We were a little worried due to some of the negative reviews that we read but are very happy that we went - my husband and 7 year old boy. We chose this cruise because we wanted a true European experience and we definitely got it! :) There were only 52 Americans out of the 3800 on board. We also really like the ports that this cruise offered, not the traditional stops. The service as fantastic. The fact that people embarked and disembarked at each port made our embarking and disembarking very easy. There were not the huge crowds with everyone trying to get on and off the ship at the same time.
The announcements were made mostly in Italian followed by English.
Our balcony room was very nice and clean. The cabin steward was amazing! Made towel animals for our son which he loved. The dining options were good, we like casual so we ate at the buffet a lot. A lot of pasta!! There was a small buffet set up for a traditional American breakfast if you are craving scrambled eggs and bacon, but the European buffets were great! We read that you have to pay for water at dinner- you get water for free with dinner. Have to pay for soft drinks, cocktails etc...just like most other cruises.