The above referenced cruise was the most disappointing my wife and I have taken. under the guise of inclement weather the captain cancelled three ports reducing the itinerary by 38% from eight to five. he made several announcements that existing weather conditions eliminated any possibility of making alternate ports throughout the entire coast line of the Mediterranean. in lieu of visiting ports we were rewarded with three additional days at sea. the time on board was associated with serpentining across the Mediterranean at varying speeds and even stopping for extended periods.

Livorno Italy was one of the ports eliminated. This was to be one of the highlights of the cruise for us being the gateway to Pisa and Florence. The captain repeatedly stated that the port was closed to all vessels during our scheduled arrival. Contrary to his claims the Oceana of P&O Cruises docked safely without incident. This was the same time we were scheduled to arrive.

The ms Nieuw Amsterdam is a new ship that went into service less than five rears ago. Currently it is the largest ship Holland America has. This 87000 ton vessel, 1000 feet in length has the latest technology including propulsion systems and "dynamic positioning abilities"; therefore, there is no reason for this ship not to reach a modern day port. Read more