This was our first budget cruise and I therefore didn't have very high expectations, which I think is half the battle. Having done our research, we knew roughly what to expect. That said, I was pleasantly surprised by most of what I experienced.

The ship itself is, as other reviewers have said, spotlessly clean. Our cabin was kept immaculate by Oliveira, who came in twice a day and left me with absolutely nothing to complain about. Yes, the cabins, like the ship, are dated and tired, but who really cares whether the sink in the bathroom is salmon pink? As long as the taps work and you can do the necessary, is the colour really that important? I've sailed on (and paid a lot more for) 'luxury ships' and our cabin was smaller than this one and not kept anywhere near as clean.

The food was perfectly fine in the buffet restaurants. Not outstanding, but enough to choose from and I had nothing to complain about and I can be quite snobby about food. The a la carte restaurant is well worth a visit - we ate in there twice and had an excellent meal both times. Read more