We are RCI customers, like the feeling of experience, professionalism and service we get from them. We've done a few cruises, so we know by now what to avoid (photos opps!) and what to pay attention to. We received the service and entertainment expected, no complaints with the actual cruise experience, both were fine. Having a balcony really made a difference as you enjoy the experience more. Stateroom attendant was helpful and efficient. All meals were satisfying and some even pushed us to try new things, our dining room attendant was excellent and made my Mom feel very comfortable. Wine was good, however cocktails at the bars were a bit weak. Prices onboard are a bit expensive, but you're on vacation. Embarkation and departure procedures were actually pretty smooth.

Our destinations were experiencing the worst heatwave in almost 2 decades, that made the excursions a bit tough to bear. Precisely the excursions were the item we found lacking on this cruise. They are directly related to ports of call, and honestly Villefrance can be skipped at all. Our group was bilingual and we took both English and Spanish excursions at Pompeii. Actually the same excursion in different languages. The first issue we noticed was the exact same excursions were double the price in English (same time, same itinerary). Another issue with the excursions was that Monaco and Montecarlo were basically wasting time as you really cannot go inside most places. Better use of time would be to take passengers to actual museums (like the grand Oceanographical museum in town) or palaces instead of just showing from the distance. Our Monaco and Pompeii tour guides were frankly deficient, not paying attention to the group nor providing extensive explanations. I can compare on Pompeii because our group divided, went to both languages tours and we compared afterwards. Pompeii was a furnace, not on the guide's control, but the flow and information were really lacking. They also stop at a jewelry factory for a sell push, really not necessary in my view.

Having said that, the chance to visit these ports is unique and we did find ways to enjoy even when some excursions were below expectations. The Aix-en-Provence and Italian Riviera excursions were excellent. Good guides, great/relaxed time on our own.