As a 'novice' cruiser, I had read the other reviews with some trepidation..but decided to go with an open mind, as we don't all have the same taste in holidays. My first impression was as previously noted by other holidaymakers, that the ship was tired and in dire need of a makeover...where is Gok when you need him?!

The cabin, although kept clean by Warren our happy cabin steward, was basic and in need of some TLC. The compact & bijou bathroom, needed to be ripped out and replaced, but I somehow doubt that is going to happen, even though the ship is currently on it's final cruise for the year before going in to get a refurb. The communal areas, bars, theatre, etc., are also sub-standard, so I hope that ripped chairs and stained carpets will be replaced, and not just tarted up. Admittedly the cruise is only 3*, so one should have lower expectations...The staff were generally friendly, with exceptions in Customer Relations and the Gift Shop, who I found quite surly...Funny that the two most interfacing departments were the most hostile to deal with.

We went on three escorted tours, so that we could get a better feel of the countries we were visiting. The tours were fairly expensive, given that two were almost written off due to the poor weather conditions. In Trapani, the fog immersed Erice, so we literally couldn't see in front of us, let alone enjoy the view down the mountain after getting off the cable car. The visit to Pompeii was most interesting, but the weather conditions again ruined the visit, and our guide, a charming Orlando Bloom lookalike, was dressed for winter! Read more