I'm pleased that we didn't read some of the previous reviews because we may not have booked this and then we would have missed out on an amazing time. The ship was brilliant - we were on the all-inclusive drinks package (part of the deal we picked up via a newspaper) and this entitled us to a very wide range of unlimited drinks , including cocktails and most spirits/liquers. Also a wide range of ice-creams. The buffet was open 20 hours a day for anyone concerned about portion sizes in the restaurant (we thought that they were fine and the quality was very good). We used the buffet for breakfast every morning and found the choice (and the view from the window) excellent. The staff through the cruise were all very friendly (and the 10 euro a person a day grat charge covers all tips - cabin, waiters etc - there is no need to tip again) All the trips and travelling went smoothly from the flights from Gatwick to Venice, to an amazing two night stay at Hotel Gabreili where we paid to upgrade our room to a lagoon view - well worth it (especially to see Poesia sail past our window!). We loved seeing Bari on our own - an easy 20-minute walk into the town and then a leisurely wander around - a lovely gentle first day. Olympia we took the tour to the site (just wished we'd agreed with the tour guide a time to meet her back at the site entrance and then we could have gone round at our own pace and not had to hear the commentary in English and French) The trip to Magna Grecia was fun (wine and olive tasting, a Greek plate and dancing Mykonos saw us on another guided tour - this time of the island, and then we were pleased to have some time in Mykonos town at the end. Athens was a 'cheat' - we have family living there so had our own personal tour guides. Albania - we took the coach trip headied 'Albanian Riviera' - mistake! If you have motion sickness this trip may not be for you! We hadn't realised that it involved long spells of driving through mountain roads (very twisty and turny) but the trip and stops were interesting. Dubrovnik on a Friday was very busy but we enjoyed time on our own getting a reasonably priced taxi there and back. And finally back to Venice for a few hours before our flight- we didn't realise that we could leave our bags at the boat, which would have been helpful, and instead took them to a luggage office Piazzale Roma and then got a taxi back to the airport.(worked fine but would probably have been easier to leave them at the ship) Would definitely go with MSC again (although we sometimes found it hard to get answers from them before we travelled) Read Less

Beautiful ship, lots to do although a lot at an extra charge ie bowling, buffet restaurants offer lots of choice although not particularly hot, main dining room (golden sands)was terrible both for food and customer service, no conversation or interaction waiters took your order in silence and walked away. Food then served in silence. We have sailed on Royal Caribbean and staff are first class, MSC could learn a lot from them. Be wary of tickets coming into cabin for excursions next day, in Malta we did the open top bus ourselves which was on an ancient, dirty, crowded bus, MSC are selling this tour, and by coincidence I overheard several couples on board complaining at reception about the terrible bus, after that I had no faith in MSC regarding these excursions. Overall we had a nice enough time, we are easy going people and don't complain often but for me the 2 main things that let the ship down is the poor dining room and the customer service, next cruise we will go for Royal Caribbean again Read Less

After reading bad reviews I was hesitant to take this cruise but my mother and I had a great time without any issues with the ship, staff or excursions. We chose this cruise because of all the ports and it was a good time for us. My mom and I booked our cruise without any problems and we had the drinks package as well as a few excursions making a nice mix. Embarkation went well it was actually pretty easy. After getting to the terminal we left our luggage and sat for about an hour in the terminal, went through security and were let onto the ship in a pretty quick process. We were on board at 1230 but couldn't get into our room until after 2pm. The ship did however offer a buffet lunch which had a large variety of foods that were very good and plentiful. Our room was big enough and we kept our lugging in the closet area out of the way. The drawers were little but large enough we did not have to live out of the suitcase. The ship itself is dated and does not have a huge atrium or reception area but it is very clean and easy to navigate. The pool area was large enough and I could always find a lounge chair. The formal dining was very good, the portions are small but most European meals are on the small side. We didn't watch the shows preferring to stay on the balcony and watch the world sail by us at a leisurely pace. The service was very accommodating especially our steward Bruno he was very thoughtful bringing us ice twice a day without fail. The service from all staff was with a smile The bar staff were busy but got to all customers in a timely manner and were always professional. The gym was good and had enough equipment but I wish the staff would have kept people to the 20 minute maximum on the machines some people would hog the treadmills/ellipticals by resetting their times so it looked like they weren't on that long. The ports in Italy, Greece, Albania and Croatia were very good. I would have liked more time in Croatia but we had a good time on our own touring the old city. Albania was a big disappointment to a lot of people but I loved how proud the people were of what little they had. The country is up and coming and I'm glad I supported their tourism effort. The highlight was seeing dogs round up and walk goats down the national road amongst the cars. The Blue Eye Springs is not what most people would call a big attraction but for Albania it's huge, the spring itself is small with a rushing river leading to and from and that's about it. They do have a restaurant which we sat at almost the entire time, after you see the spring there isn't much else to do at all. The excursion on Mykonos to the beach is just that the beach is all there is with no bars (open early at least), shopping or way to get out of the heat. My mom suffered for this I love the beach and heat so I had no problem, please be aware of the heat. The beach is crystal clear but pebbly not sandy, bring water shoes. We spent a little time in the town of Mykonos after the beach and that was nice. We also took the shore excursion to Venice after the cruise and it was hot, when you're meeting the water taxi you have to stand in the sun, again uncomfortable for my mother not a problem for me. Our only issue was actually with the other cruisers. Some were very rude, let their children run all over the ship without supervision and acted like the food would run out if they didn't take all they could at one time. I saw one person berate a bar server because she tripped over a toy his son had left on the floor. He berated her for almost breaking the toy, really! All in all it was a great cruise and we would do it again any day. Read Less

First cruise, beautiful ship, spotless, staff mostly friendly with a few exceptions. Food ok, good buffet selection when you manage to battle your way through. Way too many children running around, felt like a holiday camp on water! The specialty restaurants appear to be almost empty.. they are very expensive. Cabin was very comfortable but being on deck 15, we were directly underneath the Ocean View buffet so from 07.30 and continuing all day, very loud noise from chairs scraping on the floor and thumping of people walking around. Requested to move but abruptly told that there was nothing else available. This noise made it impossible to enjoy the balcony also. Found the entertainment lacking except for the theatre shows which were very professional. Not enough adult only areas. The over 18's bar was closed for private functions on at least 3 occasions. If we had a quieter cabin and less children on board we may have had a different opinion but disembarked feeling like we needed a holiday to recover Read Less

We chose this ship as it was small and seemed an ideal way to visit Croatia. Previous reviews were worrying with comments about smoking on board but this was not a huge problem. The French do smoke out on the decks but not inside. The pomp and ceremony didnt appeal on boarding but it went smoothly. The cabin on deck 4 was fine. Quite compact but a lovely shower with plenty Hermes toiletries replenished daily. Excellent service of the cabin. Nice balcony, comfy bed and very smooth sailing every day for 8 days. There was a single chair and an ottoman if you wanted room service. We used this once, it was ok. The times to eat were quite rigid and we did see crew clearing the food away at the buffet right on deadlines! The bars were fine, lovely crew, drinks and nibbles ok. The cocktail party was a joke. No cocktails in sight just champagne or water. No cocktail food as such, a couple of cooked carrot balls and dried olive inedible pastry. Which brings me to the food. french, we thought it would be a highlight.... breakfast on level 2 was great. Couldnt ask for more, fruit, pastries( they were cold and tired and needed to be reheated) On level 6 it was a buffet free for all. Food difficult to reach and at several stations. Lunch was the same and dinner on level 6. We ate maily on 2, al la carte. Food was plain, steak inedible, vegetables, boiled, reheated, deserts teasteless often. Wine was ok. The food was presented well but the taste was a total let down. As for Croatia. If you dont like smoking beware. Montenegro smoking inside cafes etc. people quite friendly, time ashore was enough. The day in Split, walking to the old town was terrible via a chaotic port. Dubrovnik, lovely. We found the crew very friendly and helpful. Most were French, rest were from USA, Uk, Australia. Would we cruise again? No. Mention must also be made of the very poor Ponant online site. We received photocopied docements a weeks before departure with no instructions on how to find the ship in Venice. It leaves from San Basilio. A vaporretto 5.1 will take you there. We found this out ourselves. Ponant offered no information at all in this regard. Entertainment was a small group of excellent dancers each night. We did our own excursions not with a group. Disembarkation was fine Read Less

Best cruise ship with the best staff and by far the best food. Glorious ship with everything you need from sports, to swimming pools to coffee bistros to the best restaurants. Just one incredible luxury cruise ship. The staff were impeccable going the extra mile around every corner. The rooms were perfect, big enough, well appointed, perfect balcony and super bathroom. The WiFi worked perfectly. The overall comfort of the vessel was just perfect and the size and control perfect. I would recommend this cruise ship over and over again. I do not have one negative comment regarding the Oceania Riviera. Fro the boarding process, to the luggage handling to the movement on and offshore with the tender boats every touchpoint was taken care of with absolute professionalism and a-plume. The maintenance of the Oceania Riviera is exemplary. The onboard speciality restaurants were out of this world. This is the cruise liner to go with! Read Less

To visit castl Gandolfo and Carcassonne and to experience Muse. Restaurants. I always thought I would prefer separate individual restaurants as you have on Muse. But, now that I experienced that I was totally wrong. The restaurants were great. The food was wonderful. But, we never got to know anyone. It was like dining in a restaurant onshore. The main reception bar area was huge. We always went to the bar on our other cruises (2 world SS cruises, plus others). On Muse we never went once. Too impersonal. The arts restaurant is a great idea. We went there a few times. We prefer dining in our suite on longer cruises. After one exhausting excursion we decided to have dinner in our suite. But, you can only have the 24 hr menu in the suite. I was shocked. We had an owners cabin aboard Oceania once and the butler brought us food from all the restaurants. I could have Italian and my husband oriental. If they can do it, SS can do it. Read Less

I choose my cruise for the service and itinerary. We sailed from Monte Carlo, stopping at Livorno, Sorrento, Taormina, Malta, Croatia and ended in Venice. Embarking was very quick and flawless. Cabin was as expected..... clean, spacious, with the most comfortable bed and soft bed linens. I was on Deck 5, which made getting to anywhere on the ship easy. My butler was sweet (Demba) and efficient and kind. I never waited more than 5 mins for a response. He and the room attendant (Jennifer) made me feel well cared for the entire trip. My cruise was all inclusive, and the food was beyond delicious. Varied menus was great. Desserts were below the standard in my opinion. They should have sourced locally from all the ports we were stopping into to offer more authentic local delicacies. Clean and tidy is what I saw everywhere on this ship. With that said, it was an older ship, so the wear and tear and dated aspect was present. Pool towels were very poor and beat-up looking. Pool lounges were very, very comfortable. Spa was a crashing disappointment. Steam room was cracking and old. Massage therapist I had was more interested in talking about her self and avoided one of the two areas I had expressed I wanted her to work on during my 50 min session. I don't believe she had much experience in the massage arena. Pedicure was fine, but very over priced for what I received. Blow-out was typical, but the hard sell was annoying on adding all sorts of extra treatments I did not want. I had to keep repeating that I just wanted a basic blow-out. Gym was horrible and small. Under whelmed with the spa. Entertainment was " one note". They pandered to folks over 65. Not much variety. The boutique was also "one note". Very, very expensive, mostly jewelry with diamonds, and stones. Clothes were high-end clothes we could buy at home in USA at anySaks, Niemen Marcus or Nordstroms. Boring..... No variety. No local, unique productsor clothing with a variety of prices!!!! No sundries to choose from either. None. The few tours I did go on were great. Local tour operators were excellent, buses wereclean, air conditioned and in good shape. Silversea canceled two of my tours ( due to lack of interest) night before and did not extend any other offers to join other tours. Now, my biggest piss-off, was the stop in MALTA. My tour was cancelled to the gardens, so I read up on the internet on how to get there on my own, and also plotted out shops I wanted to stop into to see the local speciality, which was gold filigree and lace making, and found a museum I wanted to go to. With that said, I set off the ship onto MALTA to enjoy my day. After walking around for three hours, and asking many locals that mostdid not speak english, I discover ALL OF MALTA CLOSES DOWN ON SUNDAY due tothe fact they are mostly Catholic. So it was a complete waste of time. I was so disappointed, Silversea did not say one thing to anyone and did not make a big announcement that most, if not all businesses, were closed on sunday. WHY ARE YOU STOPPING AT A PORT ON SUNDAY IF MOST THINGS ARE CLOSED. Jipped on that stop.:( On a high note, getting on and off the ship was sooooooo easy and pleasant. So quick,10 minutes or less. I think they are very organized in that area and there were only300 people on the ship made the process efficient. All in all, great service, food, liquor choice. I would do another one in a heartbeat. But you have to "save - up", it's not cheap and check stops for religious closures. Thanks Silversea Read Less

We did three cruises with MSC: Our first, only and last. Our ticket said food and drinks included. Yes if you "dined" at the chaotic Bistro on deck 14, and kept to iced water and coffee out of a bucket. Our balcony cabin had no sea-view as the "glass" fence to the ocean was a 1 inch steel-plate. Ocean-view only if standing up. We dined at our assigned restaurant and table, and were presented with menu with no prices -and next day we could see we had been charged with 60 EUR for a mediocre dinner. The ship docks between 3 and 10 miles off the cities, except in Palermo, and they charge you 10-15 EUR for the shuttle-bus. Any decent hotel offers that for free, i.e. included in the price of the room. We had the pleasure of many Italian families with children, and to say they are noisy is an understatement. In the pool-area talking was impossible, shouting was the only means of communication. The ship itself was fine, meticulously clean and very stylish, and the navigators showed some remarkable ship-handling when entering and leaving ports, very impressive from an ex-pro. One night we had a force-9 gale directly on the side, and rolling was maximum 2 degrees. Ship is OK, the rest is not. Read Less

Hi All, My trip Aug 27th from Athens on the Crystal 7 Day Idyllic Aegean Cruise was beyond what I expected. With only 476 cabins this makes for a nice intimate group with no line ups. The extra pluses like all inclusive drinks, free tours and no tipping quickly made this my top favorite cruise of all time. The guests themselves were 40-75 age group comprised mostly of Canadians and Europeans. No language barrier at all as the staff for the most part are fluent in 5 languages. Very few children which does not exclude families but there is not a huge children's program and the sheer amount of walking and exploring would be difficult for kids or seniors with mobilty issues. Having said that the ship herself does accommodate physically challenged passengers. The food was superb with a la carte and buffet style options. We had a pre reserved table every night and we loved getting to know the staff. The food was international style with a North American flair and every meal was different and presented in the most elegant way. They do offer upgraded menu items like Lobster and select wines but we didn't feel the need to upgrade. I can not say enough about the hard working and friendly staff. By day 2 they knew us by name and we were always greeted in a friendly way. The cabins were spotlessly cleaned and had all the special touches you would find on any other larger cruise ship. Towel service, turn down service, cute towel animals and chocolate on the pillows. Our cabin was a large picture window which was lovely arriving in each port. I would have upgraded to balcony except there were none to book last minute. The best thing about this cruise is that it actually overnights in many of the Greek ports which give guests a chance to experience day and nightlife without having to rush to get back on ship. It was great to be able to explore these destinations on our own. The tours were amazing and very informative, especially Turkey which was a wonderful surprise as we were slightly nervous about going there. At no time did we ever feel any port or locals were dangerous. Of course there were lots of vendors selling their wares and for the most part they were ready to bargain and the clothing, jewelry and trinkets were truly authentic. I would not travel in August again just due to the thousands and thousands of tourists in each port every day plus the heat which was in excess of 38C every day. I would highly recommend this cruise to any of our valued customers and do recommend a few pre/post nights to unwind before the cruise. I will be telling anyone who is willing to listen how fantastic this experience was. Read Less