Vision of the seas is an old vision of the past, not retro-cool, just old. Old enough for the engine not to start. I will try to be short and assertive, honest and willing to give you future traveler a good advise. And it doesn't end good. Vision of the seas is an old boat built in 1998, so there is a very strong risk that something goes wrong; in our experience the problem was that the boat did not depart on schedule. It was supposed to leave at around 6:00 pm, and really departed to Cozumel Mexico at 2:00 am, and it was because the engine wouldn't start... Yes; sad old boat just wouldn't go; and of course we arrived 7 hours late to Cozumel, bye bye come and experience the pyramids because we were in the island for 4 sad hours. One hour to go, one to return, and 2 hours to see whatever you can because we had to go back or the boat will leave you there. Yes, another sad true, it's ok that they are late, but not us of course, they are very strict with our time, after all, we are just the clients, they are not important, are we? So you see me dear traveler, they did not try to make it up for the time, they needed to fix their agenda, and they just did not care if they did that with our time, our precious golden time. Of course it was not our mistake, it was not our problem, but we sure provided our vacation time to fix it. Just a few other details, the tripulation is honestly willing to serve you, they are nice. The boat is old but clean, well maybe not the carpet with chocolate and old gum sticked into it, but is overall just ok. If I were you, I will pick a newer boat. You don't want to get stuck in the middle of the ocean do you? PS, Internet is as slow as the boat. Read Less

This is HA newest and largest cruise ship and we wanted to try it after having done the Volendam in December 2018. Happy that we did. Embarkation and disembarkation both went smoothly. We arrived in FLL the day before, which allowed us to arrive at the ship about 1 pm when embarkation was just beginning, so it went smoothly. We miscalculated on disembarkation. We had booked a 8:50 AM flight from FLL to IAD. We took our luggage and rolled off the Nieuw Statendam at 7:30 AM, grabbed a taxi to FLL, but couldn't get our luggage checked in time, in time being 8:30 AM, and thus we couldn't get our boarding passes in time either. We got lucky; there was a 1:05 PM flight from FLL to IAD and we were able to check our luggage and get our boarding passes for that flight. The World Stage theater was very impressive, cutting edge, and entertaining. The décor of the Dining Room was somewhat spartan to our tastes. But the food and service and our table mates were all outstanding. The social interactions added so much to our cruise experience. The live music at the Rolling Stones and the B.B. King and the Lincoln Center Stage, and the twin piano players played to full houses. Our Vista Suite was obviously new and well designed. The tv screen was 55 inches. On the Volendam it was 30 inches. We missed the library that was on the Volendam, but was absent, or radically downsized, on the Nieuw Statendam. FWIW, we are Platinum members on RCCL, but now we prefer Holland America. It caters to an older demographics and Holland America knows how to appeal to us seniors really well. Read Less

We took this cruise in 2015 and as it was our first cruise we enjoyed the cruise experience and were totally satisfied. With our second cruise on the same ship we noticed some degradation in quality, especially in the dining experiences. There seemed to be less staff to bus and clean tables on this trip. The food was mediocre at the buffet, much better at Guys Burger and the delicatessen. Pizza advertised as pan pizza definetly was not and had a coat of flower on the bottom, crust was dry and thin and crispy. We ordered a complimentary Ceasar Salad it was horrible. Did not resemble a Ceasar in any way. The dressing was a tasteless milky substance and we refused to eat it. Room was clean and well tended by Mega, who was very friendly and attentive. Slight odor in bathroom. Cabin windows needed to be cleaned on the outside. Entertainment facilities were well used and fun, the mini golf area had been renovated since our last visit. Shows were fun and lively. Staff throughout the ship was friendly throughout the ship; although, it seemed far fewer spoke adequate English on this cruise and was often difficult to communicate with general staff. The two excursions we chose were fun and informative, great value. Overall a fun experience and we still consider the cruise full of positive memories. Read Less

We chose this cruise because my friends got a special deal with their travel agent. We have been on many cruises with Norwegian and Carnival. This is Norwegians "bad" experience for us. This ship was extremely overcrowded. There was no way to get near the pool or hot tubs. People crowded the pool and the edges of the pool so it was impossible to get near it. There wasn't an "adults Only" pool, We didn't get to see any of the free shows because they had to be booked in advance of the cruise. All entertainment areas were packed at all times and it was very, very difficult to get a seat anywhere. The cabin attendants must have been overworked because one night our cabin wasn't straightened nor clean towels provided. We had specialty dining as part of our package but we didn't know you had to make reservations to dine there before you ever got on the ship. The excursions were great but that was away from the ship. I do not ever want to book on this ship again. Read Less

we choice this cruise cause it was just what we needed ….we had our friends that came down from NC and stayed with us, to go on this cruise with us....they're our cruise friends,,,it was short, but great...had a blast and everything was really wonderful...and thank you for such a great trip...the rooms and the food was really good, and the drinks were out of this world and plenty of everything....we will go on another one when we can....for sure...we really like the Sun, it's like the Sky lay-out....we had free booze on this one and they were really great....you name it, they make it or have it....the food was plentiful and a wide selection that would please everyone....we had great weather, which is just what we need, to get some sum, as well as some fun,,,we would definitely say that this was perfect for all of us and would go on this cruise again and we want to thank the Sun for coming to Port Canranival , which was only an hour away from we lived....WE WILL BE BACK !!!!!! Read Less

This cruise was a mistake.The cost of the shore excursions was over the top in price.We were following one shore excursion and you could not understand the Tour Guide anyway so thank god i didnt pay for that.Every time they had an announcement over the ships intercom you had to then listen to the whole thing again in Japanese and some times this could take up to 5 mins. Another let down was the rundown condition of the Club Class Mimi Suite we had.It is starting to show its age and for what you pay it just isnt good enough.You could hardly open the door to the balcony, the area around the fridge was horrible with screw caps hiding holes from who knows what.Cabinet doors that did not stay shut. Draws that did not slide to open and the list just goes on and on.But i think the main problem was the Shower being over the bath.Do they not get that most of the people on board are elderly and find it extremly hard to use this setup.The only thing that saved this trip for us were the people in the Club Class restaurant who were the best and they are George Gilbert and Pachi i thank them very much for making every meal experience amazing,Thank you again Read Less

Everything about this cruise was fantastic. From the ports we visited, to the length of the cruise, the onboard entertainment, the exercise class choices, the gym facilities, the games and competitions not to mention the food, all exceeded our expectations! The restaurants were impeccable and the food was first class. The décor is exemplary and let's not forget the compliment the cruise staff. The cruise director and his assistant were very high achievers, always at the ready to assist with entertainment and of course anything that a passenger might request. The production entertainers put 110% into all of their performances. The cabins were well appointed and always well maintained by the cabin staff. We were even fortunate to have the weather in our favour with only 1 rainy day and 1 overcast day at sea. Most shore excursions were value for money and the arrangements for departing the ship were co-ordinated with great precision. Well done Princess Cruises!!!! Read Less

Cruise critic, notes from the brand new MSC Bellisima... The newest of the MSC fleet, Bellisima is massive, wide, and very, very crowded. Ship. There are advantages to its size, but many disadvantages too! The price for its size, comes as opposite to your logic, the balcony suites!! Shoe boxes, (better) have been reduced in width to accommodate more rooms (boxes)! The design has changed the interior to putting the bed near to the window and the sofa next to the heads. On that front, there has been no shortage of hot water, at night the sound of those rooms above, having a shower or running water, can be loud. Everything is bright and new, yet only weeks old, signs of blistering rust, fester in awkward places. The crew as always, are Great! really helpful and accommodating. Some we have known from previous MSC cruises, don’t like the larger ship. It has lost its personality. For the the girls, women and wives, there are plenty of shops! If your in the market for watches, some extremely expensive(€53k)!! Down to tacky 2x €40! This ship was designed specifically for the Med. and less dangerous seas, not for open seas, ask those who travelled out from Southampton! Not good. The shopping plaza will blow your mind! It’s roof is an LED, picture scope, changing scene every few minutes, similar to that seen on the Dancing on Ice back drops. A wonderfull sight to see! Truly beautiful. From previous cruises, the traditional leaving port to Andrea Botchelli and Sarah Brightman singing ‘time to say goodbye’ has been deleted, no longer to thrill the passengers as this Cruise Director ( probably the worst we have ever witnessed), refused to play it!? Andrew Botchelli was in Southampton for the christening ceremony with Sophia Loren, he will be less than enamerored, when he finds out! He was so pleased to learn of the accolade. Shame really, out loud on the tannoy, it fits well with the MSC image, as the ship leaves the port, the recording blasting away! Other cruise lines now do the same, but MSC was first! The food is Good, really good for bulk cooking. The most picky eater would not go hungry. I have no intention of being rude, but how some of the foreigners stack up their plates,only to ditch it 10 mins later. With such a very large passenger number, queueing for food is a nightmare. This very much is the same for getting on and off the ship! Long waits! Double the passengers, but not the staff or exits and it’s a disaster waiting to happen! As above, there are quite a few other matters that can apply too! The theatre, emergency practice, let alone forbid it should ever happen for real! Hey? Perhaps the captain will get off first! Costa on the rocks sir? With ice? One of the other nigly small items is the changing of the drinks packages. One thing other lines should have followed(Cunard)! Obviously MSC found they could screw you out of more money this new way! and the new fantastica package goes far less further than it did! The once formal evening has gone. Not one evening suit to be seen. Shame! Yes shame, we forget the ladies love to dress up! On the Gala night, shorts and tee shirts were seen on many! Bad news is, the staff did little or nothing to stop it. The ship! Yes too big! Too crowded, too many queues, oh yes! There was enough deck chairs, but no staff to organise how far they could go! Main areas were jammed in 2 cases. The ship? An absolute joy to sail in. Even the most sea sick person could manage! Very little roll or pitch! Well done the designer or ship architect. NOW YOU CAN TAKE YOUR MOTHER! There is some good entertainment on board. The nightly shows are well put together as are specialty shows like ‘Circ Du Soliel’, but the ad says, specify! Gourmet food. It is not! Wet, over cooked veg, hard over-baked specialty Potatoes are part of this act! Now in the bin. I did have cause to complain that one time, as my plate went back with no other replacement in sight. But those artists Read Less

Let me start by saying we are not fussy cruisers. My wife and I take most things in stride. If your looking for a brand new ship then cruise in a new ship. This one shows her age BUT....we had a great time. This was our 40th wedding anniversary and we were joined by my wife's twin sister and her husband doing their 38th anniversary (kids lol). We have cruised most ship from Oasis class down. We made diamond on our trip as well. Boarding was a breeze. We got to the port at 11:00am and were on the ship by 11:30. This was the fastest embark I've ever had. Then we had a nice lunch in the Windjammer and hit the pool and the hot tub before going back to our room for muster call. We ate at the included dinning only. The first night they wanted to split us up to 2 tables. They quickly straightened it out. While the menu is a bit repetitive we still found good food to try. The wait staff was truly outstanding. The vision class of ships have a great view from most public rooms. The smoke from the casino is very noticeable in near by rooms like Boleros. Being a non smoker this was a real downer. They need better ventilation in the casino. Finally a great shout out to Luni in guest services, Gener and Inyoman our wait staff and Martin in Windjammer. These and many others made this a great cruise for me! Read Less

This was our 8 cruise and the second with Msc. We choose this cruise because of the itinerary. We are a couple in our late fifties. Embarking in Venice took several houres and here they can do a better job. Stateroom. We had a suite om deck 10 and it was very nice with a good bed, lots of space, å nice bathroom and a good balcony. Everything was kept nice and clean by our cleaner. Food. We had breakfest at the buffet, lunsj mostly in the buffet and one day in the restaurant and dinner every night at the restaurant at deck 6. All the food we had was wonderful and the service by the waiters was excellent. Drinking package. We had the non alkoholic package with water, coffedrinks, soda, none alkoholic softdrinks etc. and they were all very enjoyable. Smoking. We dont smoke. There are no smoking at the balcony any more . Only place inside were people could smoke was in one bar. We were not there and had no problem with smoking people. I never smelled any sigarette smoke at all. Entertainment. This entertainment ensemble is one of the best I have seen. They have wonderful singers and dancers. We saw every show. They were brilliant. Every day we were out on a organized tour and they were all good. We did Sibenik and Trogir in Croatia, Kotor and Perast in Montenegro, Ljublijana in Slovenia and San Marino in Ravenna. Every tour well organized. There were a lot of different activities day and evening on the boat to choose from . As we were out most of the day the evenings went to dinner, show and dancing. Would I cruise on this ship again. Yes with no doubt. Thank you for a wonderful week MSC Lirica. Read Less