We had a great stateroom, wonderful staff and above average food. Our stateroom was part of a refurbishment effort that installed a series of suites and verandahs in the stern.. Highly recommended. The staff was wonderful. Our cabin attendant Eko was kind, attentive and eager to make sure we were happy. A stand-out was a table steward in the dining room - Nur. He is one of the kindest individuals we have ever met.

Something happened that will make us reluctant to come back to Holland America. The ships operate at such low profit margins that passengers are constantly bombarded by excursions, jewelry sales, etc.

We stopped in Ajaccio for a day and we decided to walk to the islands legendary beaches. About two miles into the walk were hit with the worst land squall of our lives. We were initially pelted with dirt, small rocks, vegetation followed by torrential rain, hail and flash lightening. After being stuck in a bus stop for over an hour, we ran through the storm to a hotel where they gave us blankets and warm drinks. Everyone in the hotel knew about the weather. In fact, the whole island had been alerted by the news. The storm was so bad it caused the collapse of a theatre in town and injured a wide variety of people. Read more