This was our 4th Carnival cruise, but the first one we've taken in Europe. Embarkation went well, although the coach transfer from London to Dover, which we purchased from Carnival, departed 50 minutes late. We had hoped to get to Dover with time to explore before departure, but the coach got there too late.

Generally we found the food to be quite good. They no longer provide menus in the dining room. You are supposed to bring your phone and scan a QR code at the table to see the menu. The show lounge performers and the electric violin trio were outstanding. The comedians were generally good, although I would have preferred that they leave politics out of their routine. We found the crew members to be friendly, helpful, and hard working.

People considering this itinerary should be aware that although they say the cruise goes to Glasgow, Dublin, and Cork, it doesn't really go to any of those cities. It goes to other towns from which you can buy a train ticket, bus ticket, or hire a car to get to those cities. They did have a $10 shuttle to get from the port in Belfast to the city center. The Liverpool port was conveniently located. They switched the scheduled stop in Isle of Skye to Holyhead, Wales, but never said why. There's not much of anything in Holyhead, and it certainly wasn't worth the hassle of tendering in. Read more