Just got back from an Eastern Mediterranean Cruise on Voyager, first the good points - Staff were all great and couldn't have been more helpful. Francisco our waiter is especially worth a mention, fun, efficient and made dinner a real event. Food was of a very good standard in both the dining room and Windjammer, better than past cruises on Royal Caribbean. Ports of call were different to the traditional Mediterranean but far better than we were expecting.Entertainment was excellent, Beatles tribute band were exceptional,Ice show and Abba tribute band were also very professional.We found the ship itself to be very well kept with continuous maintenance to keep standards high(new carpets were being fitted overnight).

The not so good - we were notified whilst on the cruise that recommended gratuities had been increased, (in the case of stateroom attendant an increase of approximately 40%!!). Shuttle bus fees were extortionate,and in most cases you could either walk or take public transport, but this is never pointed out on the daily port information sheet.The shops on board were very disappointing,the perfume/cosmetic store had one display cabinet completely empty, and stocks generally were very low. The nightly sales were the same items we had on our first cruise 10 years ago! Come on Royal Caribbean buck up and get some new ideas.

After 8 cruises all Royal Caribbean or Celebrity this cruise left us thinking that maybe we should try another line. It seems that Royal Caribbean are trying to keep the initial cost of the cruise low but making up for it by charging for absolutely anything, at excessive prices once you are on board.