Aurora Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We are just back from a Mediterranean cruise on Aurora that wasn't billed as an "Ancient Civilisations" cruise but could have been, with calls that included La Goulette (Tunis) for Carthage, Heraklion (Crete) for the Palace of Knossos, Izmir (Turkey) for Ephesus, Piraeus for Athens and Katakolon (Greece) for Olympia.
Aurora is an excellent sea boat and inspires confidence, even in the heaviest seas - we've been on her in a Force 11+ storm off Cape Farewell (Greenland) and she handled it magnificently. Despite a change of Captain and Cruise Director since our last cruise, Aurora remains a very friendly ship with a crew who give every appearance of being happy. Cabins are showing some signs of wear and tear but everything still works well. As stated in the Expert Review, Aurora is somewhat dated with unexciting decor, but some of the "dated" features really appeal to me, like the teak promenade deck and the tiered stern that provides an excellent setting for sailaway parties.
Passengers are almost all British, and service, food and entertainment are arranged to suit this clientele. Food is of a good standard and we never had difficulty in finding something interesting on the menus in the main dining rooms. Bar prices are reasonable and standard gratuities are modest.
Cabin Review
Balcony Stateroom with Bath/Shower
Our cabin was showing a few signs of wear and tear but was still pleasant and airy and everything worked well. There was a reasonable amount of space in the cabin and the balcony, with plenty of storage and hanging space.
The balconies in this cabin grade on Aurora are slightly enclosed and attract criticism from some reviewers, but we find them all right and it does mean they are less draughty than some. The bathroom has adequate space, but the bath itself is very small and best used for showering and for soaking feet after a tiring day's sightseeing.
The cabin was well-equipped, with television, telephone, safe, fridge, hairdrier, well-lit triple mirrors in cabin and bathroom, tea and coffee making equipment and supplies, biscuits, sweets, flowers and two small bottles of water, the last two items being provided only once at the start of the cruise.
The cabin was well-located for the Orangery self-service restaurant, the Crow's Nest lounge, the Crystal and Riviera pools and the spa and fitness facilities. It is not on a route used by large numbers of passengers, and the occasional passage of a few ship's officers en route to the bridge makes it feel a little special.
We found the cabin and its facilities and location perfectly adequate for our 17-night cruise.