To celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary, my husband and I booked a one week Med cruise onboard Voyager of the Seas with Royal Caribbean departing from the gorgeous port of Barcelona. The ship was undeniably breathtaking and the decor stunning in every respect. Our outside cabin with balcony was clean, comfortable and attractive. Facilities onboard were comprehensive particularly for the sports fanatics and those with children. Entertainment available was of high quality and we can particularly praise the ice shows. However, from the minute on- board the ship, cruisers are bombarded with pleas, demands and begging for tips and gratuities. Royal Caribbean include the gratuities 'reminder' in every media on-board - the cabin video, the daily newsletters, the captain's presentation, the bingo caller and the staff themselves. We are regular tippers but by the end of the week, we were ultimately fed up of it and not just a little bit offended. Incidentally, although the level of service was usually satisfactory, it was not always so. For example, the room attendant unwilling to iron a shirt, the barmen unable to deliver correct drinks on order and the waiter coercing me into accepting unwanted escargot instead of desired scallops on order. The favorite ports of call were Ville de France and Bay of Naples, both picturesque and easily accessible (will definitely return). On the other hand, other ports for Rome, Livorno and Marseilles were industrial harbors and it took an expensive taxi ride or long train journey to reach the tourist centers. Royal Caribbean took advantage of this by offering a good range of bus tours which were of-course overpriced and (according to other cruisers on board) not value for money. We took advantage of the Health and Beauty Spa which offered a wide range of treatments but felt sorely stung when the bill did not reflect the advertised prices as they added 16% tax and....service charge! The mother of all gripes occurred on day 6 when my husband felt unwell. We decided to take some medical advice from the ship's doctor who after a 30 minute examination diagnosed heartburn (wrong as less than 8 hours later his temperature was soaring with a virus). The following morning it was I who nearly fainted when I received the bill for 1266 US dollars! On a lighter note, the highlight of our holiday was the time spent each evening with our six dining companions who made the whole holiday worthwhile. Finally, although not the holiday from hell, this cruising experience was very disappointing. We will probably cruise again but absolutely not with Royal Caribbean.