My sister and I both retirees decided on this last minute cruise attracted by the discounted rate and wanting to try the Aria. We had read the negative reviews and thought we would be open minded in our expectations. We were very pleasantly surprised with the ship, particularly the public areas which were very comfortable and uncrowded. We liked the mix of passengers from very young to old and everywhere in between most people seemed friendly and happy. We found the stewards particularly helpful & courteous.

We were impressed with the fact that food was served by staff and not handled by patrons however the tables were often tacky and we resorted to using our linen serviettes as tablecloths. The food did leave a lot to be desired, most often served lukewarm to cold and very monotonous food in the Pantry? Not so good in The Waterfront either, definitely could do with better chefs. We did eat in Angelos and Dragon Lady and Salt Grill which were all acceptable.

The only deck available to walk completely around was deck six however we were obliged to walk through the clouds of cigarette smoke. This is particularly hard on people wanting to exercise and not wanting to breathe in smoke. I think that smokers should be allocated the area on deck 12 where the smoke does not interfere with others. Read more