Incredibly disappointing

OK, 35 nights cruising for one's first cruise could be problematic! NOT loved the cruising, despised the European cruise staff.

Best bits:

Our dinner table companions (overwhelmingly the best thing about the cruise)

Visiting Gallipoli

Nice cabin (balcony on deck 12) - clean, adequate storage, comfy bed, good maid.

Tour out of Naples to Sorrento & Amalfi Coast

Dinner waiters

Days at sea (lots) - peaceful etc.

History lecture series - unparalleled I'm told by many (I didn't attend)

OK bits:

Entertainment. Good variety of Australian artists. Impressive cruise staff performances. Theatre was usually full.

Coffee (paid for) once you sorted out how you liked your coffee (inevitable differences between countries).

Visiting the various countries/sights. Although, be warned - one day stops make it a brief & stressful race to get off, get somewhere & get back on the ship. NOT leisurely, you don't get to see much or experience the ambience.

The rest of it:

Food was appalling - not even one-star. All tasted pretty much the same & was out of bain-maries - warm & re-heated tasting. Apart from ordering poached eggs etc or smoked salmon in the dining room at breakfast. Of course you could live off the adequate muesli & fruit selection. But that was not the way the ship was advertised. However I did lose weight (7kg) - not a bad thing but unexpected.

Italian staff would smile but were inanimate, disinterested & only helpful if really really pushed (politely).

Drinks packages were a joke. They saw us coming - premium allegrissimo alcoholic & non-alcoholic. No way we could come close to getting value for money ($4500). Other reviewers have said it all. Running out of drinks, no service etc etc. We even had the bar staff refuse to serve us an icecream in a cone (at the icecream bar with cones in sight).

The wretched respiratory bug - nightmare. Duty of care non-existent.

One wonders, was the ship working to a budget? The food was so so bad. Where did all our money go? About $50,000. Yes. Plus the pre-paid gratuities. We worked out every staff member could have received approx. 600 Euro - bet they didn't.

I don't regret the cruise - Gallipoli etc - but feel a bit foolish & cheated - captive for 5 weeks with crap food on a beautiful looking, clean & glamorous floating hotel.