.

We arrived to pick up the ship in Malaga, picked up a local cab at the airport and 15-20 minutes later we arrived at the ship (cost was €27 for anyone without transfers!).
Boarding at Malaga was very easy, had to wait about an hour in the holding area but that was due to our early arrival. We were on the ship by midday.

The ship itself is typically NCL, bright, colourful and lively with a sort of oriental/pacific feel. The bright theme for the décor carries over with the staff and crew, they couldn’t do enough for you and always had a smile on their face.

Had an extensive look around the ship and the main standout feature is the tremendous selection of different dining venues on the ship, you can have anything from Italian to Japanese to American! The choice is pretty much unrivalled on any other cruise line. The Teppenyaki Grill is a particular highlight but make sure you book well in advance!
Also being an English breakfast fan, I noticed that they offer a great thick pork sausage & back bacon at the buffet, aswell as the usual chipotle and streaky rubbish you come to expect on the American ships. But if you prefer a lighter breakfast, they have loads of fruit and pastry selections as well as pancakes & waffles for the sweeter toothed diner.

Facilites and entertainment in the day were very good, always an activity in the lounge, and outdoor music and pool games around the family pool which is entertaining to watch. The evening entertainment was also a very high standard, we managed to catch the crew show which was hilarious, and also a themed production which was brilliantly engaging and thoroughly enjoyable throughout.
Late on the Spinnaker Lounge has a DJ playing until the early hours if you’re like me and like a drink and a dance after the shows.

Prices on board are what you would expect on a US ship, price for a pint of Stella was about $5 or so plus the 15% service charge, and a cocktail about $7 again plus service grat. But for this you get decent branded alcohol, Grey Goose vodka, Bombay Sapphire etc etc rather than your run of the mill local stuff. Bottle of wine was up at about $24 for the lowest price white wine and about $27 for red.
Excursions are a little expensive I feel with most cruise lines, and NCL is no exception, if you are confident abroad, do your own thing. That said the choice of excursions was ample and the tours seemed well guided and well organized.

We left the ship in Barcelona and had an extra night on the Ramblas - which is a must, take the open top bus tour, its €24 euros and you get access to the whole city, and some excellent photo opportunities.

To sum up, we had a great time & would absolutely recommend this ship to anyone if you prefer a relaxed, freestyle dining experience with a fun and vibrant atmosphere, and considering the price you can get on this ship most of the year its amazing value for money as well.
Well done NCL Jade!

a great week onboard Ventura travelling to Spain & France. Weather superb so cruise took on a type of summer holiday.
despite being a large ship there was plenty of room in all parts of the ship. Balcony cabins on C deck are great with a slightly larger balcony part under cover for shelter if needed.
A pleasant surprise not to have to pay 15% service on drinks which were reasonably priced, Metropolis on Level 18 was a great pre-dinner meeting place.
Food was slightly boring & the White Room was rather a disappointing experience & not worth the extra cover charge.
Entertainment from the Headliners was first rate & costumes were best we have seen on a cruise ship well done.

First time on this ship and we had a wonderful time. Did a short 4 day cruise to Cork to try the ship out as we had been told by a friend that it was a lovely ship. We enjoyed our short cruise and the staff on board were very friendly and could not do enough for you. We have booked another two cruises (back to back) 8 days to the Norwegian Fjords and then on to the Med. We will be going on these shortly. Would highly recommend this ship.

This was our first experience of cruising with NCL, we have been with many other companies previously, but had never done the relaxed style of dining with no formals. We had a large balcony cabin with masses of room and far bigger than that with P & O our last cruise.
Ship was extremely clean and the staff were friendly and very helpful.
We ate most nights in the Grand Pacific restaurant at the rear of the ship, opens at 5.30pm and the only time we had to queue was between 7.30pm and 8pm, so we just avoided those times. A pager system is in use if you have to queue and is very efficient. Standard of the food was excellent and more than sufficient variety.
We had a wine package on the ship which was good value and worked out around £18 per bottle which was best by far of any of the other lines and a good variety. Bar prices were acceptable although you could not bring drinks on board.
Entertainment was in a large theatre with great shows and plenty of access. Obviously if you want the best seats get in about 20 minutes before showtime and you will be more than happy. Plenty of variety and quality was high. Bands in the bars were very good.
On the ship we purchased a voucher which cost 250 dollars but can be used against any NCL cruise up to 4 years hence. As an incentive we were given 125 dollars on board credit to use in the casino - we managed to double this by lucky wins - and have already used the voucher against our next cruise with no hassle at all.
Embarkation and disembarkation process was hassle free and almost a pleasure, we had CCUK transfers which were brilliant and we had no delay in or out.
We overall had a brilliant experience so much so that we have booked to go to Bermuda next year with NCL.
Hope you find this of value and happy cruising.

We are regular cruisers and Diamond status on Royal Caribbean. We have taken a couple of Westbound Transatlantic cruises before, due to liking to holiday in Florida in November. We were attracted by the itinerary of this sailing, a flight to Barcelona then 3 ports in mainland Spain and 2 in the Canaries before the 7 day crossing to Fort Lauderdale.
We had not sailed on the Freedom class before but know the Voyager class well. We found the extra size of the Liberty to be a disadvantage. While there are many more cabins and therefore passengers, the Main Dining room, Windjammer buffet and Theatre seem to be no bigger. Hence queues for breakfast and lunch in all venues plus a need to reserve places at the big shows. The Cruise Director, accustomed to 7 night trips, seemed ill prepared for a 14 night cruise and the daytime and evening activities were limited.
Disembarkation was a nightmare as there is a lot of clearance needed when the ship has been out of the US for 6 months. When we finally got landside the Customs and Immigration queue was still endless.
We are looking at a Westbound Transatlantic cruise again for 2013. The Independance is sailing out of Southampton, very tempting, but I think we may just go for a slightly smaller ship, Celebrity Eclipse.

We have just returned from our Caribbean cruise on the Azura, we were very impressed with the ship and also the staff on board everyone was really friendly and helpful. The whole entertainment team were very hard working and the shows by The Headliners were very professional. The cruise director Neil Oliver worked exceptionally hard and the sailaways especially the Great British Sailaway were great fun. We really enjoyed the line dancing on the days at sea and Lisa arranged for 2 intermediate classes which were very good. We ate in Sindhu restaurant and The Glass House restaurant a couple of lunch times and the food in both was really lovely. We were on freedom dining and we ate in The Meridian restaurant in the evenings we found that freedom dining suited us as we did not want to eat the same time every night. We didn’t find it a problem getting a sun bed even on the days at sea there were enough for everyone. We would definitely go on another P & O cruise again.

We have just returned from our Caribbean cruise on the Azura, we were very impressed with the ship and also the staff on board everyone was really friendly and helpful. The whole entertainment team were very hard working and the shows by The Headliners were very professional. The cruise director Neil Oliver worked exceptionally hard and the sailaways especially the Great British Sailaway were great fun. We really enjoyed the line dancing on the days at sea and Lisa arranged for 2 intermediate classes which were very good. We ate in Sindhu restaurant and The Glass House restaurant a couple of lunch times and the food in both was really lovely. We were on freedom dining and we ate in The Meridian restaurant in the evenings we found that freedom dining suited us as we did not want to eat the same time every night. We didn’t find it a problem getting a sun bed even on the days at sea there were enough for everyone. We would definitely go on another P & O cruise again.

Having cruised for all of our holidays over the past 10 years, we were most impressed with Costa Favolosa, both the ships breathtaking decor and the excellent service provided. The ship is brand new and was packed full of facilities for both me and my husband and also our children. My son couldn't get enough of the 4d cinema!

The food was excellent, both at the buffet and also the main dining areas in the evening. We also dined at the A La Carte restaurant a couple of times and it's hard to put into words how exceptional the food, choice and atmosphere was.

We booked an outside cabin and found it not only spacious but also well equipt, our friendly cabin steward couldn't do enough.

Dubai was just amazing and lived up to our expectations, the weather was exceptional for a winter cruise and only 7 hours flying from home. We did spend a lot of time soaking up the sun around the pool areas (and never had a problem getting sun beds).

We already have our next cruise booked with Cruise Club UK onboard Costa Concordia (which we have cruised on before) and can recommend this ship too.

It's worth taking the all inclusive package for drinks, we found this a real money saver.

Thanks Cruise Club and Costa x

Christmas Markets Cruise – Balmoral 10th to 17th November 2011

My wife and I have travelled with most of the major cruise lines with the exception of Fred Olsen so when we noticed they were advertising a Christmas Markets Cruise to Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Amsterdam and Antwerp we thought that was an ideal opportunity to assess some of the very positive comments that we had heard from some of their previous passengers.

I booked direct with Fred Olsen because I had received poor service from some of the cruise agents and I was certainly impressed with the standard of paperwork that I received from them prior to the cruise. We were given a 14.00 time to join the ship at Southampton but when we arrived we were met with long queues and it took us just over 1 hour to get onboard but our first impression of the ship was that it was clean, the public areas were nicely decorated and presented and the staff appeared helpful, smart and efficient.

Our cabin 6101 was well located and the information in the cabin was also to a high standard but my first impression that something was not quite right was when I went through the paperwork and found one piece headed Christmas Markets Cruise and another Christmas Shopping but I though that perhaps they were combining some specialist groups. When we went to the first Port Shopping talk the presenter informed us that the Christmas Markets usually ran for a month before Christmas and knowing that it was more than a month to go I started to wonder if they would be open but thought that they wouldn’t have made such a mistake.
When we arrived in Hamburg we found that they had indeed made such a mistake and the markets were not open as was the case in Bremerhaven our second port of call. It was clear from some of the other passengers that they were as upset as us that the markets were not open but all we were told by the staff “was that it was out of their control”. What was also strange was that some passengers that had booked the cruise at short notice had not been informed that it was a Christmas Markets Cruise but a Christmas Shopping Trip and so they were not disappointed.

Another major disappointment came when we were due to leave Bremerhaven and the ship suffered a “technical fault” and was delayed leaving for 5 hours which meant that we had to miss out Amsterdam and go straight to Antwerp which many passengers thought was very convenient. One passenger that I spoke to who had been in the Royal Navy asked for an explanation and felt that he was insulted by the explanation that the first officer gave him and asked to see a more senior officer but still felt that the ship should have been carrying sufficient spare parts.

Whilst the ship was quite nice we tried the Ballindalloch Restaurant the first night and were not impressed with the quality of the food and drinks service and so we decided to eat in the Palms Café which we found suited our needs. The price of drinks were quite reasonable and the entertainment was good.

Unfortunately, this experience has not given us a very good impression of Fred Olsen which is a pity because so many people appear to like what is offered and have high praise for the ships and their staff. I have written to their Managing Director and look forward to receiving an explanation of how this sad state of affairs happened.

This ship which is 9 months old is the sister ship to Oasis of the Seas but beats it to the title of the largest cruise ship in the world by a few centimetres. The ship can carry over 6,000 passengers and has over 2,000 staff. With numbers like this I was a little concerned that it would be just to big and there would be queues for everything. I need not have feared! the ship was almost full, yet boarding on the first day from Fort Lauderdale took less than 15 minutes. Cruise Club UK had arranged a special deal with Royal Carribean for this cruise and the benefits were 'All drinks included' and 'All tips and gratuties included'. Obviously this added a small premium to the overall cruise price but as an experienced cruiser I worked it out that I made a serious saving. Bravo... Cruise Club. There was some confusion with some bar staff on what 'All Drinks' included but this was easily clarified and included all ****tails, all beers regular and premium, all spirits, all soft drinks and glasses of house wine. You had to remember to point out the 'per diem' sticker on your boarding card when ordering drinks or they did try and charge you in error. The only anomaly was you could have as many $10 ****tails as you wanted but had to pay for a $3.50 bottle of water.
We had an indoor cabin on deck 10 with a balcony overlooking the central park. The cabins are well soundproofed with little noise intruding from outside. Quite novel to sit on the balcony and listen to the birdsong in central park, albeit recorded. The Ipod sound system in the cabin was a great feature and you could charge 2 ipods at the same time.
This is a party ship for young and old with so many things to do that there really is no need to get off of the ship at any of the ports. Nassau the first port of call is worth giving a miss. I have been there several times over the last 15 yrs and its still a dump. The ring of touts waiting to pounce on you at portside is nearly as bad as Casablanca. St Thomas is a little better in that it looks slightly cleaner and has jeweller shop after jeweller shop. St Maarten is my favourite, clean, interesting and I think better prices on cameras, jewellery, handbags and tobacco. 5 packets of Golden Virginia (250g) worked out at £12 and 200 english fags about the same.
The food and entertainment on Allure was simply fabulous. We saw Chicago and The Blue Planet in the Amber theatre which seats about 1200 people over three floors. We saw the Aqua show in the outdoor Aqua theatre at the rear of the ship. I would recommend that you reserve these shows online before you cruise, some shows like the Comedy Theatre were fully booked. You could still get in but you had to go 30 minutes before and get entrance on a standby system. I enjoyed the Jazz club and the Schooner Bar particularly. The Solarium is something else, especialy as its adults only. Great peace and quiet and at night a bar and entertainment centre for adults. The Royal Parade was probably one of my favourite areas as it had a British style pub with the biggest range of beers I have seen and a Starbucks and Cupcake shop.
We had mytime dining which meant we could reserve anytime or just turn up and they would accommodate use. The casual passengers who were happy in shorts and t-shirts all the time went to the Windjammer Cafe but those that wanted to make the effort in the eveening went to the Amber dining room which was on three decks at the back of the ship. We opted to sit with different passengers at a large table and each night we met some great Americans and of course other Brits. The seating reception made sure that you sat with other English speaking nations or you could end up with a table of Columbians and no spanish! As usual with RCCL, nothing was too much at the table. If you wanted 2 starters, 2 main courses and 2 desserts you could. I reckon the dining room service was the best I have ever received on a RCCL cruise and my last one on Splendour of the Seas was hard to beat.
One of the best techno things on this ship were the interactive screens all over the ship which told you where you were, what was on and where and how to get to it. I was with my daughter who had just turned 21 and therefore had an adult card for purchasing/consumption of alcohol. From past experience with my son on RCCL, I expected her to be constantly asked for her passport as proof of age in spite of her card. RCCL have sorted this out as the passenger's photo comes up on the till when the boarding card is swiped so they know what the passenger is and their age. In 7 days we did not get to see everything on Allure. We missed the Ice Show and never managed to get on the flowrider or zip ride.
I wish I had stayed on Allure and done the Western Caribbean for another 7 days.
I was on Allure as a 'old' dad with a 'young' daughter and we both had a brilliant time. Please, please Cruise Club UK give us some more RCCL all drinks and gratuties paid deals.

I have not bothered with writing reviews on holidays or cruises before, but having just returned from a 12 night cruise on the Silouette, booked through cruise club (Chris Davison)I am writing to say that the whole booking process and arranged flights and transfers were excellent.
Now as for the cruise itself, the ship exceeds expectations in terms of quailty of furnishings, fittings etc, the bars and public areas and pools fantastic,the service matches the ship and is first class. Live music inside and around in the common areas on the ship is provided by resident band Sipra and another solo male artist who is excellent, it seems that there is nearly non stop backround music constantly, albeit there are many areas of peace and quiet for those that like it.
Food in all restuarants was top class, but we didn't use the speciality restaurants, the service from our waiter Lesme and his assistant John was the best we have ever had, informative, humerous and attention to detail.
If we have one slight critiscism, its a personal thing, we do not use the restaurants and Lawn Club cabana facilities which you pay a hefty fee to use if you wish, and these areas are therefore not of much use to the vast majority of guests on board, the last little complaint is that the sky lounge is not used to its full potential and is not attracting guests up to use what is a lovely bar and dance floor.

Get onboard this fantastic ship

The ship was brilliant and the crew excellent. The dining facilities could not be faulted. However, on arrival at Rome (FCO), the transport arrangements were a complete and utter shambles. All of those of us that booked the cruise through yourselves had to walk a very long way behind a Rep!! that had no idea of where the transport was or the destination we were supposed to go. This I believe is CUBE. It is a totally shambolic company. I have worked for B.A. as crew for 20 years and have been training public service personel for an equal period of time and I would have sacked everyone of the CUBE personnel on the spot.
We eventually arrived at the port to be told that we would have to get of the coach and drag our bags nearly a 1/2 mile to the ship !! This was after arriving almost at the ship side 20 minutes before. The driver had no idea of what ship he was supposed to deliver us to and we even had 2 people that were not even your customers on board the coach. They were with Holland America.
To say there was almost a mutiny on the coach is an understatement !!!
Needles to say, it was a terrible start to a very expensive holiday...........never to be done again. In future I would book directly with the cruise line because on arrival at Rome, all the Celebrity staff more or less ignored us and directed us to anywhere outside the Terminal. I am sure you will receive similar comments from our fellow passengers. It is a problem that you should very quickly address.

My husband and I chose the 7 day cruise from Southampton to Norway on P & O's Ventura. We had cruised four times before, always with NCL ships.
Driving to Southampton from South Wales was an improvement on going to Heathrow although being a Saturday in August the traffic was bad. Southampton wasn't easy to negotiate due to heavy traffic and poor signposting. However once at the port it was a breeze with the car being parked on the quayside. We were signed in and on the ship in less than an hour. Our cabin P211 on the 5th deck was excellent. Very spacious with a beautiful picture window. Our steward was top quality. I explained to him at the beginning that my husband would need to rest in the cabin for long periods as he is living with cancer. The steward made up the cabin as soon as we left it each morning and the same at night time. He deserved a good tip at the end of the voyage, and he got one. The theatre had an excellent show on each night although you did need to go to the theatre a good 30 minutes before the start to make sure of a seat.
That’s the good now for the bad.
We had requested freedom dining on a table for two. Due to my husband’s illness he needs to be able to eat when he feels up to it and also not spend energy trying to make conversation with strangers. As I am his main carer I do not wish to spend all of my time queuing for food in a buffet (it’s my holiday as well) Unfortunately we were allocated Club Dining at 8.30pm on a table of 10. Our nightmare!!! After queuing for an hour I was able to persuade the Restaurant Manager to change us to a table for two at 6.30pm from the third evening. Everybody else in the queue appeared to have the same problem. Everybody wanted freedom dining!!!
The food served on this cruise was atrocious, a Caesar Salad with no dressing or parmesan cheese, roast beef and roast lamb so tough I couldn’t cut it, porridge made from instant (ReadyBrek) oats, custard made from water based mixes, artificial cream and the very cheapest of orange juice to name just a few of the complaints. At no time were we offered an alternative spread to butter or offered wholemeal toast at breakfast. There was no sign of sweetners instead of sugar and no de caffeinated coffee. It would appear that the cheapest food was used at all times.
I’ve always resented the accusation that Britain produced poor food and that the British don’t appreciate good food but I’m afraid P & O’s Ventura proved me wrong. What I can’t understand is why don’t more people complain? Good food can be served on a large cruise ship – I’ve eaten it on NCL ships.

We sailed on the Dream in January 2011.

Despite all the adverse news regarding the Dream, we had a fantastic time & found NO fault with either ship,staff or service. That said we did see a water stain or 2 on carpets, but nothing to worry about.

We hope that entertainment staff enjoyed the wedding in July, & wish the happy couple well.

We're looking forward to our next cruise on the Dream, which is on the 2nd December 2011.

That how much we enjoy it!!!

We visited Oceania Marina in Belfast, as an experienced cruiser I can recommend this ship to those who prefer Cunard, Holland America & people who recognise the finer things in life, without the rock climbing walls, glitzy nightclubs and all the gimicky things put forward these days. The things that stood out for me after a magnificient 7 course lunch including melt in the mouth sea bass, crushed potaoes with caviar & to die for chocolate mouse ( im not a chocolate lover BUT oh my )! The staff we very professional and friendly and always on hand wanting to server you, inobtrusively of course. The ship had many elabourate features including tasteful crystal chandeliers & beautifully designed decor. To sumerise, if you see an offer with Ocenia you like to look of, dont hesitate, i doubt you will ever look back!

I have just returned from a 7 night cruise taking in Corsica, Sardinia & Sicily and have never enjoyed a cruise / holiday so much.
The main difference to other cruise lines is the length of time the ship stays in port. There is just no rush ! You can relax on deck in the morning, take lunch and still have enough time to explore the destination, as the ship rarely left port before 9 pm, and that was if it wasn't docked overnight!
It is the first time I haven't felt rushed to jump out of bed, grab breakfast and head off, to make sure I am back before the ship leaves.
It is just so relaxing to stroll in the destinations in the evening, have dinner and just relax.
They have recently renamed themselves as Azamara 'Club' Cruises, and this is for good reason. You are made to feel a part of this club / family. The staff are fantastic, you can see they love their jobs and all this just makes your holiday more enjoyable.
The Cruise Director Eric, even got up the morning we disembarked to say goodbye to everyone. These guys are committed !
Value for money is huge ! All soft drinks, water, tea, coffee, lovely wines with lunch and dinner are all included. There are also happy hours at the pool bar.
Tips are all included too, and a big bonus is the transfers they offer from the ship to the destination. It just made for a seamless holiday.
And I don't think I have ever spent so little on a cruise.
Can't rave about it enough.
Food was gorgeous, staff were brilliant, had an utterly relaxing week.
Already thinking where to go next.
My only small niggle is that the pool bar closed in the evening. But I put that on the guest questionnaire - so you never know.....

After having sailed with Cunard previously on the QM2 back in 2006 for our honeymoon,we decided to celebrate or 5th wedding anniversary with them on the new QE!What a HUGE LET DOWN!E.G Dusty stateroom.Poor unexperienced UN SOCIABLE service in the Britannia.Most cant understand english!The food there was A HUGE LET DOWN,tasteless and tepid and boring ingredients,not as luxurious as it was on QM2 5 years ago?!Freezing cold changing rooms,that are used both for the Royal Spa and the ships Gym! That have NO HAIRDRYERS!?.Rude spa receptionist.
Spa has NO JAQUZZIS?Just a COLD HYDRO POOL.The ships services are just as good,so dont bother with the Spa if you dont want to feel"ripped off"!In the changing room theres a FREE SAUNA and the ships Hot tubs on Deck and the Pool are lovely and warm.Our Anniversary gift package turned up 2 days late,and nobody knew why!?No canapies on Gala Night.Badly organised teas in the Queens room.BORING THEATRE SHOWS.Wont go on a cunard cruise again!

This was the first cruise which we took without our friends. We booked a sea view cabin which we were a bit worried about because previously on Serena And Deliziosa we had balconies, we had no need to worry because we stopped at ports every day bar one we would not have had time to take advantage.
The Allegra was a super cruiser small and comfortable, we met passengers continuosly who we had seen previously.
The food on board was excellent as was the cabin service.
We extended our stay in Venice by one day Cruise club organised our hotel and transfers. This was ideal we had courier support from the boat to the hotel, and later hotel to Airport.
A great holiday thanks to Cruise Club

I have just been on this ship for a weeks cruise around the U.A.E.
As you would expect from a new ship everything was clean and well maintained and comfortable, even if the dining room was a bit OTT in terms of the decor.
Facilities on the ship are good and easy to book and use via the onboard totem points. 4D cinema is well worth a try. Plenty of space around the pools and loads of sun loungers available.
Drinks prices are very expensive but if you opt for the J2 all inclusive package everything is available on this including premium brands, only exceptions were bottles of wine and champagne!
Now for a few minor bad points:-
The inside cabin walls vibrated occaisionally due to engines (INSIDE CABIN DECK 7)
The dining arrangements for second sitting were cramped and the food was pretty basic and boring, we did however get moved to a bigger table after complaining.
Service in the dinning room and dress code on formal nights was average, it seemed more like 'fun dining'and service in the bars apart from a couple of staff wasn't much above average.
Good points were the entertainment in the theatre, the shows were excellent although in the bars it was very much the same thing every night.
The cabin staff we had for the week was excellent and couldn't have been more cheerful and helpful.
The food in the buffet section was generally very good with plenty of variety.
To conclude, as with other ships and cruise lines there were pro's and con's for Costa Deliziosa, but overall as we had gone with friends we didn't let the down points affect our holiday and we had a great time and i would rate the ship overall as 'above average'.

This ship was due for a service but NCL kept it in service. A day out i the Carribaean and the propulsin system broke.They told us we were not going to the destination set.They took us to SAMRA in the Dominican, dead dogs and waste in the streets, unable to swim in the water due to human wast.
The last visit was to NCL's own Island which at the time was building site, so didnt ang aroundther eithe.
There was very vocal demonstrations on the ship througout the cruise. NCL offered 405 discount on next cruise which is ok if you live in the States and only paid a few hundred dollars for the same trip we paid thousands for
Would take years to save up again so they have offered nothing
Evidently this is a regular occurence with NCL ships, dop yourself a favour if you want the holiday you booked, go with another cruise line, can reccomend ROYAL Carribean, if they have problems they sort and dont discriminate against UK Passengers

SORRY FORGOT TO ADD MY RATING THIS SHIP CAN ONLY BE EXCELLENT

Having a choice of Concierge and Aqua for very similar price elected to take Aqua.
This gives free access to the spa and the cabins are all couples only (no children)
However best of all was Aqua Dining which was 'fine dining' every night at no additional cost (we never felt the need to book any other restaurant)
You can eat any time from 6.30 - 9.30 with no set time. although the earlier you get there the better chance of a window seat. The one catch - athough you can go into the restaurant at anytime you have to select a time early or late on booking. Do not put 'Anytime dining' on your booking as for some reason this gets you sent back to the Main Dining Room!!!!!!
This dining experience is worth every penny - one of our party was feeling unwell and the Maitre De wanted to send food to the cabin - it is a very personal service and makes you feel very special.
The ship is excellent as with all Celebrity ships but read any review from someone who has tried Aqua Class and see the response

best of luck on Eclipse I know you will enjoy it

My wife and I cruised on this stately old boat from Crete to Perth in Australia.
What a wonderful trip and how friendly.The food was excellent and the entertainment
quite amazing.We would love to repeat the experience.

We have just returned from an 18 day cruise from Italy to Dubai. We were very satisfied with the service we received.
The decor of the ship in some of the public rooms and especially the main dining room, is rather garish and "in your face". In fact we found that the main dining room felt very frenetic and it was impossible to really relax and enjoy the meals because of the decor. Also the loud engine noise, added to the general noise made it difficult to have a conversation and added to the frenetic feel. There seems to be an obsession with the colour pink! except for buffet restaurent, which is blue with a nautical theme and much more relaxed.

We weren't thrilled with the food, which somehow didn't quite "hit the mark" but there was plenty of choice and certainly no lack of quantity. Food of some description seemed to be available almost all day long and the cabin service for breakfast was excellent.

We also booked the J2 all inclusive drinks package and it was well worth it! It even coveredv the water for excursions. We mostly used the Atrium and the Grand Mirablis Bars which were excellent with extremely helpful and friendly staff, who quickly got to know you and what were your favourite drinks.

The restaurent staff were also really helpful and friendly and as Miss Osborne says, very entertaining.

The ship is spotlessly clean and beautifully maintained. We thought that the entertainment was very good overall and reasonably varied, given how long the cruise. The singers were very good especially Arthur Peterson.
There was musicla entertainment ranging from piano to classical in the different bars in the evenings.

There was a varied programme of activities including dancing lessons and arobics for those who wanted to participate but there was no pressure to join in if you didn't want to do so. The main swimming pool is excellent along with the hot tubs and the sliding roof is a brilliant invention. Our first few days at sea were really quite cold but you could still use the pool as the roof was kept closed.

Couldn't fault the cabin and the cabin staff. Always spotlessly clean and very quickly made up. However on a day when I wasn't well and stayed most of it in the cabin, this didn't present a proble and as soon as we did leave, the cabin lady made the bed etc.

The excursions were good value for money and the 4X4 safari in Fujairah was brilliant and the most fun we've had in years!

Overall a very good holiday experience.

This was the best Cruise I've ever had. I celebrated my Birthday on the Azamara, Quest and I couldn't have had a better time anywhere. I met lovely people on the ship and I never felt lonely even though I was traveling on my own. I've never felt lonely on any of the other cruises that I've taken either. However, Azamara was my sixth and it was special. There were so many special extras that I received. The biggest was the $1000. on board credit. Now, that was something else trying to spend all that money on the ship. It was great fun. I was even treating people to drinks and dinners in the Speciality restaurants. Now, what other Cruise have I been on has been so generous? I even had a go dancing in the Disco. The room attendants were nice, Ms Fleet, Guest Relations Manager invited me to a special Dinner at the Captains table, Waiters and Bar Staff sang Happy Birthday to me and gave me a cake, as well as the Restaurant staff and Captain Carl Smith and the Hotel Director sent a bottle of Wine to my cabin. Most of the staff on the Azamara were just great to me and I did appreciate it. The only thing is now I am afraid to book any other cruise, because I don't think any other cruise will be as wonderful and as memorable as that one. Sailed 20 November 2010. Thank you Cruise Club UK and Chris Davidson.

If you want to chill out - be pampered and enjoy first class service and food - all in understated luxury - then this is the Cruiseline for you! Being a great fan of Celebrity Cruises I didn't think that I would find anything to surpass my previous experiences - but this Cruise did - I liked the total lack of having to queue - the on demand dinning worked a treat and the specialised dinning was first class - although I would advise early booking. The Entertainment was good but if you want the big show variety and a holiday camp type atmosphere around the pool - then it's not for you. One word of caution it is a small ship - so if you are not a good sailor - then pick your season to sail and go for a middle of ship cabin.

We travelled on this expedition ship in Papua New Guinea in March 2010 and had a wonderful time. It is a small ship owned and operated by Coral Princess Cruises in Australia. It carries 72 passengers and is very new. The ship has a wonderful excursion tender called the 'Explorer' which is the best and most comfortable I have seen. Staterooms were very big and the crew were fantastic. We want to go back and do the cruise in the Kimberley area of Western Australia which looks fantastic.

Just returned from an excellent week onboard the Costa Fortuna, we travelled from Italy, the Greek Islands and then finally an afternoon in Dubrovnik before returning back to Italy.

A big looking ship to look at from the outside but onboard everything is smaller and easy to find.

I had a balcony onboard and would recommend this for everyone, especially in the early evenings you can go out and sit in the sunshine, the space inside the cabin was very ample.

All staff onboard were very professional at all times and always there to help. Our waiter in the Michaelangelo restaurant was the best, he knew exactly what we wanted and would make suggestions regarding what to eat from the menu.

I would recommend this ship for all ages as there was a very diverse range of ages onboard, from children to the more elderly. The places we visited we very good, especially Mykonos, with this destination we got off in the evening and had a walk around the harbour before we stopped at a local taverna for food and drinks.

On the whole I really enjoyed this cruise and would definitely be returning back to Costa for my next cruise.

Visited the in place to be .... Dubai.
Great itinerary, great weather !
The Luminosa is a lovely ship, very comfortable, with great public areas.
If you want to be entertained in the day, go round the main pool deck - there is always something going on. It is much quieter up on the higher decks if you like peace and quiet.
Waiters in the evening in the main dining room were awesome - great fun ! The buffet is open in the evening but only serves a couple of dishes and pizza. So if you want the full dining experience go to the main dining room for a feast.
Took a drinks package - brilliant value - would really recommend this.

I went on the Century after her big refurb.... and she looks great !
Everything you would expect from a 5* cruise line, comfort, great service, amazing staff, top class cuisine.
The public bars were all to a very high standard, particularly the new ice bar ... great idea !
We were on a 5 night cruise in Europe starting in Amsterdam. Beautiful city and such an easy place to join the cruise, as just a short flight from the UK.
Great culture in the ports of call, lots of time to sightsee, particuarly as we docked in all ports and just wandered off the ship.
Very enjoyable cruise... just didn't want to leave !

Loved freestyle NCL ! Loads of restaurants, great choice. Thought the decor of the ship looked really loud in the brochure but when you are on board it is not loud at all - just really colourful with lots of character ! Great drinks prices - one of the best of all the cruises I had been on . Brilliant ****tails in the champagne bar. The only thing I didn't like was when you use the slot machines in the casino, you use a card which holds credit. I love hearing the slots pay out with all the coins - so lost a bit of excitement there ! Saw the best show ever on this ship. Fantastic !

The Azura is an identical sister to Ventura (and the newer princess ships)
So if you've tried & loved the Ventura - this may just be the ship for you,

She’s P&O's newest ship, she's aimed at the couples market (she's not adult only - just adult focussed)

The first thing that hit me was the amount of space onboard, huge & plentiful public areas.
The decoration is a very modern contempory style

The food onboard has a great variety, Mainly English Quesine

Drinks prices are one of the most reasonable I've found on any ship.

Perhaps one of the best looking ships I have ever seen, the interior is incredibley striking from the minute you set foot onboard. Very modern, almost a futuristic feel to the Luminosa.
Really nice cabins with plenty of room, good size balcony.
Initially was concerned about the ship being Italian but the atmosphere was great & all the staff seemed to speak a variety of languages so everyone was well looked after.
Entertainment was music & performance focused rather than speech based, probably as there were about 6 main nationalities onboard.
The race car machine is a great idea & really good fun. And the 4D cinema is a unique concept that i have never seen before on a ship.
Food on the ship was great in the evening, very extensive menu, a few dishes looked a little over complicated for me but on the whole very good. The lunch buffet was a mixture of pizza, pasta, meats, cheese, salad etc etc, what you'd expect really, but with a little more Italian influence.
Probably the best ship out of Dubai anyway & we combined it with a few days in Dubai so overall it was a great holiday.

wasn't sure about going on such a small ship, but this unsure mentality was quickly overturned by the warm welcome & easy embarkation onboard Boudicca. The good thing about the smaller ship is its much less crowded on arrival, so it makes it easier for the cruise line to get you on the ship faster.
Anyway on board the ship, there are the usual facilities you would expect, although a little smaller than i was used too! A buffet restaurant & a main dining restaurant with lovely food & a typically British style menu. A cabaret style lounge with a nightly performence - the highlight being the crew show at the end of the cruise, its amazing they have time to run the ship whilst preparing for a weekly performence aswell! Great fun.
The pool it quaint but does its job, and there is plenty of deck space & loungers for when the sun it out!
The ship is much better for passengers looking for a quiet, relaxed, intimate cruise, where attention to detail matters.
The only issue i had throughout the cruise was perhaps the size of the cabin, we had an oceanview on deck 4, it was a little tight, not much wardrobe space if you are on a long cruise, and not much of a turning circle in the bathroom. But i am fairly tall so it affected me more that it may do someone else!
Its not the best ship for families or younger couples but if you can get a good deal on it, you won't be disappointed.
One thing that did stand out for me was the prices of drinks on board - cheapest i have ever seen! I like a drink myself, and was pleasently suprised at my bar bill at the end of the cruise.
Give the Boudicca a go if you have not tried Fred Olsen before, its a nice little ship with a great atmosphere & lovely staff. What more so you need!

The Emirates as a whole is a fascinating place to visit, seeing how the different cultures are compared to how we live in the UK.
The difference in architecture (height and shapes of buildings are amazing)

The Ship

From afar the ship seems huge in size, onboard feels quite cozy even though she carries 2826 passengers. The decoration is quite striking but not in your face. Lots to do onboard ranging from mini golf to drving a race car (which is a great experience and a must).

Food

Im a very fussy eater but I found the food onboard very nice, always something to eat at anytime of the day.
The evening dining room the service is excellent the waiters / waitresses are always on hand to tend to your every need.
With upto 6 courses to choose from you will always find something.

Entertainment i.e. Casino & Bars

The Casino's are always very busy after 12am (not that I indulge in that kind of stuff). The bars were a very nice place to meet up with the people that you had during the day i.e around the pool or on a shore excursion.

Service

Excellent all the way through the cruise, couldnt do enough for anyone.

Cabin

Very spacious even for a balcony cabin, always kept spotless by the attendant (beds made and dressed a different way everyday).

Value for money

Unbleievable value for money compared to likes of Royal Caribbean whos prices are alot higher than Costa, even for the same trip. I will definitely be returning to Costa Cruises again, especially to Dubai.

Pre paid drinks package

Bargain for someone who likes to have quite afew drinks during the day/night - only £32.20 pppd. This price might seem alot but drinks are roughly 6/7 euros each and then the 15% service charge is added on top, when you pre pay the drinks package this is not added to your bill.

Ports of Call tips and recommendations

Dubai, Muscat, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain & back to Dubai.

I got off at Abu Dhabi, which is very much like Dubai but feels different, less hussle and bussle.
The cultural village is a must, you can see how they locals lived throughout the years, also the various palaces which are located throughout the state.

Also Dubai being the best place to get off and visit, there is so much to do here! Lunch at the atlantis, Wadi Wadi waterpark, water flight over the dubai state just to mention afew (which is an understatement).
The people are very friendly and very accommodating.

Over 200,000 ton of magnificent splendour. The world's largest cruise ship. Will appeal to all, with so many facilities, you will always find something to do day or night, or if you prefer as little as possible !! This ship has some incredible features on board, the new features include Central Park, Board Walk, AquaTheater, many sporting & entertainment venues, even a zip-line at sea.. incredible ! Boardwalk as an amazing carousel & located at the entrance into Boardwalk are wooden carvings of horses, together hosting many casual eateries. Walk to the end of Boardwalk & you will see the fantastic AquaTheater, with acrobatics & wonderful themed water show. Central Park as the name suggests is a wonderful area for relaxing with many fine dining & shopping venues.
I was lucky enough to view many stateroom types on board. If you can afford to splash out, then go for one of the Sky Loft Suite's, a great 2-level living space, fantastic! There are balcony staterooms overlooking Boardwalk & Central Park., staterooms to suit every individual. I was most impressed with the AquaTheater Suite with Balconym fantastic view of the AquaTheater with the best viewing point all from your very own private suite! My balcony stateroom was located on deck 14, but I did find it a little noisy especially first thing in the morning. This was due to the swimming pool are being located immediately above, you could hear the sun loungers being laid out/moved about, and did become quite noisy at times...
Overall I had a fantastic time & feel very lucky to have been aboard to experience this amazing floating palace.
Sister ship Allure of the Seas is due to be launched Nov 2010., with exactly the same features as Oasis. You can view photos of the fantastic Oasis of the Seas on our website/facebook page.

A great ship overall, very popular with families in the summer holidays due to its vast facilities, some of which include 3 swimming pools; one of which has a retractable roof & a circus skills school on the top deck.
There are some stunning public rooms & lounges on this ship, my favourite being the Metropolis lounge at the very top of the ship. All of the lounges have afternoon & evening entertainment to suit all ages.
Before or after your evening meal, you can catch one of the theatre productions put on by a fantastically dedicated production team, or even a comedy show, that include tribute acts or comedians with their own unique show.
The Havana bar at the back of the ship on Prom Deck is also a great place to have a drink and relax after dinner, with music & varying entertainment until late.


The dining experience is where Ventura particularly excels herself. A beautiful two-tier main dining room is the perfect venue to enjoy a typically P&O four to five course meal, depending on how hungry you are of course!
Some very well blended dishes all of an excellent quality, particular attention should be paid to the Lobster Thermidor when it arrives on the menu during your cruise. This is a must have!
The ship also has a large two-sided buffet restaurant with a great selection of buffet food available for breakfast, lunch, dinner & late night snacks. Both indoor & outdoor seating are provided here.
One of the main attractions on the ship is the White Room; this is the speciality restaurant on board, endorsed by the famous Michelin Star Chef, Marco Pierre White. There is a cover charge of £25pp, but I can assure you this is money well spent, the beef medallions was one of the best dishes I have ever eaten, certainly the best at sea.

One thing I did notice was the prices on board the ship for drinks, they are excellent as far as ship bar prices go, and no 15% gratuity is added without you knowing!

We stayed in an obstructed oceanview cabin, which was ideal for the duration of the cruise. The rooms have a bathroom, vanity area, twin/double beds & a good size wardrobe area. Even though the cabin was partially obstructed, there was still plenty of light coming into the room as the window itself is quite large.
We did have a look at a couple of the balcony cabins, which are higher up on the ship & have the extra space of the walk out balcony.
The cabins are tastefully decorated with a spacious feeling, they are very well sound proofed as well.

Overall I really liked the Ventura, for couples looking for the quieter time on this ship, I would advise them to go out of the summer holidays, perhaps June or late September, but for families looking for a great summer holiday for themselves & their children this ship is a great choice.

The ship is certainly designed for families with both young and older children in mind, but they also offer fantastic facilities for couples between ages of 20-60. To be honest there is something for absolutely everyone on board this ship.

Dining was overall very good, excellent & efficient table staff showing good knowledge of the menu, and same with the wine waiters. Good times between courses, with a very diverse choice. There was excellent buffet variety in the Windjammer restaurant which is one of the best buffet restaurants at sea.

Great size cabins,clean, spacious, very light and airy feel to them. Standard shower unit in the bathroom, but you can have a bath in suites or higher.

The staff on board cannot help you enough; they really make a colossal effort to build a friendly rapport early in the holiday so you feel more at home throughout. Also they do not expect anything in return, they work tirelessly regardless of whether you have pre paid tips or not.

This ship sets the benchmark for ‘onboard activities’. It has an ice rink with skating in the daytime for passengers & spectacular shows at night, a three-tier theatre, a surfing machine, 2 large swimming pools, 2 whirlpool Jacuzzis, a mini golf course, a rock climbing wall, sports court, huge gym with all equipment imaginable, various bars & lounges, there really is something for everyone!

The evening shows on the ships were the quality of West End productions, various different shows, musical, theatre, comedy etc. Also you can go and listen to other music and different entertainment in the lounges. There is also a fantastic nightclub which is open to the early hours.

Overall a fantastic ship that caters for all ages. Great idea with the Flow Rider surfing machine, this is great fun. One of the best ships in the world.

I went to visit the Azamara Journey just for a few hours. When we arrived we had to go through security and hand in our passports. This made me feel very secure once I was on the ship.

This is the first ship I have visited and it was definitely one to remember. It was a small ship but I had nothing to compare it to so to me it was huge. The first thing I noticed was the d�cor of the ship. It was very warm and homely. As it is a �small� ship, it was very easy to find your way around.

The staff onboard were lovely and made you feel very welcome. They said hello to you when you walked passed and stepped out of the way to let you get through. They were very polite and seemed genuinely friendly and happy to see you.

We went to see all the different types of cabins and they were all beautiful. I particularly liked the penthouse suite as I do like to be a lady of luxury and it was very spacious and had a huge balcony, however, I would say regardless of your budget you will find a cabin to suit. They were all lovely and I would be happy to stay in any of them. The interior, ocean view and balcony cabins were all around the same size and there was plenty of room in the cabins.

We went for a meal in the Aqualina restaurant and the staff in the restaurant could not do enough for you. There were constantly members of staff around your table so whenever you needed anything it was done straight away.
The food in the restaurant was brilliant and there was also food to choose from if you fancy something English. There is also a buffet restaurant where you can go for breakfast and lunch.

I was very surprised to see that you could have acupuncture onboard. I though this gave the ship and extra special touch. Although this is quite expensive, how many people can say they have had acupuncture on the sea?

The pool area was very clean and modern. The pool itself was not very big but the area around was spacious full of sun loungers. The loungers were very upmarket and all had mattresses on them for extra comfort. There were even some double loungers which I liked as this gave the extra intimate touch. There was a grill bar by the pool so if you got peckish whilst sunbathing you could grab a bite to eat.

It�s the little touches that make a difference. Whilst onboard I found out that with every meal you get complimentary wine and you are not rushed to leave after finishing your food so therefore, more wine. You are also given complimentary bottles of water at each port which I presume will be well needed when in a hot port of call.

Overall this ship is very intimate and can cater for your individual needs. As the ship does not have as many passengers as other ships there will not be big crowds and therefore I�d feel I could enjoy my holiday more. If this is what you want in a holiday then Azamara is the right choice. You are made to feel like royalty and nothing is too much for the staff. When it was time to leave the ship I found it was all over too quickly as I wanted to stay on longer, I was thinking nothing but good things about Azamara and I am now thinking of cruising next year. Azamara are definitely top of my list.






0 out of 0 people have found this review helpful.

We were a very large party consisting of family, friends and i even managed my childminder to come along with her family, she was very worried as get seasick looking in a puddle.. Saying this said the Bay takes no prisoners, once the ship doctor had given her an injection with the instructions to sleep for a few hours, then the fun began. It was its first season so bound to be new and shiny, but i found this lacking sometimes in the buffet restaurant, tables were often left with dirty plates not cleared and the juice machine was oftem empty. It was difficult to find a table all the time. The outside deck area was great with lots of things going on, the evening shows were the best I have ever seen. The main restaurant for dinner was fantastic and the staff were brilliant... the younger children were encouraged to try all sorts of food they had nt had before.
Childrens club was really good and the staff were excellent with the children. Varous lounges with lots going on in the evening with the nightclub, casino and all the bars there was a lot of choice, the cost of drinks on board is very good in comparison to some other cruise lines as well. We all had a good time on the Ventura.

We knew she was an older ship but really it did nt show, other than the pool area was a little cramped.
Cabin was a little snug but that was to be expected with 2 adults and 2 children. The kids facilities were great and you could even book your children in on a day in port if they did nt want to be forced to look around some ancient relic or go shopping, they were entertained all the time and made good friends. Dining was a joy with lots on the menu, lobster, caviar, not many teens get to try this !!! Cruising is ideal for families.
With lots of different ages in our extended family holiday you would have thought it hard to please everyone, but they did.... The shows were really good and the staff on board were really helpful...Other than sometimes being a bit pedantic over children in the jacuzzi...if its empty, whats the harm ? I would cruise with Princess again.

I visted the Independence of the seas as a guest for the day in August.
Joining the ship was easy in southampton - parking opposite the ship made it so easy to join the ship.
She is a large ship, but the onboard space held all the passengers really well.
Plenty of sun space (& loungers) made the deck's feel welcoming *better than other ships*
the royal promenade is a welcoming & vibrant place to meet, relax & have a drink.

overall I was very impressed with the ship & wish I could have stayed onboard, rather than an afternoon.

First I must say that the cruise is deigned for oriental guests and I would say that over 75% were from China and Korea. In recommending the cruise interested parties should be aware of this fact as obviously we are talking about different cultures. Oriental clients do not seem to enjoy normal formalities and do not tend to enjoy formal dress. They also seem to prefer informal dining and the Windjammer self service restaurant tended to be extremely busy which meant that the other restaurants were not necessarily fully subscribed. There were no problems about booking into "my time dining" and if you like flexibility it is worth while paying the service charge in advance. Obviously the mix of clients meant that the entertainment programme was limited and I would suggest not up to the standards of western destinations where English is the norm and there are more possibilities of varied entertainment- comedy for example.
We were disappointed with the cabin. No fridge - drinks cans etc cluttering up the table top. Tea making facilities but no coffee - wooden stirrers provided instead of spoons. No dressing gowns.
We did not book shore excursions as we thought these were expensive. It is quite possible to arrange your own excursions with a little bit of research and public transport is relatively cheap. In Nagasaki, for example it was easy and cheap to visit the Memorial gardens, the epicentre and bomb museum by the local tram with only one change.
In Busan, Korea, a shuttle bus is provided which drops you off at the observation tower free and there is also
a sight seeing city bus which operates from the central bus station. There are normally other independent clients so it is quite easy to share taxis.It is quite expensive in Kawajima to get a taxi to the bus station
in order to pick up the city tour bus but not if you can find another couple to share the costs. Do be aware that this part of Japan is not very westernised so it is not easy to find your way around and english is not widely understood so asking directions is a lot more difficult that most cruise destinations and there are few english road signs to help. Do bear in mind that this cruise destination is completely different from most, so you must expect some problems!
Not all doom and gloom however, The Legend is a little dated but is still in reasonable condition. Quite a nice theatre and quite comfortable seating- plenty of leg room. All the staff we came in touch with were very courteous and helpful and is was quite easy to get off the ship at the ports. Probably more formalities and more paperwork than a normal cruise. Don*t forget to take copies of your passports as you will need them!
As long as you accept that you are on a different type of cruise and are forewarned of the cultural differences
there is no reason why you should not enjoy this cruise but don*t expect Queen Mary standards when it comes to the 2 formal evenings
Baz

First I must say that the cruise is deigned for oriental guests and I would say that over 75% were from China and Korea. In recommending the cruise interested parties should be aware of this fact as obviously we are talking about different cultures. Oriental clients do not seem to enjoy normal formalities and do not tend to enjoy formal dress. They also seem to prefer informal dining and the Windjammer self service restaurant tended to be extremely busy which meant that the other restaurants were not necessarily fully subscribed. There were no problems about booking into "my time dining" and if you like flexibility it is worth while paying the service charge in advance. Obviously the mix of clients meant that the entertainment programme was limited and I would suggest not up to the standards of western destinations where English is the norm and there are more possibilities of varied entertainment- comedy for example.
We were disappointed with the cabin. No fridge - drinks cans etc cluttering up the table top. Tea making facilities but no coffee - wooden stirrers provided instead of spoons. No dressing gowns.
We did not book shore excursions as we thought these were expensive. It is quite possible to arrange your own excursions with a little bit of research and public transport is relatively cheap. In Nagasaki, for example it was easy and cheap to visit the Memorial gardens, the epicentre and bomb museum by the local tram with only one change.
In Busan, Korea, a shuttle bus is provided which drops you off at the observation tower free and there is also
a sight seeing city bus which operates from the central bus station. There are normally other independent clients so it is quite easy to share taxis.It is quite expensive in Kawajima to get a taxi to the bus station
in order to pick up the city tour bus but not if you can find another couple to share the costs. Do be aware that this part of Japan is not very westernised so it is not easy to find your way around and english is not widely understood so asking directions is a lot more difficult that most cruise destinations and there are few english road signs to help. Do bear in mind that this cruise destination is completely different from most, so you must expect some problems!
Not all doom and gloom however, The Legend is a little dated but is still in reasonable condition. Quite a nice theatre and quite comfortable seating- plenty of leg room. All the staff we came in touch with were very courteous and helpful and is was quite easy to get off the ship at the ports. Probably more formalities and more paperwork than a normal cruise. Don*t forget to take copies of your passports as you will need them!
As long as you accept that you are on a different type of cruise and are forewarned of the cultural differences
there is no reason why you should not enjoy this cruise but don*t expect Queen Mary standards when it comes to the 2 formal evenings
Baz

This was the first Freedom Class ship I had been on and was very impressed with all the facilities onboard. The main buffet restaurant is huge and has every type of food you could think of and the quality of it all was excellent. In the main restaurant for the evening meal the standard was excellent and again plenty of choice, even the fussiest of eaters would be able to find something they like. All the staff onboard were very accommodating and friendly throughout all areas of the ship. Freedom has a lot of public areas and space to explore, all the lounges and bars offered something different so plenty of choice for evening entertainment and there was also the main theatre show and the Ice show, which was fantastic! There are plenty of things to keep children occupied, from the great kids clubs and their activities to mini golf and the rock climbing wall.
I think the Freedom has plenty to offer everyone from couples, of all ages, to families and would be a great choice for a first cruise or for a seasoned cruiser.

The Sea princess was an easy cruise - direct flight from my home airport, direct to the ship. No overnights in hotels / No customs. Total piece of mind that everything was taken care of. the staff we're brilliant too. However the ship was showing her age (pleased to say she's now been refurbished.)

Having now done both 14 Night Med cruises aboard Independense of The seas we still believe this is the best family ship afloat. With twin 16 year olds and a 8 year old there was ample to keep them occupied and feed!
our younger sons favorite was the flow Ryder where he became really compedent over the fortnight, a good tip !
you can hire the flow Ryder for an hours private session for 6 with 2 instructers for about $300 , we think this wast the best fun we had all cruise! we never stopped laughing at ourselves and all of us mastered the boards to differing degrees ! .All in all a massive ship with something for everyone. We were fortunate to stay in a suite and with this entitling us to the concierge service this made a big difference with , reserved seats at shows , seperate sunbahing areas and hot canopes and drinks before dinner was just bril.We had agreat time just wish they had the same ship starting in the med where you could get to ports in eastern med.

I actually went on this ship in 1997 !! The party consisted of 4 Adults, a teenager & 3 toddlers.. The children were spoilt rotten by the staff, whatever they wanted for dinner they got ! The adults had a great time as well, food, service, shows & the ports of call..It was a great holiday