This cruise was booked to celebrate my husband's big birthday and was a once in a lifetime event for us. We picked it mainly because the advertising stated we would be visiting the orangutangs in Borneo but it just happened to be part of a cruise holiday. We have a bigger complaint against the tour operator which have nothing to do with the cruise but we also have a lot to say about the actual cruise, our expectations and what we got.

As far as the cruise is concerned here are my views. We were led to believe that this was a 4 star ship (and is still being advertised as such). In my opinion it was 2 / 3* and very poor. In all the decor was good and we were well looked after by our cabin girl (cleaning, making beds etc). However, we paid extra for a sea view cabin which was just big enough for a double bed with 9" on each side to get in, there was a small dressing table and a corner unit with shelves holding a TV. The porthole was above the bed and you have to stand on the bed to see out. The shower was smaller than those on Brittany Ferries which do overnight crossings, and we were provided with one miniature bar of soap between two of us for the whole voyage. There was a soap dispenser inside the shower stall which contained some harsh soap product. Because we had a long plane journey we were advised not to take too much by way of shampoo, conditioners etc (by firends) as these would be provided. We were sadly disappointed. We stayed in Travel Lodge a couple of nights after this cruise and we paid £33 for a double room and all toileteries were included, which I would have expected on a 4* cruise.

Our first main impression was the food. The menu was impressive and everything looked amazing - until it arrived on your plate. They served courses out of order, food was cold or undercooked or just not what was ordered and in general mealtimes were a shambles and the food inedible. We complained to the waiters many times asking them to change dishes to what we had actually ordered or to re-cook something and, although none of this was their fault, they soon became annoyed and rude. May I state that on our table of 8 people 6 people had to send their meals back on the first night and it continued throughout the cruise. This is to say, it was not that we were over fussy but everyone was complaining. I can understand the staff becoming surly but when I asked to speak to the manager or the chef, nothing happened, no-one would speak to us. We also tried the self-service restaurant and found the food to be placed around the area in a very haphazard way, in old-fashioned serving dishes, which were often left open, making the food cold. We also found the same thing in the dishes day after day. We were assured that it was fresh food every time but who wants mashed courgettes for lunch, then dinner and then breakfast. I expected a buffet to be laid out with beautiful salads and fruits and choices of meats etc but it was just meat and 2 veg like a school canteen. Read more