Our party of eight adults chose Rhapsody mainly for the itinerary. Sailing from Venice was a big attraction also. We spent one night in Venice prior to departure and enjoyed the sights despite the intense heat and the crowds. We stayed in Hotel Olimpia which was a lovely hotel in a quiet part of Venice and near some nice restaurants and shops. Plenty of transport options nearby. It was also very handy for the cruise terminal.
Embarkation was extremely smooth and quick. We boarded at 11.30am and there were not many people boarding at that time. We went to the Windjammer for an early lunch and our cabins were ready by 1pm. We were delighted to see that the ship, despite being an older ship and contrary to some previous reviews, was in very good shape.
The ship was busy with a wide range of age groups. There were quite a lot of families with children. The children didn't bother us at all except that the pool was nearly always busy with them. The solarium pool is adult only but was also usually very busy and it is nicer to be outdoors when the weather is so nice. Sun chairs could be difficult to get around the pool especially on sea days, but there were usually some available on the promenade deck.
Our Junior suites on deck 8 were surprisingly spacious with large balconies. The bathrooms were large enough to have a bath. Bed was very comfortable and there was a couch and two armchairs. The only sign of wear was some slight scratches on the coffee table, otherwise the furnishings were in perfect condition. There was also plenty of storage space. Suitcases fitted under the bed and there were a lot of drawers and shelving. This was my husband's and my 10th cruise and this was one of the best staterooms we have had. Our cabin steward, Emmerson, kept it spick and span all week.