This was our first HAL cruise and absolutely, definitely our last. This was a 20 day cruise, the longest we have ever taken and overall we had a great time but future cruises will be of a shorter duration, ideally 14days. What a fabulous ship, the crew faultless, excellent facilities and the food superb. I could mourn about a few food dishes but overall the standard and quality was up-there with the best especially in the main dinning room. The Lido buffet meals were OK, but like most other cruise-lines, tends to be like a cattle market. So many rude people bustling about with little or no respect for others which was more prevalent on this ship than others.

The age profile on this cruise was incredibly high with the largest number of mobile buggies and motorised wheelchairs I have ever seen in one place. It was like a geriatric Formula 1 at times and my shins are only now beginning to recover. Never again !

A lower age profile is essential as we are only 62. Although the biggest problem on this cruise was the HAL SMOKING policy, the whole of the interior of the ship smelt of tobacco smoke. The Lifts and corridors smelt heavily and many bars and public areas became no-go areas. It is not surprising when you learn that there are so many inside places where people are free to smoke unlike other cruise-lines. Read more