Six of us choise this cruise because of the European ports and the fact that the ship was very new.
Very pleased with everything from the food to the entertainment to the cabin. We always ate in the MDR. I was very pleased with my choices. Some of my husbands meat choices were a little to rare for his liking. He could of mentioned it to them, but didn't .We also enjoyed the salad bar in the Lido Deck. We attended most shows in the World Stage Center. The singers and dancers were some of the best we have ever seen. Absolutely loved the BBC Planet Earth show with the orchestra. It's a can't miss with their stage design. We also enjoyed the comedian and magician, although I have seen better magicians. I was a little disappointed in the billboard onboard. I think it would be a better show had they had a male and a female perform vs. two males.
We loved our cabin. We originally booked a guaranteed 8th floor or higher inside cabin. We ended up with a Vista Suite, midship for no extra cost. Only suggestion I can say here, is we booked so early & I kept monitoring prices. As prices decreased, they bumped us up.The ship may have not been sold out?
Excellent cabin, but on the smaller side. We loved the shower and the lit dressing table in the room. My husband was able to shower, while I could get ready in the room. They also provided a magnifying hand mirror. Our balcony was average size with plexi glass. It had room for 2 chairs, a small table and foot stool.
Spent 3 nites in Rome prior to the cruise. Two of those nights were at the Hotel Savoy, the hotel on HAL pre-excurion package.
Just walked around the town. A very beautiful day. We saw the Roman Theater and the House of Fortuna. We had a couple of very reasonably priced drinks at a local restaurant.
We did a one day hop on hop off bus tour, with specific timed tickets to Sagrada Familia. It was a beautiful majestic church.Timed tickets booked directly through them are the only way to go. Also visited the gothic area, but refused to pay 8 euros to go inside that cathedral. Also, walked along Las Ramblas and visited Park Guell. This is a very huge & difficult town to navigate.
Crazy, very busy and loud town! We visited the palace and auto collection. I was disappointed that the Palace isn't handicap accessible. Not for me but others. That wouldn't be permitted in the states! We walked into the casino lobby and had very expensive drinks at Cafe de Paris, across from the Casino. Also saw the cathedral where Grace Kelly was married and buried. Unfortunately, we didn't walk thru any of their lovely gardens.