We were a little wary of this ship having read mixed reviews, but gambled on the recent re-fit having addressed some problems. We needn't have worried- everything, from staterooms to dining and public areas was in pristine condition. The embarkation at Venice was a nightmare- a terminal official actually told a group of us to follow her, walked a few steps then turned and asked why we were following her. You couldn't make it up! Comments from other trevellers suggested that this was normal at Venice, and the 2 and 1/2 hour process was about par for the course.

Once on board though, all was well. Must get the negatives out of the way first though. The Windjammer Restaurant is nicely appointed, but very badly laid out, creating a smash and grab atmosphere. Food quality was average, and nothing was really hot. The honourable exception to this was the Egg Harbour- simply superb. The staff were also great, as in every other area of the ship. The other moan is about the cabin safe. It's free, but you have to swipe your nominated credit card through through the slot to open and lock it. I had planned to leave the card in the safe most of the time, but this was obviously not possible. Safes in other cabin grades apparently used conventional keypads.

We had a large ocean view stateroom, beautifully finished and with lots of storage. The power shower was excellent, with a reasonable amount of elbow room. Read more