There were many factors on why we chose this cruise. Two of the main factors were that this was a fantastic itinerary that visited the Holy Land and secondly, this was an adult cruise ship that did not have a casino. Many of our expectations were surpassed. The crew were just fantastic! From the moment we boarded, we could tell that the crew just loved working for Viking. This positive attitude permeated throughout the entire ship. Special mention goes out to Vikesh from Manfredi's. He was very accommodating to all our requests. Even though we sometimes wanted dishes from different restaurants, Vikesh would go out of his way to make it happen. Towards the end of the cruise, my wife mentioned to Vikesh that although the food on the cruise was fantastic, she just felt like having some basic Indian curry. We didn't expect it but he came back 5 minutes later and told us that he had spoken to the chef and all had been arranged. The curry would be served for dinner in our suite at 8pm that evening. Vikesh did not just arrange it, he personally delivered it to our suite. Just outside our suite was the Explorers Lounge. We spent every evening there chatting with the bar staff. We especially enjoyed the company of Eriona, Cecy and Stoyam. They were just so witty and a really pleasure to be around. On one of the evenings on the cruise, the waters were rather rough and we were feeling a little seasick. Erin concocted her special anti seasick drink which really did make us feel a lot better. Yovitza and Matthew always made sure that our wine fridge was well stocked up with our favourite wines. Having said that, I must say that the entertainment was lacking. Especially the four young singers that really couldn't sing. They were screeching and were very off key. Thankfully our Cruise Director Heather sang so beautifully. Additionally, the sound system in the theatre wasn't great either. It lacked power and clarity and didn't do justice to Heather's immense talent. It would probably benefit from a tuneup from a really good sound engineer. We liked that there were always port talks that were given by highly qualified speakers. Shore excursions were also very well organised and guides were very professional. Buses were comfortable and were never filled to the brim. In fact, most of the time, the buses were only about half-full, which made it very comfortable. It also meant that the guides had quality time with us and that we never had to wait too long for anyone. Overall, it was a very positive experience. The only thing that keeps me from giving a 5 star rating was the rather poor entertainment. Read Less

I have been on different cruise lines but Viking Star and Viking Sky that I have experienced has offered a near perfect experience. The staff are very friendly and eager to please. They treat you like royalty no matter the time of the day. The food in all restaurants is excellent and the fine dining experience is out of this world. The intineries were very well organized and ship staff were always around stationed at airports, cruise terminals and other areas to ensure no passenger felt tense that he/she were headed in a wrong direction. In Haifa we were disappointed that no excursion was offered for entering the Baha’i Gardens. That is why I have rated this tour as near perfect but not fully there. If there was a reason that the Gardens was not offered ought to have been made known to the guests. But barring this small disappointment, we had a most glorious 14 days on one of the finest there is on the seas. Read Less

This was our first Seabourn Cruise, and what better way to begin than on Seabourns newest ship, Encore. We held high expectations, and we were not disappointed, We arrived in Athens a few days beforehand, and stayed at the Grande Bretagne, as did a number of other Encore guests, who had booked through Seabourn The embarkation was smooth, we were quickly welcomed on board, by Handre the Cruise Director and other crew. Guests were invited to lunch in the Colonade Restaurant, and soon enough our suites were ready. Our suite, 908, was far enough away from the elevators, but close enough to the pool area. It was of a generous size and tastefully decorated. The bathroom was well appointed with twin basins and a large bath, which we never used. The room lighting was initially confusing and power points were few. For a brand new ship, it lacked the technology we would of expected ( ie: USB ports). The towels were thick and fluffy, and obviously brand new, as were the sheets and other items in the room. The balcony was roomy and comfortable. The closet lighting was inadequate and there was not enough hanging space, and we could not have used it as a dressing room., We met our stewardess, and in conversation we asked about clothes pressing. She told us as there was no self service laundry on the ship, pressing was complimentary, however after we were billed, we had serveral conversations with the front desk before they agreed to remove it from our account. We were told that a laundry was going to be installed on deck 5, probably before the Singapore sail We dined that night at Sushi and thoroughly enjoyed the food, albeit a limited menu. Staff were very welcoming, enjoyed the sake was excellent. We dined at the Thomas Keller Grill the next night and found it a great dining pleasure, and dined there several more times. The Elysian Lamb was excellent, and we enjoyed everything that we ordered on each visit, however during the cruise many guests complained about Grill, mainly, we believe, because they were not willing to be flexible with simple requests. The main restaurant the staff were very pleasant and put in great effort. The food was always presented well and tasted delicious, howvever the food was very mildly spiced so as to appeal to a majority of palates. You cant please everyone! Many guests preferred to dine as a table of 2 or 4, and we felt comfortable with this rather than at larger tables. Breakfast was always at the Collonade Restaurant. I learnt after 2 days to skip a caffe latte, and order tea instead, as it the coffee always took far too long to arrive. As with other ships and hotels, having to make your own toast is an issue, but the staff were always happy to do it for you avoiding any hassle. The staff were always very pleasant and helpful, and the lunch buffet was always popular and of quality ingredients. We also lunched in the Main dining room, and it was much quieter and enjoyable. As Seabourn has a all inclusive policy, the quality of wine and spirits was excellent and any discerning palate would agree. The policy of asking for a special meal to be prepared the next night if the ingredients were available is a good option and we did have Thai food prepared one night which we shared with onboard friends. Most nights began at the Observation bar, and we enjoyed the music of Darlene and Raleigh, a very pleasant and talented couple.Other performers were pleasant, and always made an effort to interact with guests in their free time. We took Seabourn shore excursions in Crete, Israel and Petra. On the way back from Petra we were treated halfway through the journey to champagne and caviar, a Seabourn experience, and to top it all off we were welcomed back aboard the ship by all the crew who lined a red carpet. We felt like A list celebrities as we reboarded the ship. Also, whenever we took a Seabourn excursion, the coaches were full sized coaches but only two thirds occupied for each persons comfort, a great policy. Handre, the Cruise Director, and his assistant Jacqueline always had a smile on their faces and we enjoyed their company. We enjoyed playing Trivia on sea days, and unlike other cruises, we had to retain our original team for the entire cruise. We were also invited to dine with the Captain at his table one night. It felt very special to get the invitation. The Encore has a 'retreat' with 16 private cabanas, and is charged at $350US per day. One couple extolled the virtues of the retreat, to the extent that we felt they were on commission, but we could not see the value or the need. We found that afternoons on sea days lacked much in the way of activities, so many people just lounged by the pool, while others took the opportunity to play bridge Many guests are regular Seabourn cruisers and are fiercely loyal, more so than for other cruise lines. Some guests did not like the size of the new ship or amount of guests onboard. They will know which ships to cruise on in the future. Again some guests need to be more flexible. The front desk is a ridiculous set up with several entrances thereby no one knows who will be served next. The whole cruise was a delight. There were a few kinks, but overall a great introduction to Seabourn, We wonder how different Seabourn Ovation sister ship will be when it is launched soon. Read Less

Regsent have filled this fabulous ship with beautiful art and furnishings.The public area are spectacular.Our embarkation and check-in was quick.We chose a simple Deluxe Veranda Suite which was adequate in size and beautifully furnished with plenty of USB and electrical outlets.Smallish bathroom and good sized balcony.Those less mobile might consider a larger cabin.For us the ship had so much space and peaceful public areas we didn't have need for more elaborate cabin accommodation.By the way the Regent 'marshmallow' like beds are fabulous,and our cabin was always made up promptly and expertly. The everyday Compass Rose was our favourite restaurant which offered a wide and varied menu of our favourites including great steaks,lobster,Dover Sole etc.Speciality restaurants Chartreuse,Pacific Rim and Prime 7 all performed well for us but only as a change from the wonderful Compass Rose.Wines,spirits and great cocktails were plentiful and of high quality.Staff throughout our stay were fabulous.We had absolutely none of the problems that were mentioned in earlier reviews.Even our free internet always worked perfectly well all over the ship.But it's worth taking time to understand it's workings when you first log on.No streaming YouTube etc. Sun decks and pool area were immaculately setup with quality sun beds and great bar service.There were plenty of spare sun beds even at the busiest time during our day at sea! Tendering etc were perfectly executed.However I don't think Zadar is an appropriate destination for 5/6 Star guest in October for many many reasons,weather excluded. This is an expensive holiday,you are paying for space on a ship,as well as attention and an elegant ambiance.Enjoy. Read Less

Just back from the Athens to Barcelona cruise Oct 2016. Boat is very nice. Great condition as new (even so all of the foyer carpeting had to be replaced during our cruise). Lots of room and rarely felt crowded. Drinks - beer, wine, cocktails & pop very expensive. Also got stuck paying 24% VAT tax so Carnival removed drink package option. The Thirsty/Red Frog beer was amazing. Food. Had all dinners in the Reflection (same as Horizon). Special thanks to Frank & Ilyana (sp.?) for their wonderful, attentive service. Amazing looking menus with superb selection but always looked better than it tasted. One of the problems of serving up hundreds of simultaneous meals - becomes a commodity regardless of how you dress it. On Lido deck Guys Burgers offered AMAZING hand-made, delicious burgers with great fixings. Same with the Iguana tacos. Felt like we could have eaten here all week. Mornings we had continental room service. Always great coffee. Toast always served cold. If it can't be delivered hot, suggest they offer up cold, fresh breads instead. Decent fruits, cereal, yogurt otherwise. Outdoor theatre was fun. Blankets were available as was chilly outside. Great sound so don't understand why English speaking movies also needed English sub-titles? Very distracting. Free popcorn was nice idea but terrible quality - served with some sort of edible (barely) oil product. The IMAX & 4D theatre were great - reasonably priced and not crowded (at least when we went). Sky ride also good. On rainy or cool sea days could really use indoor observation lounge (move the spa?). Would sell more alcohol as well. Otherwise stuck with poor side views from inside. Music & entertainment. Great throughout and lots of variety. Latin band, piano bar, shows, combos, all well done. Personally there was way too much "jazzy saxophone elevator" music played throughout the ship which grated on us after awhile. Also, for a cruise that was 90% age 50 +, we really did not like the liquid lounge DJ "music". Saw many people come in, than turn around and high-tail it out. Was playing rap, hip-hop, electronic more suitable for 19 year olds (a handful). When asked about selection or requests was told the music supplied by Carnival was very limited (like no Drive By - Train?). Balcony room @ 9th floor was very nice with larger bathrooms than previous cruises. Elevators. Always slow. Need to press at least 3 sets of buttons as one set does not control all up or down elevators. We got used to using the stairs most of the time. After an excursion, expect to wait 15 mins from 0 to 10. Pools & hot tubs looked nice but we did not use. Something about hundreds of sweaty, unsanitary, people hopping in totally dry (no shower before entering) is a turn off (especially with showers right beside!). Come on people...seriously, in this day & age? Glad to see at least rules enforced regarding the "lounge hogs" who put towels on primo chairs in the morning, then leave for most of the day. Crew allowed 40 mins of this then towels removed and loungers freed up. The Spa. We did not partake so no comment on the quality of service. We found it very expensive and really did not like having to be forced to pass through the "sales gauntlet" of charming young ladies always standing at the entrance to the lido deck promoting this over-priced (obviously profitable) service. Excursions were well organized and good value. Despite the numbers never felt over-crowded. All considered the Vista offers good value in what I would call a commodity cruise. The proviso being that while you are being lulled into a sense of care-free wonderment, they are there to make a profit. This by extracting as much money from you as possible with their many extra-cost services geared to take advantage when your budget defenses are in holiday mode. Read Less

We have long wanted to cruise the Eastern Med and in particular visit Ephasus, so when we saw a 7 night cruise on Queen Victoria, a favourite ship, embarking in Athens and disembarking in Venice & calling at Santorini, Kusadasi and Katakolon, we jumped at it. We booked a P2 stateroom on deck 4 which has the larger balcony. In the event, unrest in Turkey meant that Kusadasi was substituted by Sarande in Albania - not in my mind an equitable swap but we did not let it spoil our voyage. We flew to Athens a couple of days before the cruise and stayed at the Athens Hilton which was fine. We found Athens to be lacking in civic pride and covered with Grafitti, which is perhaps unsurprising given the political events and problems of the last few years. We had a private transfer down to the ship in Piraeus and enjoyed the fastest embarkation I have ever experienced. We were aboard 5 minutes after arriving at the terminal. Our luggage was in the cabin 15 minutes are that. The P2 cabins on the QV have been well described elsewhere so I will not review them other than to say that there is no light over the bath so one showers in the dark - annoying but otherwise they are very comfortable. We had an great table for 2 by the window in the Princess Grill and our excellent Latvian waitress was called Olesja. She delivered high quality service with a wonderful dry deadpan sense of humour and we liked her very much. She quickly learned our likes and dislikes and we wanted for nothing. The food in the PG was uniformly good and we did not have one meal that missed the mark, except perhaps a CauIiflower pannacota starter that really had no right to be on the menu! I noticed that there was less flambé cooking cooking than on previous cruises, however the traditional a la carte menu was available on all nights except the gala evening. On one evening the maitre d' created a special flambé strawberry dessert for us which was outstanding. Wines were pricey and I felt that our wine steward, whilst charming could have been more knowledgeable. There is an expanded wine list which features wines from many more countries, but we enjoy French white Burgundies and surprisingly the choice was limited. The 15% service charge is a rip off! We are sun worshippers and enjoyed very fine weather on this trip. We spent a great deal of time on the grills sun decks and the service here was outstanding. The chaises were thickly upholstered and supremely comfortable. Stewards delivered coffee, drinks, chilled fruit skewers, ice cream and full afternoon tea directly to our beds - one felt truly pampered! The entertainment was better than on previous Cunard cruises, we watched 2 resident company shows, a dance orientated show which was so so and an excellent song and dance show which was complemented by a 9 piece live orchestra - live music lifts the whole production. Lord Howard delivered a lecture on 'The aftermath of Brexit and the Rise of Theresa May' which I found very disappointing as he was very partisan and like everyone else has no idea how things might pan out. I also attended a riveting lecture on the Air France Concorde crash which was delivered by a retired BA Concorde pilot. We called at Santorini which was beautiful. We went ashore and wandered around in Fira returning to the ship in the late morning. The next day we were in Katakolon and we took a tour to Olympia which was excellent. Sarande in Albania was our next port - I had visited previously on business and had no wish to repeat the experience, so we stayed aboard. After that we had a sea day and then an overnight in Venice. We were staying on in Venice for 3 days after the cruise so once again we stayed aboard and enjoyed the facilities of the ship. We had an outstanding cruise, Queen Victoria is a happy ship and this transmits through the crew who, without exception were cheerful and efficient, one felt truly pampered. We can't wait to go again!!! Read Less

We loved the Aramara experience! We've cruised with Disney, Royal Caribbean and Carnival in the past, but this was very different. The food was great and that includes the Greek buffet that was served on our sea day. So good! We also enjoyed the white nights event and the staff was so accommodating. At the dinner, we couldn't find an open table, so the staff went into the nearby library and carried out an oak table for us to sit at. Totally unexpected, but much appreciated. We enjoyed the azamazing evening at Ephesus as well as the guest tenor from Florence performing on the ship while docked in Venice. Listening to a beautiful voice, under the stars in a beautiful city is something I will never forget! The captain was also very visible and everyone (including the staff) seemed to enjoy his humor and presence. We are in our early 50s and we were some of the younger cruisers, but enjoyed ourselves immensely. I would definitely cruise with Azamara again! Read Less

We sailed on the Silver Spirit on it's Athens to Venice seven-day cruise in August 2016. It was our first time on Silversea and we were looking forward to our cruise and it didn't disappoint! Embarkation was as easy as imaginable. We were the only two people embarking. We did get there a little early but not much. We were escorted throughout the process and even escorted to our cabin to see where it was even though cabins weren't ready yet. We had lunch on the pool deck and by 2pm the cabins were ready and our luggage had been delivered! We had a veranda suite on deck six. It was very spacious with a great walk-in closet and plenty of drawers for storage. The sitting area was spacious too. The bathroom was nice although we never used the separate tub. We did use the veranda some and that was fine. A couple of other nice treats were the binoculars in the room and the TV in the mirror. However, the sound and picture quality on the TV need updating. It wasn't HD quality and the sound was like like a radio not quite set to the station. Our butler was new but good. We had breakfast in our suite every morning and he was very punctual. We really liked the small ship feel. No crowds, no lines. Also no pesky photographers. Service was very good throughout. We also liked the all-inclusive aspect and not having to sign for drinks, etc. Having bottled water when getting off and on the ship was great. Some nice cool towels when returning after a hot day in port would've been a nice touch. We only got that at embarkation. We have had that service on other lines and were surprised not to find it with SilverSea. The food was very good to fantastic. I realize that's subjective but we like to have a great meal at a nice restaurant and Silver Spirit did well in the regard. We had dinners in Stars Supper Club, La Terrazza (twice), the Hot Rocks Grill and Le Champagne. We had dinners ashore twice. We had lunch by the pool and in the MDR a couple times. We always had breakfast in our suite. We also thought the bar service was very good, either with standard cocktails or wine or with some special orders. We were traveling with a small group so we didn't partake of the entertainment. We did find some time to play blackjack though and found the dealers and fellow players to be very good. We ended the cruise up a few bucks, so that helped! There isn't much for shopping on the ship compared to bigger ships but that was OK. They do have some sundries hidden away if you need something basic; you just have to ask in the shop. There was some confusion in getting our butler to help with a purchase of Zantac, as our documentation stated that Butlers or Reception could help with this purchase, but we ended up just getting it ourselves. Both the Butler and Reception insisted we see the doctor for this over-the-counter medication. Since we spent a good part of the time in port, the ship's shops were not open very often. The internet was typical cruise ship internet; good enough for checking email, Facebook and the news. We got an hour a day with our suite and that was enough for us. We booked our excursions through Silversea. Several were included excursions and they were good. We had a paid shore tour in Venice that was quite good and a dinner ashore in Dubrovnik at a family estate that was fabulous! On thing about this cruise, the held our passports on the ship. They said it was to assist with getting clearance in each port. We got them back in Venice. We heard they might do that so we brought color copies of our photo page with us ashore. Disembarkation was just about as easy as getting on. With such a small ship, finding our luggage was very easy. Overall a five star cruise! Read Less

Sea Dream is the Carnival Cruise line of the luxury brands. Overall the quality of the food was very good, but the wines served were not high quality, thus greatly dimishing the dining experience. They wanted vast amounts of money for the better wines. The service was not first rate either. There were several service failures. The attitude of several staff members was arrogant. Prices in the gift shop were outrageous (I saw sunglasses that I paid $120 for offered at $280) and the management was always trying to sell something (drinks, services, etc. They wanted $199 to $299 for a cab ride to from the disembark port to Rome but did not mention the 5 euro train ride as an option. They had staff do "fashion shows" trying to sell their high priced goods. Totally unpolished; lame. It was an outstanding vessel and the ship's professional staff (the Captain and those who operated the shop) were second to none. Others on the vessel were very happy, but they hadn't experiences true luxury and truly outstanding service where you're not being hassled to buy something or be overcharged such as Seabourn. Value of what we paid vs what we experienced was poor. Read Less

We booked this cruise based on the itinerary and reviews of amazing dining and attention to detail. The ship was very nice. The dining rooms and public areas were beautiful. The staff was excellent, and service was always prompt. Our inside stateroom is similar to that of any other ship on the market. The bathroom was tiny, cramped, and skipped during renovation. The room itself was sufficient for sleeping, and not much else.The finishes were very nice. The dining on the ship was top notch. We were able to eat in both specialty restaurants during our trip, and both provided a unique exclusive experience. The daily buffets were delightful, with a wide variety of options and friendly service. As reported, you can order lobster tails every single night! Where this cruise really left us disappointed was limited on and off ship options for the younger crowd. All of the nightly shows and all of the shore excursions were certainly tailored for a 70+ crowd. The one active shore excursion we found was cancelled due to lack of participation. The ship made no apologies for us, just excuses that we (a group of 30 somethings) were not their target audience. It almost made us feel unwanted. I also feel like Ancona Italy is not a stop that any ship should bother to make. What a wasted day! Read Less

The food was amazing each dish was a beautiful creation. The staff was kind accommodating and always ready to say yes. The entertainment was mundane except for the piano bars which were great. Perfect cruise foe eating and drinking. If you have trouble walking beware. They do not accommodate , at least they didn't for me. I ended up missing activities because I couldn't get from my room to the event. I had asked for a handicapped room, not available, then asked for a room close to the elevator, it didn't happen. Confirm which cabin you're getting and where it is located., even thou I paid for a balcony no effort was made to make it easier. If you go just walk slowly and eat a lot I was disappointed that no food or entertainment was related to the part of the world we were in. but the food was so wonderful that it wasn't a big deal. Read Less

This pair of back-to-back cruises were our 2nd and 3rd cruises. Ever since we cruised on Crystal Serenity in 2014, we have been hooked on Crystal. Symphony is a little smaller so it is a little more intimate too. Public spaces are great, but staterooms are a bit small vs the Serenity. We might eventually try another cruise line, but it will be hard to beat the only cruise line named a top pick for 20 consecutive yrs by the readers of Conde Nash and members of Cruise Critic. The reasons are impossible to list as they are so many and they can be so personal in choice. With a doubt, the food is beyond compare for a ship feeding just under 1000 passengers. The Main Dining Room is our favorite place for lunch if we are back early enough from our excursions and we love both the food and the people we have met at dinners there. Breakfast on early excursion days means we eat at the Lido Restaurant, which serves an amazing buffet of virtually everything. Of course they also serve a terrific and very varied lunch buffet. And there's also the Trident Grill for those days when you want to hang around the pool/spa and enjoy a fantastic burger, tasty hotdog, excellent fries, etc. Their menu includes salads too. And right after lunch, you have the opportunity for sweet desserts like ice cream ( Ben & Jerry's) or soft serve. Did I mention there's a bar too? When you disembark, it takes but a few hours before you realize just how much you miss the 24/7 pampering. Decompression after Crystal takes us about a week! Read Less