We arrived in Venice the morning of the cruise and took a 45 Euro taxi ride to the cruise port. It was very easy and saved a lot of walking with bags. We arrived at about 11:00 AM and used the Concierge check-in line. Things seemed to be a bit disorganized and snarled up and we didn't get on-board until around noon. There was not much waiting space in the cruise terminal and things were a bit spartan and crowded.

Once we boarded, things seemed to go well. The buffet was well organized and the staterooms were ready at about 1:00 PM. The stateroom was typical of other Solstice class ships we have sailed and there was plenty of storage under the bed for luggage. The selection of amenities seemed a bit spotty and we ran out of lotion, conditioner and shampoo and had to request more. The cabin attendants did towel art twice. Somehow, our cabin was missed for the turndown service on the last night and we were shorted the evening chocolates on a couple of evenings.

We had the late seating and were assigned a table with two absolutely delightful couples. It was one of the highlights of the cruise. Our waiter and assistant waiter could not have been more attentive. The entrees were quite uneven. The pasta dishes were particularly bland. Fortunately, the waiter highlighted the choices that had been successful from the earlier seatings. We enjoyed the general emphasis on quality rather than quantity and were generally happy with the meals. The main dining room seemed to be well organized. Read more