Had never been to most of the cities, had never cruised the Mediterranean or Adriatic. The brand new ship was marvelous in every way; great amenities, wonderful food, and friendly, helpful staff. Appreciated the changing menus, the locally sourced food items, and the variety of food offerings both in the main dining rooms and in the special restaurants. The on-board lectures and entertainment were top notch. The Port Talks were very helpful, as were the talks on European history. It was wonderful and special to have an astronomer on board and to hear his lectures as well. We appreciated the ship's small collection of books, the comfortable lounge areas, and the swimming pools, spa and gift shops. Given the itinerary, we were prepared for and wanted to experience a "tasting menu" of ports. Even so, a bit more time in some of the ports would have been welcome. This was particularly true in Venice, where it took an hour to get to the morning tour start point, then we had an hour tour, then an hour to get back to the ship, a fifteen minute break, and then an hour ride back to the afternoon tour start point. There must be a way to let morning tourers stay downtown and meet up at a major city location to start the afternoon tours. Except for one location (Naples), the tour guides were engaged, friendly and knowledgeable. The tour guide who took our group to and through the Venice airport was particularly helpful, since that airport is an overcrowded, confusing, disaster.
Excellent cabin design and plenty of space for belongings. Nice bathroom and shower.