Very tacky. Most of the service was terrible. This is not good value for money. There was absolutely nothing to do on the boat. My shore excursion was cancelled due to lack of people. Also there is no sports area at all so unless you’re into power walking around 2 pools then you’re out of luck. There is hardly anything in there minuscule shopping by centre. There is nothing on the TV. If I could I would rate the gym I would say -1 star. Do not travel with MSC as they are selling you a ton of lies. There are one or two good things I could say however. The beds are comfortable and reasonably large. The theatre is a great experience and is well done. There is a vast range of places to eat/have drinks. To summarise I would say that MSC are definatly not the best cruise company I have travelled with by a long shot. Read Less

Chose aft deluxe cabin and paid extra. Hyped up as Maiden Voyage of new ship and seemed ideal with the stops on the way. Cabin we had chosen showed new bed , carpets etc and the layout seemed ideal. Upon arrival the room was not refurbed, but "refreshed" . The shower had black stained grouting, the bed was pushed into an alcove and you had to crawl across the other person to get out of bed. Not great when you are both in your 60's . The aircon was on permanently very cold. The lightbulb by the cabin door failed on day one and it took 5 days for anyone to look at it. Went to reception to change room but nothing available as some rooms were not ready for the public to use, and nothing deluxe, or even an upgrade available. Engineers came and went but we were told that there was a technical issue with the aircon. Bed was a bit basic with a metal frame and a thin mattress. Had to have a couple of mattress toppers on, but still sunk in the middle. Food was very good. Some of the supplements seemed very excessive. Waiting times were ok, but sometimes you don't want to be bleeped by a pager after 35 minutes or so, so you have to go elsewhere to eat. The main buffet was somewhere we only went to at lunch time for a quick salad or maybe a cup of tea and a scone in the afternoon, but it is a bit basic. Staff were really friendly and realised that there were problems with bits of kit on board. Engines were quiet on sailing but very noisy when trying to manoeuvring to the dock. The cabin rattled and the door came open to the bathroom and glasses and cups rattle. Not great at 530 am most mornings. Entertainment in the Broadway Show Lounge was fine for us . The Bingo and activities during the day was not our thing. The Pool area is packed and noisy most of the day so we just went off ship as much as we could. Trips are expensive, but sometimes you have to bite the bullet and pay up. Luckily we did on the Rome excursion as some people got lost and we were 45 minutes late back, so the ship waited . Basically it is a 24 year old ship that has been refitted a couple of times. This time it was done a bit too quickly and it needed another 4 weeks , but TUI are very money orientated so pushed ahead, despite their customers needs. I note that the cabin is now not being shown as Deluxe. If I had known that before departure I would have cancelled and got a refund. Read Less

We cruised with Costa for the first time in 2018, on the Diadema. It was excellent, so we booked again on the Fortuna. All in all, it was a good cruise, but I felt not as good an experience as the Diadema. The ship is smaller for a start, and I missed the numerous bars and extra expanse of the Diadema. The staff were in the large part nice and friendly with a few exceptions. Those who run the buffet cannot get it cleared quick enough at 'closing time'. Apart from he fact that breakfast has to be taken by 9.30am, and the food will be whipped away at exactly 9.30am, lunch and dinner are a similar experience. Food in the buffet was decent enough, but repetitive. However the biggest issue was that everything was luke warm to downright cold. Even seconds after replenishing, cuts of meat, potatoes etc all luke warm. Costa also still persist with this ridiculous policy of having a manned drinks area. Stingily opening cans of coke etc and pouring them into glasses. God forbid you should want a WHOLE can of coke! This is glaringly different to my last cruise on the MSC Seaside in the Caribbean, where drinks of all kinds are dispensed, water freely available, and even Wine is help yourself at dinner time. Food in the restaurants is excellent, every night was superb. I just felt overall, the Diadema was a better experience. We enjoyed the Fortuna, it tries, is very clean and pleasant, but we would probably not book it again. Read Less

Firstly this was our first cruise so we have nothing to completely judge against, however the things I will talk about was our experience. On arrival onto the ship we we’re badgered by staff wanting us to sign up to a drinks package which we had already sorted pre arrival. This also didn’t stop for a couple of days. ( by all means assist customers but make staff be seen but have customers approach staff ) We also were constantly bugged by the staff photographers constantly asking if we wanted our picture taken and even after a polite no they then pleaded ‘it will only take a few minutes ‘ whilst following us. My polite no’s were beginning to wear very thin towards the end. To add insult to injury the one time we gave in, we were then automatically charged £34.99 to our card before even seeing them. From the reception they told me it was down to me to say I didn’t want them to have the charge removed. So I was glad to keep an eye on my account on my tv in my cabin. Otherwise it would have been a shock on leaving. ( may be better for customers to say yes before charging). Each place we docked at we were badgered if we wanted taxi or sight seeing bus. All were stupid prices and you can do so much better sourcing your own public transport at great prices.... it got tiresome as they wouldn’t take no as an answer. I feel msc security/ dock security should monitor this and actively reduce this annoyance. Now the ship is an absolute beautiful design. Really took our breath away. The mid ship sky screen shows and displays were very good. The shows onboard were very very good and thoughly entertaining. And at 30 mins I feel it was too short but understand with time restrictions for the program it has to be that way. I had no issues with my premium drinks package and recommend this is purchased. The staff were all very friendly and pleasant and had no bad experiences in the dining room with food or waiting staff. The cabin ( we had a balcony) was a nice size and I would say it was a slightly smaller than the average Travelodge room but pretty much the same layout. Tv channels were slightly limited ( but who comes on holiday to watch tv ). The safe is quite tiny and we couldn’t put our iPads in it. But it was simple to use. The Bed was very comfortable with two pillows. Balcony size ok. Mini bar idea not so good. .... it is not covered on the drinks package. I think to enjoy the balcony it would be good to use from mini bar to save having to go to the bar for purchasing drinks to carry back. Most drinks in there can be from the bar anyway. ( just saves borrowing and restocking ourselves the next day early). The spa is amazing and well worth the visit. Spent most days in there for a couple of hours recovering from our days walking. However on the sea day it got very busy. Maybe it would be good if msc only allowed the package deal only people to access on sea days and offer no day pass. ( could earn more money for them and balance the numbers out for spa visitors). With the numerous relaxation areas jacuzzis and steam/ sauna rooms and ice room. Not forgetting the emotional showers there are plenty of places to relax and rest. Never gambled before and the casino was an awesome experience. Staff very friendly and when it was quiet we asked how to use tables and all was explained very well. There are serious gamblers there, and people like us who had fun with between 10-30 Euros per visit. We actually visited most nights and actually walked away with more Euro’s than we started with. The water slides were fun to use, and the pools were relaxing. And the external hot tubs on the deck were very nice also. Anyone in two minds about first time cruising, I think the ship will give you the experience that will help decide if it’s for you. And as for us......... we will stick with msc and look out for more locations this ship will visit and try out the other ships in the fleet. We have been converted to a life of cruising for sure. Read Less

Maybe I'm being too harsh, but this cruise- the ship at least, was a huge disappointment. I started cruising in the 1980s, specifically on the grandest of the grand, the SS Norway. The NCL of then versus the NCL of now is truly night and day. First, the good. The room was great. We had a balcony on deck 10, and it was spacious, comfortable, and had a nice unobstructed view. The cruise director was delightful. Better than many. The service staff (cabin stewards, excursion folks, service desk) were great. Friendly and helpful. The shows were pretty good as well. The ports were great. So, what's to complain about, right? Well, the ship. The food. The lack of personal service. The way it used to be, when you went to dinner, it was an event- the highlight of your day. You sat at the same table, with the same people, every night. Same waiter, same assistant waiter, and your waiter only had 2-3 tables, so he knew you. After a few days, he understood what you liked, what you didn't like, and he helped you through the menu. The menu. When you went on a cruise, you used to get 5-8 courses of unbelievably delicious food. You really would gain weight on a cruse because you ate and ate wonderful, glorious food. Now- it's 3 courses of crap. Boring appetizers, bland main course, and mass produced frozen deserts. Terrible. And with no more assigned seating, you get different wait staff- who have 5-10 tables to take care of. Translation- you wait an wait and wait. I think NCL should be ashamed of themselves. Yes, I've cruised other "modern" cruises with their "premium" dining options. I know just about everyone has eliminated 5 course meal and the personal assigned wait staff. But this example was beyond unacceptable. It is especially sad because of my experience with the SS Norway. NCL knows how to do it right, they just won't. Terribly disappointing. Read Less

My parents are retired and have been on a couple of Norwegian Cruises . They had been suggesting to my husband and I to take a cruise . My husband and I had never been. Well we finally listened to my parents and we are happy we did . The only minor thing was that our stateroom instead of one bed it had two which thankfully that same day it was fixed . Out butler was the BEST “Agus” is so kind and friendly and he made our room beautiful every si clean day and was always asking us if we needed anything . The food was great from the buffet to Garden and Windows Restaurants as was the Blue Lagoon . I would suggest that the cruise this one in particular give more time to the Hispanic guests when it comes to Music meaning the Disco and having the Latin duo sing more than just at the pool or 30 mins . We wanted to dance and it was very limited . Please consider having a Salsa/Bachata/Merengue night or have a Dj something please . The tender service was good despite the 1st time taking extra time to be honest . I would again do a Norwegian Cruise . I loved the “Washy Washy” “Happy Happy “ Thank you all at Norwegian for a great 1st Cruise . Read Less

We chose this cruise for its itinerary. We explored Barcelona for the day before embarking. We arrived at the terminal around 1230pm and found the embarkation process to be smooth. There was a lot of staff there to help and guide passengers. Although our room wasn't completely available, we were allowed to drop off our bags. We appreciated that! This differed from my experience on the Carnival Sensation. On that ship they had the hall doors closed and we could not drop off anything for a few hours after the ship sailed. I should mention that this Norwegian cruise is only my second cruise and my husband's first. We got off at all but one port (Palma de Mallorca). Only because we had just been there and wanted to rest. If you haven't been there, be sure to get off and explore, it's a great place. All of the disembarkation processes went smoothly with the exception of Cannes, France. We had to tender from the ship and unfortunately the local company that was contracted didn't have as many tender boats as we needed. It took us close to two hours to get off of the ship. Dave, our cruise director, I apologized for the inconvenience and assured us that our next tendering experience in Kotor would run smoother. And it did. On top of that the captain was able to move the ship inland during the middle of the day so that we did not have to tender upon our return in the evening. We found the ship to be clean and nice looking. The staff were friendly and helpful. I enjoyed using the library.We also enjoyed eating at the buffet. There was a different theme every night and the food was hot and fresh. We also ate at both the Windows and Garden's dining room. There was steak available every night which was the wonderful treat. We also enjoyed a few meals at Shoguns. The food was good but I really liked the hot and sour soup. We went to most of the nightly shows. The theater production was talented but we mainly enjoyed the dance couple that performed with hula hoops and acrobatics. The magic show was cool too. we did for excursions during the cruise. The one in cans took us to Monaco and Monte Carlo. It was really cool to see where the Grand Prix race takes place and we really enjoyed the views. We also did an explosion in couture. This was one of our favorites because it took us up into the mountains and on a windy road with spectacular views. We really liked our tour guide as she was full of information. at the end of the evening we enjoyed walking through downtown. Being inside the walls and looking through all of the local shops was relaxing.there are a lot of stray cats, which Kotor is known for, which we found enchanting.Our next excursion was in Dubrovnik. This was a really nice themed excursion about the TV show The Game of Thrones. Our guide was wonderful and funny. there was a lot of walking but it was definitely worth it especially if you're a fan of the show. The city is beautiful and offers nice views. Lastly, we stopped in Sicily and took an excursion to Taormina. Unfortunately, we experience cloudy weather which didn't allow for the views that we know the city has to offer. I would still recommend the excursion and hopefully you get better views than we did. It's a nice little city to walk through. Included in the excursion was a visit to the old theater ruins. That was a sight to see! we didn't do an excursion in Palma de Mallorca because we had recently been to that beautiful place and simply wanted a day of rest. If you haven't been, be sure to get off the ship! We also did not do an excursion in Livorno (Florence/Pisa) as the reviews were not promising. We plan on visiting on our own another time. Instead, we got off the ship and walked through the town of Livorno which we found simple and cute. We got some gelato and enjoyed what the town had to offer. In Greece we did the same thing. We enjoyed our walk through some parks and to the old fortress. it was a small fee to climb to the top and get a breathtaking view of the island. When stopping in Naples we decided to get on the train and do a self excursion to Pompeii. It's much less expensive and we felt adventurous! The train station is a short bus ride or 30-minute walk away. The train ride was about an hour. Then another half hour walk to the archaeological Park aka the Pompeii ruins. We walked around there for about 4 hours and took in all that it had to offer before walking back to the train station with plenty of time to get back to the cruise ship. It was a long day with a lot of walking but definitely worth it! Bring a hat. It was just my husband and I, ages 35 and 40. We are new to cruising and really enjoyed this ship and would have had to offer. As I mentioned before, the staff were great and I felt like I knew some of them by the time we left. Dave was great. I felt like we were given ample information and we're bothered with too many announcements. we will definitely cruise with Norwegian again. Although, we would like to try out a slightly larger ship just for a different experience. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the itinerary. The ship was a bit different then other NCL ships I have been on. This one has both the main dinning room and the Theater in the aft of the ship. When you entered the theater, you entered in the front, different, but not bad at all. We attended most of the shows and they were very well done. The NCL band is outstanding, as well as the singers and dancers. We did not take part in any of the ship board activities because we were too busy with excursions. The cabin was great, the food in all dinning rooms was great as well. We were lucky enough to have nice weather through out the cruise We did an excursion thru NCL in every port. Most of them were very good, we did have one that got changed because of a washed out road and it turned out to be our least favorite, but we were compensated some for it. All in all a great experience. Read Less

Great ports, well priced, small ship enabled getting to know more people sharing the same experience. The staff were very friendly and accommodating; the rooms (even inside) were very comfortable. Some reviews indicated the small ship would not provide the best experience, however, this was my 7th cruise, and I found it to be very comfortable. The food was a little lacking in quality sometimes; the chicken often dry (however, I prefer it that way, others did not) , there was little variety from night to night in the main dining rooms; we found the Raffles buffet to be the best, and the variety there, outranked the dining rooms. Coordination of shore excursions, especially during times when the ship was tendered, could have used some better organization, especially at the stop in Cannes. Many cruisers were frustrated with long wait times and lack of tender boats to provide transportation to shore. Overall, I think most enjoyed the cruise, and the attention to detail from most service personnel, room stewards and dining room attendants, especially, did well in this area. I also appreciated their attention to hygienic conditions, with spritzing of hand sanitizers, and cleanliness, that I believe would be viewed as high quality from safety inspectors. Read Less

I chose it for the ports. The food was mediocre at best and the ship sort of rundown. Many signs in the elevators and on each deck were hard to read due to aging. The entertainment was ok some nights and pretty blah other nights. Our cabin stupid appeared at times to have dementia as he introduced himself to us three times in two days not realizing we had already met! The staff were nice and ai lived the ports of call and the ease of boarding and disembarking. The cabin cost a small fortune but the drawer space was so minimal we had to keep sweaters in our suitcase under the bed! The bed was also really uncomfrotable with a zipper connecting two twins so rolling over to snuggle with husband was unpleasant as I would be lying on hard pieces of metal! As far as food goes, vegetarian is not a special diet and is the norm in several countries. The menus did not seem to think about this and by the end of the ten days I was desperate for protein. Read Less