We were a group of 15 and chose this cruise as it seemed to offer good value, sailing from Valencia at the right time of year. It would probably not have been my first choice because of its size: just under 6,000 passengers. Unfortunately my fears were proved justified.

The Seashore is an impressive ship, but the organisation on board was terrible. They are severely understaffed, particularly in the dining areas. There was one main buffet area, divided into three or four sections but there was not enough seating or staff to clear tables etc. The majority of passengers were Spanish and queuing does not seem to be part of their culture, so meal times were akin to open warfare! After the first day, we abandoned all attempts to eat there. However, our allocated dining room was not much better for breakfast. They were so short staffed, we often abandoned our breakfast which arrived in very unusual stages. One morning we received nothing, other than juice and cake, as our order had been mislaid.

The evening meal in our dining room was another matter. The serving staff were superb, but unfortunately the food itself was very hit and miss. Read more