This was the worst cruise experience in 30 years.Priority embarkation did not exist at the time I arrived, hundreds of people milling around for up to one and a half hours. Grand suite was large and grand, unfortunately due to the lighting over the 2 basins in the bathroom, shaving had to be done in the mirror of entry hall to the suite, it was impossible to adjust the temperature in the shower without swamping the bathroom floor as some of the multiple shower heads faced the door .For the first week the bed linen was changed every 3 days, until I asked for a daily change.The so called butler is really a steward, charming but untrained and certainly not up to Grand suite expectations..

The Queens grill is a disaster area and has some of the dullest food on offer at sea.Cheap chicken , dull dry steaks, dreadful pies. Christmas day dinner of Turkey and trimmings, was in fact rolled processed fast food with one soggy roast potato and various other vegetables, tasteless gravy and stuffing all served up on the plate,this was not even a dogs dinner.On two occasions the ala carte menu was cancelled, the reason given was, all the guests turn up at the same time after the captains line up cocktail party and it makes the kitchen too busy, Isn't that sad, and just for a free glass of sparkling wine !

The Verandah restaurant which has an ala carte menu at extra cost of about $40 was in another world. Excellent high quality ingredients perfectly cooked and presented by good waiters, which is what I thought I had paid for in the Queens grill. Read more