We like this ship since it has the Crystal Room as a dedicated ballroom every evening, and there are also dance classes held there on sea days during the daytime. The dance floor is not as large as the Cunard ships, but it does have a stage where there is a live band in the evenings. The floor is patterned with metal squares about 4 inches square which are not always exactly level with the rest of the floor so for good dancers who track their feet it is possible to catch the edge of a heel and pull the suede off dance shoes - this should be rectified by the ship's managers. The band that plays is variable - we have enjoyed good ballroom and Latin music from Albion, and also in the past from the James Murrum band but this April there was the Crystal Room band who regularly played foxtrot at a tempo faster than the standard 28 bars per minute, and quickstep slower than the standard 50 bars per minute so making those dances somewhat difficult to do. Also at times there were social foxtrot dancers on the floor at the same time as more experienced dancers doing slow foxtrot and the two don't work together, so the traditional foxtrot couples generally left the floor when that happened. The female vocalist was unfortunately unable to sing on key a lot of the time which was very distracting when trying to dance. Quite a lot of passengers seem to come in to watch the dancing and enjoy drinks from the bar within the room, so the Crystal Room acts as another entertainment centre, though of course much smaller than the theatre.

There are many positives about the ship though - the stateroom was kept immaculately clean and the cabin steward was very proficient at doing the rooms up when the "Make up my room" card was left on the door. The showers are modern and excellent and with a proper shower door, rather than the flimsy shower curtains on some ships that cling to the body as soon as the water is turned on. Space on standard cabins is not huge and the amount of cupboard and drawer space would have been nicer if a little more generous. Suitcases can be stored under the bed.

Freedom dining works well, and there is usually a choice between tables for two or sharing if you feel like changing from night to night. The menus seem better than a year ago with a recently appointed new executive chef. The Horizon buffet works nicely too, though can get a bit crowded at busy times. Some waiters are very efficient at getting the food to the table which can be important if you need to get away to go to a theatre show or other evening activity. Read more