I have cruised many times before, both on small ships up to very large, and have never felt crowded before. This time was different, we were queuing for all meals, tables very close together, slow waiter service, confusion at lunch time, with either ordering off the menu, or choosing the buffet in the same restaurant. At the entertainments, never enough seats, and exceptionally close together in the Neptune lounge, unless you were near the front, the only way to see was to look at the video screens! Having said all of that, the passengers were a very friendly bunch, Norway was beautiful as usual, and a couple of the tours were excellent. The Northern lights tour in Tromso, was ridiculously expensive, £120 to motor for an hour in a coach, to be taken to a very uneven field, lit by a few lanterns (many people fell over) with one tepee with not enough seats for everyone, and a few fires outside to keep warm. Unlit hill to climb up to the field, and an unappetising biscuit and cup of hot chocolate. I enjoyed the food and some of the entertainment by the ships company was excellent. Also two of the speakers were good, the port speaker was usual boring not telling much about the port but selling tours.

Shameful - should not be called a suite, more like a linen cupboard. A narrow cabin with old furniture, two chairs, small wardrobe and small dressingtable with tv on top. Tiny balcony but everything clean. Then there was a small gap into what can only be described as a 'cave' alcove, which housed a small single bed, just! The bedhead touched the wall which was on the other side of the lift shaft, the long side right next to the wall, and the foot of the bed, crushed up against the outside wall, in other words the room must have been 6 ft. Against the bed was a bedside table, old with marks, which had no shelves or drawers, and that was it in the alcove, it was not possible to see the television from the bed, in spite of me being told that this was a one room suite. The shower room was a funny shape, with the door on an angle, and the shower was a triangular shape with an old curtain. The wash basin was an old pedestal (but clean) but no shelves or cupboards, so no where to put toiletries except on the floor. Needless to say, I was shocked and insisted on changing cabins, but had to pay an extra £400 even though we had sailed, and no one else was going to board.