Variety Cruises

Fitness Cruises

Athens (Piraeus)

Tahiti (Papeete)

Colon (Cristobal)

Kusadasi

Havana

Phuket

Bali

Malaga

Greece

Asia

Caribbean - All

French Polynesia

Bahamas

Caribbean - Western

Panama Canal & Central America

Spain

Mexico - All

Excellent

Very Good

Average

Terrible

Galileo

Harmony V

Variety Voyager

Pegasus

Panorama II

Harmony G

Panorama

Callisto

TAHITI: An Awesome experience 

Pago Pago

Our cabin consisted of a bed for 2 people, the width of which was almost 1.40 m at the headboard and about 1 m at the foot (we had never seen such a triangular bed before) and a 2-door wardrobe. The bathroom cell was about 1 square meter in size.

We had to decide whether to go into the cabin or whether to put the suitcases in, neither was possible!

When we asked to change cabins, we received the answer “Fully booked!”

The sails were set for about 30 minutes before leaving, after which there was only engine power and noise in the cabins for 10 days!

The first night was horrible, it was impossible for the two of us to sleep in this bed. We lay on our backs next to each other and it was impossible to move.

The cabins were small and had moths, a shower curtain with mold stains that constantly stuck to the body when showering, the joints in the bathroom were moldy, and the toilet didn't flush several times. The towels were changed regularly, but all had minor and major stains.

To eat you had to go up one floor, through the lobby via the open rear to the second floor (which later became a big problem) where the sun deck was. The cushions on the loungers were covered in stains and were wet from the 3rd day onwards; they stayed on the loungers regardless of the weather and sea conditions.

The restaurant was open at the back and could only be covered with canvas tarpaulins. It rained everywhere here and the upholstery wasn't put away when there was swell or rain, so you constantly got wet pants or skirts.

There were crossings of 23 hours, 34 hours and 18 hours in sea conditions with waves of approx. 5-6 meters (statement by the captain with the request to stay in the cabins).

The furniture was not solid and slipped around even with people sitting on it. One night a glass display case was broken and the lobby was covered in shards. The response was to stack all the loose tables and chairs in the middle of the lobby and tie them together.The stern was flooded, so that eating in the restaurant (after the already set tables were cleared by the rocking of the boat) was no longer possible. It was eaten in the lobby, partly on the floor and on the bed in the cabin - pure luxury! The smooth outdoor flooring was constantly wet and therefore very slippery. We also fell several times because of this, but luckily nothing more is likely to happen.

The entire ship is not suitable for such weather conditions and is a fair weather boat at best. But certainly not a luxury home as the advertisement indicated.

There were hardly any opportunities to hold on sufficiently anywhere.

If possible, the food was served as a buffet, so it was often not warm. However, the service staff tried very hard, but were often overwhelmed.

We have often been on smaller diving safari boats. We have never experienced a boat that rocks and rolls so much in waves. Not to mention the noise of the engine in the cabins. Such a boat cannot be offered as a luxury yacht!

With the best will in the world, the ship cannot be described as a floating luxury home.

HANDS OFF!!!

translated by Google

Catastrophic

We have just completed 7 nights in the Society Islands Tahiti (June 2023). We had a fantastic time . Staff, food and cabins were all better then expected. Comfortable beds, very tasty food and excellent excursions to some awesome snorkelling and cultural destinations . We three Australians loved the laid back, friendly vibe on the yacht! Staff were awesome from the Captain to the galley staff. Very professional but also genuinely friendly and caring. All staff demonstrated great skills in service and were always happy to listen and respond to specific needs/ requests to improve our experiences. 

If your adventurous, like to be independent and are happy to go with the flow this cruise will suit you. This cruise is not really suitable for families with children under 10 especially if they are whiners!!! as there is not enough space for other passengers to get away from the little darlings and there is not enough space or children activities for kids to be kids .

Marketing Assistant

Dover

My husband and I expected this cruise to be a delightful way to visit Panama and Costa Rica national parks and beaches.

It was not!!

The ship is tired and needs a lot of rust removal.The engines ran nonstop and the sails were never raised even briefly for pictures.

The crew was mostly friendly and eager to please, but the captain was totally uninterested in the trip and would not even say hello to passengers when passing.

Our cabin, number 21, was horrendous! It is one of the lowest on the ship (below the waterline) with the small porthole 10 feet up, it was directly over a large water tank that slished and sloshed whenever the ship was underway. 

We were not allowed to change to a decent cabin. Some better cabins were used for storage but the hotel manager claimed that cabins were assigned by headquarters in Greece and he could not help us.

The food was mostly average to start but went downhill during the week until people were sending back entire dinners towards the end.  The beach BBQ was a mess with poor quality meat and a lack of good side dishes.

Overall, a big and expensive disappointment.

What a disappointment

Alexandria

Our cruise on Panorama II, December 2019, from Penang to Phuket was fantastic. What an amazing adventure and opportunity to make new friends. The low number of passengers meant the cruise was really personal, both with staff and fellow passengers. We are beach lovers and we had near perfect weather so this was the most brilliant cruise we’ve been on. The food was delicious and there was always plenty to eat. The staff we’re helpful and always available but not in your face. They were competent and knowledgeable.Following shore excursions we were always greeted with a cool, fresh towel and a glass of iced tea. Because there were only 12 passengers our cabins all got upgraded so we got the most fabulous cabin. Our tour guide, Ant, was brilliant and the on shore experiences were well planned, safe and fun. We had some yummy on board Thai cooking experiences. Getting to know the locals and learning about Thai culture in very personal experiences. We talk of the trip often and have many awesome memories.

An amazing adventure.

This is the second cruise with Variety (first being the Seychelles) and both have been excellent.  The itinerary was great visiting 10 islands in 8 days, and some that could only be done with the small ship experience to some beautiful remote spots.

Everything was smooth from embarkation and throughout the duration of the cruise, with the crew working hard to make sure everything went well.

Variety focus on the flora and fauna of the locations visited and we had an excellent guide to share his knowledge of these in Elliot.  It was certainly very educational to learn about each locations we visited and the plants and animals we saw.

Having just 35 passengers on our trip, from all over the world, it was a lovely intimate group that made the excursions and whole journey more enjoyable. We had many lovely nights having dinner and drinks under the balmy skies.

All of the crew provided excellent service from ferrying us ashore to the high standard of dining and activities.

Interesting Indonesian Islands

Ibiza

The itinerary from Malaga to Lisbon, Portugal appealed to me and my sister. Additionally, we hadn't cruised on a small ship before. 

The best things were the informality of it, the personal attention of crew, and the lively interactions with other cruisers, and of course, Spain and Portugal!

Things work differently when there are less than fifty passengers on a cruise. When a port change was necessary due to weather, the captain gathered us in the lounge and explained wave height, etc. From our last port (in the Algarve) we were bussed a few hours into Lisbon instead of enduring a gruelling overnight trip around the coast. I am not sure that I would want to cruise out into the Atlantic on a ship that size. I didn't have any trouble with seasickness on the other legs of the journey, but I could feel the rocking.

The crew was friendly and personable. My sister got an impromptu galley tour when she looked at the inside dining room. We chatted with the captain on several occasions. We were only 35 cruisers on that trip so the ratio between crew and cruiser was great! Dining was on a sheltered deck with several large shared tables. Seating was not assigned. The food was okay with a choice between two main courses (fish or meat). On a couple of evenings, there were self-serve buffets with a wide range of food choices. Desserts were not the chef's strong suit, but fruit was available.

The ports were well chosen. I particularly liked Cadiz, a charming small city. We overnighted at most ports of call so evenings out was a possibility and no fear of missing the ship. We took the train into Seville on our first day in Cadiz and visited the royal palace. There was a ship's tour on offer but we opted for the lower cost do-it-yourself option. We only took one ship's tour - to Ronda. 

We enjoyed the international crowd on the ship. We had informal dancing on the deck a couple of times. The only other entertainment - some board games in the lounge, movies, and swimming (once) off the back of the ship.  We didn't miss shows, etc. because many of our fellow cruisers were well-travelled and we enjoyed good conversations. 

The cruise would not work for people with more than minor mobility issues. One port required tendering - but in a Zodiac with PFD's on! The stairs to the lower deck was very steep. 

The ship would particularly appeal to groups of friends travelling together and to gregarious people. It works well for fine weather cruising since there is not a lot of indoor common space. And we had fine weather! It was disappointing though that the sails were only put up once, just as a demo / photo opp.

First time on a small ship

We chose this cruise because friends we went with had very little available time on their trip to the USA.  We all enjoyed the two night cruise - a lot more than expected.  Our friends had the top of the line cabin which was really lovely with a balcony - twice as big as ours (at nearly twice the price) with a fridge, large flat screen TV, drinks and toiletries and a bath as well as shower.  Our cabin was fine - good size but no fridge.  Nice window though and clean.  Bed very comfy.  We had our first meal (lunch) in the buffet restaurant which was  awful.  Food was fine but seating like a packed McDonalds.  Most passengers seemed to prefer it to the dining room which I found strange.  We ate in the Admiralty Club the first night - food and service (particularly Yurii) was amazing but we ate in the same restaurant the second night and had the normal (free) fare which was also amazing so don't know about the value of an extra $30 per person unless money is no object.  We had breakfast in the main dining room - again very nice with linen tablecloths and napkins.  Breakfast food not so great but adequate.  We could order eggs from the kitchen which was perhaps advisable.  The staff were great and very helpful although we did twice ask for directions from staff and were sent in the wrong direction!  We didn't go to any of the shows - spent 2 hours eating and then went to bed at 11pm.  The noises later from the passage were pretty loud.  This cruise had far more young people than the only other cruise we have taken.  One word - if you are a beer drinker, do not buy the liquor package.  It's cheaper without the voucher.  Voucher is fine for wine, cocktails etc.  We were a little upset that foreigners were not allowed to disembark until Americans had done so - orders from Immigration.  We would have waited hours had our friends not had royal treatment from the ship's staff.   We tried to leave the ship at 8.30am and had to wait until 9.00am until the crew arranged for us to leave - by then the queue for US passport holders was huge.  I think there were very few foreign passport holders so don't understand the logic.   This had nothing to do with the ship but not enough Immigration officers maybe?

Good two night cruise

We chose this cruise because bus trips aren't my thing. We also wanted to see Cuba before the American economic invasion. The ship can hold 49 people but we were only 13 passengers - ideal! Since there were so few of us, they put everyone in a main deck cabin, which had windows instead of port holes. Crew walked by, as I discovered to my surprise one afternoon lounging on my bed, but it was nice to have more of a view. The cabins were on the small side, which seems to be usual with small ships. It was impossible to put the luggage under the beds because they were on wooden platform although the crew could store luggage elsewhere if you wished. We ate breakfast & dinner on the ship, with lunches ashore in privately run restaurants. The breakfast was the usual: eggs, oatmeal, dry cereals, fresh fruit, yogurt, etc. Dinners always had a fish entrée & a meat entrée. There were courses for appetizers, soups, entrée, and dessert; often we just had the entrée because of having a large lunch ashore. The last night we had a buffet of Greek food that was great. We ate on a covered top deck, but many nights, when we were usually anchored,  it was very warm. There was a bar on the main deck with cocktails, wine, or beer on offer, and drinks could be ordered with dinner as well. All the sightseeing, which was mandatory under the rules for visiting Cuba, was included, and we went to many art galleries, a choir, a Tabaco farm, etc. The towns of Trinidad and Cienfuegos were my favorites. The crew could not have been more helpful.

See Cuba from a small ship

Tortola

I recently had the pleasure of touring the Greek Islands, with a dash of Turkey thrown in,  on Panorama II.  I have nothing but praise for the yacht and more importantly its crew. Ably led by George and Stella,  who do a tremendous job, all crew members from the guys serving us breakfast each morning through to the staff attending to the rooms are a credit to Variety Cruises. Their professionalism and pleasant disposition at all times makes for a relaxing and immensely enjoyable experience. 

The food, expertly prepared by Chris and his team,  also needs mentioning as it was first rate at all times and supplied in abundance.  Coupled with some great destinations, the on board experience amounts to a fantastic customer experience.   I am a repeat Variety customer and following this cruise, fully intend to take another in the near future.

Fantastic in Every Way

Thanks to the captain and Staff for another wonderful week cruise on the Pan Orama II..!!! It was wonderful...The staff is attentive and helpful, opening doors and serving with kindness and a heart for service. I especially loved the turn-down service and my chocolate awaiting me at night.  The food was delicious, plentiful, and varied.   The excursions were well-planned and exciting!!! This was my second cruise in as many years and I hope to go again next year.   The excursions to Patmos and Ephesus were of special attraction to me...I love to be in the place where John and Paul walke!   I love to return to familiar places and familiar faces.....it is like returning "home". The Pan Orama II is my throne for a week and I am Queen!! What more can I ask?

Queen For A Day

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