We flew to Dublin for a 2 day pre-cruise stay and had a wonderful time. The taxi to the port for embarkation cost around 20 dollars for the late departure. We had never been on a cruise which left so late but it was nice to have another full day in Dublin. The Muster drill at 8:30 pm was a little unorganized and seemed to take forever but it was most likely because passengers tend to NOT cooperate and just report promptly to get it done. Anyway, the ship is lovely and the service was excellent. We dined every meal either in the MDR or the Ocean View Cafe (Buffet) and even when the description seemed like it was not going to be great we found every entree very tasty and we loved the buffet selections especially the omelet station for breakfast.

This was our 15th cruise and the passengers were a little older (time of year and destination) and we met some really nice people who had completed the Transatlantic portion. The ship was very clean and the staff Especially the Cruise Director and his assistant were AMAZING! There were some wonderful activities (Silent Disco) and we attended some very nice Loyalty parties. Our Balcony room was very nice but we were unable to use the balcony because it snowed and was cold but we knew this would happen lol. We had Concierge level which honestly had very few perks which we utilized except the $20 laundry bag and the Concierge Dana helping us with Boarding passes and the disembarkation lounge. We switched the afternoon canapés for a cheese and cracker tray which we enjoyed MUCH more. We were amazed at how many passengers complained about the weather! Get a grip people - you are at the Arctic Circle in May. People amaze me. One tour guide said it best - There is NO bad weather only Bad clothing choices. Perfect!

We took shore excursions through the ship and they were ALL excellent. The disembarkation for the excursions was a zoo at the beginning. The Activities Director was clearly frustrated and so were the passengers but it truly was a mess. Passengers refused to listen and were irate. It got better by the end of the sailing. We were very glad we took ship excursions because we were later getting into port a couple times and we didn't have to worry- our busses were waiting! Read more