I loved this cruise!! The highlight to me was being up on deck with a gin and tonic when the ship left port!! The Aquavit outdoor dining experience was incredible, with the outdoor cooking and the incredible bartenders... Marvin and Frederico!!! The fresh fish which was cooked by Dennis one night was divine! Overall service was excellent. The only aspect which was less than perfect was the Tours. The Opera Tour in Venice was ridiculously described. As a dr. I was exceedingly worried about some infirm people who came and were horrified by the difficulty of the walk. It was very dangerous for them. The Santorini included trip was poor, we spent so much time in the more boring and less attractive parts of the island. But overall the ship was beautiful... I loved the understated décor. The restaurants were wonderful, each and every one of them. It was hard for us to tear ourselves off the Aquavit deck but we did go to Manfredi's twice and were very impressed by the food and wine list. In fact, I thought the included wines were excellent!! Also, the cabin size and décor plus balcony for those great arrivals.... all great. Thank you so much!!!! Read Less

Queen Victoria. Venice to Istanbul Sept/October 2015 Specifications Launched: 2007 Dec Refurbished: 2011, 2015 GRT: 90,000 Length: 964 ft. Draft: 26 ft. Speed: 24 Knots Passengers: 1,990 Berlitz Cruising and Cruise ship Guide 2015, rates Queen Victoria No 5 Harvey World Travel-Bruce Blacklock, Wellington helped/arranged much of the travel plan. Hi. I am a regular cruiser, principally on Princess and Celebrity Lines, but on this occasion tried Cunard, Queen Victoria, Venice to Istanbul, 14 nights. We flew Emirates economy to Dubai via Sydney (19 hours and a 2 night stopover IBIS Mall of the Emirates -pleasant), Dubai to Venice (5 hours). Water Taxi to the lovely Hilton Molino Stucky Hotel, Venice (Highly recommended 3 nights) and then the cruise, flying home to Auckland from Istanbul via Dubai again. We are “short dosage cruisers”, primarily go for the ship and enjoy sea days, and ports of call, the odd bus tour etc., and also walks around the port/town e.g. Rhodes, Mykonos SUMMARY Queen Victoria a superb ship, overall the best we have experienced, Celebrity Solstice goes close but different styles. The formal approach adopted re dress standards after 6pm every evening, is not us, but it appears to have assisted maintaining elegance and standards. The Britannia dining room was elegant with superb service, the 12 Royal Cunard and dancers and 4 singers produced Cabaret style shows with a difference, and entertainment from evening. Piano or String quartets, to formal dance lessons were all done with a touch of class. Quality experience and while the ship was full, queues were never an issue; the ship appeared to have so much space, the library and many lounges all conducive to relaxed elegance, dining facilities and options always available with virtually no wait. A highlight was observing from 500 meters offshore-Gallipoli, the three large monuments and the cliff scale was awesome.   JOINING THE QUEEN VICTORIA We took a water taxi from our Hotel to the docks. There was a 500 metre walk or shuttle bus option to the Queen Victoria. Our ticket said board at 3pm, but we got there at 12.30 and no problem getting on. Queue was light. Straightforward entry. One enters straight into the Grand Lobby. This is a spectacular central area, extending over 3 decks, and reminiscent of a film set of the impressive staircases of the old Ocean Liners. Our room was on Floor 1, Cabin 1088 a deluxe standard interior, loved the location. Queen Victoria is simple to find ones way around, she has just three sets of lifts and stairs, labelled A, B and C. The rooms are numbered as if in a traditional hotel, with cabins on Decks 1, 4,5,6,7, and 8. Deck A, with the medical centre, is below Deck 1, and then the decks continue upwards until the highest cabins on Deck 8 and the public areas on Decks 1, 2, 3, 9, 10 and 11. Main Dining room Floor 2/3, Buffet Level 9, Gym etc. on 9 also CABIN STATEROOM Our Cabin 1088 was one of the cheaper cabin options, but we loved the location and the roominess. Being a Deluxe inside cabin, a settee is included, a great addition to the normal 156 sq. feet of a standard interior cabin., and comprises twin beds which are convertible to a king size, two bedside drawers, desk and chair with fridge and drawer, small table and the settee. There is a nice fridge, safe and we fund ample wardroom space and place to put our luggage. Flat screen TV. The bathroom was small but functional and the shower pressure excellent. We found the quality of air conditioning excellent, but you could not turn it off, only adjust temperature. Normally we find the air conditioning is marginal, but not on the Queen Victoria RESTAURANTS BRITANNIA RESTAURANT: We were allocated Table 700, a table for 2 on the second level, the first time in over 20 cruises that our pre cruise request was accepted, and we did not have to hassle the Maître a de, re table allocation. We prefer dining alone in the evening, and those tables for 2 are hard to obtain. I understand Cunard adopts the practice of allocating table requests based on booking date, and that seems fair. Many of course like sharing a table with 4/6/10 persons, but we prefer evening dining on our own. The main Dining Room, the Britannia Restaurant, seating 878 guests is one of the most remarkable rooms at sea, spanning two desks at the stern on Decks 2 and 3 at Stairway C. It evokes memories of classic ocean liner restaurants with sweeping staircases and art deco pillars and arches. The design was inspired by the dining car of the Golden Arrow train that linked London to Paris. The restaurant's Art Deco design is captured in its original artwork, wall scenes, and a combination of authentic finishes including polished wood, bronze, mirror and gold leaf. The room's focal point, an illuminated world globe 10 feet tall, is a sizeable yet elegant reference to Cunard's rich history plying the world's oceans. The service was impeccable and the quality of food excellent. I took a top NZ Pinot to try; this approach copped a US$20 corkage charge-standard across most cruise lines. The wine list available was excellent. VERANDAH FRENCH RESTAURANT: This alternative Restaurant has a French flair, and looked enticing. Surcharge was $15USApp at lunch and $25 pp at night. We did not utilise on this trip, but comments from other passengers were favorable. THE LIDO is an airy self-service buffet restaurant which extends between Staircases B and C across Deck 9. It is open 24 hours, serving breakfast from 0400, followed by lunch from 1130, then afternoon snacks, dinner from 1800 until 2300 and finally evening snacks until breakfast begins. At breakfast there is the usual cereals, fruit including an endless supply of strawberries and fresh pineapple, cold meats and cheese and traditional cooked breakfast with omelettes cooked to order. Overall the Lido is very good and we often choose to eat lunch there; the variety is good and being self-service it is quick on the days in port. It was always possible to find a seat. THE GOLDEN LION PUB on Deck 2 also does food. It is styled as a typical British pub with classic pub grub: fish and chips, chicken korma, steak and ale pie etc. Also shows live sport. Thoroughly enjoyed the fish and chips ROYAL COURT THEATRE The theatre is where all the lectures, films and many of the demonstrations take place as well as the shows in the evening. It is very large, with capacity for over 800 people. The gallery and the two rows of private boxes on each side, 16 in all, give the impression of a nice traditional theatre on shore. Most of the private boxes are for two although there are some for four. Imposing THE PRODUCTION SHOWS AND THE PRIVATE THEATRE BOXES The Royal Cunard Singers (4) and Dancers (12) were by a clear margin the best we have ever experienced. The shows were different to the standard Dance and Cabaret style of other cruises, and Queen Victoria has moved production shows to a new level. I went to everyone offered, both early and late a total of 8 shows. Great!!!! Along with this a range of performers highlighted the evening entertainment, all of excellent standard. A male quartet (Troubadours) a solo flute player of European repute, and the usual array of singer/dancers/comedians were each of the highest quality COOKERY DEMONSTRATIONS IN THE ROYAL COURT THEATRE Cookery demonstrations, lectures by reputable academics have always been a popular feature of Cunard cruises and Queen Victoria was no exception, the lobby area on ground floor also utilised for this. THE QUEEN'S ROOM Afternoon tea is served in the Queen's Room, and this is the typical Cunard White Star and white gloved service. During the day the room is used for a variety of activities. On our cruise there were fencing classes, lunchtime concerts, dancing classes and Bingo. In the evening there is an orchestra for dancing, and it is lively and busy on the special themed evenings. THE WINTER GARDEN AND LIDO AREA The Winter Garden is between the Lido restaurant and the Deck 9 pool area and has a roof which can be opened in good weather and has a lot of very comfortable seats and tinted picture windows the whole length on both sides. This is an impressive area, a very interesting feature of the Queen Victoria POOLS/SPA There are two outdoor pools and the other is aft of the Lido restaurant, also on 9 Deck. Ample deck space for sunbathing and sitting. CLASSICAL CONCERTS AND RECITALS There are a number of locations round the Queen Victoria where there is classical and light entertainment, often in the background. Queen Victoria has at least 3 grand pianos and lots of musicians. Grab a book and listen to music is very relaxing. LIBRARY I always read a couple of books on a voyage. On Queen Victoria the library is complemented by a bookshop. The library is a pretty two storey copy of a private library from Victorian days, with a spiral internal staircase both the bookshop and the library are organised by Ocean Books, who also set up the QE2. INTERNET AND WIFI Internet access is very good on the Queen Victoria, simple to set up, fast and reliable in the areas of the world we reached on this trip. There are twenty computers available in the Internet Centre and there is also Wi-Fi available over most of the ship. Personally we go on vacation to get away from the routines of home, and avoid e-mail and phone communications unless an emergency but observation would suggest we are a dwindling minority. Package costs for internet use are available and reduce costs GYM We are Gym users on a regular daily basis. The Queen Victoria Gym was well equipped, functional and pleasant to use. The incessant volume of noise we experienced on a recent Celebrity Solstice voyage did not occur. What a relief, music was principally background and a wide range It is right at the front of the ship and there is a special magic in watch dolphins playing, the sun rising or a port approach as you are working on the cross trainer or treadmills before breakfast of fresh fruit in the Lido. LAUNDRY From the sublime to the essential. There are five self-service passenger laundry rooms, near cabins 4068, 5070, 6068, 7042 and 8060. Between them there are 14 standard Maytag machines and tumble driers, and each has one iron and ironing board. The laundries are open from 0730 to 2100. Laundries can be noisy, so it is best not to have a cabin opposite. Much to our surprise and pleasure use is free, and detergent powder is provided. ITINERARY • Sat 26 Sep, Board Queen Victoria • Sun 27 Sep, Zadar, Croatia • Mon 28 Sep, Dubrovnik, Croatia • Tue 29 Sep, At Sea • Wed 30 Sep, Mykonos, Greece • Thu 01 Oct, Rhodes, Greece • Fri 02 Oct, Izmir, Turkey • Sat 03 Oct, Istanbul, Turkey (Overnight) • Sun 04 Oct, Istanbul, Turkey • Mon 05 Oct, At Sea • Tues 06 Oct, Marmaris, Turkey • Wed 07 Oct, Heraklion, Greece • Thu 08 Oct, Athens (Piraeus), Greece • Friday 09 Oct, Cruise the Dardanelle’s-see Gallipoli • Saturday 10 Oct, Istanbul Read Less

MSC Opera. Experienced cruiser and this was the worst. Service Mgr said that cruise caters to Europeans and not to American standards...what? Expecting decent food, timely beverage and meal service is too much to expect? Lousy entertainment is acceptable? Never again. I will stick to Holland, Carnival and Royal Caribbean for top notch food, service and entertainment. Do your own research on port activities, sights and shopping as this ship offers slim & shady for port excursions. Charging 12EU for a 600m bus to town center. Luckily I had already done all t he research so ports were on our own and fabulous, with outstanding meals...what a difference from shipboard. Embarkment and disembarkation was quick and easy. Not many ship workers spoke understandable English so communication was difficult to understand Read Less

Before MSC Opera I was on MSC Fantasia which is a bigger (and better) ship. Overall impresion is great! Itineraries are great, time spent on shore excellent and everyone are so nice and kind. If this had been my first cruise I would probably be thrilled, but since this is my third cruise I couldn't help myself but to compare it with previous one. We were the first passengers since the ship was renovated last year, and one could say that this was a test cruise. There were a lot oversights: mugs and cups in buffet restaurant were often dirty - every second cup was clean so it became tiresome to check every cup. Juices in the self serving restaurant were available only in the morning not in the evening and hot chocolate wasn't available at all although it was included in the price. Later we found out that staff don't bring out bags of hot chocolate or they rarely do and sometimes they make a hot chocolate in the thermos which is not warm and which has very little cocoa (color was dirty white, not brown!). Food for breakfast was the same every day; muesli was already prepared on the milk-it looked disgusting to me and I would prefer to prepare it by myself in yogurt. I drink a lot of tea (which was available all day) but I could find honey only in the morning and lemon is even harder to find. The food was often greasy (even fish!) and dinner in the restaurant was taking too long, every single day (from 9pm till 11pm!). Although maître d'hôtel came to us one evening asking us how is everything, are we satisfied and promised us faster service, nothing has actually changed. The midnight buffet was very poor: mostly vegetarian sandwiches and dessert from previous days. Air Conditioner made being inside the ship very uncomfortable because it was very cold in bars and lobbies. Inside temperature was around 20 C, which is low considering outside temperature is much higher. I regret not bringing more long sleeve blouses, jackets etc. I had situation by the pool when pool attendant told me I can't eat fruits by the pool (which is OK, because it said on the warning board that it is forbidden). But I was disappointed he didn't say anything to other people eating around or even worse children diving and jumping in the pool (it is clearly stated that it is forbidden to dive and jump in the pool and to run around the pool) ! When I asked him about that his answer was that they are children. I don't care if they are children or not, but because of that children I couldn't swim, or sit by the pool because they splashed water a lot and got me and my expensive camera wet even on the sunbed. Not to mention that children were diving and jumping in the whirlpools! So I didn't use those either. Deck No.11 has 2 pools deep 1.8m and one big part of the deck for children (that is new). But 30% children were in their area, and the rest of them around other 2 pools. It was very noisy on 11th deck. The best part to rest is the back of the ship. Most people have spoken english perfectly, but it happened that woman on reception (from Kyrgyzstan) didn't speak it very well (or almost at all) and we couldn't understand each other which was very frustrating. Except that situation (and situation on the deck by the pool) all stuff was very polite, friendly, helpful... I'm not complaining on staff, I am disappointed with the ship and a lot of oversights which now I can't remember all. Read Less

we booked the cruise as it was a good price and nice itinerary, then I got very concerned by all the bad reviews regarding the food and staff. These concerns was needless. The ship is lovely, the food in both the main dining room and the buffet was always hot, delicious and with plenty of choice. Our main problem was embarkation in venice which was a complete shambles, but once aboard we loved every minute. our cabin on deck nine had ample storage space and was very clean and tidy. Our cabin maid was lovely and very helpful, always had a smile and cheery hello for us. The entertainment was top notch with something for all ages. The ports of call were beautiful but we just walked off and did not book any trips. The only comment I would say is the ship does not give you any information about the port you are visiting. Days at sea did not seem to have have much entertainment apart from on the pool deck which we found disappointing as other cruise lines seem to have daytime entertainment all over the ship. Disembarkation was not too bad apart from you had to leave your cabin by 7.45 am which is a lot earlier than other cruise lines and we were not allowed to disembark till 10.20 am so everyone was just sat around waiting. Overall though a really good cruise which we all enjoyed and we would use MSC again. Read Less

I say surprise surprise for two reasons, this was our first cruise with MSC and my husband had been very reluctant to sail with this Italian company but we were very surprised at the high standard of hygiene, food, waiters etc. We don't usually bother with the shows but thoroughly enjoyed the classical evenings on board the Musica and applauded loudly to Strauss marches and Puccini arias. The second surprise is because of such poor reviews, I feel like I was on a different ship. Our first cruise was with Airtours about 15 years ago and this gave us the cruise bug. We have since sailed with Celebrity(still our favourite) Princess and Royal Caribbean and a few other smaller cruise lines. We met lots of lovely people including a big group of Cubans from Miami, a lovely couple from London and two very lively female paramedics from Ireland all of whom we are still in touch with. The waiters in both the restaurants and bars were all really friendly, quick to serve, remembered what drinks we liked and were interested in where we were from, at the same time sharing their backgrounds with us. We had a balcony cabin and it was just perfect. Trips were well organised and no different to any other companies in the somewhat long and drawn out pre-trip procedures. I have to agree that in general, the French are quite rude, very serious, bad mannered and very, very loud but I try to ignore them and focus on the lovely Hispanic people who love their music and dance and always seem happy. There are so many interesting nationalities on cruises be they crew or guests and I just love chatting to as many different people as possible. However, one big issue did sour a very good cruise and it was all due to the reception staff. Part way through the cruise we had an interim statement which included around $560 for a drinks package. We were sure this was just a simple error as we had already paid for this package with Thomas Cook so we spoke with one of the reception staff who was rather unhelpful, she referred us to her superior who was even more unhelpful. We gave them a copy of Cook's invoice clearly stating the payment for the drinks package but they refused to accept this and referred our case to their head office in Naples. The last few days were very upsetting and we had no choice but to pay MSC the $560. As soon as we returned home we informed Cooks about the issue and after about two weeks of to-ing and fro-ing, it turned out that Cooks HADN'T paid MSC in the first place. Even though it wasn't MSC's fault, they definitely could and should have handled it better, never the less, we will definitely be going on another MSC cruise.   Read Less

I had read so many negative reviews that I was hesitant to book this cruise line. I truly don't know what they were complaining about! Boarding was so swift and I was in my cabin, with my luggage without any snafus. There were 3,000 passengers and only 78 English speakers, but it was never a problem. I was traveling alone and was seated with a delightful mix of dining companions. They had all of the English speaking folks in one corner of the dining room, so we mingled with each other. I have cruised on Celebrity, Holland America, Orient, Norwegian, RCCL, Renaisance, Costa and Carnival and this was probably the most spotless ship I have been on. My cabin was spacious and very comfortable. The ship is beautiful, with lovely pieces of art and sculpture everywhere. There was wonderful music every night, several different musical styles, and lots of people dancing. Yes, the shows must cater to everyone, but they were very good. I took lots of pictures, but I haven't a clue on how to add them to this review. Dining was always a pleasure! Our waiters were wonderful and hard working. This is an Italian ship and the food reflects this. There are more courses than we're usually served. The portion size is geared to the European diner. I do hate the waste I see when portions are too large. I enjoyed the variety of food and the desserts were incredible. I always ate in the dining room, buffets are not for me. I had my coupon booklet for our free water, and we all shared at dinner, so I left the ships with unused coupons. All of the ship staff I encountered were cordial and helpful. I do plan on cruising with MSC again! When you combine the beautiful ship with the considerable cost savings, it's an easy decision. And the Black Sea is a marvelous destination. It is relatively uncrowded, such a change from the Mediterranean ports. I would suggest you take a taxi when you debark as the walk to the bus/train is very long and difficult.   Read Less

Just back from 12 nights on the Adriatic and Black sea. Firstly the ship is beautiful very elegant in an art décor style. . The staff excellent always smiling and helpful, nothing too much trouble. We were on deck 4 outside partly blocked as we were between lifeboats so could see a little. Our fellow travellers were in cabins totally blocked by the life boats and found them very dark, and not happy with them. ( but I am not sure if I would book another cabin with view blocked). Though cabin steward was wonderful and the cabin very comfortable. We found the whole ship spacious and it never felt overcrowded even on sea days on deck there was always spaces to sit in either the sun or shade, the best ship for comfortable sunbeds and chairs, always places and again deck crew excellent. Dining areas very good plenty of space between tables at formal dining room, and the Lido buffet very chilled and comfortable., Food a little disappointing not quite as good as I expected, choices a bit limited but we still enjoyed our meals and some evening were better than others. The Lido buffet was quite good especially for lunch and I gather the Lion pub was good for a typical English pub lunch. Our biggest complaint was the price of drinks, the cheapest wine 37 dollars with tax and other drinks expensive especially when 15% tax is added. We did have a bottle of champagne in our cabin when we arrived which was very nice, and we were allowed to bring on two bottles of champagne or wine when we first embarked. We also found that we could bring back drink when visiting a duty free port and this had to be consumed in the cabin. The entertainment was very good, special acts like the comedian and singers who were all first class, and the theatre was a good size and always seats. the casino was disappointing, as you couldn't automatically get any cash out of machine if you won, unless you put your room card in the machine and registered it with a pin number. I didn't bother to go back there after I couldn't just get my cash back after winning twenty dollars, very confusing. Formal nights are lovely and everyone is expected to wear the full works, even informal nights if using the dining room, men were expected to wear a jacket with shirt (tie optional). Woman mainly wore smart elegent, ie trousers or skirt with smart blouse or top. The Lido was a lot less formal though men had to wear long trousers etc. We left Venice and stopped at Split and Dubrovnik in Croatia, a shuttle bus was provided so nice too wander but ( too crowded ), next was Izmir Turkey, easy to walk from ship and town was quite nice with plenty of shops and restuarants. Corfu town was also nice to wander around and good for shopping and visiting the fort. ( We don't usually go on organised trips so either use the shuttle bus or if there is one go on a hop on hop off bus, a very good way to see the town. Our next port of call was Yalta very nice a pretty seaside town but not a lot there, gather tours disappointing and weather was a little cooler, Odessa very cold but again quite interesting lovely churches etc to visit. We were unable to stop at Nessebar Bulgaria as the weather was quite choppy for tender boats so made our way to Instanbal but it rained all the time, we managed to see a little of the town on a bus, but again very crowded and busy. Overall a great cruise interesting stop offs, shame the weather changed. We thought the ship was really fabulous, though expensive, if you want to buy from the shops on board wait till the last evening, most things a lot cheaper. We would go on a cunard ship again as it was really lovely, but might have to save up to pay for the drinks !!! Read Less

Black Sea cruise, Aug 2013. Husband, wife and 8 yr old child. We have cruised MANY times on a larger ship but this was the first smaller one. Let me start by saying that it is still big and rides great. Service was excellent and food was too. The staff seems to know you quickly and you will see some of the same passengers often. Returning to the ship we were always greeted with cool water and cool cloths to ease your day. The staff truly did look after each passenger. Now for the one problem - our suite was at the stern of the ship and just under the Lido deck, where meals are served. EACH morning the staff would bang around and since we are not early risers, wake us up. After one morning of ENOUGH, I spoke rudely to the lead person and it got much better. IT WAS A GREAT CABIN, large, 1 1/2 bath, large deck, great view, with this one problem. Of course, if you rise early - it is irrelevant. We did enjoy and will sail with Princess again. Jer and Family in Texas. DO NOT TAKE THE DANUBUE RIVER CRUISE, DIRTY, MUDDY, RIVER, WITH LITTLE TO SEE FOR THE LONG TRIP. Take Toilet Paper-EVERY WHERE you travel since many places don't have anything, also take hand cleaning stuff and WATER! :) Read Less