This was my husband's and my 5th cruise, our first with no children, and my first time in Europe. The trip was to celebrate my 60th birthday, and our 25th wedding anniversary. What a celebration! We loved the cruise, top to bottom, and we absolutely cannot see why some cruisers have given this poor ratings. What's not to like about sun, fun, good wine, Italy, castles, cathedrals, pasta, a clean and beautiful ship, and gorgeous views? Plus we got an excellent price for the cruise as apparently many people had cancelled because of the Iceland volcano and flights being delayed, etc.

I have some arthritis, walk with a cane, severe knee and spinal pain. I was surprised that I was able to do way more than I had hoped for.

***Barcelona: What a vibrant, young, energetic, forward-thinking, artistic, historic, proud City! Do some research, but whatever you decide to see, wherever you decide to eat, you almost cannot go wrong. The city is FULL of excellent restaurants (and all have similar menus of the same Meditteranean dishes) and great boutique hotels. We flew in 2-1/2 days before ship's departure, and stayed at Hotel Jazz (partly because it was the only one we found that would allow you to cancel up to 24 hours before your booking, with no penalty). Modern, clean, and a very convenient location, close to Plaza Catalunya, Las Ramblas, buses, etc. The staff were wonderfully helpful. Read more