Although we have cruised before, this was the first time that our family had been abroad for Christmas as our children are older. Overall, I can honestly say that the whole holiday was wonderful! I am actually struggling to find anything to criticise about the week. Some points of note:

1. The Ship (mid-sized) itself was very clean and spacious. There were many areas that you could relax and have a drink in. We especially enjoyed the Jubilee lounge as a place to drink and be entertained. The dancers, comedian and hosts were professional and we had no difficulty in getting a good seat with a clear view of the stage. If you are fortunate to be waited upon by 'Willy', you will find him very fast, efficient and often hilarious. We frequently had coffee in the 'Royal Observatory' during the day and a special mention must go to 'Mary-Ann' for her attentative service. The rest of the ship facilities were perfectly OK. For example, the gym, although small was well equipped and we used the running machines in here every day. One piece of advice, when you embark, you will be offered a tour of the ship to help you find your way around -- I would strongly recommend this as we found it worthwhile. Also, special mention must be made about the sail-away party which was really good.

2. We had three inside cabins all on deck 4. They were clean and well appointed. True, they were small but we knew what to expect in advance. The bathroom was fine -- clean with no drainage problems (as had been reported by other reviewers). The shower was small but powerful and hot. The hairdryer was next to useless with the drying power of an asthmatic moth! It broke after a few minutes use. This was subsequently repaired though. The cabin attendants were efficient and discrete and certainly work hard. You could watch various free movies on the TV in your cabin. For example, I watched 'Ted' and the new 'Bourne' film. Having these movies did not make up for the absence of an on-board cinema (as on other more modern ships) however, it was nice to have them when you just wanted to have a glass of wine and chill-out in private for an hour or two. Read more