I can't speak highly enough about Princess Cruises they went above and beyond and everything ran smoothly ,nothing was an issue and the staff were all polite and went out of their way ,especially room service and the seated dining in the evening .Only thing i would have liked was a kettle in the room this isn't allowed for safety reasons.We had a top balcony room and it was perfectly situated,you couldnt hear anything at night when trying to sleep considering there were bars and shows going on ! The food was fantastic whether anytime dining or evening booked .5 star cuisine ! Loved the free tapas /sushi bar too. The ship itself was amazing and very relaxed no matter what part you were sitting in ,the classes were great we loved the zumba class and nutrition class.The huge screen by the pool was a bonus to watch a movie day or night .the day trips were brilliant although you have to see a lot in 6-8 hours so can be tiring for some.Transfers and day trips ran like clock work .I would highly recommend princess cruises ,I went with a friend but its a great way to reconnect with your loved ones also .lots of couples ,no stress ,a hotel floating with you to different countries amazzzzzing !!! So nice to wake up each morning in a different country and also nice to have days at sea to enjoy the spa.we had a seawed 2 hr wrap which was really nice .The interior of the ship is beautiful and there are several different bars/cafes etc ,the pools and jacuzzis were clean and not too busy either. Thank you Princess Cruises for a brilliant week :) Read Less

We have just returned from a 12 night cruise to Italy and Greece. It was one of the best cruise we ever had. This is our 8th cruise and embarkation in Barcelona was a breeze. We were in Suite 1615 on the 11th deck and it was exactly as we pictured it to be. Both our Concierge, Carlos and Butler, Cesar attended to our every need. Our Stateroom Stewarts, Allan and Taurif were extremely efficient and courteous. Table 212 at the early seating at the Symphony Dining Room was attended by our Waiter Jimmy and Asst. Waiter Kristalis. Here again we really impressed by their service and attention to detail. The tours we pre-booked through Celebrity met our expectations. Expect crowded large groups in all the ports as the itinerary for this cruise is extremely popular. There were always a minimum of 2 large cruise ships in each port. Again we were very lucky with the weather as the seas were calm and peaceful. Santorini, Athens and Mykonos had each own special appeal. We were right to take the Tour "A Taste of Athens" as we now know where to go when we return. The Acropolis had the largest groups of tourist we have ever seen in Greece as the Parthenon was really a sight to behold. My wife and I are both Catholics so we were very moved by the visit to the house of the Blessed Virgin Mary where also heard the noon mass especially for groups who booked the "Biblical Tour of Ephesus". Our tour guide, Ilker, was very knowledgeable and professional. Of course, we had to see the making of the beautiful carpets of Turkey on this tour. At Ephesus, again expect very large groups of tourist. We were pleasantly surprise by the evening shows we always watched at the Equinox Theater. Paul Baya, the Cruise Director, gave a wonderful performance when he sang, My Prayer. Each show was a minimum of 45 minutes to an hour. It was just the right mixture of comedy, musical Broadway style number, Circus Acts similar to Vegas type shows and orchestra music. Celebrity to us by far had the best theatrical numbers as compared to the Royal Princess. Mood Icons, the house band, were great. We really enjoyed dancing to their music each night. We were a bit disappointed that Celebrity now charges for Circuit Cross Training Exercises and Zumba classes. We had Zumba daily at the Royal Princess and it was always free of charge. To sum it up, we had a wonderful 5 star cruise!   Read Less

After a brief flirtation with P &O Azura, we returned to our Celebrity family for a Greek Islands cruise on the Equinox sailing out of Barcelona. These last two cruises have certainly confirmed to us that we definitely much prefer the smaller ships. We realise that there are much bigger ships than these two that we have recently experienced, but really they are too big for us, and we can't wait to return to the beautiful Celebrity Century before it is decommissioned. It's important I say this, as it really puts into context what I say about the Equinox, it's not a bad ship, it's just too big for my wife and I. As always, the embarkation process with Celebrity was hassle free and speedy, and the cruise terminal at Barcelona was one of the best we have encountered. Footballing rivalries, and the fact that we have a villa in the beautiful region of Valencia means that I am unable to give you an unbiased view of Barcelona, but all the Americans we spoke to, loved the place. Our balcony cabin was of the usual high standard Celebrity set, although we didn't seem to have enough drawer space, and as a non lover of technology, I would have preferred a TV which you just had to switch on to get a TV channel, rather than have to be a rocket scientist, but that's just me. Continuing on the subject of technology, regular readers of my reviews will know I have a special interest in ship's gyms, and as you would expect, the gym on the Equinox was large, clean and very well equipped. However, the touchscreen technology on the treadmills, bikes and cross trainer was extremely frustrating as it was often unresponsive. To be fair to guest relations, when I mentioned this to them, they did investigate the problem, and the feedback I received was that the glass covering the screens was too thick. Typical technology, the more advanced it gets, the more problems arise. As for the rest of the ship, as I previously stated, essentially, my wife and I prefer smaller ships, so we felt the Equinox lacks character and seemed really crowded on sea days, although I loved all the famous quotations in the men's restrooms, which as usual with Celebrity were always very clean and free from unpleasant odours. One area of the ship we really did like, was the layout of the buffet, with its individual food islands and ample seating areas. The food as you would expect, was in plentiful supply, but as Celebrity regulars, we are beginning to find the menus a tad boring and repetitive, and certainly the Classic menu could do with updating. Also, it really is about time the cruise lines offered far more healthy options and certainly, as a vegetarian, my wife really struggled on this cruise, although to be fair, the waiter who looked after us in the dining room in the evenings did try to help with the vegetarian options, but the company really need to increase the choices available. Anna our Assistant Waiter was particularly good. Also, a number of people we spoke to during the excellent Captain's Club events told us that the ship had run out of slimline tonic just three days into the cruise, and though we don't drink it, I would have thought it was a basic drink to have available in the bars. Later in the cruise, the ship also ran out of English Breakfast Tea, another staple beverage I would have thought. One other minor gripe we had was the lack of presence of the ship's officers, but again, we may just have been spoilt by our times on the beautiful Celebrity Century, though the Equinox guest services staff were a match fir the excellent staff on the Century. Generally, I think that Celebrity's customer service ethos is one of its' strengths , I love the way they always sort out a problem if you have one, and their can do attitude is second to none. Although we also cruise with other companies, the attitude of Celebrity's on board staff will ensure we always return to what we regard as our Celebrity Family. The company's loyalty programme must surely be one of the best in the industry, and we love the Captain's Club events where we always meet and continue to remain friends with fellow cruise lovers. Rossy, the Captain's Club hostess on this ship was excellent, always cheery and ready to help, as were Jann, the Guest Services Manager, and Josue one of her staff. With regard to the entertainment available we never bothered with any of the shows, but people we spoke to seemed to enjoy them. As usual there was a band on board,a solo guitarist, and classical musicians, although unusually there was no pianist on this cruise. We chose this cruise particularly because of the itinerary and we were not disappointed. At last as part time Spanish residents we can say we have been to Barcelona where the ship set sail for Citavecchia, Italy where we took one of the ship's excursions which included a visit to Lake Bracciano, and a winery, and there were also plenty of tours to Rome. We also took a Celebrity tour excursion the following day, which included a cruise along the beautiful Amalfi Coast on a motorised launch stopping at Amalfi. This together with the next port of call, the stunning and picturesque island of Santorini, along with Piraeus (Athens) were the undoubted highlights of the cruise for us. Other ports of call were Kusadasi - Turkey, Mykonos - Greece and Valetta- Malta. A couple of things to bear in mind which you may not be told. You can get a water taxi from the ship dock to the town in Mykonos for 2 euros, and in Piraeus, there are those open top hop on hop off buses. Because of the traffic, I wouldn't recommend a taxi, as Piraeus is 30 mins from Athens. So hope this is helpful folks, please look at for my next review of P&O's Arcadia which hopefully will appear in January.   Read Less

It was with a certain amount of trepidation that I approached my third Celebrity cruise having read a number of recent reviews from Critics returning from Equinox. Declining standards, poor service, 'no chocolates', expensive drink etc etc. Well i suppose it all depends on what you expect from a Cruise. If it is to have your every wish fulfilled at the click of your fingers by willing slaves who are only there because you are paying them to satisfy your every whim then perhaps you might be disappointed. If on the other hand you hope for excellent service from underpaid and overworked staff who retain a smiling face through all adversity then the Equinox is certainly the place to be. Yes there were no chocolates on the pillow every night and the special MDR lavish brunch was gone and perhaps we did have to wait a little longer for our drinks to be served but these were minor factors in what was a wonderful cruise. Once again we enjoyed the pleasure of an aft stateroom from which we could enjoy the sun rise and set and the room was kept in impeccable order by Sharon and Sheldon who were always on hand with a cheery greeting be it 'have a lovely day' or 'enjoy your dinner' etc. I have to admit to a constant feeling of guilt as we set off for a sumptuous meal or a lovely day out while they slaved away morning and night to ensure our comfort. The MDR was our chosen spot every evening and the food was, as usual, outstanding served by the jovial Aston and the serious but polite and efficient Sergey who seemed to know what was required before being asked. The sommelier Vladimir ( a ringer for Basil Faulty - without the rudeness) was seriously overworked and constantly under pressure from his superior and many of the waiters, Despite this my glass was rarely empty and my special Hungarian desert wine appeared at just the right time. The entertainment it has to be said was mixed. The Equinox singers and dancers were excellent and Scotty McLean the comedian had me literally in tears. I profess to sleeping through a few of the shows but this was more due to tiredness and good wine than the quality of the performers. The Cruise Director was to be honest a bit disappointing. While he was efficient he did not really attempt to bond with his audience. It was all a bit formal and scripted but I have to admit he had a fantastic singing voice which for some strange reason was only allowed to be heard on one night and that as a result of an artist taking ill. The Enhancement talks were very interesting but I really have to question the fact that they appealed to such a niche audience. I felt particularly sorry for Sophie Ibbotson whose talks about her treks in and knowledge of the regions of Northern India, Pakistan, Afganistan, Kasmir etc were fascinating but received audiences rarely reaching two dozen. The highlight of these talks was the 'bonus' presentation by astronaut Woody Spring which was hidden at the bottom of the Equinox Today presentation without any fanfare or pre announcement by Cruise Director. Woody's talk and his subsequent availability to talk and sign photographs was a rare opportunity to meet a 'real personality'. A cruise is of course a lot to do with ports of call and on this cruise these met and exceeded expectations The beauty of Santorini and the Amalfi Coast, the sheer scale of Ephasus and the Parthenon, the gales in Mykonos and the history of Valetta were a wonderful mix. While we took the Celebrity excursions on three occasions I was somewhat irritated that in the 'What to Do' talks on board we were not offered the options of Do It Yourself ifn fact we were actively discouraged by scare stories and frankly insulting comments in particular about Civitiaveccia. I dread to think what Celebrity guests arriving in my home city of Belfast are told. On Santorini we were fortunate to find the boat trip to Oia which for 25 Euros took us to this beautiful village, bussed us up the cliff road and gave us a bus tour back to Thira with as much free time as we required. Also in Salerno a 15 minute walk along the seafront took us to the Amalfi ferry 16 euro return to Amalfi with the opportunity to see the magnificent coastline at a leisurely pace. All in all an excellent cruise with swift and efficient embarkation and efficient, if somewhat early disembarkation. Roll on Cruise No 4.   Read Less

I embarked on Nieuw Amsterdam on Aug 4th and we set sail at 5pm. Embarkation was very well organised and there was little or no delay. Once on board the Lido was open for lunch. The food during the whole cruise was top class with plenty of choice and readily available. I sat for the early sitting in the Manhatten Dining Room and it was an enjoyable experience although travelling solo I had company at the table only on 3 evenings. Maybe the later sitting would have been better. The ports visited were delightful especially Toarmina, Montenegro, Dubrobnik and Venice. Once again I would give 10 out of 10 for the facilities of disembarking and embarking. I went on some tours. Being solo took some what away from the enjoyment of the tours. I had participated in the Roll Call in the months leading up to the cruise and had contact with 3 other cruisers,Annette, Jim and Juliewith whom I shared some of the tours. My cabin 8142 was very comfortable and I was well looked after by the 2 staff who prepared the cabin twice daily for my comfort. In general the staff were most friendly and their smile, willingness to help was much appreciated.The barbeques on deck were fantastic.I loved the freshly cooked omolettes at breakfast. I enjoye some of the stage shows although I expected better standard onmany nights Having to pay extra each day or 200 dollars for the 12 days to use the sauna and jacussie was a draw back to enjoyment on ship. Disembarking in Venice at the end of the cruise was very efficient. Overall it was for me a very good cruise. One highlight was leaving Montengro at evening it was so beautiful and the commentary on the entrance to Venice was also very well done. Being a solo traveller there was not much opportunity to get to know others as groups of people were ready made. Thanks to John and Caroline from Durham England and their friend from Newcastle the nights around the Cassino bar were full of good conversation. Well done Holland America and the Staff of Nieuw Amsterdam for your efforts that made the cruise most enjoyable.I think I will make sure I have a fellow travelleron my next cruise. Read Less

We recently did a cruise with RC to celebrate our 40th wedding annniversary. From start to finish we thoroughly enjoyed it. The attention to detail was amazing and everything went very smoothly. The staff were all very friendly and made you feel quite special. I liked that they would call you by name when getting on and off the ship. The food was very nice and plenty of it in several different restaurants. The entertainment was fairly good and the aerial acts in the Centrum were spectacular. There was something for everybody to do and plenty of places for sunning and relaxing. Plenty of sun loungers (except on sea days) and towels supplied. The weather was hot all the time but you could always find a shady spot if you wanted. We booked 2 short tours (4/5 hours) which were very good. One to the Accropolis in Greece and the other to Santorini. Both tour guides excellent and we had a very enjoyble trip both times. Other days we just did our own thing and got the shuttle buses into the port town. Our stateroom with balcony was fine but a little tight on space. We had to use the arm chair and coffee table to hold the suitcases. Plenty of wardrobe space and shelves and bathroom perfect. Everything was spotless and room cleaned twice a day. Our cabin attendant Kenneth was so nice and helpful and the towel folding at night was a lovely touch. We enjoyed the evenings in the different bars and the theatre and casino. Used the hair salon twice and also had a pedicure. Very pleased on both occasions but was pressurised into buying products I really didn't want at very inflated prices every time I went. The products were in bags and handed to me as I left. All in all this was a very memorable trip and we will definitely be looking to cruise again. If you eat in the Windjammer it takes a bit of organisation to get your food, a drink and find a table before food goes cold but it can be done. We learnt as we went along. Read Less

We departed West Palm Beach on 10/30/13 on US Air to Barcelona. All flights were good and on time. We arrived in Barcelona around 7:20 am and took a private arranged pickup to our hotel the Flor Parks hotel on Las Ramblas. The hotel was centrally located and convenient to everything. It is your basic hotel with no frills but we were only there for one night so that was fine. We checked in and they held our lugguage. We booked a tour to Montserrat and enjoyed our full day tour. We were also able to hear the boys choir sing while we were there. We were very tired so just grabed a pizza for dinner, went to sleep early and were checked out of the hotel by 10:15 am. Caught a taxi, sent straight to the port and were immediately allowed to check in and board the Equinox at 10:45 am. Easiest embarkation ever. We went and ate an early lunch and walked around the ship. We were let into our cabins at 1:00 pm and by 2:00 pm we had all of our luggage delivered to our stateroom. We had a 7th floor balcony on the starboard side which I preferred because they allow smoking on the port side only. We had all clothes put away by the time the lifeboat drill started. We met some people from cruise critic at the lifeboat drill and ended up having dinner with the same 6 each night which was very enjoyable. It really made the cruise for us and enjoyed laughing and joking at each dinner. We were at sea the first day, then we went to Malta. The weather was good and enjoyed that stop. Very beautiful there. The food on the ship was wonderful and the entire cruise was great. I have no complaints at all for the entire cruise. The ship is still in good condition, food was great and all ports were on time. We only had two days that were rough seas which was Naples and Rome. Celebrity once again made it a very enjoyable vacation and we will definitely book with them again. Read Less

This was only the second cruise that we have taken since we have always traveled independently in the past. Our first cruise was also with Oceania, but on the Riviera. I realize that it's not fair to compare the Nautica with the Riviera which is brand new and wonderful, so I won't. We spent extra days in Barcelona before boarding our ship and all went smoothly. Our stateroom was just fine, nothing spectacular, but comfortable, with more than enough storage space. Having been to some of the port cities previously, we didn't select any ship excursions, just walked around by ourselves for most of our stops with the exception of an excellent tour of Lucca, near Florence and a privately booked tour with a local at Ephesus. Can't recommend that enough. We are not much for entertainment so I really can't comment on that aspect, but Oceania isn't known as a party ship anyway which was perfect for us. On at sea days, it was difficult to find a vacant chair and the pool was rather smallish and quite crowded. My only criticism would have to be the food. I know that the food on Oceania is regarded as excellent and in most cases it was, but the food prep at Waves near the pool and the selection of salads was not very satisfactory. Breakfast was also a disappointment in that the selection was rather limited (I know, I said I wouldn't compare) but compared to the Riviera, it was inadequate and no one could prepare a decent freshly cooked egg. The dining room staff, with the exception of the specialty restaurants, seemed to be a discontented lot with quite a few grim faces and at one point, a loud argument erupted between 2 of the staff members. All of the bar staff, though, was terrific. The negative comments would certainly not prevent us from taking another trip on the Nautica since, all in all, we enjoyed our 10 days very much.   Read Less

The ship was almost new,my cabin was an inside cabin on high level floor,had everything needed very nice nothing to complain about.I had forgotten this was an italian ship but soon realised by the people noise i was not on an english or american ship.It quickly became apparent we the english in a minority aboard ship were ignored and abused by the majority of the italian cruisers. The food for me was too italian and did not cater for the english especially at breakfast time. Breakfast was chaos,noisy,rude italians jumping queus,it was like school dinners but worse.Usings lifts was hard work,trying to get out of a lift while 20 rude italians trying to get in before letting you get out.Some of the staff on board had poor english speaking skills,but the staff who could speak good english agreed that italians can be very rude to foreigners aboard their ship,they are dead right about that.The ship did not have a main street down the center of the ship like the american ships do,a let down for a ship this size.There is not much to do aboard ship while at sea,not like american ships.The shows are good but only last 45 minutes and you cant even take your drink in with you how bad is that. No cinema,very little english tele,no climing wall,no ice rink,swimming pools full of screaming italian kids,no english pub with nice english people in it,what a shame.To sum up my review i would say if your english do not cruise with MSC stick to english or american cruise lines as everything is better,the food,the entertainment,the ships,the service and best of all the people who you will be cruising with will speak good english and have good manners. Read Less