We chose the cruise because of the itinerary, looking for some winter sun. In this we were lucky.

The overall impression of the ship was one of noise. Large groups of passengers would sit in Champagne Charlies, talking loudly so that it was difficult to hear the excellent Ian West or the equally impressive trio. The music played in the swimming pool area was far too loud, both the live band and the taped music. The food in the garden restaurant was of variable quality, and was often not very hot. The Bistro restaurant was good but La Trattoria very poor. The entertainment was also very variable in quality

The juggler / comedian was splendid. The magician was awful. The fact that he was also included in the final show, Elements, ruined it. The Captain needs to take lessons in making his announcements. He tended to burble on interminably with the result that nobody listened. The quizzes were spoilt by the fact that many of the staff running them had huge difficulties in pronouncing even relatively simple words. Read more