We chose the cruise based on its itinerary. We wanted to go to the main ports of the UK and Ireland. The ship docked at Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin, Liverpool, Holyhead, Waterford and the Isle of Portland. A similar cruise on the Caribbean Princess didn’t dock at Newcastle where we had friends living. It was a much smaller (mid-size) ship than the ones we had sailed on prior. We had a Veranda Stateroom. We were suprised at the small sized bathroom. If you disregard the small shower, the room was about the size of an airplane’s toilet. However, they had turned the toilet at an angle towards the wall, which meant you couldn’t use it without pressing your knees into the wall. It would be impossible for a tall person to use it. Other than that the stateroom and veranda were mostly as we had found on the Celebrity and HAL cruises. There was also a lot of noise from the engine when they were traveling around 16 knots. We were near the back of the ship where the engine room is. I guess when the ship was built soundproofing material was scarce.

Our perks were a free beverage package, free internet and 6 free excursions. The agency also kicked in a $550 onboard credit. We found the excursions to be extremely expensive compared to celebrity and HAL offerings. Also the Nautica excursions were mostly a short half day in length. We decided to book our own tours directly with the tour companies through Viator etc. We saved a ton of money doing so and the tour content was much fuller than the Ship’s tours. Overall the food selection was excellent. Cabin staff were ok.

We thought that being on a smaller ship would mean less wait times the main dining room and buffet but that was not the case. Entertainment was mainly individual singers. Because of the September weather, no one was using any of the outdoor amenities. The entertainment system in the stateroom was out of date with small screen TV and a DVD player for DVD’s obtained at the main reception desk. Overall, the ship got us to where we wanted to go. Food was above average. However, it needs a major refurbishment.