What should have been the trip of a lifetime for my husband's 70th birthday ended up a total disappointment for us both. We were told Royal Caribbean would provide an amazing experience, instead we felt we were on a second rate ship offering a second rate cruise.

We were warned by email that embarkation in Sydney was delayed as the ship was being "deep cleaned" owing to onboard norovirus. As we are aware that this is a common problem on cruise ships we were not unduly worried. Little did we know that the virus would persist for virtually the whole cruise. Crew were rostered to help out in the Windjammer, serving food and giving out plates and cutlery, as well as having to fulfil their other duties. Hardly surprising that they sometimes looked gloomy. And why allow people, complete with rucksacs, to use the food serving area as a thoroughfare? The library remained closed, apart from a very short period, and paper quizzes were all but restricted. There were constant reminders to wash hands and use the anti bacterial gel, not to mention endless wiping down of handrails, but tables in Lattitudes were left cluttered with used cups etc and I had to ask more than once for tables to be wiped both here and in Windjammer. We were frequently urged to hold on to the handrails owing to rough seas but this was not only unpleasant because they were constantly wet and sticky, they were also slippy.

Regardless of the norovirus, the ship looked dingy and neglected. Rust was in evidence in many areas and furnishings looked tired and worn. Carpets in corridors and in Windjammer were only superficially cleaned and dust and debris was in evidence along the edges. Our cabins, initially a family sized ocean view and for the second half of our back to back cruise, a balcony, were adequately cleaned. Towels and linen were changed regularly but carpets and surfaces were neglected and the same flakes of paint remained in exactly the same place on our balcony floor even after we were warned it was to be washed. Read more