My friend suggested this cruise purely because it left from Melbourne and was convenient for us. We booked through a travel agent who was enthusiastic about our travel choice. The only things we could complain about, unjustly I suspect, were 1.The lines at embarkation. There were of course 901 passengers,so considering that the lines though massive, did move relatively quickly, I really wouldn't complain. And 2. The waiting period for tenders at the first tender port took much longer than expected, at over an hour. |However, apart from these two minor compaints, the entire cruise and ship excursions aside from this were absolutely fantastic. The food was delicious in both the buffet and fine dining. I tried room service twice and it was delicious too. And prompt. The waiters were a delight and so obviously loved their jobs. My cabin attendant was lovely and efficient and helpful when I had the odd question. The cruise director and his staff were absolutely brilliant and virtually a reason to travel again, on their own. They kept us informed and SO entertained with a variety of events and fun activities throughout the cruise. From Trivia games and lip sync battles to Samba lessons. It was all so much fun.The ship itself is beautifully decorated and my friend and I, plus my 14 year old daughter loved the four shore excursions we did too. They ran smoothly and delivered value for money. We did our own thing at Akaroa and Auckland and encountered no difficulty doing this either. My daughter quickly befriended other teenagers through the Kids Club and they subsequently entertained themselves on board very well, very much enjoying both 'the piano man' and the karaoke. I also took the time to have a facial, manicure, pedicure, stone therapy and a haircut. I went all out! I never felt so good though, after all that and the staff were all excellent. Professsional and friendly, as you would hope. I am definitely going to cruise with them again. Can't wait in fact!.