Embarkation in Cape Town seamless and we were soon on board. Nautica was in port for one night before sailing which gave us time to stock up on liquor at Pick n Pay at the V & A Waterfront. Nautica has the big plus of allowing liquor to be brought onboard - most unusual on cruise lines, but very welcome. This cruise was a journey up the coast of South Africa, Africa, and across to the Seychelles, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Phuket, Penang, Kuala Lumpur to Singapore - 30 days. The ship has been refurbished we believe in some of the public areas - the gym for example has brand new electronic machines and is watched over carefully by the fantastic Ahmed. Pool is salt and is a good size for "dunking" but probably not good for serious swimmers. The pool lounges are well patrolled and passengers have their belongings removed from them if they decide to leave and go to lunch etc. Probably the only time we have been able to easily obtain a pool lounge on any ship !
We were in Concierge Class on Deck 7 - this cabin is the same size as the balcony cabins, and we felt quite small. For a 30 day voyage there isn't a lot of drawer space and we wondered how passengers on longer/World voyages managed in the space. Next time we hope to be able to afford to upgrade to a Penthouse which is much bigger. Bed was comfortable however, and the cabin kept well stocked and cleaned beautifully by the lovely Maria.
Soft drinks are all included, and very good espresso coffee is available on Deck 5 at no charge - this is a proper espresso machine and not just the press button variety.
As mentioned above, the Concierge and Balcony cabins are quite small in comparison with the Balcony Cabins on other lines. If the budget stretches, we would definitely suggest an upgrade to a Penthouse or above.