Columbus Review
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We have done many many cruises on a wide variety of cruise lines and when it was announced that CMV were getting Columbus ( a ship which held fond memories for us as P&O"s Arcadia) we decided to give the company a try.
Early reports of the first cruises that Columbus did made us wonder whether or not we had made a big mistake in booking but our experience was so very different from those early bad reports.
If anything, despite the passage of 17 years since we were last on board the ship, she is in some ways better than she was then. The decor is "warmer"and more inviting than the stark minimalist decor of yesteryear. Externally she is wearing her years well with nicely maintained wooden decks and good sunbeds although, if one looks hard, there are some details that need general maintenance such as external stair treads. Internally some of the furnishings will need replacement before too long but nothing more than one would expect from normal wear and tear on a ship in active service and I am sure that the usual rolling program of replacements will deal with this.
Cabin Review
The cabin was a good size with plentiful storage and a walk in closet. It ws in good order and was kept spotlessly clean throughout our cruise. The bathroom is small and a little dated and although the "barking dog" toilet did fail it was back in operation withing 30 minutes. The supplied toiletries were OK but minimal, just soap and a combined shampoo/conditioner dispenser. Towels were a little small but were fluffy and nice to use. The bed was comfortable. When one found the air conditioning control (a small knob adjacent to the dressing table} the cabin temperature could be set at the right level.