we chose this cruise for the itinerary, particularly korea, Taiwan and Nagasaki. not disappointed at all, with Tianjin as a bonus (we'd already been to Beijing so didn't do that and stayed in Tianjin instead - great 'different' experience in somewhere much more authentic). ending up in hong kong was good too - don't miss Lantau Island with its big Buddha - quite different from the rest of hong kong. the cruiseship itself was lovely - being a moderate size (just under 2000 guests I believe) this was easy to get round but all the facilities were there, with lovely bars, a great theatre, goodsized staterooms and the most lovely restaurant. the public areas weren't overcrowded as can happen on ships that take many more passengers but don't seem to have so much space per passenger. for us the only slight letdown was the buffet restaurant where sometimes it was almost a fight to get a seat - think they need more staff to more quickly tidy up and make tables available. as for the staff - well they were wonderful all round - very friendly, very efficient - we felt comfortable and welcome. the shore excursions we took were very varied in choice and we found things in every port to suit us - the cost wasn't cheap but wasn't overexpensive either - the staff getting people on and off the ship were actually remarkable (certainly compared with other ships we've been on). would definitely recommend this ship and wouldn't hesitate to use it again.