Bucket list item was the Greek isles and since we prefer the smaller ships, opted for a Windstar cruise. Only 135 or so guests so no crowds or lines. Ship is a little old but well maintained and except for the air conditioning and the internet, very comfortable and enjoyable. Except for Monemvassia, there were no big buses for the tours which was nice but that may be dependent on the number of folks that signed up. All vehicles were comfortable.Crew was hospitable except for one wine steward and when brought to the attention of management, things changed promptly. Ports were all very enjoyable though I was pretty tired of ruins once everything was over. Stayed in the Electra Hotel for a few nights in Athens and it was nice with a rooftop dining area with views of the Acropolis. Just avoid room 211 which had a toilet so close to the wall and shower one had to be a contortionist to use. Last night we moved to the Grand Bretagne and it was a beautiful old hotel but probably not worth the extra money. Tried to get reservations for our group of 8 several weeks before for dinner on the rooftop but they were full. Could not even find space to have a cocktail that evening as most of the space was closed off for some reason. Went next door to King George hotel and had a wonderful meal on the top floor with even better views of the Acropolis. Highly recommend this! Crew was polite and accommodating but not as nice as Crystal Esprit. Food in the dining room was good but not exceptional. Candles was better and especially the on-deck barbecue...that was amazing. Dinner at the Celsus Library was also amazing. Went to the opera afterwards in the old theatre and sitting on stone, even for an hour, was awful. Delos and Turkey were wonderful stops but all were excellent. Chartered a private catamaran in Santorini instead of the ships cat tour and it was fantastic. Breakfasts were nice with a wide selection of food on the buffet with the opportunity to order off the menu if desired. Bridge tour was nice and informative. Read Less

I got on the discovery 2 at Corfu and got of there as well. I was on the ship for a week and the destinations are lovely Santorini and Rhodes have to be my favourite. The cruise is really good the activity's for kids are a climbing wall a mini golf 9 holes 2 swimming pools one inside and one outside also there is a games room called hideout for the children to chill out and play on the Xbox and the football table. The entertainment is fantastic with 4 different venues to choose from and they have a casino. the bars were clean and sold a verity of alcohols from shots to beer to cocktails. the crew are so friendly saying hello and always ready to help really good custom. The sail away party was absolutely fantastic with live performances from DJ Tomas and a band that I cant remember there name and a flag parade to see were parts of the crew come from. definitely arrange with TUI they are stars amazing job Read Less

This sailing was incredible from start to finish! The staff were all friendly, helpful, and couldn't do enough for you. The ship was an older classic style yacht, very comfortable but definitely a dated look to it. The cabins were small but comfortable, the beds were a little on the hard side for my taste but were still cozy enough to get a good night's sleep. The food on board was wonderful! The kitchen staff outdid themselves at every meal. I swear we barely ever stopped eating on board, as soon as breakfast was cleared, someone was out offering fresh slices of watermelon, then lunch, then a dish of sorbet on the sun deck, then an amazing dinner and cocktails, definitely overdid it but everything was impeccable. The cruise director was always knowledgeable about our ports, giving us plenty of insight on what to do while in each country (Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece). I do think the excursions could be improved upon though, they only offered a couple excursions in each port, and they were participation based, so if the one you wanted didn't have enough guests, it didn't happen. That being said, the only port I think an excursion is truly necessary is Albania. My favorite stops were Korcula, Kotor, Anti-Paxos and Paxos (Anti-Paxos had the best beach and bluest waters I've ever seen in my life!). I would gladly travel with Variety in the future, and look forward to the day I get to sail with them again! Read Less

I decided to book the Greek Mystique cruise as my wife has had surgery recently and really needed to recuperate and recover. After check in at Gatwick we didn't see our luggage again until delivered to our cabin I can not tell you how amazing that was not to have to face the hustle and bustle of the airport baggage carousels! I rater enjoyed the main resturaunt as they operate an open seating dining plan so we were able to dine with new people every evening, which when we usually cruise on Seabourn and Azamara we have a fixed table and dining companions for the duration of the cruise -so Marella has hit on a good idea on the occasions where one may be sitted on a dining table with 'cruise snobs'.Which in the past we have had to endure! We are retired although a young 59 and 61, we tend to book 4 cruises per year one for each season. We have one Seabourn and one Azamrara then 2 cheaper options which this year is Marella and Cruise & Maritime to try the other end of the market. The ship Celebration was old as described on CC.reviews,but it was perfectly clean and comfortable. We prefer to have waiter service at meals as my wife isn't always able to stand and queue for periods of time and apart from the very last morning when there was literally not a seat to be had this worked perfectly for us. Our cabin steward was superb so although tips are included we left him cash in an envelope cabin was cleaned and towels replenished twice daily. My wife purchased two Radley handbags which she said were great value. we are not drinkers so didn't opt for the AI Drinks package(due to my wife's medication). We did take excursions which although costly were not exhorbitant but much more importantly safe for my wife's comfort. We ate in Mistrals which was a delight -highly recommended especially drunken prawns delicious! The Ports of call were delightful especially KOTORin Mo ntenegro and sailing out of Dubrovnik at night ! STUNNING. keeping the best till last- just has to be the entertainment. THE showteam were leaving and a new team and Cruise Director was starting the week after we disembarked. They were amazing and the show Africa was wonderful. We really thought it couldn't get any better until Monday when the Guest Act came on to do his show. His name was Christopher Gee and he was superb, my wife laughed so much it was sheer joy to behold.And his comedy impressions were stunning-the thing we could't work out was how can every voice he did be so accurate and yet he even manages to look like each person he takes on. His Tommy Cooper had everyone in stiches, and his Eric Morecambe had us all fighting off a tear at the much loved comedian but the absolute hIghlight was his one man tribute to Dave Allen it was so perfect even down to him holding a whiskey glass with only half a forefinger, his attention to detail was astounding. He recieved a richly deserved standing ovation! The neXt night was his second show and there simply wasn't a seat to be had and extra chairs from the bars were brought in, but the show was totally different Alan Carr/Michael Macintyre/Ozzy/he also did an hilarious BORIS AND Donald Trump had us ill with laughter very up to date you could hear a pin drop and that was after midnight. He was very personable young man and told us he will be on Marella Dream later in the year so we are booking that one too! We love the shows and we don't watch a lot of comedians to be fair- but I just had to post this review as everyone is quick to complain but not always ready to say a big well done Marella for booking a comedian impressionist that did nor offend one single person no un PC material or smut involved just FUNNY!!! The entire ship was talking about him the next day. in all one has to commend Marella ,especially at their price point as I assure you we have got much less from paying 4 times more!!! Read Less

After having travelled on other ships we were persuaded by friends to try the Thomson Dream, we are pleased we did. From embarking at Corfu we found the staff to be very attentive as my husband struggled to carry our bags a young man helped us and we found our bags outside our cabin door. That night we ate in the buffet style dining room as we could not be bothered to get dressed up on our first night. After eating we sat and had a quiet drink and then walked to the theatre named the Broadway Lounge. This theatre looked grand compared to some we have visited in the past. Myself and my husband do have a passion for shows and like to travel to the West End at least once a month to watch professional shows. However, after reading recent reports on here of how 'low' the entertainment team perform I must say I completely disagree. The dancers, particularly the three small female dancers were exceptional and their performance skills were excellent. The only 'low' point for myself was that the show was not long enough. We did not attend the sail away party as we were so tired from our traveling. On return to our cabin our steward had already been in and pulled the sheets back and placed chocolates on each pillow. Our cabin was on the 8th deck and was an outside plus. It was spacious and clean but we had been in bigger cabins with previous ships. Over the next few days we explored some beautiful ports such as Rhodes, Santorini and Kefalonia but we did struggle with the heat but we shouldn't really complain of this. Rhodes was my favourite as it had some glorious buildings in the Old Town and we both felt that Thomsons gave us enough time to explore off the ship. The food was excellent and we spent the majority of the time eating breakfast in Sirons and the waiter served dining room each night. The foods each time were hot, creative and devine with the portions being small but adequate. The waiters were very kind and helpful and we got to know a few and they welcomed us each night to our table. Again we watched the entertainment all week in the theatre and although I said earlier the three girls were exceptional I did feel that the singers were too, the only weakness for me were the male dancers who could not lift the girls correctly or had the technique needed throughout the dances. My favourite shows were Africa and Moulon Rouge as I loved watching these three small girls dance especially the little blond girl who danced Roxanne, splendid!!!! However, my husband preferred the singing shows such as the cabaret ones. One of the boy singers we got speaking to during our stay and he was telling us how many weeks of rehearsing goes into these shows and how many shows they have to learn, when listening to them they sound very professional and need applauding. When he was speaking of the team it was interesting to know that two of the girls are sisters which when he pointed them out to me I would never have guessed!! We watched a group of them singing one night in the big lounge and again we were impressed. Although we are elderly many of the guests got up to dance and looked like they were having an amazing time. Again we evidence this on another night when a very small dark girl sang by herself, she may be tiny but she had a powerful voice and the guests were again dancing on the dance floor in front of her. With the food, the cabins and the entertainment excelling through our stay we have decided to rebook on this lovely ship for New Year and I cannot contain my excitement. Thank you everyone for allowing me to make some special memories with my dearest husband. Read Less

We chose this cruise,because we have always been happy with Thomsons and have travelled with them about eight times.We always look at the itineries,to find one that is calling at ports we haven't visited yet,obviously this becomes more difficult as time passes.The Greek islands have been on our to do list and we certainly were not disappointed.Our flight out and service at Corfu to join the ship ran very smoothly,our cabin was very well presented and staff were on hand to answer any queries.The restaurants are always fun with the staff being so kind and always smiling.The food and choice of menu were posted every day and we enjoyed the choices provided. The excursions were well organised,but we prefer to explore each destination ourselves,Santorini was very pretty and the cablecar was fun.Syros was very unexpected,no one seems to have visited or even heard of it before,we found a very beautiful place to visit,the locals were very helpful andeverywhere was so clean.We found a quiet little café where we could people watch and see the world sail by at the quay side.We would definitely visit again.The other destinations were Zante,Chania on Crete...very busy place with lots of character...and friendly people,we also called in at Marmaris too.The weather stayed fantastic all week which is always a bonus. Read Less

We just returned from a week on the Athena leaving from Athens to 6 of the Greek islands and Ephesus Turkey. Before leaving I read the Cruise Critic review of the Athena, fairly positive, and the reviews of two who had sailed on the Athena, quite negative. So having done many Crystal Cruises it was with mixed emotions and low expectations that we ventured forth. The embarkation process was set the tone for the whole cruise. We were greeted warmly by the staff who efficiently handled our paper work and guided us and our luggage to our room. Subsequent disembarking/re-embarking was similarly handled - smooth and efficient. After the week we, and our 18 travel companions, are hard pressed to find fault with the Athena and find those reviews are not the least bit representative of what we experienced. Our travel companions were all American with an average age of late 50s or early 60s; all of them were seasoned travelers and most had traveled with GCT many times - one had 26 trips with GCT/OAT. One guest fell and broke her nose and arm, but she got immediate and good medical attention and was able to complete the cruise with her arm in a sling. On one of the small islands another guest needed an emergency prescription, but the pharmacy was closed - until the tour director got involved and arranged for the prescription to be filled. First, this is a small boat and the entertainment, medical facilities, exercise facilities and amenities are not going to compare to a large cruise ship. This is like a small private yacht where you spend little time in your room - most of it is spent in the common areas visiting with other guests. The overall condition of the boat was very good to excellent - there was no evidence of significant damage or wear. Our room was modest in size with a small veranda. It was quiet, well organized with plenty of storage space and had a very nice bathroom/shower for a small boat. The lounge area had a very nice ambiance and the availability of free house wines, beer and many non-alcoholic drinks was a nice feature. The house wines were very drinkable and there was really no reason to pay for the more upscale ones. We had great weather and were also able to enjoy being outdoors on the upper deck. The onboard ambiance was very nice and very casual - shorts and golf shirts were perfectly acceptable dinner dress. The Captain and Hotel Manager and their staffs were Croatian, Ukrainian or Indian and were first rate. They were friendly, engaging, very competent doing their jobs and blended in as if they were one of the passengers - they quickly learned our names and personal preferences. While weather conditions can create schedule variances for cruises, all of our schedules were communicated in advance and met. Our tour director, Maria Charalampidou, was excellent and ensured we got comfortably early starts to avoid crowds - however, when 3 or more big cruise ships arrive in Santorini at the same time there crowd avoidance is brief and there is little they can do as the crowds become oppressive. The food was very good - great quality, nicely presented and reasonable portion sizes for most people; special requests, such as my salmon omelettes, were cheerfully received and honored. All in all it was a great tour of the islands and Ephesus on a very nice boat with an excellent crew - I would sail on the Athena again with this crew without reservation. Read Less

I personally loved this cruise! The crew were excellent, the entertainment was great, the excursions were great too. I loved everything about the cruise. We had an Olive Oil thematic. This meant a few interesting presentations by an olive oil expert (GAEA) , a food blogger (https://www.facebook.com/cookandfeel.gr/?pnref=lhc) and an archaeologist that worked on olives too. All three were amazing at what they did and it made for an interesting and informative. Of course that also meant food tastings that were excellent. Then every night we had a dance troupe (Cirque Fantastic) that always gave an amazing show, with a different theme every night. I'm not even a fan of these shows but they kept me coming back every night. The excursions were great too. You have a few that you can do without the cruise excursions, and a few that you really need the guide to get the full experience. The crew were very helpful in showing us what what on each excursion so we could make our minds about which to take. The animation crew were just phenomenal, and less obvious but the entire support staff did a wonderful job. The ship is smaller and older that a luxury cruise would offer, but I didn't care much for that, what I remember are the great experiences we had on board and at all the stops. Read Less

We were looking for a small ship cruise tour in the Greek islands to celebrate my mothers birthday plus my wedding anniversary. We were referred to Variety Cruises by american friends who cruised in Costa Rica with the company two years ago, so we knew where to look at. The number of our "group" counted almost 35 family members, friends, extended family, so we ended up looking at chartering a whole yacht owned by Variety Cruises, called Harmony G. It instantly seemed like a good fit, a boutique ship with 20 cabins, modern interiors, and great exterior areas including a large sundeck, and a swimming platform. We were proposed a classical greece route, a good combination of famous islands and of some tiny ones too. Crew onboard felt like family after day 2, and all of us enjoyed being treated like royalty, and we often visited the bridge during navigation hours and chatted with the captain and officers. Food was delicious, BBQ lunches and dinners were the highlight of the cruise. All meals were served outdoors as we like, some of us also enjoyed some meals at the indoor dining room which also provided great views of the islands we were docked at every day. I couldnt fault any area of the ship, cabins were spacious and had ample storage space. Would travel on this ship again and again. our home away from home for a whole week! Read Less

The poor reviews that I read were totally unfounded. Boarding was professional and not too time consuming. Orion restaurant had great service and excellent food at any of the three meals served daily. Tides bar for an evening drink had two of the best bar staff, Carlos and Daniel, both funny, witty and professional. Entertainment throughout the ship was good. The all inclusive drinks package is well worth the money. The cabin was faultless and special mention must go to Jerome for his friendship, hard work and towel sculptures. The shore excursions are a bit expensive but well organised. However in most ports there are open top buses for hop on hop off stations and audio head phones to inform you of the major sites for a fraction of the cost. Athens and Santorini excursions are a must but on the downside there was not enough time in Kalamata and Heraklion a disappointment hot and overcrowded. This is my second cruise on the Dream and I found it very well run and professional. I am a seasoned traveller and have no complaints regarding the ship or crew. The treatment at Corfu airport by the Thomson reps making customers stand in the blazing heat and issue wrong information as well as being an airport that would have been ok 30 years ago catering for the minority took the edge off an otherwise excellent holiday. Read Less

We have just returned from our 3rd cruise with MSC the latest being on Musica. We have been totally satisfied with all three cruises, the ships were clean, cabins clean,and food delicious. One lady said there were only hamburgers. Did she not go to the main restaurants ,where food is lovely and the waiting staff very friendly,all greeting passengers as they go into dinner. Another critic said she did not know why the ship was call the Musica because there was not any Music.Where on earth was she, in all the bars there is live music, all different, the only criticism being that it was a bit loud to hold a conversation. this we feel a miner criticism. We found all staff were very friendly and could not do enough for you, maybe its the way they are treated, some passengers can be very rude. Port embarkation good. although a lot of people it moved quite quick. Disembarkation was very straight forward . Our cabin was lovely and we even had breakfast served in the cabin a couple of times when we had an early start. The dinning room is well laid out and we were put with others speaking English.A good time was had by all. We would have no hesitation in cruising with MSC again, we have traveled quite a bit and find there is always someone complaining, we believe in, if you have a complaint fair enough, but these critics are just trying it on. Read Less

Our first experience with Seabourn was in 2009. Our Norwegian vessel was docked near a Seabourn ship. Seeing how the Seabourn guests were welcomed aboard was an eye opener. In 2014, we took a deep breath and book the Greek Islands cruise on the Sojourn. A big step for us, but we wanted the all inclusive experience. i don't have the time or patience to attempt a complete review, but I confess to being a true believer in the Seabourn experience. I will never forget the staff members standing in front of the gangway cheering and applauding us as we came on board! So cool. We loved our cabin! It was big, luxurious, had a walk in closet and a bathtub. The veranda was big and private, and there was a table and chairs for in room dining in style. The staff were amazing. The first day I stopped by the Pool deck bar for a cocktail. The next day as I walked by the same bar, the bartender asked if I wanted the same cocktail I had previously ordered. Every one seemed to know our names. All the facilities were first rate, and the food was fabulous. The chef hosted an event where he made a fabulous paella in front of us while he chatted away about Seabourn, food, and his life experiences. We got to attend a shore event in the ruins of Ephesus where we were seated outside the coliseum and fed wine and snacks while being entertained by a string quartet...on the house. Seabourn gave us the cruise experience of a lifetime. Worth every penny. If you are considering stepping up from the more popular big ship cruises, we encourage you to consider going all the way to the finest...Seabourn. Read Less

We have just returned from a 12 night cruise to Italy and Greece. It was one of the best cruise we ever had. This is our 8th cruise and embarkation in Barcelona was a breeze. We were in Suite 1615 on the 11th deck and it was exactly as we pictured it to be. Both our Concierge, Carlos and Butler, Cesar attended to our every need. Our Stateroom Stewarts, Allan and Taurif were extremely efficient and courteous. Table 212 at the early seating at the Symphony Dining Room was attended by our Waiter Jimmy and Asst. Waiter Kristalis. Here again we really impressed by their service and attention to detail. The tours we pre-booked through Celebrity met our expectations. Expect crowded large groups in all the ports as the itinerary for this cruise is extremely popular. There were always a minimum of 2 large cruise ships in each port. Again we were very lucky with the weather as the seas were calm and peaceful. Santorini, Athens and Mykonos had each own special appeal. We were right to take the Tour "A Taste of Athens" as we now know where to go when we return. The Acropolis had the largest groups of tourist we have ever seen in Greece as the Parthenon was really a sight to behold. My wife and I are both Catholics so we were very moved by the visit to the house of the Blessed Virgin Mary where also heard the noon mass especially for groups who booked the "Biblical Tour of Ephesus". Our tour guide, Ilker, was very knowledgeable and professional. Of course, we had to see the making of the beautiful carpets of Turkey on this tour. At Ephesus, again expect very large groups of tourist. We were pleasantly surprise by the evening shows we always watched at the Equinox Theater. Paul Baya, the Cruise Director, gave a wonderful performance when he sang, My Prayer. Each show was a minimum of 45 minutes to an hour. It was just the right mixture of comedy, musical Broadway style number, Circus Acts similar to Vegas type shows and orchestra music. Celebrity to us by far had the best theatrical numbers as compared to the Royal Princess. Mood Icons, the house band, were great. We really enjoyed dancing to their music each night. We were a bit disappointed that Celebrity now charges for Circuit Cross Training Exercises and Zumba classes. We had Zumba daily at the Royal Princess and it was always free of charge. To sum it up, we had a wonderful 5 star cruise!   Read Less

Just returned from the Ancient Wonders Cruise on Thomson Celebration. Traveled with my 16 year old daughter. This ship is the sister ship of Spirit which was the first ship we cruised on about 7 years ago, it has had a refurb to be "Platinum" as Thomson call it. --Accommodation-- We were located on deck 1 on the inside so I didn't have great expectations, but was very pleasantly about the cabin, it was very clean, had plenty of space and ton's of storage. There was some noise, particularly on a rougher sea night, but both me and my daughter had no problem sleeping. The only problem is that the LCD TV did not have a great viewing angle and was unwatchable from my bed - but I wan't there to watch TV anyway! Although it has had the refurb, some parts of the ship are a little tired, but again this was no bother. --Food-- We found the food excellent, using the Buffet for snacks/breakfast and the main waiter restaurant for dinner and twice for breakfast. Had I not been with my daughter I would have used the waiter service a lot more - brilliant! Several people paid for a meal in the extra special restaurant (Mistral)and said it was absolutely worth the £20 surcharge per head - so hope to do that next time. We also chose to always share a table and spoke to many interesting and friendly people. --Entertainment-- This was what really made the holiday, we only caught 3 shows which were to a very high standard, but it was the entertainment team in general which made our 7 days so enjoyable - having got stitched up to be in a game show on our second night I suddenly found that this took the experience to an extra level. (having people wave to you when they see you on ship or on an excursion) My daughter now want's to be a presenter/compare, special Thanks to Jake and Paul from the entertainment team for telling her all the options and what a good life it is for someone young. We loved the quizzes and were gutted we didn't win a prize (really wanted that Thomson Bag). --Itinerary-- Ancient Wonders was a good mix, was however disappointed that Santorini had to be changed the day before - did like the added bonus of going to Rhodes though. This itinerary is quite good for those that like the option for just heading off yourself. --Summary-- A great cruise experience, I've done shock and awe cruising with Royal Caribbean and I will say hand on heart that it's not the age or size of the ship that makes a good cruise - it's the people and service and I would say that the crew on Thomson Celebration are excellent. (going on the Majesty 25th July so hopefully will be just as good!)   Read Less

We did the 7 Beaches cruises, around the Greek Islands, and a visit to Izmir in Turkey. Fabulous apart from a couple of hitches getting ashore due to windy weather - only to be expected. The Greek Islands never disappoint apart from Samos, there were roadworks going on so very dusty and hot. Wouldn't voluntarily go back as there isn't much to see unless you're on an excursion Classica crew not as slick with the luggage as other operators, being on the ship by 2pm, we didn't expect to wait over 5 hours for our luggage. We had to go into dinner wearing our travelling clothes which was uncomfortable. Crew were excellent, good service all round. We were on deck 7 which was an ideal position for all the public areas. Went to a couple of shows which were good. Dining options are varied. Breakfasted in the buffet, alfresco on the stern deck - the Trattoria - bit manic first thing but once seated not a problem. Dined every night in the dining room. Can't praise the waiting staff enough, they were excellent, it's the first cruise we've been on that we danced in the dining room with the staff!! Italian night. Plenty of choice and the menu changed every night, would have to be really picky to starve. One request - could 'HUSH' notices be put up in cabin corridors please. Some guests with their children were woefully unaware that some people do go to bed before midnight, especially if there's an early start the next day!!!! Children running up and down and adults having four way conversations is not good. Read Less

We fly into Rome and spend 3 jam packed days walking and seeing and walking and seeing and etc, etc. We were tired and the eye balls hurt from looking. We stayed at a cute little hotel - Hotel Trevi- just around the corner from the fountain. It was a most convenient place to walk and see all the sights. The staff at the hotel were very nice and helpful. The hotel is small, but the people are big hearted. We could not believe what it cost to get a car to take us to the port - Civitavecchia. But we found everything in Rome expensive, but we still ate our share of the gelato (YUM). It was really good to board the ship and know that we were going to be well taken care of by the staff. The spa was a first stop for a massage. We took advantage of the wine tastings and really enjoyed and appreciated the Cellar Master Sam and all the trouble he had gone to get local wines for us to sample and enjoy. He was very friendly and that was great after some really stuffy ones we have run across on HAL. We were off every stop, but what was most annoying was that we had to tender at so many of the ports that were not scheduled for tenders. I felt like we were not wanted in some of the ports or HAL had not paid it's port TAX. We had a veranda cabin and very much enjoyed it. Our Cabin Stewards were quick and very capable of all their duties. Our Table steward Putu and the wine steward Anjin were the best we have ever had on a HAL trip.   Read Less

The latest Solstice Class ship from Celebrity is beautiful in appearance, but with some design flaws which Celebrity considers to be improvements. The service by the crew is extraordinary as is the food in the dining room and other venues. There is really no need to use the many extra pay dining options unless one wants to be treated like a king and enjoy really fantastic cuisine. Definitely celebrate a special occasion in one of these. The entertainment is above average for a cruise ship with the cast giving their all in their performances. There is a problem with the choice of performances the company has chosen to present. They are (2 of the 3) not age appropriate and would be more suited to crowds in their early 20s rather than the older crowds on the ship. Hip hop and rap type songs just do not fit the elegance of the ship. Also, the music was so loud that it hurt the ears. Again the singers, dancers, and other artists gave excellent performances. Celebrity saw fit to add additional cabins to the design found in the other Solstice ships with the following effects: 1. The Grand Foyer dance floor across from guest relations is 12 to 15 feet shorter than on the other ships. 2. The main dining room is smaller in length by a matching 12 to 15 feet. 3. The new Reflection Suite has reduced the size of the Sky Lounge by 50 %. This is where the Elite and above passengers meet for drinks before dinner. 4. The Gym is smaller (by 50%) to make room for a larger Persian Garden rooms. The warm up room is tiny. 5. An improvement is that the discotheque is gone (I have never seen it being used by more than 6 people on the other ships) and has been replaced by moving the conference rooms to that spot. 6. The Lawn Club is smaller and now has a charge for usage as do the swinging, curtained chairs in the solarium area. 7. If the urge for a hot dog or a hamburger strikes you, then head to the Mast Grill on deck 15. Read Less