OVERALL -- We are a couple in our 50s, celebrating our 31st wedding anniversary by taking our 5th-ever cruise but first ever Mediterranean cruise. We definitely picked the right ship, the right itinerary and the right time to cruise. The Navigator of the Seas is beautifully maintained, both in public areas and the cabins (our cabin certainly was). The ports of call were great and the weather even better, not too cool and not too warm. In fact, the last day of the cruise the waters were so calm they looked almost as smooth as glass.

SHORE EXCURSIONS -- Thanks to Cruisecritic's Roll Call thread, we were able to pre-arrange private shore excursions for Kusadasi, Turkey, (to see the Roman ruins at Ephesus) and for Athens with fellow cruisers. We used Ephesus Tours for our Ephesus excursion and Private Greece Tours for our Athens excursion. Both turned out to be excellent choices in terms of price (significantly cheaper than tours through the cruise line) and quality. We hade enthusiastic and knowledgeable guides who got us to where we wanted to go, in most cases before the crowds got too large. GETTING ON & OFF THE SHIP was a breeze. Showed up, almost no line at all, and went on board immediately. At lunch at the Windjammer. Our cabin was ready when we checked at 1 pm. Our large suitcase arrived within an hour or so. We carried our own luggage off the ship so we could leave by 7:30 a.m. No trouble getting an elevator and walked right off the ship to our waiting cab that took us on a less-than-one-hour drive to the airport (Fiumicino). We split the cab fare 5 ways, making the fare 30 Euros per person plus a little tip for the driver. Very reasonable.

FOOD -- In the dining room was generally, very very good. Only complaint: We ate too much. LOL. Ate at Chop's Grille one night. That was a real treat. Windjammer food was, well, what do you expect of a buffet? The food was convenient and kept us alive without making us sick. Read more