Had a fantastic week aboard on my first cruise. I can hardly fault anything on board, with the food service being outstanding, so much entertainment on offer, and lovely bars and spots on the ship to relax. The boarding process was efficient and speedy, and the luggage was taken straight up to our cabin after stepping out of the taxi at the City Cruise Terminal in Southampton. The well designed three deck atrium with the ‘starburst’ coming down from the ceiling is stunning.

The views from parts of the ships are amazing, and every part has been well designed with timeless features, and I could mention so much. The ship has various restaurants, and bars serving a variety of food with the main restaurants (Meridian, Penninsular and Oriental) all serving 3 course dinners to the Horizon buffet on Deck 16 being open into the early hours if still after a snack or cup of tea. There are also specialist restaurants with a cover charge, which sounded amazing but we didn’t get around to; Sindhu for Indian style food, the Epicurean for luxury, the Beach House, and the Glass House wine bar. There is also the Riviera Bar and Lido Grill by the pool, and Java (coffee shop serving Costa) by the atrium, along with a few other places to get a snack. There is so much choice, I can’t imagine anyone leaving the ship hungry.

We were on Freedom dining in the Meridian Restaurant for our evening meals where can eat anytime between 6 and 9:30, and never really waited for a table, and shared with different people each night, and i enjoyed the socialising. On one of the smart dressing night (Thursday) the Chef’s parade through each restaurant so we can all applaud their hard work, along with that of the waiting staff. I feel this appreciation is a lovely touch, to what must be a long shift and so many meals to prepare and serve to over 3,600 passengers. There was also a chance to hear the Captain give a short speech and a photo opportunity on Sunday evening, which with Thursday were our days at sea. Read more