What a disappointing cruise. It was so average. No sparkle. Cabins were average with everything working. CMV charge for everything like water in cabins, even the waiter/waitresses pens have to be returned end of cruise, or they pay for them! Food was excellent but just no style. Drinks package at £17 each per day was a rip off. Afternoon tea was just that, tea in the cafeteria; never smoked salmon, no tablecloths, no nice music, just no style. Talking of music, the classical duo were variable. They did concerts each night rather than background music, sometimes many wrong notes. So many wrong notes and simple Grade V music and average musicianship. No class. Compared to the international jazz trios on Cunard, it was a bit of shock for 43 nights. They had NO JAZZ at all and no cocktail pianist; nothing, anywhere at all. The TV service was very poor in rooms. No news or CNN or BBC for large chunks of the trip. Some days no TV at all just movies...... Dome observatory, they shut the curtains so you couldn't see out when leaving ports, probably for navigation but just so crass and inhospitable to guests.

Excursions were hugely expensive. Glow-worm caves were £105 each; it's just 50 minutes out of Auckland and would have cost them about £20 a head, since we lived in Auckland we know the route and tickets. Just price gouging beyond belief. Tea at Reid's, Madiera, twice the price of just doing it ourselves; oh well.

Guest mix ok but elderly. Nobody dressed up for dinner. Informal meant smart but all old guys were wearing short sleeved shirts no tie. In the end CMV did away with casual dining nights to keep the standard higher. We took dinner jackets but even for formal this was not needed and many guests did not bother. Read more