Chose this cruise as we love all the dancing aboard Cunard lines. This was our second, the first being 17 days on Queen Elizabeth. Had not been to the Canary Islands so it was a good fit. We had an ocean view as compared to a balcony last time and all was well. Room steward was great as always and room was clean and comfortable. Could not see the difference in cost being worth it on this 12 day trip. I think the main dining was OK but not great. Service was good but a little unorganized compared to last time. Never asked for second slice of bread and hardly filled an empty water glass. My wife is gluten intolerant and they prepare everything on the menu for her which other lines only have restricted menus. Did miss the shrimp cocktails as they were not ever there and the lobster tail was breaded? Only attended a few shows as most were with the ships compliment and not acts brought on. The few acts were good but I would rate as below average as a whole concidering they used their own talent most nights, Ballroom dancing was good but I would have enjoyed more than one afternoon tea dance.. Upstairs club was great as was the party band(very varied in their different types of music) Also had a 60's review band that played in auditorium and in the Queens ballroom the last night. Ports were interesting and all were walk off into the local city. We did not do any excurions as the ports offered nothing we hadnot already done. We just enjoyed walking around and sampling the local areas, and were usually back on board by 1-2pm. Overall an enjoyable trip though I prefered Queen Elizabeth Read Less

Be careful when going into ports with Royal Caribbean they try and charge you for shuttle service. Ours was $9 per person to go to the edge of city centre. When we got off the ship, the local taxis charge 2.50 euros. The bar prices are also so high and sometimes the packages are not worth it. Also Do you research on the ports before you go. 3 of our ports were rubbish, nothing to do and just a normal town, might as well of stopped at home. Also one of the days the entire island was closed. Nothing was open. Yet they still try and push for an excursion to visit the old town where the main shopping centre is open, but the shops inside it weren’t. The entertainment team singers. (Chris & Vanessa) were superb, the best I’ve ever heard on any stage. WOW. The dancers were a little messy, but redeemed by the ballroom couple. The headliner guest acts were awful. The Frankie valli tribute sounded like Orville the Duck. He was also very weak and on occasion out of tune. The take that tribute were not bad. But let down badley by the guy playing Gary Barlow. He was not good. Cringe worthy. The food in the windjammer was excellent. The cabin steward was also excellent. The cruise director (Graeme) was so funny, made the cruise. Just wished he would walk around the ship more. The TV and stations needs looking at. Need to offer more choice. Also some areas around the ship are very cold. I would suggest for everyone to take a cardigan or ask the ship to make it less cold. Read Less

First the negatives. Passengers were very old with many needed walking aids. A bit like a floating care home. The ship is older and small and the cabins are small too. Entertainment and facilities are basic. But all these were in my mind counteracted by the excellent staff, food and friendliness of all aboard. We ate in the Grampian on the top deck with first class views. Drinks prices throughout are good and our all inclusive deal worked very well. We loved the Observatory for pre dinner drinks. The Gala Buffet and special afternoon tea were fabulous! But overall if it is glitz that you want this is not for you. The Neptune Lounge seating is very poor so get there early! Our entertainment was average overall but the dance group were excellent. Power Supply band in the Coral Club were poor. Shore tours were good except for Fuertaventura which has little of interest. Would we go again? Yes we would! Read Less

I chose this cruise to get a little bit of sun, rather than sit at home watching the rain. This being my third time on Azura, I thought I knew what to expect. Embarkation went smoothly, and I was in my cabin swiftly. I noticed that the plug in the basin was closed,and I wondered why. It didn't take me long to find the answer. I was on deck fourteen, but when I went to decks six and seven, THE SMELL OF RAW SEWAGE WAS OVERPOWERING !!!. Lots of people were complaining throughout the whole cruise. I spoke to reception desk about this,only to be told that they were aware of this problem, and they were working on it. Previous reviews that I have read have indicated that the problem has been on board the ship for some time. The Captain was never to be seen around the ship,except for photo shoots, nor was the chief Engineer,as I would have approached one of them to ask about the problem, which continued for the entire duration of the cruise.( I later found that the basin was kept plugged to prevent the smell entering my cabin). I dined in the restaurant on only three occasions,as the food was only lukewarm, and on one dinner the ribeye steak was so tough that three members at my table had to send it back. After that I dined at the buffet,where the food was Lukewarm too. The entertainment was mediocre,same old gags from old comedians. On one occasion the show was cancelled because of rough seas. To conclude, six sea days are too much,when the entertainment is poor. However if you like dancing,or quizzes,or overpriced bingo,or old movies then this ones for you. I won't be back on Azura! I have a Cruise booked on Brittania for next year,but I won't be going,unless P&o redress me for the disappointment that I endured on this cruise. Read Less

We are fairly recent cruisers and wanted a winter sun break and booked this cruise in January on line. The weather was superb and we were told by the crew the best they have had for several years. We flew from East Midlands to Tenerife and arrangements at departure, on arrival, coaching to Santa Cruz and boarding Marella Dream went like clockwork. The ship is old but is modern in appearance with good quality furnishings and the staff very friendly and helpful, nothing was too much trouble from our room steward to the bar and restaurant staff. Corridors and lift space are a little narrow and not as spacious as more modern ships. The variety of lounges and drinking and dining options were first class as was the food and drinks. We like to be on our own for dinner and for six nights we were served by Jennifer and April who looked after us very well. The Marella Dream Show team and their shows in the Broadway Show Lounge were excellent. Some very good singers and dancers however the comedian Alan Wilkins material was older than us and we are in our 70's. The resident band were again very good with such a wide range of music on offer. Our only disappointment was the lack of space for sunbathing when we had such good weather. We were birthed in walking distance of six of the places we visited which is brilliant. There were lots of excursions and trips arranged which people we spoke to enjoyed. Leaving the cruise was also faultless, colour coded luggage and well organised. Our only disappointment was East Midlands Border Control on the return. It took about 30 minutes to process us which is not acceptable. A superb restful and enjoyable cruise. Thank you TUI. Read Less

We booked this cruis Edith high expectations as we have been on previous Tui cruises. Embarkation was quick and easy and staff were pleasant and helpful. Our cabin was clean and plenty big enough for us. Our luggage was delivered quickly. Onboard the restaurants both the self service and table service were good and the food was presented nicely and it was tasty and plentiful. Staff were excellent. The evening shows were good although drinks service was slow at times. The shore excursion to Agadir was awful. The market we went to was dirty and really didn’t feel safe. My friend & I have been on lots of cruises but specifically chose this one as we had never been to La Palma & it was the one place we really wanted to explore!! The captain decided we were not stopping there and blamed the weather although other cruise ships did dock there. We also concluded that some flights to the boat had been delayed and felt this had impacted on his decision!! We then had to spend 2 days at sea instead of the 1 stated in the itinerary!! We felt this was unacceptable and complained. We were told we would not be receiving any compensation at all!!! I do not think this is a satisfactory conclusion as this was no fault of the passengers and left a lot of us upset as it was disappointing and 2 days at sea was not what I wanted or indeed what I had signed up for!!!! Read Less

Wanted a small boat as first time on a cruise.We started off bad the cabin was dated and the bathroom had a damaged bath.So having a long trip to pick up the boat we then had to sort out are cabin.We exchanged cabin for a nice one thanks to Tui,the young man on reception also had a lot to do with it he was so kind,many thanks to ORION.From then on it was okay the food in all the restaurants was really good and the staff are excellent all over the boat.Are cabin porter DHANI was that one step further he was very kind all the time.The ship was very clean ,house keeping staff work very hard.The entertainment could have been better but we just used the piano bar in the end.You had to move quick for the good sunbeds but we soon found other places to park are bodies.We did a trip and very well organized it was on Madeira ,lovely day. Most of the time did are own thing.We would cruise again but on a bigger boat and a different company.My family ordered a bottle for our special day and it was not a cheap bottle ,but we never got it.We wanted a different holiday for our anniversary and that's what we did. Read Less

Fred Olsen Balmoral – Xmas/New Year 2018/19 – Canaries All in all, this was a most enjoyable cruise and a great way to spend both the festive season and celebrate my husband’s birthday on Christmas Eve. This was our first time with “Fred”, although we’ve cruised a lot since getting the bug a decade ago. Compared with other lines, we were delighted that there was no constant hard sell, ship wide announcements were kept to an absolute minimum and queueing was practically non-existent. Of course the ship photographers were there as you ate at the gala dinners, but not always as you got on and off the ship - perhaps by the time we disembarked, they were on the excursions looking for material to go on the DVD. We always buy one and are looking forward to watching it on a snowy day – they’re really a great way to remember the cruise. One morning, I saw a photographer having breakfast, so took a photo of him, then told him it would be ready the next day! I thought it was funny, but have no idea what he must have really thought - he simply smiled very politely, then got on with his breakfast! Embarkation was truly straightforward, as was disembarkation (we cannot fathom why people sat on the stairs waiting to get off the ship when there were plenty of places to sit and wait). The only time we could have queued was at the Captain’s Receptions, but even then, we sat nattering to other passengers and waited until the queue had gone down. That really is the beauty of sailing on a smaller ship. I’ll get the one downside (British Night) out of the way so we can concentrate on how lovely everything else was. With the way politics are, perhaps something more neutral might be more appropriate. Why on earth would you travel abroad and bring that horrid jingoistic nonsense with you? We’re there to see the world and be ambassadors for our country, not to tell people we rule the waves! We were on second sitting, and rather tired that night, so watched the show from our cabin. We were astonished that the Boomtown Rats (Irish), Debbie Harry and Meatloaf (both US) were featured as the “Best of British”, not to mention Riverdance! And don’t get me started on the bit where they all dressed up as school children. Anyway, that was the low point of the cruise for us, and I’m sure other opinions are available. I made my own little protest by wearing a blue shirt with a yellow bow tie which surprisingly got some very positive comments from those who had cottoned on to the colours of a certain flag it resembled! I also wore a red, white and blue rosette (or was it perhaps bleu, blanc, rouge?) We bit our tongues on the “B” word and tried to forget that many of our fellow passengers had probably voted for the mess the country has found itself in. Such a shame, as we’ve never met such a friendly bunch on a cruise ship. It is sensible to steer very clear of any mention of politics, not wanting to ruin our holidays, nor anyone else’s! Anyway, before I lose you completely, let’s go back to all the positives, and that must start with the cruise highlight - the pantomime. This will be etched in our memories forever. It was definitely worth Andrew Robley (the Panto Dame) bringing 14 suitcases aboard, even though his mum was found clambering over them in her cabin! The theatre entertainment overall was a high standard and very enjoyable. Inside Cabin 4154 The cabin was small and the L-shaped layout of the beds made the best use of the space available, although the unit housing some drawers and the console for lights, announcements etc went behind one of the beds, just giving an extra shelf (which came in handy for my husband’s birthday cards to be displayed). The console itself had a button to turn off ship announcements, with a handy red light to let you know that one was being made. Our cases were on the very large side, so didn’t fit under the beds, especially as there was a wooden plinth in the middle. One case went in the wardrobe, the other between the chair and the bed. My husband has a habit of bringing extra coat hangers, not always necessary, but it’s not particularly a battle I care to fight. Thirty years together has taught me to agree to disagree, and if packing too many coat hangers is the worst thing, then we’re not doing badly! An extra couple of hangers might not have gone amiss, but he’d managed to pack over 30, so we had far too many! I’m sure they’d have brought us some extra, had we asked… The layout of the cabin meant one bed didn’t have a bedside lamp or table, which was a little bit disappointing – I suppose we could have asked for the bed to be made the other way round, so the drawer unit could be used. Being two men of a certain age, neither of us have much hair, so having not one but two hairdryers in the cabin made us laugh as did the fact that our Christmas crackers both contained combs! Daytime activities (especially after 5) are extremely low key (or non-existent), so we enjoyed the interactive TV’s on-demand film and TV programme options which we were very pleased to find came at no extra charge. The cabin was towards the back (I’m sure there’s a technical term for the blunt end), so when the ship was coming into port, the engine noise was fairly loud – and when moving in high winds, it did tend to creak, so earplugs are very much recommended. Having said this, for most of the trip, it wasn’t a problem. One cabin we would advise avoiding is 5143 – there was a really loud vibration noise outside, not sure if it was audible inside that cabin, though, but it would surprise me if not. We were delighted with the kettle in the cabin. Perhaps a little saucer for used teabags wouldn’t go amiss, but we used one of the glasses to put teabags in. We brought our own redbush teabags, but they were available in the tea station, along with a large selection of other teas and infusions. Our cabin stewardess came from Thailand and was very good and thorough. We didn’t get any towel animals, but perhaps, like the baked Alaska parade, also missing, that’s another thing of the past. We had a couple of very minor issues with the cabin (both of our own making). They were dealt with very speedily, with a short note afterwards to say they’d fixed the problem, but reminding us not to hesitate to get in touch if the problem hadn’t been rectified to our satisfaction, or if there was anything else they could do. A very nice touch, we thought. Dining – Table 301, Spey We’d asked for a table of 8, but were given a table of 6, but were only 5 diners – pleased to say we got on exceptionally well with our fellow travellers, three solo women. We were tucked into the corner by the door and it was very noisy at times, which apparently is unusual for the Spey. Being next to a serving station made it even noisier, cutlery and plates were thrown into bins by the waiters. Once we’d had a word with our servers it was better - we did this a couple of times during the cruise, simply saying that the noise levels had increased again. Had our table mates not been as brilliant as they were, we might well have asked to be moved. Service was impeccable – no problem with menu variations, for example having a starter as a dessert. With a couple of rare exceptions, we were very happy with everything we were served, although we did wonder why the rather tasty soup called borscht didn’t contain any beetroot! On the one night things really weren’t to our taste (the burnt nut roast incident), alternatives were found very quickly. We immensely enjoyed a late breakfast in the buffet sitting outside by the pool (heaters were on when it was cooler) – and rarely used the Ballindalloch main restaurant. One tip - for breakfast and lunch, all three restaurants have both a waiter served menu and a very similar buffet, but the menu items aren’t available in the main buffet. At breakfast, I very much liked the selection of nuts (Brazil, cashew and walnut) along with the goji berries. We didn’t partake of the sparkling wine at breakfast on formal nights, but I poured the orange juice into champagne flutes to give a sense of occasion! Much to my husband’s disgust (being on second sitting we’d not long had dinner), I liked to have a “look” at the midnight buffet, which was varied and certainly not at all leftovers from dinner! Needless to say, this “look” generally turned into something landing on a plate and into my mouth… Portions at dinner were on the meagre side - I’m sure double portions were available but we never asked - a couple of times we had two main courses, or an additional one to share. There’s no way anyone could go hungry! Christmas/New Year The ship was wonderfully decorated throughout and at guest services, we thought it was a lovely touch that you could help yourself to satsumas and nuts. Christmas Eve had a carol service after which port, sherry and mince pies were served in abundance. We got back to the cabin to find that instead of a chocolate on our pillows, we had a small bag of chocolates to share. Christmas Day had a deck party in the morning, with a free egg nog station, which helped things along rather nicely! Lunch was just a normal sea day – they actually forgot the lunch I’d ordered from a waiter – I asked several times over 30 minutes - but I did get a free glass of wine to compensate! I just thought it was hilarious as we were on an all inclusive package. But as they say, worse things happen at sea, and I certainly didn’t go hungry for long! In the afternoon, my husband had a sleep and I went to see the Queen’s speech which we all ended up listening to, as something was wrong with the technical setup. I very much applauded her sentiments against tribalism and the need to get on with ones neighbours, but bit my tongue! The entertainment team then played a game of charades, which was quite funny. We slept the rest of the afternoon until it was time to dress for the Captain’s reception. One of the entertainment guys was dressed up as Santa in the Captain’s parade on the way in, so I told him “all I wanted for Christmas is EU”, in quite a loud voice! It was Christmas, and I was well behaved for the most part! We thought our waiters seemed a bit rushed on Christmas Day, until we understood that they were all trying to synchronise and sing a few Christmas carols, which was another nice touch. We were very surprised to see that cocktail parties for certain loyalty level guests made up the main entertainment on Boxing Day, leaving very little to do for first time guests like us, or people who didn’t want to drink at 11am, but it did mean we got seats at the quiz, which was usually oversubscribed if you didn’t get there early enough. New Year’s Eve was great. There were two alternatives – one in case of rain, one for dry weather. The weather wasn’t too kind and we were glad to have brought rain ponchos with us which we put over our dinner suits. It’s a very comfy cruiseline and there isn’t any obvious stuffiness and pretentiousness we’ve found a couple of times on other lines. We were comfy and enjoying ourselves, so that’s what mattered! After dinner, we went to the show, then before we knew it, champagne (well, fizz) was flowing and the fireworks started which were absolutely fantastic and every bit as good as Sydney where we were lucky enough to see them on our honeymoon. One thing we didn’t hear, however, was a countdown, that’s not to say it didn’t happen. The festivities lasted long into the night and I knew it was time for bed when the conversation turned to football and all I could think to say on the subject was that some years ago, we’d really enjoyed seeing the Beverley Sisters – one of whom was married to a footballer. As I said, it was well and truly time for bed! I was very fragile the next day (one of the waiters even asked a couple of days later if I was still fragile!), we finally surfaced and went to brunch in the Spey at around 11.45am, after watching the ex-policeman’s talk on airport security on our cabin telly. We were surprised that it wasn’t really a brunch, but breakfast simply morphed into lunch at mid-day. After lunch, we went back to the cabin and watched a great film called What I Did Last Summer. After paying a visit to the future cruise desk, we sat at the back of the ship with a cuppa watching the most magical sunset, in a nice warm spot thanks to the outdoor heaters. Ports We’d been to most of the ports before - and all of them were very easy to walk to from the ship, as long as you’re able bodied. None of the ship excursions took our fancy, but we were most impressed with the booklet and maps that came before the cruise, although they could have done with a little more information about the ports themselves. The destination guide, Graeme, did a good job of giving some hints and tips and not being too centred on the excursions. However, his appalling pronunciation of place names left a lot to be desired! As a linguist I picked up on this and his pronunciation would probably have confused local people if you were asking for directions. For some reason, exact docking timings weren’t given until the day before, which made it a little difficult to plan too much in advance, but having said that, we did seem to be in port for longer than other cruises we’d been on. Lisbon We did a Free Walking Tour (you just pay a tip at the end) of the Alfama and Mouraria districts – you can easily book in advance online – they did stipulate a €2 deposit for not showing up, but were very accommodating when I said we were on a cruise ship and it depended on the weather if we could dock. The tour was excellent, even though we’ve been to Lisbon countless times, and I’d even spent a month here in the 80s, we learned quite a lot from our guide. The tour ended near to the Church of Graça, where there is an amazing panorama of the city, along with a wonderful little outdoor café serving light snacks and sandwiches, the ideal antidote to the fancy meals we were having onboard. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Our extended stay let us go a little further under our own steam. We went to Vegueta, the old town, on the number 12 bus for a couple of Euros, taking about 20 minutes. The architecture around the main shopping street, Triana, is beautiful and rather reminiscent of some parts of Old Havana. We visited the Museum of the Canaries which was a bit old fashioned and apart from a room full of skulls, not overly interesting. After a nice lunch, we went to the Christopher Columbus Museum (my Yorkshire upbringing and infantile humour still makes me giggle when I see the word “Colon”, his Spanish name)… It’s a fascinating place, with lots of old maps of how people thought the world looked, and housed in a beautiful old building. Highly recommended. After getting back, we still had time to go for a walk along the beach front and have a quick look around town, and even to the shopping centre by the port. One little tip – the port wifi reached into the ship, so on returning, I had a quick look at my emails, although we had taken advantage of free EU roaming earlier in the day. Gran Tarajal (Fuerteventura) It was too windy to dock, so we diverted to Puerto del Rosario, the capital. Not the prettiest of places, and with the exception of a very small museum dedicated to a philosopher who escaped from Franco and a shopping centre, we didn’t find too much to do here, so went back to the ship for lunch. Santa Cruz de Tenerife Once again, we were in port until very late evening, so we went by tram to the charming little town of La Laguna (the tram stop is called Trinidad and at the end of the line, making it very easy). After visiting a museum, we went for lunch at an old Canarian Restaurant (Patio Canario) which is housed in an old building. Far from being a tourist trap, most of the clientele were Spanish - the food and service were excellent, as were the prices. The tram ride cost a couple of Euros and was a very pleasant journey taking about 20 minutes. San Sebastian – La Gomera We hadn’t been here before, and I was intrigued that they have a whistling language, so was delighted to see that a local troupe do a demonstration of this, along with local dancing. Apart from that, we didn’t really find much else to do – we were only docked for the morning, so enjoyed a coffee in the main square with two of our table mates before heading back to lunch on the ship. Funchal - Madeira All aboard was 4.30pm which still left us time for a leisurely breakfast. With 11 cruise ships in port, we were very lucky to dock at the most convenient location possible. Funchal was understandably busy, and our attempt at visiting a Madeira wine lodge was thwarted by hoards of people. This was the only day where the weather was unkind with rain on and off, but we still managed to have a walk round. When it threw it down, we had a simple lunch (forgetting how large Portuguese portions were!) Walking round, we found parks wonderfully decorated for Christmas, and stopped by the lovely Christmas market, where we just had to have a ginjinha (cherry liqueur) in a chocolate cup, followed by a Madeira wine in a chocolate cup, then another just in case. And perhaps another, but I can’t really remember. We got back to the ship and slept it off until it was time for the Captain’s Reception and Gala New Year’s Eve dinner! La Coruña This is the one place I’d love to have spent some more time exploring. I’ve never really understood why you’d want to be off the ship for 8am when shops don’t tend to open until 10am or so, although if you’re on a tour to Santiago de Compostela, you would need to set off quite early to make it worthwhile. It’s a real shame we left La Coruña so early at 1.30pm as it was a lovely place for a wander around. We found a very quirky café and I enjoyed a black coffee while my husband had the most delicious thick hot chocolate. No wonder he didn’t have room for the midnight buffet! Walking round, it looked like there were a lot of interesting places for lunch which hopefully we’ll try next time. Ship activities We’d both been very busy before the cruise, so were very glad of time to relax. To be honest, we didn’t see too much of the daytime entertainment staff – there were no napkin folding/cookery demonstrations etc, but we did enjoy the talk with the dancers and singers explaining how things worked backstage. What daytime activities there were had a tendency to clash, for example the quizzes and the speakers. Most evenings there was very little to do after 5pm until dinner - that said, bridge players or dancers were probably very well served. That said, one night, there was a Mr & Mrs competition. We were going to join in, but by the time my husband said yes, we were pipped at the post by another couple. Probably just as well. Our meals meant that we missed the 10pm quiz, as it would have been too much of a rush to get to the theatre show afterwards. I’ve already mentioned Andrew Robley, who not only was brilliant as the Panto Dame, but also entertained us a few times during the cruise (both on and off the stage as he was around and about the ship quite a lot). There was also a comedian, a singer and a magician (to whom I joked that the passengers do a brilliant magic act – they can make food disappear at an amazing rate!) One thing we were surprised at was the suggested themes weren’t adopted by the waiting staff – we thought they should also wear a touch of red, tartan etc. We had a lovely and relaxing time and we’ve already put down a deposit on a future cruise, so that says it all, and we’d have no hesitation in recommending our cruise to the right demographic of mainly over 50s. It’s definitely more hip-op than hip-hop, Fred Olsen definitely know who their clientele is and look after them exceptionally well. Read Less

We travelled on Thomson cruises many years ago and thought we would give the Explorer a try. The itinerary and timings suited us. We booked an inside cabin as we rarely use balconies preferring to spend time either ashore or on deck. We did upgrade to the premium class flights and a premium drinks package. The ship was extremely busy which we anticipated. However, we did not expect some of the children on board to be unsupervised by their parents/grandparents to such an extent as to make the cruise unpleasant. Despite 'No Diving' signs on the pools the children continued to do this which can be very disconcerting to older guests and also potentially dangerous. I rarely saw a lifeguard around the pool to stop this practice. As a vegetarian I found the food awful. For example, a vegetable pie with the crust extremely hard and the rest of it raw and uncooked. We did ask to see a chef and he did come down to see us but was not particularly helpful. What shocked was when he admitted he didn't taste any of the vegetarian dishes. A couple of the restaurant managers said the same thing. The vegetarian option for Christmas Day dinner was mushroom crepes. Surely something more seasonal and exciting could have been offered? Our inside cabin was perfectly acceptable and the steward worked very hard. The service in the dining room (other than the specialty restaurants) was extremely slow and the food usually arrived lukewarm at best. I do not think this the fault of the waiters simply that there are just not enough staff to properly offer a good service. We did not book any tours preferring to explore on our own so cannot comment on those. The Embarkation process was smooth and it was an added bonus to have luggage checked in at Gatwick and then be taken straight to the ship.T The Lounge bar is style over substance in my opinion. The design makes it difficult for the waiters to work in and there are far too few of the to cope with the needs of the guests. We did not see the shows so again can make no comment on them. The pool and deck areas are extremely busy and I did not once see the '45 minute rule' being implemented. Some chairs were left unattended for up to five hours and no effort was made to remove belongings or towels. We will definitely not be sailing on this ship again and probably not cruising on any other Marella vessel. Read Less

Read so many negative comments about the boat. Don't believe everything you read. Crew and staff 10/10 could not fault anyone Food 10/10 there was always something you could choose from. There was plenty of other restaurants you could easily have eaten in but we chose to eat in the minstrel restaurant or the lido buffet. Ship and decor 9)10 Yes it's old but such a lovely boat kept spotless clean and in good order. Entertainment . Broadway Theatre So professionally put together.The shows easily compared to any London stage show. Transfer excellent with no problems. Always giving excellent advise prior to landing. My one and only quibble would be. There's no espresso coffee available unless you wanted to pay a small charge. Which was still cheaper than Costa. Overall my wife and myself really enjoyed the cruise. In no way were we disappointed with anything. I can only reiterate. Don't believe anything negative until you have cruised on the Marella Dream Read Less

Zenith is an old boat, built in 1992 so with that in mind it was never going to be one of the newer luxury liners. The accommodation was adequate without being luxurious. With an older boat such as Zenith there are always creeks and noises as the boat moves which can be disturbing for sleep if you are a light sleeper. On the question of the movement of the boat we both find that there was quite a lot of “swell” movement which would say to us as laypeople the stabilisers were broken or were not up to scratch. Secondly, the cruise line Pullmantur is mostly catering for a Spanish clientele and again with that in mind be careful about booking with them as of course most of the programs on board such as shows and all communications are mainly in Spanish. We had taken out a “Black Waves“ package which is the top package on board which gives you various advantages such as free Wi-Fi in a special part of the boat!, private sun deck, waiter service at own assigned restaurant table and free drinks from a drinks list throughout the cruise. No personnel could explain to me why the free Wi-Fi was not available in our cabin and throughout the boat which would be normal for that type of service on other ships. So when you want to use the Wi-Fi you had to visit an assigned bar! The downsides of the ship are more than made up by the staff on board who do a valiant job in difficult circumstances. We would single out particularly the “Waves Club” staff Juan and Jose and the restaurant staff Rey and I Mahdi and I would suggest that one tour which is worth doing if you are fit enough for it is one of the on shore electric cycle tours with Miguel and Nico. Overall, my recommendation would be there are other better international operators and offerings for the Canary Islands, Madeira, Agadir route. These would probably offer better value in a newer ship such as TUI Aida. Star rating 2.5 out of 5! Read Less

This was out 3rd time on the Dream and again we had a thoroughly great time. The captain and crew are extremely friendly and helpful.....nothing is to much trouble from having our cabin changed from double to twin beds,to 2 incidents with poorly passengers dealt with within minutes and bar staff remembering your special tipple.The ship maybe one of the older in the fleet but is one of one most friendliest I have been on. Food options in the Orion and both buffets restaurants offered appetizing and varied menus.Entertainment in the Broadway theatre was superb with great singers dancers and colourful costumes. Other bars had different entertainment according to your tastes. Our outside cabin on deck 7 was kept spotless and had plenty of space. Ports of call around the canaries is great at this time of year especially the island of la gomera which was a new destination for us....a gorgeous tiny island with traditional dancers in the town centre to greet us Would I do a repeat? Yes Read Less

We left home at our usual six o’clock and after an uneventful journey we arrived at eleven, we thought we might have to wait to our official boarding time but no, we sailed straight through. This is the first time we’ve been on a smaller Celebrity Silloette ship and found it took a bit of getting used to, we had balcony cabin 6283 on deck six, there are only two sets of lifts which meant a lot of walking to get to the activity areas and the food. It took a bit of time sorting out our dining room conditions but unlike our last cruise on Princess we had dinner at five thirty on a table for two with no trouble, and the service was a lot faster. The only thing which spoilt it was the menu it had very avant-guard look to it, it had very few recognizable items. The buffet (ocean cafe) had a fantastic choice arranged in a series of islands, apart from freshly baked breads including French baguettes, rye and other continental varieties. There were Egg station, Grill, Pasta, pizza, Mexican and Stir fry. Also there were salad and people with allergies were well catered for. The cabin was spacious with a convertible settee as well as a bed the balcony was slightly bigger than Princess, there was a big TV with some free films and the normal navigation channel although this didn’t give all the information I was used to. The on-suit was good plenty of room for this type of bathroom and it had a sliding door on the shower there was a permanent night light – low powered. Again it had a drawback there were only three clothes draws the rest of the storage was in overhead lockers which meant climbing on the beds.the entertainment was hit or miss, we had some fantastic acts and some which weren’t worth coming to. The main hosts were Jazz, Vish and Veli while nice enough young men their English was definitely lacking making it hard to understand them in Trivia quizzes for example. If you were lucky they laid on the usual games shows late at night such as Mr & Mrs, liarliar, majority rules and Yes No these usually involved the cruise director Sue and her assistant Sarah and all round the ship there was music of one sort or another . The weather for the cruise was poor mainly overcast with frequent showers and a couple of days with rough seas. The ports were good but spoilt by the weather and a bit of planning, when we got to Bilboa it was a Sunday and All Saints Festival day on top of which the shuttle bus was ten Euros. On arriving back at Southampton after doing as we were told and putting our suitcases out and then having to wait until we were told to disembark we found we could have taken our own cases off. Read Less

We booked this cruise because of the Comedy Legends which we had experienced on a previous cruise. The embarkation was very quick, we had journed by coach from Victoria coach station which due to traffic took 1 & half hours. We found the cabin rather tired though the beds were comfortable, the wash basin was old and did not hold water very well due to a worn mechanical system. The shower though was perfect. Another problem was that the ship was draughty, especially the main entertainment centre the 'Palladium' on the right hand side so we sat on the left which was slightly better, we did have one session when the temperature was decent but soon was back to draughty a couple of hours later. The entertainment was generally good, after all we did go to see the comedy hero's who did not dissapoint. The in house entertainment team did a good show, the dancers were very good, the singers were let down by a poor sound system which was far to loud, do they not have a desibel meter, I did hear that some people that had earing aids took them out. The food was generally good though in the self service bistro was not pipping hot even when there at the start of service, the 'Waterfront' where the evening dinner was taken the menu was sometimes difficult to understand to those who did not have the experience in this type of dinning, also the service was a bit long winded. During the hotter days there were plenty of sunbeds around but the we had the old problem of towels on beds but no bodies. Over all we had, for us, a pleasent 15 days but don't think we would book another cruise on the Columbus. Read Less

We chose it for the destination The food was awful 2* is being generous. The breakfast was the same very day greasy hard bacon cheap nasty sausage never changed . Every day was a stir fry or some obscure meat like beef cheeks nasty cheap food by the end of the cruise so many people were eating from the kids section as the food was slightly better. if you are vegetarian you would really struggle veggie curry and rice or cheese and salad . No late food apart from 11 to 11 30 when plates of Iceland type buffet food was taken Around the bars. You felt like a penguin being given fish . Most staff rude especially reception we went to complain about the lack of sun beds 450 for 1400 passengers.the receptionist rolled her eyes and picked up the phone twice while we were talking . People were taking sun beds when someone went for food and leaving belongings piled on the floor . There were arguments and near fights every day . The Crewe had their own deck with around 30 beds that weren’t being used we got a sun bed twice in 15 days and it was taken when we went for lunch . People were sitting on chairs taken from the buffet as there was nowhere to sit.we ended up going to the speciality restaurants they were a bit better but you shouldn’t have to pay . Entertainment was awful singers screeched out of tune people got up and walked out including us. We went to Tenerife on a Sunday everywhere was shut . Some of the places visited were too short 4 hours not enough time . Kids in pools couldn’t use till day ten when the made one adult only We lost tv signal on 3rd day . Incompetent management it all needs a massive review All in all this was my tenth and by far the worst cruise I would never sail with them again or recommend them to anyone I know . Read Less

We last went to the Canary Islands in 2008 so we thought a return visit was long overdue. This was our 2nd trip on Britannia as we had already been to the Caribbean on a fly cruise in November 2017 and was our 11th cruise with P&O. This time we boarded Britannia on Sunday 8th April 2018 on a two week cruise to the Canary Islands. We stayed overnight at our preferred hotel, New Place Hotel , Shirrell Heath, Southampton where we got a taxi to the port. We always arrive early prior to our designated boarding time as we usually manage to get on earlier. This time the boarding process was a bit of a shambles as the coloured ticket/number system of asking passengers to go to the boarding desks kept being interrupted by the arrival of the coaches whose passengers took priority over those already in the terminal. So some people, including us, missed our ticket being called. When I complained I was told not to raise my voice, which I had not done, and was told just to get in line. We did as we were told! Also boarding was halted for 10 minutes as there was an unspecified problem with the security checks. The ship is lovely and is well laid out, although more use could be made of the Atrium area which is only seating and no activities took place there except the Passenger Choir on the last sea day. We had an inside cabin on D Deck which was more than adequate with a nice bathroom with a shower cubicle and there was plenty of hanging space for 2 weeks worth of clothes. We were on the first sitting of club dining in the Oriental Restaurant. The food was very good but the menu was not as varied over the two weeks as we have experienced before. We used the Horizon Buffet Restaurant for lunch and occasionally for dinner. There was plenty of choice and we were always able to get a table without any problem. My wife is a Type 1 diabetic and although the main restaurant was very good in accommodating her dietary requirements, we found the Java Café no longer offered diabetic cakes and the choice for diabetics in the Horizon was extremely limited. We always go one evening to the Sindhu Restaurant which serves fabulous Chinese food, pick the right night and you get a free bottle of house wine, all for £20 a head. The specialty restaurants were heavily promoted during the cruise to get passengers to part with their cash. The Epicurean Restaurant is now £18pp for afternoon tea and £28pp for dinner. The entertainment was varied with good shows from the Britannia Singers and visiting artists including The 4 Tunes, Steve V King (from the Drifters), John Clegg (impressionist), Gareth Oliver (ventriloquist), Claire Maiden, Nick Page (an appalling comedian), Paul Rack (The music of Eric Clapton), Tiptonic and Jane Middleton as Annie Lennox. All very enjoyable, except the so called comedian. You had to get to the Headliners Theatre at least half an hour before a show to get a seat. We only had one guest speaker on this cruise which is unusual as we have had several speakers on past cruises, more P&O cost cutting? The speaker was Sue Baic whose bag was dietry and nutrition to a healthy living. We did not attend any of the talks, too busy eating our way through the restaurants! The shops are open on sea days and in the evening when in port. They have stalls in the atrium virtually every day doing so called sales selling ornaments, bags, watches, perfumes etc. You can easily get carried away if you are not selective and careful. Our first port of call was Funchal, Madeira on Thursday 12th where we did the excursion taking the Cable Car up the mountain and coming down in the Wicker Toboggan Sled Ride, great fun. As we spent two days in Funchal we spent the second day site seeing in Funchal on foot. Next port of call was La Palma where we did an excursion to the Volcano and a Local Winery, all very enjoyable although we were not overwhelmed by the Canary Wine. Next was Tenerife. It was a Sunday and we did not do an excursion as we had been to Tenerife before so just wandered around the Santa Cruz and had a coffee as most of the shops were closed. Next was Gran Canaria which we had been to before so we did the excursion to the only Coffee Plantation in Europe. Fascinating to see coffee grown in a sheltered valley on the island. Next was Lanzarote where we did the Hidden Lanzarote excursion which took us to the old capital Tequise, then to an Aloe Vera farm, the seaside town of Niemes and finally a Cactus Garden. It made for a great day. Last we stopped at Lisbon on the way back. We have been here several times before so took the shuttle bus into the centre of town and did a bit of shopping, had a coffee and watched the world walk by. The weather was kind to us with sunny days and a temperature on 20C in Madeira and 21/22C in the Canary Islands. Lisbon was also sunny and 20C. The service from our cabin steward was excellent and all the staff were very helpful. The only fly in the ointment was they still only had one jigsaw available which was the same one that we had done whilst in the Caribbean. We asked that they get some more before the next cruise! So, we had a very relaxing and enjoyable cruise and would recommend the ship to those thinking of taking their first cruise as although it carries over 3500 passengers it does not feel like a large ship and never feels crowded. We very much like the ship and No! we had no problems with the lifts which only got very busy at the end of a show. The lack of a staircase with the central lifts did not seem to pose a problem. Read Less

This is our second cruise on the Dream and it was just as fantastic as the 1st. Ok the ship is mature but was immaculately clean ,the staff are amazing...from Agra our cabin steward on deck 7 to Steeve in the Orion restaurant to name just two. Taylor and the entertainment team.were very professional and the shows in the Broadway theatre were great with colourful costumes and a really vibrant atmosphere. Food was excellent whether you are in the buffets or the restaurants...always hot or cold...with great variety. The cabin on deck 7 was spacious with a picture wjndow,settee,dressing table,tv and planty of wardrobe spaceThe ports of call in the canary islands and Madeira were clean and interesting......but Morocco don't bother...we had visted Casablanca previously and thought Agadir might be different.....it wasn't Thanks to captain Richard who was so funny and informative. Would I cruise again on the Dream...YES...no hesitation at all. Read Less

We read the reviews after booking so were a bit worried about what we would experience. We needn't have worried. We had an outside plus cabin on deck 6. which was quite spacious. The cabin boy was very nice and all the staff were very friendly. There are lots of places to eat. We ate in "The Sarens" for breakfast and "Orion"where you are waited on for dinner in the evening. Food is available all day. There is entertainment in most of the bars in the evening. We enjoyed "Music Wave" We didn't join the shore excursions. Other passengers enjoyed them. If you want to go to The Botanical Gardens in Funchal we went on a service bus from near the cable car. Number 31 or 31A takes you right outside. It cost just 2 Euros each. We had a taxi back and negotiated 8 Euros The cable car is expensive and we saw long queues. Read Less

This is a port-heavy cruise ideal for those whose primary goal is to get their first taste of the amazing Canary Islands as efficiently as possible and at an affordable price. The crowd was mostly 60+ and Spanish, with a sprinkling of other Europeans, however, all announcements were made in both Spanish and English and all staff could speak at least some English. Horizon is an older, mid-sized, refurbished ship, but everything was clean, everything worked properly and service was excellent. Food was plentiful and more than adequate in quality. A large selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages was already included in the cruise cost. Entertainment and activities were limited and often in Spanish only, but with so many hours in the ports, we did not really need them. The islands are amazing, but one must get out of the ports to appreciate their beauty. In Lanzarote, a ship-organized tour of the Lunar Landscapes of Timanfaya is a must. Other islands are best explored by taxi which are affordable and plentiful. Those who do not speak any Spanish would benefit from reserving English-speaking drivers ahead of time. Read Less

Chose this cruise as part of a cruise and stay holiday.Reviews were mixed but we took a chance as we’d been on 3 Thomson cruises before, although the last one was 10 years ago. What a mistake. The Lido buffet restaurant was awful, horrid seating, massive queues and mediocre food. The Sirens was a lot better for breakfast and lunch. The Orion was no bad for dinner, but I wouldn’t call the food cruise standard as I know it. Nice large cabin, lovely theatre and good entertainment. Deck 8 laid out nicely, but not many quiet places. Far too many smoking areas. This ship is ideal for smokers and young families, but not for us. TUI is definitely the bottom end of the market. It’s a shame as our previous cruises with the Thomson line were very good and we have some lovely memories of them. We will not return. Read Less

the cruise a friend chose it for us , as we had never done one we were not really looking forward to it. but all i can say is were itching to go again . it was also good that there were not many children on board the ship was clean through out cabin well serviced used 2 eateries all food was excellent [dining] nightly show was entertaining all service was first class in port we did our own thing which we can recomend and when we go again we will do the same also all inclusive was worth it also embarkation and disembarkation went smoothly Read Less

For context, we are Princess people and have also cruised with P and O and NCL. Chose this cruise due to itinerary, date and regional flight. Knew it would not be as special as Princess and so it turned out but was very enjoyable and decent value for money. The flights, transfers and embarkation/disembarkation arrangements were excellent. Things that were better: size of cabin and bathroom, drinks prices, included tips. Things that were worse: bar service was a bit offhand, slow and they did not know how to serve certain drinks; food in the main restaurant was nothing special (we did try Kora La, the Asian restaurant which was very good); felt crowded on the day at sea. The worst comparison however was the "entertainment" - the theatre shows had excellent dancing but terrible singing and the two bands playing in the lounges were just dire and far far too loud. A grand piano sat untouched in Tides while the pianist was stuck in a closed room and the "party band" could be heard above him! The quizzes were badly presented and indeed all the entertainment staff seemed too young and far from interested. Two really bad things that I will be taking up with the company - I have never been as ripped off as paying £15 for the use of the safe and far more importantly the safety briefing commenced 2 minutes after we boarded while people were still finding their cabins and no effort was made to ensure everyone attended; worth mentioning that the medical questonnaires were dumped in a heap on a table and not counted or presumably checked. We also greatly missed the central atrium as there was literally nowhere quiet to chat in the evenings. In summary, a decent week away but not one I would consider suitable for any kind of "big trip"/special occasion. Read Less

This was supposed to be a special cruise for our 60th wedding anniversary but it turned out to be very very disappointing, I realise that we are getting on a bit but we still like to have a good time and we certainly didn’t on this ship, we have been on the Oriana before and should never gone again, we have cruised many times and I must say this was the worst by far. We experienced very rough seas and of coarse that’s not the fault of the ship, the crew were lovely and work very hard, as for the food it was very poor and the entertainment was third rate, I think whoever put it together thought anything was good enough for the elderly passengers, as for any dancing in the evenings it was okay if you were into old time dancing which we are not and if you liked to knit and natter or play bingo during the day then this was the cruise for you. The open dining was a feasco having to cue up for about an hour to get a table for two, I think there were a lot of disappointed people on this cruise and I know that we would never go with P&O again. Read Less

We picked this cruise because we had been on the then Thompson Spirit. What we found on the Dream was canteen quality food, poor service not enough staff to service bars and restaurants. Entertainment was the worst we have ever experienced on any ship. Cabins,our cabin was number 5205, do not book this cabin. Noise and vibration from engines made it impossible to get a decent nights sleep. On complaining to staff at reception we were told there was nothing they could do and to complain when we returned home.Port and shore excursions were like the rest of the cruise poor and ill thought out with staff not seeming to care.Travel to embarkation port was one of the highlights with everthing organised leading to a smooth embarkation.When returning to the ship after a shore excursion security was very poor little or no checks were made as to what people were bringing back on board.Disembarkation at the end of the cruise was another highlight with everthing going smooth. C Hackett Read Less

First time cruisers. Six of us went to to see if we liked crusing paid for all inclusive drinks package be careful its not all inclusive, first question we were ask when ordering our first drink was would you like to upgarde to premium drinks package for £50 per person. Please note if you are sharing a cabin YOU BOTH HAVE TO UPGADE so it should state on their leaflets its £100 per cabin to upgade. Don't bother to complain as I am still waiting for a response from 3rd February 18. Internet charged at £8 / hr rip off. If the weather is poor there is very little to do on the ship, the pool is very small just a token attempt to say they have one. Staff, food & service were good . Entertainment was average . The weather was poor so we were very limted on what we could do Read Less