We were going on our Golden Wedding cruise with two !o g standing friends over Christmas for the first time. A cruise which had been looking to for many months which was ruined by poor service from the start. Destinations changed and replaced by ports and cut short timings in port on a number of occasions with little consideration for passengers. One old couple never even got off the boat having asked for assistance. A.real bargain basement holiday at having booked early was at a premium price. Never again and have asked to come off Newmarket Travels data base. We have been treated by CM V when we complained with total impumitiy. You have to like a lot of bread and butter pudding and cheap sausages and you will like the food. This is a 3 star cruise ship over 30 years o!d. Don't take my word for it, just look up Magellan on you tube for a behind the scenes look. Read Less

Looked forward to this cruise as been on Radiance twice before. Easy boarding despite covid-19 issues. Just relaxing before sailing when Captain advised cruise cancelled due to NZ closing ports. Royal Caribbean were great. Really helpful and promised a full refund or 125% credit on cruise cost. Vessel was very clean, lots of people cleaning and wiping down everywhere we went to avoid the dreaded corona virus. It was very disappointing but very well handled by all crew members on board. Will definitely travel again with RC and especially Radiance. The cabin was very clean and tidy but we only had a one night stay. As we couldn't arrange to get home that night we elected to stay on board. The ship however, had to move into Sydney Harbour as the Queen Elizabeth was docking the next morning. We were taken ashore on a chartered harbour cruise ferry cat and it went really smoothly, Lots of help with baggage both getting on the tender and off at the warf. Congratulations to all staff and crew. Will definitely try this cruise again when things settle down. Read Less

to go to places i have never been,but this did not happen as the itinary changed frequently and we had to go to places i was not interested in,out of the 28 day cruise we were at sea for fourteen of them as we were not allowed to dock.in my opinion this cruise should never had taken place and should have been cancelled.ships main staff could not or more to the point would not answer straight forward questions hoping you would not bother to ask again. the ship was clean but there was not a lot else for staff to do as there was only about 1800 guest on a ship that holds about 3500,bar staff and restaurant staff very helpful but food a disappointment.cabin clean and tidy,entertainment non existent as was only on for about 1/2 hour a night and a sports bar that showed no sport,bingo once a week,and on deck all they played was kids games with not many kids onboard,would i sail with this cruise line again NEVER EVER. Read Less

Excellent trip all went well emergency entertainer added in Fremantle was a nice surprise. All fill in Acts were very good as were the large showtime shows in the Theatre. The waiters in the Marquis Restaurant & Horiizon Court buffet were attentive, helpful & friendly. The cabin staff also very good, kept the cabin very clean and stocked with fresh towels. The cabin had plenty of coat hangers and a soft bed. The cruise staff were continuously cleaning, giving us a sense of safety. The wash tubs at the buffet were very efficient to keep guests safe as possible from the Corona virus it being so easily passed to everyone at this time. We visited Albany, Port Lincoln, Adelaide & Kangaroo Island,but our voyage finished there due to Burnie in Tasmania and Melbourne closing their ports to cruise ships,due to the virus. Princess has offered a geneorus refund with two refund choices for our loss Worth another cruise ASAP Read Less

We like New Zealand and decided that it would be a good way to go for a short cruise which started in Auckland and finished in Sydney. One of the selling points was that the ship was coming back to Sydney via Eden on the south Coast of NSW.. On the morning of embarkation in Auckland it was a fairly long process because of the corona virus scare - everyone had to have their temperature taken.. But it was handled well and to know that we were considered safe to board the vessel was good news. Our balcony cabin on Deck 6 was OK apart from a slightly restricted view because of the life boats. The balcony furniture was very tatty and one of the chairs was less than safe to 'perch' on. There were a few things around the ship that needed attention. I don't like the idea of a 'minibar' and requested all the things in it be removed. Another thing which really annoys me is that as soon as one sets foot on the ship someone is trying to take your photo, others are endeavouring to make sure one has a drinks package or others are trying their hardest to get one to sign up for extra dining packages or spa treatments etc etc. If I want those things I am quite capable of making my own decisions. The WiFI costs on Celebrity Solstice are beyond belief. No wonder people hightail it off the ship when there are port calls to search for free WiFi. I thought the food in the buffet cafeteria was quite good - a wide variety of food. We never went to the formal dining room. One things I didn't appreciate was the 'music' that constantly bashed one's ears. Why does it have to be so loud and intrusive. Very difficult to hold a good conversation - I guess it's also a way of quickly shunting people through the dining areas. Their system of accounts makes it appear on the in room TV that each person has the same credit. We spoke to one of the desk staff about this and he said that quite a few people had been 'caught out by this'. An easy way to make an extra buck or two for the company. The Captain was quite a good communicator - quite amusing as well. Most of the staff were friendly and our room attendant was efficient and pleasant. The end of the cruise was less than satisfactory. We couldn't dock in Eden because of the corona virus (I understand that). We docked on the evening 19/3 in Sydney but couldn't disembark until the following morning. With everything that was/has been happening with corona virus we would have thought that we all would have been checked before getting off the ship or at least on the dock. But NO - it didn't happen. Something fell down with communication between the ship and NSWhealth/ border control. When we got to the dock we had to sign a form about going into 14 days isolation. Which of course we did and we will be 'in-house' for quite a few more days before that time is up. It was an unhappy ending to an otherwise fairly good trip. Read Less

Negatives: Spring break cruise, my MISTAKE. Screaming, drinking, banging on doors in the middle of the night, singing " coronavirus in the hallways" at 3am. Watched a couple of spring breakers who coughed without covering mouth and/or putting head into sleeve or anything more than one time, tried to avoid them as much as possible. Lesson learned! The balcony staterooms have been changed to have 1 glass door and a port hole design which was unexpected as we have always experienced 2 glass doors which helps you not feel confined in such a small area. Do NOT like the new design. Will never book SKY again. 1)Cruise rep: Purchased cruise credits from previous cruise, after booking new cruise called back to inquire if they could be used as discount, NO. I had to mention it at time of booking, she suggested to save for next cruise. It's on our account why didn't our cruise rep inquire if any certificates /discounts to be used when booking? Had questions from other persons traveling with us to be clear on what the "free amenities" were was asked not to send emails but to call her. She was a little condescending at times. 2)Itinerary @sea, Day 1: Was advised our trip had to be changed due to weather so we went opposite direction only to find that weather prevented us from our PRIMARY excursion and port. We did not even stop (all day at sea) but found out later that another cruise line simply waited an hour and was given permission to dock. This was first time was feeling the movement of ship as many people were crying and complained of nausea. It was horrible. Since we lost our excursion villa ($350) we tried in vain to get another one at next port, service desk rep says he could try, we began that request at 9:10 am, checked back in 4 times at the desk to hear that NCL had not received a response from folks @ Pearl Island. No courtesy feedback from NCL service desk to say, cannot confirm suggest you try something else. Day 2: docked then ran to service desk to pay $99 each ($600 for our party) to board a 15 minute boat ride (raining & overcast) to a new area "Pearl Island" that it was first come first serve to get a cabana but no one knew the "additional" cost. Literally people jumped off the boat and hurried to get that premiere spot. Society shows itself in times such as this. Talked to Pearl Island Manager to find the cost of the cabana for 6 was a mere $500 additional which included pillows, no food, drinks or private access to beach. There were other cabanas for rent maximum party of 2 adults , 1 child for $450 each no guarantee of getting 2 together so ended up on beach loungers for free. FYI: ALL of the cabanas were EMPTY the whole time, we offered half the price for the big one but were turned down. Be AWARE, NO easy access to the beach on certain areas where there are chairs, a stone wall 3-4', no steps, had to step down a good 12-15 inches into the sand with sharp shells this is OK if you are young and strong legs , horrible if older in age. On the return boat ride in the HOT sun we were given an informative lesson on who the rich and famous are in the area and a look at their homes only to see on the opposite side of the area appeared to be the working mans area which was totally depressing.. I filled out the excursion card with positive reviews for the crew but that's all. Day 3: docked @ last port, burnt from sun so stayed onboard only to find due to port laws all fun things to do are closed as not to take business away from port. Bummer. It may appear that if we kept original routing everything would have worked out as weather was better on return. My opinions are strong because my expectations were high as we never experienced disappointment with NCL and to top it off we were dealing with the corona virus pandemic...We could NOT cancel because NCL would not give refunds/credits until March 10th which was a day after we embarked. What a joke! Positives: Mar 09:Embarkation was wonderful, thank you. The Palace for lunch, server "Remian" PERFECT. Cagneys for dinner as expected- 10/10 food & service. Mar 10: Food gallery very impressive as so many choices and delicious. Lunch @ Palace recommended. Dinner @ Crossings which was a pleasant surprise. Mar 11: At port all day. Dinner @Le Bistro is undeniably our favorite worth the money. Food outstanding, server Leila was top notch. To our surprise after having the best experience ever..while walking out of LeBistro was the TOP CHEF herself as seen on NCL TV as part of the crew. She was as nice in person as she appeared on TV so we thanked her for a delicious dinner, a wonderful memory and complimented her on her dance routine on TV. Mar 12: Our favorite bar tender worked primarily in The Local bar located AFT on the ship from 6pm- closing, gave us his name as Tom Cruise... OK. Dinner @the Local was very good, pub/ bar food but a great way to end the cruise. Most often during this cruise, spring breakers were polite, but there are always a few that break the mold. It was obvious this was a success to them so good for them! Favorites: Leila. Le Bistro Tom cruise The Local Andresthia. Cabin attendant. (Adorable woman). Ramein. Crossings& The Palace Disembarking was much easier than expected, breezed through it once we were "released" by Miami. Glad to be home. Found an Uber and to the airport which is another story to be told. Read Less

before i Sailed i checked here for a few reviews and didn't see many up to dated ones so i thought i would add one, it was a few ago and i did not write anything down so i will try to be detailed. This was a 4 day cruise from Long Beach Ca. Catalina, Ensanada Mx. sea day back to Long Beach So for the People reading this in the future we just started getting serious about the Corona Virus 3/9/20 and everyone was canceling there cruise, Carnival was trying to fill this ship up and so i booked this 10 days before they sailed through the Carnival Players Club ( Casino ) The Deal was $20 pp for a IS and I upgraded it to 6C for $10 so for double i paid $60 plus taxes of $105 and i received $100 OBC and a Drink on us package in the Casino then a few days after i booked is when the cruise industry really getting hammered with people getting Corona Virus. Carnival offered us a $100 more OBC if we didn't cancel but would honer anyone who wanted to cancel so to recap i Paid $165 got $200 OBC and free drinks..i couldn't say no. Before I boarded everyday Carnival sent emails everyday saying if you feel sick or have any signs dont show up you will not board that there was strong screening before you get on...making it easy to cancel for full refunds..and they were true to there word they did screen everyone, they took everyone's temperature as they boarded. never once did i feel like i would get sick, they were not allowing people to spoon there own food in the buffet they plated everything for you and they had full hospital gowns on face masks gloves etc..there were always people walking and wiping rails tables etc. This was my 9th Carnival Cruise 5th Fantasy class Ship and 2nd time on the Inspiration .So i knew the layout and i knew what to expect a older ship with funky coloring i like the ship and the layout and i know where to stay I like my room right by the Elevator that leads to deck 10 right in front of the buffet. easy access to food and the lido deck fun. I stayed in M 199 the room was set up as a king by my request and it had a hanging bed that was folded up out of the way. What i wanted to do this cruise was play some Craps in the casino and read some books I did just that I played a lot in the Casino they Have one of those Crap Bubble Machines that i love I probably played 7 or 8 hours on that plus about the same on live craps. I did not eat in the MDR... i ate Sushi twice Buffet once and Deli once for Dinner everyday is was Guys buggers and Fries...Omelettes for breakfast. The Buffet sucked i did not eat all of it i went and got a sandwich at the Deli later that night.I also had a new guy trying to make omelettes one morning he had to make it 3 times before he got it right,,,besides those few issues no problems with food. I only went to a few shows ...the same as always if you have not seen it go see it if you have ...unless your bored ,,, my guess was the ship sailed at about 90% so there was always people on the Lido deck as usual i walked around a few times tryig to find a quiet place to read and was not able to find it even on the ship the library had people playing board and card games only place was my cabin to read which sucked but im one of those guys who has distraction i cant read... Hey I have never been on a bad cruise I have not Issues but never have they ruined my Cruise this was no different.. My Cabin steward I met him my first day I tipped him $40 and said I am Solo i probably not gonna need a lot from you but Ice please keep my Ice chest full... I had to call him every time but once I only had him clean the cabin once which is the time he got the Ice...he was polite and professional but didn't seem to want to do the extra effort... he would of got another $40 but did not earn it. and yes i kept on the auto tip as well. also like i said with my breakfast i felt they were training people to do it, Besides that everyone was awesome and friendly the Casino crew was top notch from the dealers to the Cocktail servers i was greeted by name every time i walked in there. the staff during the Muster drill was awesome they were the Dancers in the show so they new how to Entertain us while dealing with a boring issue. So here are some weird issues this cruise had that normally you wont run into often We were suppose to leave Long Beach at 5:30 pm I was up on the lido and we just sat and sat finally i went downstairs because it was getting dark and i was hungry.. we set sail at 8:05 Captain came on once and said we were delayed because we hadn't been cleared to leave yet..First day we were suppose to be in Catalina I was going to stay on board the weather was poor and i have been to Catalina many times nothing i wanted see but i was woke up at 7:45 by the Captain saying the weather was to bad to be able to tender back and forth so we were going to make today the sea day and go to Catalina tomorrow and Ensanada on the last day. and any excursions would be refunded, taxes etc. everything would be re booked for Ensanada about 12 pm the captain came back on and said we were heading to San Diego to drop off a sick passenger and please dont try to get off the ship we are only going to stop and drop...then about 30 minutes later he cam back on and said the Coast Guard decided to come and pick him up instead please stay away from the back of the boat...of course everyone was up on the lido taking pictures...and we ended up canceling Catalina altogether and went to Ensanada as planned with the last day being another sea day... Getting off the ship I walked off at 7:45 right to my truck and on the road by 8am Read Less

Price and itinery lead to this cruise. It was a mistake. Too many surly bar staff who were unable to smile. Same for reception staff who were actually rude at times. The attitude on the ship was "you will do what we say and if you don't like it, too bad" It was a case of, "We will ask the questions". Open hostility at times. Senior crew were inexperienced and kept telling us that they had to get answers from head office. You could never get a straight answer. Cruise director was promoted from being a singer. She used her new position to make herself, and singer/boyfriend to be front and centre of all entertainment. Other singers were excluded so they argued amongst themselves and told the passengers. There was no control. Dancers were great. Some of the bar waiters were very good. Worse thing was, when things went bad, the pasengers were told nothing or were lied to. Read Less

I will make this as honest and impartial as possible. We expected a 3 star budget cruise and it struggled to reach this standard. I will start with the embarkation. Singapore is not a good port to board from at the best of times but when CMV had every passenger embarking at the same time (3PM) and no-one giving any direction the whole process was a complete shambles, however when we did get on board our suitcases were at our cabin door. Dinghy drill was scheduled for around 8PM on deck at your muster station. Problem with this was that everyone had been on board for 5 hours, all had dinner and of course a few drinks and in some cases quite a few drinks. So we get to our muster station, everyone is merry and talking while the PA announces what we are supposed to do. When it came to donning of life jackets, we already had then on (as directed earlier). The crew at our muster station were supposed to demonstrate but as we found out they were new crew and did not know how to don them themselves. Heaven help us if there was a real emergency. The cabin itself was clean with a comfortable double bed and dated decor. The bed we found strange because we had a double base sheet made of something like rough flannelette with 2 single dona's on top. We also found having a spa bath was odd. Would hate to be old or have a disability because it was very difficult to get in and out of. We also had an external leaking pipe on our veranda that was leaking some sort of thick black liquid which dripped onto the deck. I complained and all they did was put more tape over the tape that was already there. See photo's. The rest of the ship had received a makeover from when it transferred from P&O and we were happy with all areas. Lot's of comfortable areas to go and hide, meet people, read etc. We rated it well above the 3 star we expected. There was a lot of crew from Eastern block countries that had difficulty smiling but that is their nature and we accepted that. If one took the time to get to know them they did display a lot more of their friendly side but it had to be initiated by us. Another strange quirk. We had a drinks package and could drink almost any alcoholic beverage to our hearts content but is we wanted a tea/coffee we had to pay 50% of list price. Bizarre. Overall the food was ok but rarely changed in the buffet. Still don't know what the "bacon" was tho because it definitely was not bacon Evening meals in the main dining area were good with nice variety. Hated the Asian one. We thought you could choose between all the mains but you got everything! Still cannot understand why they would dish up a Thai green curry, an Indian fish curry and a Korean beef dish together. Horrible is an understatement. We did not each much that night and never went back. We only had one evening show each night because of the low number of passengers and it was the same singer, dance team most nights which were very average. We persevered for 2 1/2 show and gave up. As for the gust performer they had a Rod Stewart something or another. He was not an impersonator, did not sound like him, kept singing songs inter dispersed with some extremely poor comedy. A lot of people got up and walked out. He was on again the next night and performed to only a handful in the audience. Freya was the cruise director and it was her first time as cruise director. Only ever saw her at the end of a show and heard her over the PA each day reading from the printed days schedule which we all had anyway. What did she actually do? If it was organising the daily events she did a poor job. 3 quizzes a day with 3 other repeated events like bean bag tossing, nerf gun shooting at plastic cups and skittles. Oh you could go to other classes like what to do with used toilet paper rolls and pay $5 for the privilege. Plus there was bingo with 3 games, 1 line, 2 line and full card, all played on the same card. Weird. We also heard they had a Captain on board. Never saw him! Our original cruise was supposed to dock at Sandakan with it's famous orangutan sanctuary but 2 weeks before the cruise someone discovered we could not fit into the channel. Glad someone checked. Thought they would have done that when they were planning to itinerary. Had my fingers crossed they had checked all the other ports. Lot's of disgruntled passengers who had booked the cruise because of this port. Sihanoukville was a shocker of a port. The whole city is under construction with the Chinese building 105 casino's all at the same time. On top of this all the roads and underground pipelines were being replaced at the same time. So we visited a construction zone with dust everywhere. Why it was on the itinerary is anyone's guess. We did hear from a crew member or two that the Captain was not a happy chappy. We tendered at Koh Samui and the organisation of this was abysmal. Only 4 tenders were used. We were lucky to be called for the second lot of departures and arrived onshore 90 minutes after the whole process commenced. The only good thing about it was we had Rod Stewart on our tender and when he boarded everyone sang "we are sailing" for him. The return was just as bad. Must also mention our arrival into Laem Chebang. Thai officials decided on a last minute change of plans to have a face to face with immigration off the ship. So we all had to get our passports but rather than call deck by deck and 1 person per cabin to collect them there was a general announcement instead so everyone and I mean everyone went to deck 6 at the same time. The was only i queue so you can imagine the pandemonium. Then when we went ashore there was another queue that spread almost the entire length of the ship standing in 30 degree heat waiting to see immigration. There was none to guide us and no one bothered to think we might need to have some water. Disgusting organisation! As for disembarkation it was seamless but strange there were no PA's advising on when you could disembark. So to our pro's and con's. The pro's: The bed was comfortable. The cabin air con worked well (in our cabin) The decor of the ship was good. We liked the layout of the ship. The cons: The food was average. The bath was stupid, a lot of people would struggle to get in and out of it. The Eastern Block crew were stone faced and most did not understand English. We got brown water running from our sink tap after 12 days. The overhead pipe on our balcony leaked a dark black liquid. See photo The daily entertainment almost never changed and was boring. The evening entertainment was the same troupe every night except for the worst show ever - a very poor Rod Stewart singer/comedian (not) Never saw the Cruise Director except after the evening show. Don't know what she actually did. Never saw the Captain. Very poor communication. Very poor organisational skills. Would we recommend this ship? If you expect more than 2.5 stars don't cruise with them because 2.5 is all you are going to get. Would we cruise with them again? If there was an itinerary that interested us and we could get it very cheaply then yes but we would probably prefer to cruise with other companies first and cruise CMV as a last resort. Read Less

This cruise was influenced by politics from its start. Travel to Cuba was banned, so Oceania substituted other Caribbean islands from the original three-city tour. Then, the coronavirus caused a world-wide panic and pandemic. Measures were instituted aboard the ship to keep everyone safe by limiting access to food and ensuring sanitizers were used regularly before entering restaurants. Everyone was urged to wash their hands often for 20 seconds with soap and warm water. As a result, no one got sick. Because of U.S. travel bans, Europeans from the Schengen countries disembarked in Antigua four days before the end of the cruise. The rest of the ports were eliminated for all the passengers on March 13. Despite the extraordinary circumstances, the crew and staff pulled together to provide enjoyable activities, games, and entertainment. Food is the best on any of the ships we have traveled, and the entertainers really get to know the passengers. Read Less

I had, for a long time, a desire to cruise with Hurtigruten and when they offered showcase cruises from UK I booked the first one sailing from Tilbury. The onboard experience surpassed what I had imagined. Embarking was uncomplicated and fairly speedy, considering everyone had to be tested for the Covid 19 virus before boarding the ship. I favoured the idea of checking in on the allocated deck of your cabin. We were given Safety instructions were carried out under cover, and seated - much better than standing out on deck........... uncomfortable and freezing! I have been on many cruises but I found this one less hassle than the others. When using the lifts you could not fail to be impressed with the view. That's all I'll say because I don't want to spoil your surprise. The ship is very modern and tastefully decorated with lots of space. No crowding like sardines. Although there are three dining rooms I chose to eat in the same one as I liked the layout. Everything is so relaxed but orderly - there's no queueing at the buffet at breakfast or lunchtime. Evening meals were generally waiter service. Each one of the staff and crew were cheerful and polite. Read Less

I have been on this ship before and enjoyed it. The cabins spacious, the food excellent, entertainment not the best, but OK and the staff so courteous and helpful. On the 2nd port this time we were put into lockdown in our cabins while a patient results were awaited and unfortunately he was positive for Covid-19 15 March 2020 End of cruise holiday. Food is excellent apart from the fact that it is hard to get enough vegetables and it often turns up cold. Two gentleman hosts take dancing lessons and arrange for singles to sit together if they desire . This is much appreciated. This cruise has Bridge lessons with an excellent instructor. The cabin 426 is spacious with a walk in robe and big two bowl sink, shower and large bath, all scrupulously clean. The crew appear mainly Filipino and have a high standard of English. Unfortunately some of the land tour s , although expensive, were quite disappointing. Our 4 hour tour took in two churches, a few market stalls and a historic prison which was converted to market stalls in the cells. The wares were quite high quality, particularly the table cloths and ladies' clothing. Not much to see over 4 hours. The route was interesting. Now we have to see what will happen with our own quarantine/ incarceration . Read Less

Due to having to use tenders, one port was canceled. At the other two, it took hours to re-board. The cruise director did a TERRIBLE job of communicating in Cozumel. Yes, there were a lot of ships which I understand makes it more congested. However, they refused to communicate over the loudspeakers as to how we were to disembark on the tenders, leading to mass confusion. It took us 4 hours to get off the ship. We were told they were going to make sure we got there for the excursion, but that time came and went. Then they said the excursions would wait, but when we finally got ashore we were told they left without us. We had a grand total of 2 hours at the port before we stood in line another 2 hours to get back on the boat. I completely blame the cruise director and the crew for their terrible communication and organization. They made an already difficult situation 10 times worse and ruined our vacation. I used to love Norwegian but I will never sail with them again after this. Learn how to make proper announcements so people can plan accordingly and disembark in an organized manner. The dining was actually good, especially Ocean Blue. Many of the cruise staff were amazing through everything, but several were really obnoxious. We missed our first port because of choppy waters, but Jamaica and Grand Cayman were awesome. I highly recommend the ATV excursion in Jamaica and checking out Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman. The parties on the ship were lackluster at best, and we really missed the white party which they normally have on Norwegian but didn't this time. Syd Norman Pour House was cool for music but usually too crowded to enjoy. Same thing for the pool. The shows were great as well. We loved Six! All in all, I would not go on another huge ship like the Breakaway again. Q Read Less

This is a senior citizen cruise and should be advertised as such. Pros: • The room steward & most of the staff was friendly. • The cabins were decent. Cons: • No events to do for younger people • The showers in the cabin seem smaller than usual. The balcony was filthy. • The food is terrible and the menus are too complicated • Some staff was not so friendly. Even had one roll their eyes at me for no reason • The elevators smelled so bad during the cruise • Dining room is very strict about dress code • The only thing to do on the cruise for younger people is go to the casino or pool • We were only able to go to 2 of the 5 ports and only got a $100 credit per person for that. I understand it’s not Princess’s fault but they should’ve done more. This cruise might be fun if you’re 60 or older. If you’re younger, stay away. There is nothing to do for you. I spent the whole cruise, besides when at port, in my cabin and there wasn’t even any good TV shows or movies on the TV. Read Less

The ship is huge, beautiful and well decorated. We had an inside cabin, which was about the same size as on any cruise line, but there were only two very small drawers and we had to ask for Kleenex. There was no coffee cream and the "juice" as flavored water although you could get real juice from the bar waiters who circulate in the buffet area. The entertainment was mediocre although there were some talented acrobats. They did a late night improv that was repetitive and only marginally funny. Music was pretty good in the atrium and there was live music in the Seaview lounge every night that was OK but not great. There is no library nor internet cafe, and no sundry store, but there are several high-end shops selling jewelry, art, perfume and other non-essentials. The food was OK, but not memorable and the service was also OK so long as you tip. What I really hated, and have never seen on other cruise lines, was the constant commercialism. People were always approaching us to buy drink packages, wine packages, specialty dining, excursions, photos, etc, etc. One day at lunch we were approached four times. The man at the excursion desk tried to force us to check the boxes on the excursion receipt that allow them to send us marketing material. I called MSC prior to the cruise to ask about pre-booking excursions and was told we had to book on board, but the people we traveled with were able to pre-book online. When we booked on board one of the excursions we wanted was full. Prices were outrageous. Specialty dining was twice the price of other ships I've been on. Bowling was $25 per person per half hour! The f1 simulator was $10 for 5 minutes. One evening we found photos in our room with a sheet saying if we didn't want to buy them we could give them to our steward to return them. We did that but were charged for the package and had to get guest services to straighten that out. The private island was quite nice, but there are no change rooms; you have to change in the bathroom and there are only cold outside communal showers. The drink package that came with our cruise turned out to only cover drinks that cost $6 ore less; for a more comprehensive package the cost was $27 per person per day. I've cruised with four other lines. They all offer elite services for those who wish to pay premium prices but it is done discreetly. On the Seaside it was obvious most of us were "second class" guests and that "yacht club" people got better service all around. This was my first MSC cruise and it will be my last. Read Less

We were looking for a trip in the US and this one on the Intracoastal Waterway was a good deal compared to the same trip on the same boat with Road Scholar. Based on reviews on this site we weren't sure what condition the boat would be in. The boat had new carpeting and paint and was in good shape. The stateroom was good sized and comfortable. Our only issue was that the shower wasn't working for the first couple of days. A chat with the hotel manager took care of that. The food was excellent and plentiful. We liked the option for getting half servings. All alcohol is included, which isn't always a good thing. The shore excursions were pretty good. The local guides were entertaining. When we signed up for this cruise we thought that the shore excursions were included given the higher price of the cruise, but they weren't. The staff were friendly and helpful. There were a few hiccups due to this cruise being the first of the season. The only issue that we had with the trip was boat security. Granted this was a small ship cruise but there weren't any ID checks when passengers returned to the boat. We're used to tours where the leader makes obvious counts at the beginning and end of the excursion. We never noticed that happening with this company. The age group of the passengers was 60+. The tours and activities were geared to that age group. We would travel with them again. Read Less

Last May, 2019, my wife and her siblings took a Greek island cruise on this very ship, which included Ephesus among the included excursions. I stayed home and took care of the dog. So effusive of her praise for the cruise and the included excursions, we decided to repeat the cruise this year. Celestyal offered a fantastic Black Friday cruise deal including drinks, gratuities, and three paid excursions. I thought it was the same package as last year as the excursions included Ephesus which I really wanted to see. Turns out this package included Cairo, Cyprus, Rhodes, Ashdod, and Kuchidassi (Ephesus). After a day at seas we disembarked in Alexandrea, Egypt for our excursion to the pyramids in Cairo. The twelve tour busses were accompanied by an armed escort with an armed guard on the bus. This is told not to frighten you, but to show the Egyptian government is serious about protecting tourists. We lunched at the Meridian Hotel near the pyramids (included). I will admit to being surprised at how much civilization has encroached on Giza, and even more surprised at the aggressiveness of the hawkers trying to sell their wares and services at the pyramids. The Cairo Museum was very interesting with more than you could possibly take in for a limited amount of time. There is an immense new antiquities museum to be opened soon near the pyramids. I can only imagine the undertaking this will entail in making the move of all the artifacts from the Cairo museum. Two more busses joined our convoy back to Alexandria and it was interesting to me (my wife was a bit unnerved) to see the coordination between the bus drivers and our escort. Getting back to the ship, we found out Israel had denied docking to the ship so our excursions to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv were out. Amazingly, Celestyal gave all the passengers a E100 shipboard credit for something that was really beyond their control. We spent another extra day in Alexandria and we elected to stay aboard. Those who took excursions to the Library of Alexandria or Tel El Armin reported enjoyable excursions. A side note: they aggressiveness and rudeness of the pyramid hawkers somewhat diminished the pyramid experience, but putting it into perspective, that's how they're trying to make a buck while they can. My wife sat next to a fellow whose work took him to Egypt and he told her not to judge the Egyptians by our experience at Giza. He said the Egyptians were warm, friendly people eager to show the real side of Egypt. Next stop, Cyprus. We used some of that E100 credit to purchase a tour of Tombs of the Kings and the nearby ancient Roman manors and their mosaics. It was also enjoyable and we found Cyprus to be very beautiful. I hear the island has been closed in the week since were their. Next stop, Rhodes to see the acropolis of Lindos and the medieval part of the city of Rhodes. It is a steep walk up to the acropolis and with a bum leg and hip, I got half way up and decided to give my wife the camera and see the ruins through her eyes. Back in the old part of Lindos, I found the need of a restroom. I came across this charming little tavern, the Captain's House to use the restroom (BTW the cleanest of anywhere off the ship) and enjoy a local Cypriot beer. Like many of the building in the old village, part of the walls of this tavern were of medieval vintage, adding to the beauty and charm. Back in Rhodes, we wandered the old walls and buildings from the times of the crusades, in very remarkable condition. From Rhodes, it was on to Kuchadassi for a tour of Ephesus and a hand woven rug factory and lunch. Ephesus was certainly a highlight of the excursions, very well preserved and still undergoing archeological discovery. Our tour guide, Tuba was very interesting and informative. Next, the rug making coop and lunch. This was an unexpectedly interesting tour, seeing these works of art spring to life from the silk cocoon to the beautiful soft finished product. Had I not known how my retirement accounts nosedived in the past two weeks, it would have been tempting to give into the desire for one of those beauties. Thankfully, there was no pressure to buy anything and we made our way back to the ship. If you've gotten this far, and forgive my verbosity, let me tell you about our shipboard experience. Had never heard of this cruise line 'til last year. I'm surprised Celestyal didn't cancel the cruise. There were 347 passengers on a ship able to carry 1200. The crew outnumbered the passengers and yet, Celestyal honored their commitment. Every other cruise we've been on, the crews and food have altogether been great. This cruise, the crew added a level of warmth and friendliness like never before. I think of the cruise director, Danny; funny, fluent in many languages, and approachable. He even participated in some of the evening entertainment as a singer or actor. Our cabin stewards were sweet and sincere. Our cabin was clean, comfortable and surprisingly roomy. The service desk manager, Thiago, sunny disposition and humorous even remembered my wife from last year's cruise (honest). The wine steward, Rafael, knowing I didn't like dry wines, brought a bottle of sweet wine to our supper table after I mentioned at a wine tasting class my distaste for dry wines. The young lady who greeted us each morning at breakfast with a smile and sincere greeting. The food was very good. These all added to one of the best cruises we've ever had the pleasure to be on. Celestyal went above and beyond in caring for their passengers and their crew for that matter. We spoke to some of the crew members who told us they had nothing but good to say about their employer, some of them who had worked for other cruise lines and decided they found a home with Celestyal. I hope this coronavirus thing is just way overblown and things return to a semblance of normality. I hope this does not sink such a fine company as Celestyal (or any of the cruise lines or hospitality industry for that matter). Mr. Chris Theophilides runs a great company. Without hesitation I would recommend a cruise with this line. Read Less

We chose this cruise for a 65 birthday occasion, and for snorkelling. This is our 10th cruise (all but one Norwegian) and we’re looking forward to it. Paid extra for Vibe, and then suffered from lack of service. First two days closed (but that was the weather). I understand th ere is “no refunds for weather” but really, when you pay over $400 that is too much for like max 6 hours use. Also the bartender (s) spent too much time at the outsid bar, three times we had to go there to be served. Paid for the spa upgrade and for 2 days there was no hot tub and no water/tea Fruit. Food was ok, esp in specialty restaurants, and manhattan room. Six was great! Took too long for tenders on Cozumel. And it seemed “groups” were given priority, not platinum level members or ncl booked shore excursions. So out three snorkelling trips turned out to be one half excursion. Not enough trivia! Read Less

We chose this cruise to see the islands Jamaica, Panama Canal, Cayman Islands , Columbia, and Costa Rica. Unfortunately due to rough water and Corona Virus scare we could only see Columbia and Costa Rica. This was very disappointing and the water was very rough going from Fort Lauderdale in Florida to Jamaica causing many people to get motion sickness and was the main reason for our ship not stopping at Jamaica. We were stuck on this ship for 8 out of 10 days . The ship is need of interior repairs (floors were rough under carpet causing trip hazards, pipes in ceiling were leaking in hallways) Pools onboard were empty of water due to rough sea conditions. Entertainment was ok but could have been better if they were to make it to the ship, some flights were cancelled the entertainment could't make it to the ship. I would not recommend princess cruises for cruising, I thought they were highly reputable cruise line but I was wrong. Read Less

Chose to go with 2 couples. Never cruised with Royal Caribbean, they had. Overall the cruise experience was good. Food can be hit or miss. Service is very good, everyone is friendly and helpful. I would chose RC again. We were in a balcony cabin. Plenty of closet space, cannot say the same for shower space, just adequate. Take your own soap and shampoo. The one push container in shower didn’t suds up. Only provided one towel set per person. One of the older, smaller ships but clean and maintained. Drinks were interesting to order. Each bar tender had his own version of Mai Tai. All were good, though. Still can’t decide if deluxe beverage package was worth it. If the red wine is over $ 12, you are charged the difference. Better wines were over $12. No package will cost you $2 for water when leaving for excursion. Two excursions were cancelled due to rough water(snorkeling) or high water (cave tubing). They don’t tell you until off the ship and down the pier (long walk) but good alternatives offered. However, it is not taken off your credit card, given as shipboard credit. My friend didn’t keep up with her onboard account and lost $44 when not spent. Read Less

We chose this cruise for the itinerary and value. Only problem is that on this small vessel the only balcony cabins are mini suites and above. The ocean view cabins and inside cabins are pretty small. No couch or easy chair, only the bed and vanity chair to sit on. However, if you are out of your room enjoying the activities and only need to use the bathroom and the bed, it's OK. The ship itself is really nice for the smallest ship in the fleet. The crew does an outstanding job of keeping it well maintained and very clean. It only has one specialty restaurant; Chops, but that's OK too. The bar hubs are the Schooner, and Boleros, with the casino bar handling that area. Viking Crown lounge is not the greatest when comparing to larger ships but it is a very nice area to relax in during the day, unless it's being used for a kids activity or something like that. The fitness area is above the lounge on a balcony that runs around it, accessible only by stairs in the back of the lounge. No criticism, it is what it is. Food: Our service and food in the main dining room was outstanding. We always choose my time dining so we can eat early, and we got the same table, same waiters and outstanding service every night. We didn't go to chops this time because we always enjoyed the menu the chef selected. Only downside was windjammer lunch. it was good but not outstanding. My breakfast is light, simple and was always good. One huge exception: Chef Kennedy on two days set up a hot dog station. Amazing!!! He makes the best sauce I've ever eaten in my life. Shows: The production team does two shows. Baileros and Three. Don't miss them. The singers and dancers were amazing. I hope you get this crew. They sing with passion and power and don't scream. Costuming and choreography are perfect. the band is terrific. Our headliners were outstanding. Cruise director and staff. Steve (from Canada) does a great job. He is experienced, funny, and very well prepared and informative, His activities director Tanya is in a word: "Special." Not short bus special, but she's crazy, fun, wild, outgoing and a great lady. She will make a great cruise director. One team member, Andy, from Great Britain does an Elton John show that will astound you. Hotel Director John and his staff are to be highly commended for their efforts on keeping the ship clean, safe and sanitary. No one on this cruise came down with so much as a case of indigestion much less a virus. He and his officers were accessible and available for any questions or concerns, no matter how dumb. And believe me, on this cruise I did hear some dumb questions. So to RCCL, the staff and crew of the Empress of the Seas: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! Read Less

Wanted to visit Panama and Grand Carman but poor choice of time do to Covid-19. Even so. It was a nice cruise and appreciate the great service we received. Room was outstanding and kept that way the entire trip. Staff and all attendants were always friendly. Even under our serious situation the captain and his staff made this trip an enjoyable one. Never did we feel we were in trouble or under any threat of being endanger. To be truthful most of us on that ship felt safer than what we were returning to. There are not too many things we do in life that we have to experience a trip during some very difficult life threatening times. I applauded the CEO for her choice of shutting down future voyages for 60 days till this terrible virus passes. I wish them the very best. They have put profits aside as they do care about their clients. I say this with all sincerity. Thank you Princess Cruises Read Less

My sister and I chose this cruise because it was stopping at places we had never been to before and we wanted to see the old locks of the Panama Canal. It most definitely will be a cruise we will not forget! I can't believe how much the world changed in the 10 days we were gone! I asked my doctor if it was safe to go and he said yes when I told him the itinerary. Well, everything went well through the airports, but when we got to the cruise terminal, we had to wait and wait to go through the TSA screening of the luggage, etc. Once we were on board, the mini suite was much like mini suites on other Princess ships except the couch was terrible, we put bed pillows on it to sit on (helped some). The weather was terrible the first 2 1/2 days, the ship was rocking terribly and we couldn't go out on deck. It was hard to walk and we really missed using the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is our treat to ourselves when we sail with Princess. After the first day and a half, they started serving us at the Horizon Court and there was nothing on the tables. Princess was very diligent in keeping everything clean and it paid off as at the end of the voyage the captain announced we did not have anyone with the corona virus and only a handful of people with any sickness. We couldn't dock at Jamaica because of the weather but we had a fabulous tour with Josie from Dora the Explorer in Cartagena, best tour every! We lucked out with beautiful weather while at the Panama Canal. Some people were going to go ashore there and went through health screening and some were on boats going ashore only to be turned away by the Panama government. Costa Rico was very welcoming but the tour we wanted was canceled due to not enough people signing up. So we had to find another one. Grand Cayman would not allow us to come ashore there because of this virus scare. So, out of 5 stops, we only got 2. But Princess had no control over the weather nor the governments of the places that turned us away because of the virus scare. All in all, Princess worked very hard to get the dining rooms open, and things for us to do during the unexpected sea days. The crew and the service was great. Some of the crew I have to mention for their fantastic service and personalities. In the Sanctuary - John, Made, Rigan, Kerwin. Mostly in the morning at the Horizon Court was "the Hello Sunshine" girl with her dance moves - Cyrille. And our room stewart Felix. They made our cruise so much more pleasant. I'm so glad we got home with no problems and my sister and I decided to self quarantine for 2 weeks which I'm just starting the 2nd week. We have 2 more cruises booked with Princess. I don't know if the June one will be canceled or not, but we will most definitely cruise again with Princess. Read Less

This was out first cruise, and after much study, decided on HA Oosterdam. We went with teo other couples, and had a GREAT time. Embarkation in San Diego was seamless. It did help that Neptune Suite affords you priority boarding. :-) The Neptune Lounge had a very nice welcome champagne and hos d'hoeuvres party as well. Side note: the Neptune Lounge is a quiet place to relax; also, there is a Concierge there for ANYTHING you need of staying in the Neptune or Pinnacle Suites. They TAKE CARE of you! Not a lot of entertainment choices, but that's fine. We saw a magician and a comedienne, and both were fine. Our only complaint was the that Lincoln Center Theater had performances at 7:30 pm or so - each night we were at dinner, so we missed. This is NOT a cruise for children. We saw few. There are a few BORED looking teenagers. This is a cruise for the 50 and up crowd - and that's fine with us. The ship is in good condition for the most part - but is showing its age here and there. Teak wood decking is a bit weathered here and there on the Lido deck around the pools and hot tubs. Overall though everything is spic 'n span. The ship is nice. The Crew is OUTSTANDING. Over our 7 days on board, almost without exception, each crew member would greet you as you passed with a smile and salutation. Our cabin Stewards greeted us by name whenever they saw us. The people are incredible on the Oosterdam. The buffet is rather pedestrian. We only ate there for breakfast. The Dining Room is very nice, and we opted for the "Up Charge" rooms a couple nights. The Pinnacle Grill was the best $35 pp I have ever spent! Our server Mile was super nice, and what a pro! I really enjoyed the Dive In! burgers for lunch by the Lido Deck pool. We LOVED this cruise so much that we have booked the same ship and stateroom for Alaska in August! Read Less

Picked cruise for the places it was visiting and price i.e. Caribbean then on to Europe. Unfortunately the cruise was cut short in Antigua due to coronaviras. We spent 11 days at sea due to this but wasn't bored had pleanty to do new people to meet and have a laugh with them. Could have been more sun beds but they were monitored if left unattended. Daily walks round the decks 5 times was a mile. The crew from cabin staff to Captain were fantastic nothing to much trouble and updates given all the time. Brilliant can't thank them enough. Cabins great basic but all amenities, Good bathroom plenty of space. Good wardrobe space for clothes to hang and plenty of draw space. Food brilliant you could eat all day and night. Entertainment and Activities all excellent. Ports we were able to visit St Kitts, St Lucia, But Antigua unfortunately basically shut being a Sunday were great. I know it would have been Brilliant if the virus hadn't happened. There is always another time. Thank you Marcella. Read Less