My wife and i booked a late holiday and was, Dare I say, Lucky to get a cruise holiday at such a late date. (3 weeks before christmas) We were told that we would be having an inside cabin, but really wasn't too fussed as last year we didn't holiday at all, and were just happy to see some sunshine. We landed in Montego Bay, and as one person has already stated, had a 2.5hr wait in that belting corridor. It was torture. The best thing is, our flight was delayed, so the coaches, if delayed themselves for whatever reason, should still have been there to pick us up. Even the drive through Montego bay was slow.

Anyway, that's not the reason for posting this thread. When my wife and I boardered the ship, my first thoughts were, Oh dear. I thought to myself, This is dated. I Knew the ship was was some 28-30 years old, but I had been told at tomson's in Meadowhall that the ship had been refurbished. Well that is the case in some parts of the ship, but not all. First day on deck 9, I ordered a drink and walked over to the hand rail. The decking wasn't sealed and as i stood on the decking boards, black smelly water oozed from underneath. The swimming pool was just a small square hole with some kind of platform area around it which was horrendous. the seating around the edge of this "platform" looked like tomsons had made wooden seats from pallets. Now i'm not one to be fussy about little niggly things such as this, but I was on deck 9 near to the back of the ship, and to get to the deck, you had to pass through 2 doors. Now if anyone has passed through these doors, would have noticed the most rank smell ever. The only way i can describe it is as if someone had been sick and it was left to ferment. One other problem i encountered was that the captain said across the tanoy, that if you wished to smoke, please use the port side. Well it seemed clear that you could smoke on any side and anywhere along the back. The ships back rail was covered in cigarette ash, it looked disgusting. fair play to anyone that smokes, but i'm afraid I don't and the ashtray stank. I'd wake in the morning to watch us approach our port of call, and there would be glasses from the previous night with fag ends in them.

At the lido bar, i asked for two gin and tonics. when i was served them, in one of the glasses there was something green floating on top. (no it wasn't lime) so i asked the bar tender to change it for me. he simply knocked it off with a straw and gave it me back. The drinks at the lido bar were supposed to be cocktails, well if you go on this cruise, ask for one, see what you think. Read more