Numb, as in unbelievable, Numb as in over whelming, Numb as in booked another cruise with Viking for next year. We had seen the TV documentary "Mighty Ships" showcasing the "Viking Sky" and a week later were booked for our cruise on the "Sea", I had Viking do all our bookings for our transportation to Oslo, as well as our Oslo and Bergen extensions. We were not disappointed, as everything went well, with ground transportation, the 2 hotels we stayed in, as well as the train trip between Oslo and Bergen. I beloved they saved us about $4,000 Cdn, (for 2 people) as I booked the airfare using a dummy account, and was well satisfied with the outcome, and that didn't include booking hotels or train trip. Upon our arrival at the cruise terminal, we were informed we would leave Bergen a day early (disappointed) and miss the Shetland and Faroe Islands (disappointed), but would have two extra ports in Iceland (Wow), due to stormy seas as the remainder of Hurricane Dorian hit the area. A few other changes were made due to rough seas, but Viking and the Captain made the changes ahead of time, allowing replacements and relocations so our cruise wasn't days at seas. This allowed us to cross the Arctic Circle, and spend extra time in Iceland, a place we might have never returned to, as well attended to the safety of the ship and passengers / crew aboard. I have mobility issues and use a walker. The tours we took, were OK for our limits, as we were allowed to wander at our own speed and were given a time and place to meet, which we adhered to. Getting on and off the ship was a breeze, except at Quebec City. I knew, as Viking stipulates in their "FAQ" area, you are responsible for getting yourself off and on without crew assistance, but at Quebec City no wanted to take my walker on or off, and it was a long stand waiting while the walker sat on the pier. The boarding ramp also in Quebec City was not handicap friendly due to the small steps (my ability of using steps, not the port or ship or anyone else's ability). All other ports, crew couldn't have been nicer or more obliging getting the walker on and off, and assisting on ramps and tenders. The ship was beautiful, simple lines but very elegant. We had so much space and a good choice of areas to sit, depending the mood and what we wanted to see or the hear the music provided by the onboard musicians. The "Living Room" was divided into smaller sitting rooms (about 8 to 10 seats), each with art work, a multitude of reading material, ornaments on tables and shelves and thro-blankets and cushions giving a very warm and at home feeling. The food overall, was very good, sometimes things weren't great or what we expected but that's standard wherever you go or even at home. The "Restaurant" had wonderful choices, with standard fare on the left side of the menu and seasonal / regional choices on the right side. We mostly ate from the right side, and enjoyed what we ordered. Service was professional, and the odd time things did get dis-jointed, but we always got what we wanted, and if something was forgotten, it was there in seconds. We never left hungry. "World Cafe" had a nice choice of foods, and they would prepare to order. We only had lunch there, as we preferred the "Restaurant" where portions are controlled, as we always filled our plates way to much, and hate to waste food. "Manfretti's" was wonderful, especially the rib-eye steak, but learned we can order or split portions if we choose. We were very pleased we could have 4 dinners there. We had one dinner at the "Chef's Table", which was Asian and wonderful, but we choose not to return for the Mexican themed dinner. At both specialty restaurants, the servers explained the menu to us in great detail, as well as the wines we ordered. We paid for the "Silver Spirits" package which included upgraded wines at meals, and any alcohol or soft drinks on board. The jury is still out, whether we would get it again. I kept of tally of what we ordered, and we broke even. The upgraded wines aren't a big deal for us, and we are not big drinkers, but ordered a few specialty drinks we wouldn't of had if we were paying for each drink. However, it was nice knowing you wouldn't get a large bill at the end. The crew were "amazing" and everyone on board made our holiday special, from their hellos in the hallways or greeting us by name in the food and bar service areas. They remembered our likes or dislikes or could predict whether we were having 2 black coffees or 2 Absolute and tonic. High Points: 1) no children 2) no up-selling 3) included internet (worked well most of the time) 4) no photography or photographers in your face 5) treated like responsible adults (not to many party people on board) 6) no pushing future cruises, it was made known you could book on ship (which we did because we wanted to, not because of pressure) There is much more to tell, bu the highlight was, Viking did us well, and we look forward to our next cruise in June 2020. Read Less

In the Wake of the Vikings - Ocean Cruise (Sep 2018) Sep 01 - SAN DIEGO - FRANKFURT * Flew on Lufthansa First Class (excellent service) * Arrived in Frankfurt and was met at the plane with a wheel chair for Glenn and full assistance transporting us to our departure gate. (Excellent service) Had a couple of hours layover in Frankfurt. Ate lunch at airport. Sep 02 - FRANKFURT - OSLO * Flew to Oslo, Norway (short flight) * Our arrival was late afternoon. * Transfer from Airport to Hotel - provided by Viking - Private Mercedes Benz Limo. * Joe Christian was our driver. (Exceptional service) * Hotel was excellent. * Due to our arrival in the early evening our visit to Oslo was limited. Sep 03 - OSLO - BERGEN * Breakfast at hotel (Food was delicious, procedure for seating in dining room was chaotic) * Transfer from Hotel to Train Station via included Bus tour of Oslo - (Tour Guide was very good) * Train to Bergen - There was confusion regarding the seating on the train. * (The arrangement for lunch on board was unexpected, but the boxed food was hot and good) * Transfer from Train Station to Hotel did not go well. (Guide was late, unapologetic and very unprepared. * Bus driver and passengers were kept waiting with no explanation from the Guide). * Hotel was excellent. We had dinner in the bar as the dining room was full. Sep 04 - BERGEN * Breakfast at hotel (excellent) * Transfer to from Hotel to Ship via included Bus Tour of Bergen did not go well. * Tour Guide was not organized, very difficult to understand. * We literally drove in circles and passed the same locations two and three times. As a result we were not able to spend sufficient time at the Gamle Bergen Open Air Museum * Tour Guide did not clearly point out the difficulty of negotiating the open air museum to our physically challenged passengers. * This included tour has the potential to be so much better. Sep 05 - BERGEN * Breakfast on Ship * We chose to walk on our own from Ship to Funicular in the morning * Strolled through town back to ship seeing some sites along the way * Set sail in the evening for Lerwick, Shetland Islands (UK) Sep 06 - LERWICK - SHETLAND ISLANDS * We chose to skip the tours and took a shuttle bus from the dock to Downtown Lerwick. * We strolled the streets and enjoyed our visit. Sep 07 - TORSHAVN - FAROE ISLANDS ALTERNATE PORT - KOLLAFJORDUR * Our cruise hit a major snag here. After the Captain docked, he was informed by the port authority that we could not dock there. Apparently the dock was double booked and our ship eventually (after 2 hours of discussions) had to relocate to another port on the island. * After relocating we were finally able to disembark and take a two hour bus tour of the area. OK but nothing to write home about. Captain to be commended for his handling of the situation. * Sad thing was the town of Torshavn lost out on our visit entirely. And some of the tours had to be cancelled. * The alternate port was nothing more than a dock and no village. * Very disappointed that none of us were able to visit Torshavn due to the dispute with the port. Sep 08 - AT SEA Sep 09 - REYKJAVIK, ICELAND * We docked without incident at this port. * Glenn took a bus tour of the city. * Pat went to the Blue Lagoon. Very well done with one exception - we were told to bring a towel with us to the lagoon. However when we arrived at the lagoon we were informed that towels were provided as part of our tour package. * This was the only port of call where some of us encountered rain. Sep 10 - AT SEA Sep 11 - NANORTALIK, GREENLAND (aborted) ALTERNATIVELY - AT SEA * Due to bad weather conditions in the area it was decided to skip this port and continue to Qaqortoq, Greenland. * As a result we had an extra day at sea. * Because we had the time the captain took us through a couple of magnificent fiords on the way. Sep 12 - QAQORTOQ - GREENLAND * We woke up this morning in this charming village community. * We tendered in. * We opted out of any tours and wandered around the village on our own. * Viking did an excellent job of greeting us on shore. * The weather was picture perfect. Sep 13 - AT SEA Sep 14 - L’ANSE AUX MEADOWS, NEWFOUNDLAND (aborted) ALTERNATE PORT - SAINT ANTHONY, NEWFOUNDLAND * Due to dangerous weather conditions in the area we continued to an alternate port, St. Anthony, which proved to be a delightful and very friendly community. * Glenn stayed on board the ship. * I took a tender into town and did a lot of walking, exploring and hiking. * Another picture perfect day for weather. * This port should be on the itinerary Sep 15 - AT SEA Sep 16 - SAGUENAY, QUEBEC, CANADA * The scenery as we left the Seaway and went up the river to Saguenay was beautiful. * We arrived in the morning to great fanfare. Several of the town folk came to the dock to greet us with dancing and music. * Upon arrival we were taken in busses to a very large auditorium for a major theatrical production. Excellent. * The port provided wheel chair and electric cart service for the physically challenged from and to the ship. * The transfer from ship to theater and back to dock was a bit chaotic, but short. * Back on board we freshened up, had lunch and then did some walking along the harbor. * Our ship had the best docking location. * There were three other ships in port at the same time and they all had to tender in. * Crew and Staff were on shore to welcome us back to ship with music and champagne! * Another picture perfect day for weather. Sep 17 - QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC, CANADA * Pat toured the town on his own including a trip on the funicular and coffee and sandwich at Starbucks. * Glenn took a guided bus tour of the city. Excellent Tour and Tour Guide. * We did not get the ideal docking position but there was a shuttle that transferred us between ship and the city. * We felt that an overnight with an extra day in Quebec City would have been preferred. * Another picture perfect day for weather. Sep 18 - MONTREAL * Arrived in Montreal. Disembarkation went very well. Viking Staff there to help and give directions inside the Terminal. * Short Transfer to Hotel via a large van. * Settled into the Westin hotel and began our explorations on our own. * No included tours here. * We had lunch and dinner at the hotel. * The Hotel and Dining Room was excellent. Sep 19 - MONTREAL - Extended stay * Enjoyed our included breakfast at the Hotel. * We set out on our own and toured the city including a visit to the Bank of Montreal and Notre Dame Basilica. * As suggested by the Hotel concierge we had an excellent lunch at the Portus 360 revolving restaurant with commanding views of the city. * We then continued exploring the city on foot, including a visit to St. Patrick’s Basilica and the Olympic Monument. * We attended the night show AURA at Notre Dame Basilica followed by a delicious dinner back at the hotel. This should be highly recommended to all clients in advance so as to get a seat. Very popular. Reservations should be made well in advance. We purchased our tickets on line from home before the trip. Sep 20 - MONTREAL - PHILADELPHIA - SAN DIEGO * Enjoyed our included breakfast at the Hotel. * After breakfast Pat took one last walk through Montreal Old Town * We had a private included transfer from Hotel to Airport in the afternoon * Flight was late leaving Montreal - no one at the airport kept us informed * Arrived in Philadelphia and was met at the plane with a wheel chair for Glenn and full assistance transporting us to our departure gate. (Excellent service) * Arrived in San Diego late at night and took cab home. The ship - Viking Sea * It is important to note that there was a serious problem on board this ship. Based on our own personal experience and conversations with some of the passengers - there is a noise problem that needs to be addressed. * Our cabin, 4084, was so noisy we could not sleep at night. * We invited engineering into 4084 so they could hear the noise as well and they did. Not at all clear what the cause was but it was intermittent and even occurred when the ship was not moving. It was a very loud booming sound and vibrated one wall in the cabin. * After two nights in that cabin - Viking relocated us to cabin 5026 which was identical to 4084 except without any noise. * The staff was excellent. The public areas were comfortable. * Attention to detail could be better. Example: the tile floor in the World Cafe is chipped and cracked in places and the grouting appears dirty. Food Service & Entertainment * Food on board the ship in the main dining room and the World Cafe was creative and delicious. The food was not often hot and only mildly warm. Warm plates were offered as an alternative to the cold plates under the counters at the buffet. This needs attention and better notice. * For one of the meals in the main Dining Room Glenn had to ask the waiter for a replacement of the main course as the one delivered was barely warm. * Meals were creative, excellent presentation and flavorful. * Eric, the maitre’d, was outstanding. He was attentive and helpful. Prior to the cruise we were not able to get an earlier seating in the Chefs Table and Manfredi’s restaurants. Eric took care of that and we were able to dine earlier. * The Pool Grill provided nice simple options for meals. * The waffles in Mamsen’s were outstanding. * Both Alternative Dining Rooms were excellent. Service excellent and food excellent. * Wintergarden Afternoon Tea very well done. * The Afternoon Brunch in the Wintergarden was outstanding. They did run out of some of the items too soon. * Table 131 in the main Restaurant is a very bad table to sit at. There are glaring fluorescent lights from the kitchen area visible in parts of the dining area. Recommend a modification so the light is not visible to guests. * Entertainment on board was good. Drew, the Cruise Director, was amazing. His ability to sing, play musical instruments and his knowledge of the ports we visited - incredible. Read Less

RCCL offered a very attractive price for this cruise, and we were looking for a smaller ship (i.e., less than 3,000). The Jewel is not new, but it has been kept up well and the public rooms are all very nice and comfortable. The service was outstanding, starting with a very visible and friendly captain from Canada. Everything operated very efficiently and, if something was to our dissatisfaction, the staff attended to it very quickly and in caring fashion. The itinerary was terrific, making 6 stops (3 Canary Islands, Gibraltar, Alicante and Valencia, Spain with disembarkation in Rome). All the stops were very nice, particularly Alicante and Valencia. We had plenty of time to tour, and could walk easily to virtually all ports. Entertainment/music was generally very good. A weak point was the so-called "enrichment program" with amateurs. Bartenders were incredibly efficient and service-conscious, and always with a smile (e.g., Javier from Columbia and Girish from Mauritius). Embarking in San Juan and disembarking in Rome were extremely smooth. Captain and his officers met us either going off or coming back on ship at many ports--a nice touch. This is something you can hope to enjoy with a small ship, and the Jewel delivered. We've done a lot of transatlantic cruises--some on newer or bigger ships--but this was the best. Read Less

Sailed aqua for second time They have cut back on benefits so much it is not worthwhile Used to be water everyday. Now once during cruise Snavyin canin way down in quality Food in blu not as good as it was Aqua no longer worth the money Very disappointing and we will not do again The crew was great. Cabin attendant. Blu wait staff very attentive and professional but food quality better in dining room. For example onion soup should be called broth soup Entertainment fantastic Tours great We booked with online vacation and they made the shuttle from ship to hotel a nightmare Got to hotel with a 6 hour wait to get room Very poor planning Leaving hotel they messed up luggage tags and we met at 7am instead of 8;30 as we should have Will not use them again or if they book cruise will do accommodations myself Read Less

Overall I rate our experience as poor. Here are some details. The entertainment shows, we felt had too much opera singing, it felt like it only appealed to a niche audience and didn’t appeal to the larger group. I think people were interested in seeing more flavorful acting, dancing and regular music from 50s, 60s or 70s, so we could sing along. We waited too long for waiter service, and throughout dinner he was continuously rude. Also the whole order of things seemed very disorganized, like an afterthought....extremely slow service. Also, sometimes people have custom requests, this seemed entirely impossible with your staff. Specifically when asking for salad or soup first, the wait staff seemed inflexible, and that made us feel more like a number and less like a valued customer. Then, when I tried to rent a movie in my room, more problems trying to stream it, unfortunately we were charged for movie that took two days to watch as it kept going off and the screen kept pixelating and freezing. We then went to the front desk to report about the movie problems. The desk staff refused to credit the fee, denying our problems, and also made us feel belittled...sayingthat we were the problem, insisting it played ok, almost accusing us of lying, which of course we would not. This made us feel uncomfortable and not happy or vacation like. Also we went for an off boat excursion, they took us out on a bus, but nobody was given any clear instructions on now to get back. How upsetting for the group of us. We soon realized, to our dismay that after the tour, we were stranded in a foreign country. A few us us decided to take a taxi to get back to the boat, at our own expense, which was terrible because it seemed appropriate the the bus would pick us up at the same place. The Who experience was full of stress, rudeness and disappointment. I hope you take this review to heart and improve your guest experience. Thanks for reading this. Read Less

VcI just love cruising especially the longer cruises. This is our 20 th cruise and it is one of the best company which have a lot of cruises we love because we love going to different countries and also all of the other MSC SHIPS are fabulous but this was not good for us this time, There ships are just fantastic but they made a big mistake with the cabins in this ship and they need to get this fixed by moving the beds to the other side of the room. Service was okay but to many problems as they didn't have enough staff on board for the amount of people so things were getting quiet heated over lost property and bags not showing up at rooms on embarking. We will still cruise with MSC Because they do thetowns we would never see . The food is fabulous and the speciality restaurants are top class with deli our selection to choose between. Read Less

We have done several river cruises with Viking and were curious about Viking Ocean. The price was good and had free air. We then continue to Cuba on a back to back for a total of 18 days. We found the staff outstanding, the went out of there way to make your cruise enjoyable. The entertainment was very good. The food was very good, and we enjoyed having the option of dinning rooms without additional charges. Our favorite was Manfredi's. As expected, the ports on the Transatlantic were limited, and the shore excursions were a disappointment. However, I enjoyed the Cultural Cuba ports and shore excursions. The Background information and speakers were very good, and made the sea days enjoyable. I had a knee replacement, so I found the main pool hard to get into, and only used it once. The infinity pool at the back of the ship is small, but very enjoyable. The spa therapy pool is very nice, my used it every day. The seating around the the pools were very comfortable. We enjoyed sitting outside the Wintergarden, it was very quiet and comfortable. The pool grill had a great selecton of hamburgers and the onions rings are great. Afternoon tea was fun, and the pastries in the Explorers' Lounge were outstanding. The cabin and balcony was comfortable, but our closet was in an awkward location next to the bed. Read Less

If you want to eat after 10 in the evening and want more then a roll or a burnt pizza. Entertainment was a joke the cruise director needs replacing. Example colouring by numbers as an afternoon entertainment. The cruise seemed to concentrate on people who were returning customers rather then new. Formal nights were a joke, you got dressed up to walk into the dining room for your evening meal which you had done the night before. no captain, no entertainment, nothing special at all. did not bother after the 1st one. If you Smoke you are normally allowed to smoke in casino. Not on this ship on formal days all day, weather was bad so could not go up on deck and had to use cigar room which had such poor extractors and stunk, In the casino ashtray was a floor standing one which staff emptied out the ashtrays from the slot machines into and never got emptied all day. Everyone i spoke to and me included had charges for services not used added to bills. AFter 8 days at sea managed to get 3 hours in Boston. Management of Immigration was a joke we should have been first a 6.30 with people on excursions ( instead approx 1500 in gue, emigration delayed .with people queuing for 3 or more hours, will not go on but all i will say is i saw people crying with boredom, This cruise turned into a prison sentence. so will i use again never twice crew members maimed to music on the bridge on the promenade and that was about as lively as it got. Read Less

We were on the Marina for 14 days, 6 of them at sea, and I have only high praise. The service was outstanding, everyone smiling and saying hello, the food was superb and the presentation of the dishes was truly over the top. Based on the itinerary, Barcelona to Miami, the shore excursions were as interesting as they could be although we thought they were overpriced. The classes at the culinary enter were a life saver on the days at sea and Chef Karlis is a great instructor and chef. Shipboard activities were well geared to the age level of the passengers and the evening entertainment was well attended most of the nights. No disco, no photographer, no children taking over the pool, plenty of lounge chairs and no signing a ticket every time you wanted a soft drink or cold water or a specialty coffee A high class operation, beautiful décor and furnishings. Oceania provides so many "little touches" that make a big difference.. Read Less

The Celebrity Reflection repositioning cruise was an excellent experience, with great weather and lots of options for enrichment, entertainment and relaxation. We chose Celebrity Reflection because of previous very pleasant sailing on the ship; its beautifully designed & spacious multiple spaces that are open and airy; its understated elegance, its arts collection, the wonderful dining venues and innovative delicious menus, the bars, its impeccable "going the extra mile" service from all levels from the cabin stewards, to the restaurant and bar staff, the officers and the staff at gangways, Guest Relations and Excursions desk; and lastly but not last, the enrichment activities, fitness and entertainment -its absolutely wonderful. The crossing was excellent and Celebrity delivered again. I believe that Celebrity offers the best value for its category. Want to recognize the captain Dimitry who was by far the most friendly, amiable and visibly-present throughout the ship I have ever experienced on any prior cruise. We went out of his way to make guests, welcomed, appreciated and entertained. Thanks Captain. Read Less

My wife and I, both in our 70's made the cruise. Our pre-cruise visit to Bergen was great. We had Viking plan the air, which was a mistake. They routed us through Heathrow, which I avoid based on experience several years ago. It has gotten worse. It took over an hour standing in line with our carry-on luggage to get on a bus to take us from Terminal 3 to Terminal 5. We had reserved the Hotel Oleana in Bergen. It was conveniently located, nice staff, but the furnishings were spartan. Good weather and we ate well in the 3 days there before we boarded the ship. I thought embarkation went smoothly but my wife disagrees. We both were very happy with our stateroom, especially the heated bathroom floor. Wish I had one at home. I screwed up, not having looked at the ships plans/specifications enough beforehand. I thought it would be too cool to use the pool, so didn't pack a bathing suit. But the main pool and it's hot tub were protected and there were two more hot tubs plus the two pools and the sauna in the spa. Dining was great, with several options. I regret that they did not offer more choices of joining others when we went into The Restaurant. We met fewer other cruise travelers than we have on other cruises. We both took advantage of the talks and enjoyed them a lot. One speaker was so good that I regretted I was not going to be on the next leg (to New York) to hear some scheduled for it. All of the crew were helpful and pleasant to deal with. Security process for exiting and reboarding at the port stops was very efficient. I appreciated the steps they went to to help us keep our hands clean and prevent the spread of disease. There were several locations outside of the staterooms where people could relax and read. An ample number of books were available at multiple locations. In many of these one could be close enough to the performing musicians to have the music in the background. All of the musicians were top notch. Portable hearing sets were available to help people hear the excursion guides but they were awkward to use and were unnecessary except on one tour I went on. The size of the ship is large enough to have great facilities but small enough to go places larger ships cannot visit. We were already book for a Spring 2018 cruise on the Viking Sea when we booked this one. We liked it enough to book a cruise on the Viking Orion in December 2018. Read Less

I thought the ship was a bit worn and needs some updating! Overall adequate Cruise. The highlight of the cruise was the food quality especially the premium restaurants. Getting on the ship was a bit of a chore and getting off the ship was a complete fire drill with long waits through customs. I felt like I was back in the army again. It was certainly a hurry up and wait senario. The Fort Lauderdale Cruise Terminal felt like a warehouse and was not very comfortable, it needs a lot of work to bring it into form. It feels like the bigger the ships the more confusion exists especially getting on and off the ship as well maneuvering on board. The windjammer restaurant was always crowded and you needed to fight for a seat at each meal. The pools where always busy and the same scenario exists of getting towels, reserving a chase lounge and than not showing up for hours which is not fair to the other passengers. Read Less

Love TAs never visited Amsterdam. Check in at FLL pier was easy and quick. Room was ready by 1pm. Ship was in pristine condition. Dined nightly in Blu. Friendly staff and good food. Luncheon buffet had many choices all were very good including the daily themes. Crossing was calm seas. Daily lectures very informative. Have booked the Silly again in Nov. for the TA from Rome. Captain Kefetsis was the life of the party, always joking and mingling with the guests. Room steward, Mario, was like a ninja. Room clean and ready at all times, ice provided for wines etc. The band, Casablanca was terrific. Weather crossing was cool and had several days when sitting outside was too cold. Ports of Brugges, Lehavre and Lisbon were perfect. Days sunny and temperate. Spent 2 days in Amsterdam. Loved the canal cruises there. Disembarkation was quite fast and customs check was non existent. The Silhouette is our favorite ship. Read Less

For our 50th Anniversary we wanted to take a Transatlantic Repositioning Cruise from Tampa to Barcelona; with a Back-to-back from Barcelona to Venice to Barcelona. We've been on this particular cruise several times and just enjoy this area. This was a trip of a lifetime for us and we packed a lot of memories into these 30 days. Each day we tried to do something that we had never done before -- that was challenging on the days that it was too windy or cold to go out on deck. We played pool by the Colony Club and marveled at how we could sink EVERY ball with one shot (sometimes we sank all the balls before we even hit them.). It was a little rough once in a while and that helped the balls go to the far corners. We played Trivia, went to the shows, played cards with friends, went to Karaoke, hung over the rails at the Centrum to watch the dancers and the programs, read as much as we could, and ate at every opportunity (we actually concentrated on walking more on this trip so we went home lighter than we had started). There was always something to do. We had several exceptional crew members: Michael (our steward); Noel, Inuit and Irish in the main dining room; and Susie in Future Cruise Planning. One area of discontent for me personally was in food selections -- keep in mind that I am diabetic and have food allergies so my choices are always limited because of the situation. I asked Chef Gabrielle on the second day in the Windjammer if he could provide Sugar Free Pudding or Sugar Free Jell-O on the dessert bar -- Sugar Free cookies or cake don't count because carbs from flour and fat convert to sugar. It is possible that the cooking staff is not aware that "low-fat" and "lite" are not the same as Sugar-free. Those selections were never offered on the entire cruise. There were also a few issues with the menu items being mislabeled in the Windjammer. My main dining room choices were usually salmon and vegetables because the menu was heavy on shellfish additives (even Caesar Salad has anchovies in the dressing). Our head waiter, Noel, was very good at warning me what was appropriate to select. He was more careful than some have been because his little boy has severe food allergies also, and he knew what the dangers were. We are loyal Royal Caribbean customers that travel exclusively on RC. Even with that consideration, we received no introduction to the Diamond Lounge or the amenities there -- our keys didn't work until two days before the end of the cruise. We would have much preferred free Wi-Fi in exchange for the offered 6 drinks a day (not everyone does drink so why not offer a choice) . Other aggravations were created when the booking arrangements from Tampa Airport to the Hotel were messed up -- no one came to pick us up as arranged and eventually we found that the name of the hotel had been changed. The hotel was very nice and accommodating after we had been checked-in. By the time we left for the ship on the next morning, we were ready to relax and rest -- but we spent another hour at the terminal trying to get through the lines. When we departed the ship at the end of a 30 day cruise, there was no one to pick us up and take us to the hotel. We waited over two hours for our transportation before one of the young men secured a cab for us. The next morning when it was time to go to the airport for the return trip home -- there was NO TRANSPORTATION AGAIN to get from the hotel to the airport and we had to pay $55 euros for a cab. That is really unacceptable for a company that prides itself on "customer service". Our loyalty Ambassador was condescending when we couldn't understand her directions. The Centrum really isn't the place to position the Loyalty areas, customer service, or cruise planning. It is impossible to hear anything with the loud music in the foreground. We have already planned two more cruises, and it would be wonderful to find that some of these issues have been attended to by the time we embark again. Read Less

Relax time, on the sea, without Connections to Internet or cellphones - no calls from work. As Privat-Pilot i organized by myself the chartering Cessnas 172 in Tampa(FL) and Puerto Rico for flying by myself. Waiter's and Crew Staff are very friendly and try to celebrate a good Service. Not good: Some times ALL pools and Hot-Tubes wased closed completly. Bad weather, renovation - but why all in same time? Shore excursions by RCC are not my style. I organized my trips all by myself, from home, before we start, including flights and hotels. Hope, RCC will have in future more individuals Solutions fro bring bycicle or Harley with. Also we NEED in future is the Hop ON - Hopp OFF Option: May be still in town - not return to the ship, take a flight and come back to the ship in the next port. This Options is a MUST HAVE for passengers with Special interests. Next Cruise with RCC ist booked for Oct.2017: From Singapore to Perth. Read Less

We initially were made aware of this cruise by Go Next which was actively promoting this cruise last year, however we ended up booking it through our own travel agent for a slightly better deal. As others have mentioned, French Polynesia is beautiful, remote, and quiet. It was extremely hot and humid when we visited, but we enjoyed it immensely. Oceania did promote this accurately as not for children, and in fact only 1 lonesome child was on the ship, which was nice for those of us who need a break from grandchildren. We had never cruised Oceania before, so my remarks will compare it and the smaller ship adventure to our previous cruises with larger ships and other cruise lines. Our package included the cruise, flights, WiFi, gratuities, and 4 excursions, which made it so much easier when it came to the final bill. Soft drinks and bottled water were included, the bar fridge was stocked with soft drinks, and bottled water was included as we disembarked each day. drinks were very expensive at over $11 for a mixed drink, and $7 for beer, so if you are a big drinker, you might look into the drinks package. The gift shops had only high end items, one of the two shops was dedicated to a brand of high end jewelry and the other had minimal, but high end clothing. Embarking the ship was easy and smooth. Tendering was easy with only 600+ passengers, also no photographers, no art auctions. On the negative side, the buffet was small and limited, but very good. Entertainment was limited with a large lounge instead of a theatre without tiered seating. The ship also seemed to ride a bit rougher with its small size, even though the seas were calm, more of a bounce in the fore and aft where the dining room and entertainment were located. It was a real bonus that the specialty restaurants were no extra charge. The Tuscan Grill was so so, but we loved Red Ginger with excellent food and service and a great maitre d'. As on many cruise ships lately the food, service and staff were excellent. The cabins were slightly smaller than we have had, with the bathroom noticeably smaller, but they were well appointed with a super comfortable beds and bedding. Our Oceania experience was great, but not better than we have had on other cruise lines. The small ship experience was good for this itinerary, but we probably prefer ships with 1000-1800 passengers. This itinerary was wonderful and relaxing, just what we were looking for; however we could have missed the 3 days that it took to get up to Nuka Hiva, as on a small ship there isn't a lot to do on sea days. We would recommend this cruise for the quiet adventure, and the ship to those who prefer to do without all the hype and hassle of the huge ships. Passengers on this cruise were mainly American and well travelled. We enjoyed sharing a table at meals and hearing new travel stories. Read Less

For 799 USD on a balcony incl. 850 USD OBC you better go than staying home. Embarkation was "disappointing" since the weather was foggy and rainy. So not a real welcome feeling with a great farewell out of New York like we had in November 2014. Crew was fantastic - was mostly like reunion-party. Was NY Times Readers voyage incl. many lectures from NY Times. Wanted to join many but at first day many items canceled from my personal agenda and from second day never had a look again to daytime activities. Production shows were great. Violin-artist plus Diva of the Seas with Whitney Houston song fantastic. Only Opera Boys were a little weak compared to the level of the other shows. Food unchanged. But The Verandah. Too overpriced and too upscale compared to Todd English before. So only had one time but three times on last voyage. Alternative dining (Coriander and Smokehouse night) was nice. But the last Coriander food experience on QUEEN VICTORIA recently was better. Service experience as good as before. New King's Court with long ways to beverages. Best was fresh squeezed juices for breakfast. Cabin was fine. Nice balls and parties. Internet services better since it is no more MTN but Telenor. Better quality if it runs. But if it did not run it was terrible. Only regular debarkation deck by deck was too old-style. But friends with purser's office was helpful to get me off the ship at my time of convenience. Something they could do much better by asking the guests when they want to leave the ship. VERY NICE for Gays. Last transatlantic we were only 2 FODs. This time around 40. Read Less

My wife and I love this ship. Luxury is a keynote in describing Reflection. Food in dining room is 5 star and speciality restaurants are 10 star, especially Tuscan Grill, Morano, Qsine. The Lawn Club Grill put on a special called ULTIMATE BAR B Q and it was beyond anything we have ever experienced. Starting with a Cocktail party on the big lawn, we engaged with ship staff officers in the most one on one we have every had. Then in dining, they presented an incredible menu. We were deciding what we would order, when the wait staff advised that the ENTIRE menu would be delivered to us! Wine was served as part of the meal. STarting with Fillet Skewers, then Shrimp (Tasted like Lobster), then Pork, the Lobster and ending with Ribeye! All cooked to perfection and any guest was permitted to do his/her own cooking! MOST FUN WE HAVE EVER HAD ON A SHIP! WE ARE 30+ CRUISES AND THIS WAS THE BEST! ONLY NEGATIVE!!! The claiming of luggage was the poorest we have EVER experienced on ANY cruise. 1 hour and 33 minutes upon arriving at the carousels, we finall got our bags. No sitting this whole time and many people with problems were not accomodated and had to suffer this incredibly mismanaged fiasco! What happend to the 20 minute depot of all luggage in groups????? Read Less

We take 3 crossing a year, between crystal and Seabourn.But Crystal has a better lecture program. And the Tommy Dorsey band makes it over the top. Crystal also to care of our medical needs. They were just great. The overall staff was over the top in all departments. We have done 15 crystal cruises and it was great to see how many crew new our names. The owns we new us best called us Mr. Steve and Mrs. Judy. The one thing that stood out was there house keeping. I dare anyone to find any dust or finger prints on the brass, You think they walk behind you. As for dinning it could not be better. I need a special diet and they prepared all my meals according to my needs. Was for the wait staff if we could take them home they would be very upset with Judy and I. Of all the cruises we have taken 100 + crystal is on top of the list. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the big band and ballroom theme and we were not disappointed. The Tommy Dorsey orchestra under the direction of Terry Myer was superb. Y husband is a retired trombone player from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and he was thrilled to here this ensemble every night.. our veranda suite on Deck nine was wonderful. The dining experience was memorable with creative, delicious choices every evening. We were always busy. My sea days incled 2 dance classes daily, Team Trivi! And a painting class with a wonderful teacher, Patty Jones.There were also excellent lectures on board and the evening shows were top notch. We have booked 2 more Crystal voyages for 2018! The cruise line has incentives for repeat cruisers, early booking while on board and early payment in full. I had no idea that thirteen days at sea with only a stop in St Thimas could be that much fun. Read Less

Never cruise on a new ship before, thought giving it a try, it was very disappointed, it did have few good sides, Has USB outlet by the bed, plenty of other outlets, shower is larger than other ships. loved Lincoln Center. Here are bad parts, lacked of on board programs on sea days, cruise director only showed his face once, lacked of interesting night entertainments, theater is too small, sound affect is bad. food was good till the second gala night (10/21), my husband found a well cooked Good size worm in his rice, the guy with ear pierce (looked like 007) came, we asked to see manager, 007 came back with a bottle wine to calm us down without disturbing other dinners, we didn't see any officers, or visited by any officers, 007 found us with our group at Lido next night making sure my husband was ok, luckily he didn't eat that worm, so far no one told us what kind of worm, they seems didn't care the extra protein mixed with rice, we did HAL survey and I sent email to HAL guest relation attching worm photos, haven't heard from them too. are they trying to toss this issue overboard? Wondering, anyone has this unique issue, sure is first time for us cruising with all different cruise lines. Read Less

Queen Mary 2 Remastered -- Myeh! The Queen Mary 2 was in dry dock in Hamburg from the end of May through the third week of June, resuming her crossings of the Atlantic just a few weeks before our Eastbound crossing on July 6, and our return sailing from Southampton on August 1. The "remastering", as Cunard calls it, was advertised heavily for many months. So, I was looking forward to the wonders we would find aboard. I'm sure if we were occupants of one of the several brand new suites dropped onto the 13th deck while the ship was in dry dock, enjoyed some of the improvements in the other most expensive suites, or inspected the newly cleaned and painted hull or engine pods, we would have seen many great improvements. From our vantage point, staying in a middle-level balcony stateroom, the ship was beautiful, but the "remastering" was greatly over-hyped. To be fair, the Carinthia Lounge and the King's Court buffet, available to all, are very nicely redecorated. There is also much beautiful, new carpet in many of the public areas. In a giant leap forward into the latter part of the last century, the tiny TVs that sat on the counter next to the vanity have been replaced by 42" flat panel TVs mounted on the wall, opposite the bed and love seat. There are probably other areas that have been redone that we didn't use or didn't notice. The stench of old cigarette butts in the 6th deck "C" elevator area on the non-smoking QM2 was awful. I can only guess they used the container standing there to dump the ash trays from the deck 7 outside smoking area. Since we were "commuting" between New York and Southampton before and after our Celebrity Eclipse Baltic/Scandinavian cruise, it was helpful that the QM2 has several laundry rooms where guests can do their own washing, since the Celebrity Solstice-class ships don’t have any do-it-yourself laundries . It is a miserable experience, though, since theQM2’s laundry room is tiny and sweltering, The launderettes are a great convenience, but once the first loads of clothes of the day are washing, you don't have much choice but to stand there waiting for a machine to become available. The "remastering" didn't address the lack of ventilation or cooling. It is still hot as blazes in the launderettes. There were several excellent speakers on our two transatlantic crossings, and it was a treat to see Herbie Hancock and his group perform. When the Kings Court buffet was being redecorated, the floor plan was completely revamped. There are several small, quiet alcoves and nooks with 2 to 5 tables, giving a feeling of pleasant isolation from the hustle and bustle of the buffet. The chaos in the buffet, however, is worse than before the remastering. The renovation seems to be a designer's plan of form over function. There are four separate food serving areas in a line down the center of deck 7, separated by passages and cross corridors. While the intention seems to have been to separate the pizza and pasta station, the hamburger and hot dog section, the hot and cold beverage stations, and other food areas, the result is that finding a seat, selecting a salad, beverage, entree, or dessert requires long walks back and forth, in and around, from section to section, often getting disoriented, and then searching for your table which cannot be seen if it is more than a few yards from where you are standing. The milling of hungry guests through four food-serving rooms, carrying plates and sloshing beverages, trying to find a food item, and then having no idea where the table they left is, is a major, recurring frustration. A large, open serving area, within sight of the tables and alcoves, would be much more practical in a self-service buffet. Food in the main dining room was very good. Room service, however, was a big disappointment on the QM2 after our cruises on the Celebrity Eclipse and Reflection. The room service menu is very limited. It is mostly burgers, a few sandwiches, and a half dozen very simple hot dishes, like spaghetti Bolognese and quesadillas. Of course, there are two full pages with three columns of small print listing dozens and dozens of glasses and bottles of wine, beer, and soft drinks you can buy through room service. My wife had not been feeling well, and she was tired the last half of our Celebrity cruise and the first half of our homeward crossing on the QM2. When our waiter on the Eclipse noticed my wife missing for dinner one night, he suggested that I order whatever I thought my wife would like from the dining room menu, and he would have it delivered by room service. He happily did that five or six of the 14 nights. In my naivity I asked our waiter to do that one night on the QM2. It was as if no one had ever imagined the concept. It took multiple conversations with the waiter and his supervisor, who eventually got it done, but why was that such a production? Read Less

Crystal gets such wonderful reviews that I definitely wanted to experience the line and its self proclaimed 6*+ cruising. The itinerary was perfect for us as we prefer long times at sea. Dining: The food on the Symphony was disappointing. It does not come near the food served other luxury cruise lines. We had a number of dishes that were inedible, e.g. under-cooked pancakes, tough and dry duck and tasteless shrimp. Now there were some excellent dishes, but the quality was inconsistent. The chef was miserly with vegetables. Fish was served without fish knives. The menus were full of typos, spelling mistakes and grammar errors. Sorry I am being picky, but this is supposed to be a superb high quality line. Prego was excellent, but Silk Road was reasonable sushi bar at best. Silk Road's much touted black cod was overly sauced with teriyaki so that it was impossible to taste the cod. Eating in the casual venues such as the Bistro and the Trident Grill was always a pleasure. The sandwiches at tea were dry. (We went twice.) We chose Dining by Reservation. This was a mistake. I don't think the ship is structured to handle the flexibility of this programme. Usually we were placed in the middle of the dining room, which meant that it was also the center of the hub-bub as the staff prepared for the second sitting. Service: The service was impeccable in the dining room, the bars and all drinking and eating venues. It was impressive how quickly the staff learned personal preferences. The concierge desk went out of the way to offer us a cheaper, yet very comfortable transfer at the end of the cruise. Embarkation: This was very pleasant and handled with ease. One felt welcomed on the ship. Entertainment: The main shows were abysmal. Most of the cast were talented, but they could not rescue the amateurish material with which the had to work. Ill fitting costume and wigs added to the bad community theater feeling of the shows. The two solo performers were excellent. The lounge/bar performers were all excellent, especially the charming Mark in the Avenue Saloon. Shore Excursions: These were ordinary. Possibly because the two ports are very small Crystal had no choice of suppliers, but they were certainly not the promised "Crystal Adventures." The Ship: The re-fit of the ship has created many elegant and comfortable spaces.The cabins are silent and the bathrooms make amazing sue of small spaces. Unfortunately the refit stopped at the aft end of the ship. The dining room is a dark and noisy space with light fixtures that are dated and probably always ugly. The placing of the serving stations may be efficient, but they increase the noise level.The Stardust Club is an underused, undefined and dated space. My fantasy would be to change it into a second dining room so that open seating would be possible. The announcement-free environment was superb. Enrichment and Daytime Programmes: All excellent. Cruise Director: I do not usually point out individuals in a review, but the Cruise Director on this cruise was completely useless. Although he was always smiling, he was not friendly and certainly did not play the role of the host that most cruise directors assume. His emceeing was so bad it was embarrassing. At disembarkation he did not know what was happening and managed upset some very elderly passengers. He walked away from them (still smiling) completely unaware of the chaos he created. Small Complaints: A formal night on the last night this segment was inconvenient. As the next day was at sea for the ongoing passengers, a last formal night could have been scheduled then. One of our two day laundry orders took 4 days to arrive in our cabin. The attendant's explanation was a shrug and a giggle. We used express check out. Our bill arrived 15 minutes before we were to board our transfer and was full of mistakes. I have never had this happen on any other line. Summary: Would I sail on Crystal again? Maybe, if they offered a really spectacular itinerary. I would certainly board with 4* expectations and maybe I would be surprised. Read Less

We booked this cruise because of its destinations and reasonable price. Having been on Costa before on several occasions, we were aware of the potential problem with few english speaking passengers but this did not detract from our enjoyment. We travelled as a group of 8 younger pensioners into dancing and activities, all of which were excellent. Even the six days at sea from Tenerife to Buzios in Brazil were busy, dance classes, Stretch classes and the entertainment team were excellent. The decor of the entire ship was top class and the cabin, [an outside one for the first time] was well worth the extra. The buffet area was often a bit too hectic for us and we ate in the restaurant on most occasions. The food was certainly not as described by some reviewers and the menu changed constantly. We were more than happy with the quality and the service. We found that the shore excursions were way overpriced as is every cruise ship we have ever been on. Being fairly resourceful people, we just get outside the docking area and find a mini bus or similar and negotiate with the driver a price for where we wish to go. Invariably, the price is around one third of the book on board price. All in all an excellent cruise at a good price which is apparently going in reverse in March/April. Look for a deal!!! Read Less

Where do i begin? From the chaos of not organising the coaches effectively taking us to / from the ship, to failing to top up the soft drinks for days on certain machines, to failing to clean slippery spills in a restaurant completely when the ship was about to enter severe weather (and causing at least one serious avoidable fall), to the captain not caring / understanding that food should either be served hot or chilled (not luke warm), the basic standards simply aren't there! Which is such a shame, because the vast majority of the ships crew that interact with the passengers are friendly, attentive, knowledgeable and willing to go above and beyond to make your trip excellent. Let me clarify the food issue. Myself and many passengers were grumbling that food items were not hot (despite being under heat lamps. If it's veg not an issue, however this was happening with chicken! I noticed that a particular chicken dish was luke warm. I mentioned it to the manager. He tested the temperature with his finger on a piece of chicken, and agreed that it was not hot, and hence couldn't be served. However, they did not remove the tray with all the other pieces of chicken which were also unfit! This is unforgivable, especially as they mention everywhere in the restaurants, that the food should be hot to be served! I also confirmed this with a chef in one of the other onboard restaurants, so the staff do know that it shouldn't be like this! I asked to discuss my fall and the food issues with the captain on eight attempts, however each time, whilst they stated i was allowed to speak to the captain, they refused to arrange a meet! Indeed it was only by pure chance that i caught the captain and spoke to him! I was staggered that the captain showed no concern that the food may well be served against food safety standards, and stated to me that "chicken can be served luke warm as long as it was cooked previously"!!! Considering the captain is responsible for the welfare of all passengers and crew under his command, i would have thought he should be aware of basic food safety standards - i am and i am not involved in the food industry - and a chef onboard confirmed i was right! For a captain to show no real concern for food safety, even if you accept he doesn't have to be aware of basic food safety standards, again it is unforgivable to not care about the food safety! But perhaps it is more important for the captain to stand for pictures, and cosy up to the expensive cabin passengers, than care for passengers he knew suffered a physical injury cause by his staff's incompetence! Avoid like the plague. Read Less