We booked this cruise 4 weeks before sailing on a 'Getaway' fare offering a substantial saving as we were fairly flexible on dates and destination. It seemed that there were many passengers paying these reduced fares judging by the people we got speaking to during our time on board.

Embarkation was reasonably speedy and efficient although I was surprised that with all the negative publicity regarding outbreaks of norovirus on cruise ships the antibacterial hand gel dispensers on the walkway to the ship were empty! More on this subject later.

Entering our cabin we were delighted with the extra space provided by it being 'Superior Deluxe' but this pleasure was short-lived when we saw the dust on the coffee table. A call to house-keeping resulted in a visit from a senior member of that department's staff to inspect the problem and a re-visit from the steward. Read more