This was the largest ship we have been on. We have only cruised on Seadream, Silversea, Seabourn & Windstar. The dates and itinerary suited us plus many favourable reviews. The standout things for us were the food (aside from Red Ginger restaurant) which on the whole was excellent plus the ship itself which was excellent. The ship is nicely appointed, the cabins are slightly smaller than we are used too but perfectly adequate. The art collection onboard is magnificent. Another highlight being the live musicians including a string quartet and an excellent cocktail pianist.

Embarkation was chaotic. Hundreds of people fighting for space in the Terrace Café. We were advised rooms would be available after 3pm and to await an announcement. There was no announcement so we just wandered along at 330pm to find the room ready. Disembarkation on the other hand was well organised.

The negatives were the service which varied between excellent from a few crewmembers to non-existent from the pool staff. The pool serving staff made an art form of avoiding customers and standing about in the shade. Despite some mid cruise feedback which the Head Bartender assured us would be acted upon, nothing changed. We are unusual in that we stay on the ship and don't get off so we had plenty of time to be observe the poolside operation. We have a busy life and like to relax on deck, all we need is water with ice at a reasonable frequency which isn't too much to ask for. Read more