The Rotterdam is an older ship, but still very enjoyable. Great walking deck. Experienced staff. We were present for opening night of two awesome shows being presented for the first time. All new costumes, choreography and music. Of a caliber that we would have paid for to see on the outside. Great gym manager. Very dedicated. Captain errs on the cautious side and is good at explaining his decisions. We aborted 3 ports of call due to unsafe conditions. We spent 31 days hitting ports of call in Turkey, Greece, Malta, Israel, Italy, Spain and Portugal, combining 3 segments that started in Athens and ended in Harwich, England. Only downside was having to stand through 3 fire drills as new people came onboard.

The ports in Turkey opened our eyes to the vast antiquity residing there. This is where much of what we regard as Greek history took place because the Greeks colonized what is now the Turkish coast. We found the ship tours to be a cut about average. The ones we took were run by Sea Song. Don't know if that made the difference or if visiting Turkey did, but we have no complaints.

Would probably not go to Spain or Portugal on a cruise ship again. We had been to Gibraltar before, so it was almost boring this time. Cartagena is a non-event. Cadiz was enjoyable, but once is enough. One day in Lisbon is plenty.