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Denver, CO is March 23 to 27, 2015.

Every Thursday, we'll randomly select three cruise reviews to feature here! Plus, we'll send each member a Cruise Critic logo item. We hope they enjoy it!

 

Celebrity Eclipse Wonderful ship by lucky rose

This was our fifth cruise with celebrity and our third on eclipse. We love to sail from Southampton and to sell on eclipse is so special.the one blot on the horizon is that for the time we can sail on her we have exhausted her itineries .come on celebrity give us the chance to visit other destinations during the school holiday. when we boarded we were taken to Michaels club for drinks and for our butler to come and escort us to our suite this was a nice touch and stopped that awful wandering about until rooms are ready. Next year the ship is going in to dry dock for a refit. They are changing cellar masters into another bar and food venue. Continue reading... Wonderful ship

 

Aurora Wonderful cruise from start to finish by Hollie13

a just returned from a 17 night Central M editerranean cruise, Cadiz, Ctania, Corfu, Split, Venice, Korcula and Gibraltar. My husband is disabled so on arrival at Southampton we were met by wheelchair assistance and were on the ship within about 15 minutes. The cabin was lovely and spacious and our cabin steward throughout the cruise was very attentive. Captain: Neil (did I mention I come from Derbyshire) Turnbull was fabulous. As it was school holidays he had his wife and4 children on board but this in no way detracted him from mixing with and entertaining the passengers, Full marks Continue reading... Wonderful cruise from start to finish

 

Thomson Dream The view from a wheelchair pusher.... by joeholiday2

First a bit of background.... we are seasoned Thomson Cruisers, think this is about 10 or 11, having been on Destiny, Celebration, Majesty and Dream. We arrived back from a wonderful cruise on the Majesty and were asked by Mum and Dad if they could accompany us on our next cruise. We were thinking of trying a cruise line we had not been on but as Mum is a wheelchair user we thought it best to stick to a line and ship we know. We decided on the Dream as it is the largest ship of the fleet and quite easy to navigate. Continue reading... The view from a wheelchair pusher....

 

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Every Thursday, we'll randomly select three cruise reviews to feature here! Plus, we'll send each member a Cruise Critic logo item. We hope they enjoy it!

 

Ventura Excellent! by Kate Bonney

OMG!! I LOVED THIS CRUISE!!! This is our third cruise line company, having previously experienced Carnival and Royal Caribbean, it was SUCH a delight to board a luxury ship aimed at the British customer. UK airport check in was smooth and painless with a P&O Rep to quickly guide us through. The plane was sub-contracted specifically for the cruise passengers, so everyone onboard was excited to be experiencing the same holiday, especially as you can see the ship as you come in to land, (if you are lucky enough to be seated on the right hand side of the plane). Transfer from Venice airport to the cruise port was reasonably swift, and a fairly easy check in and embarkation. You are immediately bombarded by the cheery photographers who constantly take your photos throughout the cruise, (bless them they have a job to do). Continue reading... Excellent!

 

Stella Saone and Rhone with Swan Hellenic on A-Rosa Stella by CJN1946

We had very favourable impressions in entering the small "lobby" with shop display, reception desk, and staircases aft to the sleeping quarters, forward to dining room and lounges, and below to gym and sauna. The ship for its size was very well equipped and comfortable for the 170 passengers. The air conditioned cabins are not large but with sufficient storage space, TV (mainly German channels) comfortable beds and a shower room. The two upper deck cabins have a juliette balcony with full length opening doors giving a wonderful view of the passing of river scenery. Continue reading... Saone and Rhone with Swan Hellenic on A-Rosa Stella

 

Oriana Norway and the Arctic Circle: As near perfect as it gets! by Clodia

Just returned from 2 week cruise on the Oriana to Norway and the Lofoten Islands in the Arctic Circle. Lovely to be back on one of the more traditional mid sized ships again, and a positive experience on my first adult only ship. While this was not my first time on Oriana, it was the first time on her as adult only. How civilised! We paid full price over a year ago for this cruise, as we wanted to cruise with friends, and it could have been annoying to hear the boasts of how little in comparison the savers had paid, but we didn't mind because my daughter and I were upgraded from an aft balcony first to a midships one then finally, 2 days before sailing, to a mini suite, which made our cruise! Continue reading... Norway and the Arctic Circle: As near perfect as it gets!

 

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I think this thread is keeping the mods employed lol so many posts removed

You're right. The hosts do seem to be spending a great deal of time on this topic. For now we're going to close the thread and keep it available for searching. If something new is announced, we can have another discussion.

Every Thursday, we'll randomly select three cruise reviews to feature here! Plus, we'll send each member a Cruise Critic logo item. We hope they enjoy it!

 

Emerald Princess Good but others are better value by comino89

This was my 5th cruise and first with Princess (been Royal Caribbean, MSC and Costa previously). Booked to celebrate our Silver wedding anniversary we chose the Baltic capitals as a celebratory trip leaving our teenage daughter at home this time. We chose Princess after comparing prices, itinerary, available cabins etc. We really enjoyed our trip, visited some great cities and were blessed by some lovely sunny weather, calm seas and spectacular sunsets. Overall Princess did a good job but my wife an I were left thinking was it really worth the premium price Princess charge compared with MSC or Costa (whom we have travelled with previously). I don't want to be too negative as this would be unfair but we probably wouldn't choose to cruise with Princess again unless there was a really good deal available or the itinerary wasn't available from others. Continue reading... Good but others are better value

 

Insignia 1st time with Oceania - Holy Lands June 2014 by captain102

Like all our previous cruises, we booked this only for the itinerary. Oceania was an unknown brand to us, so we were interested to see if it was true to all the raving reviews. This was Insignia’s ‘rechristening’ cruise, as apparently it had been on loan for a couple of years, and was now back in the Oceania fleet. As such, the Founding Chairman and his good lady were aboard for the duration, and although they were seen from time to time, they tended to keep a low profile. ( After the debacle of the previous week’s cruise I don’t exactly blame them!) I’m sure someone will have reviewed that cruise on here somewhere. Continue reading... 1st time with Oceania - Holy Lands June 2014

 

Norwegian Star NCL Star Baltic Cruise June 24th 2014 by MrCoffeeGuy

Got an early flight out of Gatwick with Easyjet, no problems. Found a nice Starbucks at Copenhagen Airport (coffee is important to us as you will see) two medium capucchinos at 45 DK (£5) each. Got a cab to the Langlinie cruise port, 450DK (£50), Denmark is not a cheap place. Check in quick and painless, on board by 12.15pm, bit of lunch by the pool, lovely sunny day and in our stateroom by 1.30pm. Inside cabin on deck 5, plenty big enough with a nice big shower. Bit of a nap before the boat drill then unpack cases and meet room steward. Delightful Indonesian guy, couldn’t do enough for us for the rest of the cruise. Continue reading... NCL Star Baltic Cruise June 24th 2014

 

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CC needs a total upgrade. I hope they are working on it.

We're always working on something! We want members to have the best experience so we're always working on improving the site.

Every Thursday, we'll randomly select three cruise reviews to feature here! Plus, we'll send each member a Cruise Critic logo item. We hope they enjoy it!

 

Celebrity Equinox Excellent Cruise! by Loose moose

This was our first cruise with Celebrity, having previously cruised with Silversea, Seabourn and Royal Caribbean, the friends we went with have cruised with Celebrity before and recommended them to us. This itinerary, Venice to Istanbul has been on our 'to do list' for ages so our expectations were high! Before the cruise we stayed overnight on Venice Lido at the Panorama Hotel , a delightful hotel opposite the water bus stop. We took the Alilaguna Red Line from Marco Polo to the Lido , then the following morning the Alilaguna blue line to the cruise terminal. Continue reading... Excellent Cruise!

 

Diamond Princess Singapore to Tokyo by rabaroo

We did the 13 night repositioning immediately post dry dock and before Diamond got settled into its Japan season. Having read negative stories we were quite nervous of doing the first cruise post dry dock, and clearly there were some niggles as we were several hours late departing Singapore. Not that it bothered us AT ALL as we got to see the city from the port at night and then sail out in the darkness.... For us it was a bonus Continue reading... Singapore to Tokyo

 

Black Watch Fred Olsen: Voyage towards the North Pole on Black Watch 2014 by Docmalc

Once again Fred Olsen have pulled out all the stops here. We have been with other companies, but when we compare the standard, and in particular the food we find FO difficult to beat. We travelled the whole Norwegian coastline up to Honnigsvag, and then on to Spitzbergen.( June/July 2014). We were blessed on the whole with fine weather, which was a bonus ( no criuise company can control that though ! ). We had so many good experiences it is difficult to desribe them all, but the cruise was worth every penny and good value for money. Continue reading... Fred Olsen: Voyage towards the North Pole on Black Watch 2014

 

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I'm curious..... :)

 

Who is the 'we' you reference?

Is this some sort of research project?

 

I've cruised about 90+ cruises.

 

The WE is Cruise Critic UK. The OP is a staffer in the London offices. I'll get her credentials updated under her username.

Every Thursday, we'll randomly select three cruise reviews to feature here! Plus, we'll send each member a Cruise Critic logo item. We hope they enjoy it!

 

Saga Sapphire First time cruise - Norwegian Fjords Saga Sapphire May 2014 by JKnight

As I was unsure about a cruise I decided to start with a short one. Suffice to say the next one will be longer! As a treat for our 50th birthday (making us just old enough to qualify) my twin sister and I cruised the beautiful Norwegian Fjords from Dover, calling at Bergen, Olden, Flåm, and Stavanger. From the outset this was a hugely enjoyable Saga experience. From being picked up (and dropped off) from my home address, the check-in procedure, embarkation, excursions, disembarkation and everything between, Saga had it all covered and it went like clockwork. Continue reading... First time cruise - Norwegian Fjords Saga Sapphire May 2014

 

Celebrity Reflection First Time with Celebrity.....Loved It by LIMPIT

Brief Profile : We reside in Essex, UK, young minded early 50`s, have previously cruised with Princess, Carnival, MSC, Royal Caribbean and consider ourselves to be reasonably well travelled. This was our first trip with Celebrity, and selected this cruise because : i) We wanted to try the brand ii) The Reflection received very good reviews iii) We were attracted by the itinerary iv) The AFT Balcony cabin deal with Drink Package and reduced Gratuities was very attractive. The Celebrity arranged flight out of Heathrow with Airtalia and transfer to Port at Civitavecchia went without any problems (Even though because of a block booking by Celebrity to the Airline we were unable to check in on-line prior to the flight), upon arrival at Port we were walking up the gangplank and were drinking our reception glass of bubbly within 45 mins of our arrival at Port. Continue reading... First Time with Celebrity.....Loved It

 

Seven Seas Mariner Seven Seas Mariner, Venice to Monte Carlo, June 2014 by rarin2go

As I have previously reviewed a Mariner Mediterranean cruise, this review concentrates on areas where our experience differed this time. Pre-cruise hotel & transfers We arrived in Venice on a BA flight from LGW around 4pm local time. Regent's local reps greeted us at the exit after baggage collect. We waited until all the expected passengers had been assembled then we set off by foot to the water taxi station. This is about a 10 minute walk and with the high humidity and temperature in the 80s in the non-existent shade was quite taxing. Our bags had been colour-coded to indicate whether we were in the Excelsior or the Hilton Molino Stucky. We then had a 15 minute wait for the water taxis to arrive – again no shade was available and it was not a pleasant experience even for the younger passengers. Continue reading... Seven Seas Mariner, Venice to Monte Carlo, June 2014

 

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Every Thursday, we'll randomly select three cruise reviews to feature here! Plus, we'll send each member a Cruise Critic logo item. We hope they enjoy it!

 

MSC Preziosa MSC-Good Cruises, Cheaper Prices than most, Great Ships by cruiselover98

We are a family of 3, my father (48), mother (44) and me (16) and i have been asked to write this for them. We have travelled with many people, including my two friends, 16 and 17 and my grandmother (75) and grandfather (84). We are also travelling with my uncle (46) and his two daughters (12) this year, and they are very excited so we'll see if they enjoy it! I have sailed on 3 (4 as of the beginning of August this Year!) MSC boats, The Opera (x2), Divina and Preziosa. I often see a lot of complaints on here and wonder if they were even with the same company, as we rarely have a problem and find the staff to be very friendly, or if some people expect too much of a, quite frankly, budget and family cruise line. Continue reading... MSC-Good Cruises, Cheaper Prices than most, Great Ships

 

Ventura A Fantastic Cruise by RomeoPapa

Before I write my review I’d just like to say that we are a married couple in our late 20's doing their second cruise. We cruised last year with Royal Caribbean and said that we would never do a cruise again. We hated it, "Butlins at Sea" "Hi-De-Hi Campers" and "what have we done?" where all said on our first day. However we saw this cruise come up which gave us a very good deal and allowed us to visit a lot of the places on our "places to see list". We booked the cruise with the approach of let's just put up with the ship, enjoy the abundance of food and enjoy the excursions. Continue reading... A Fantastic Cruise

 

Viking Emerald Beijing to Shanghai by PERRYOAKS

If you are contemplating booking this cruise, I would recommend starting in Beijing and doing all the strenuous part of the tour first. Firstly the tour does involve lots of walking and steps, so it is not recommended for people with mobility issues. Our tour guide David was excellent, and kept us fully informed of timings and meeting places, and he kept us amused with tales of his childhood experiences and day to day life in China which was extremely interesting. It was also great not to have to worry about lifting heavy suitcases everywhere, as Viking took great care of coordinating and checking in our luggage, so all we had to do was identify it after each internal flight, and it was promptly delivered to our respective hotels. Continue reading... Beijing to Shanghai

 

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Thanks Cecilia I will check it out! We are 4 adults 3 kids, so I'm wondering if cab would be best. But I'm going to log into Carnival now and check!

 

Thanks!

 

Enza

A cab may be best for you guys even if it takes two cabs each way. You'd only spend about $160 versus $322 for Carnival's transfer. Wow...that's a lot no matter what you pick. I'm originally from the New Orleans area and the airport sure is out there.

 

Cecilia

Every Thursday, we'll randomly select three cruise reviews to feature here! Plus, we'll send each member a Cruise Critic logo item. We hope they enjoy it!

 

Le Soleal A Triumph of Italian Naval Architecture by gbs1112

Le Soleil is beautiful. It has everything going for it, except the food. Considering this is a French company we were expecting more, a lot more. The Chef de Cuisine, introduced to all at the welcome reception on the pool deck, was French but I am not sure how many others were French and know that a good number were not European. The main courses were regularly bland, lacking in appearance and in taste. There were common grumbles that the food was adequate at best but lacked any wow, ever. Too many times the hot food was served tepid and it was almost impossible to get a properly hot tea or coffee. Continue reading... A Triumph of Italian Naval Architecture

 

Celebrity Silhouette Fantastic Cruise by Brynhawkins

Having cruised with P & O, Thompson, Fred Olsen and Maritime Cruises we were wondering how Celebrity would stack up against the rest. No need to worry everything about the Silhouette was absolutely fantastic. The food was second to none, in the dining room the selection was excellent as was the service and the meat we had was out of this world. The buffet bar on deck 14 was packed with excellent food throughout the cruise for breakfast and lunch if you can't find something to eat there must be something wrong with you. We only had one complaint about the entertainment and that was the very poor American Comedian Steve Caouette he was hopeless but I have to say the Americans loved him their sense of humour is so different from ours. Continue reading... Fantastic Cruise

 

Thomson Dream Wonderful holiday by mikeysh1

Having read the reviews , we were slight worried about our second cruise with Thomson. Now I do not know why. Our flight and embarkation were faultless and without delay. We arrived late in the day to spotless cabins and ship, yes the ship is a bit older than the newer block of flats design, but at least you know that you are on a ship. The food all week was great, especially our evening in the a la carte in sirens restaurant. We ate in the buffet restaurant, lido, for most breakfast and lunch. And a split between all for our evening meal. And cannot really fault either quality or service. Continue reading... Wonderful holiday

 

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My PCC also told me I could also purchase the FCC up to 30 days after returning from an NCL cruise. I don't know, by the way, how I'd then get the $100 OBC.

Anyone have any recommendations for trans from the airport to the cruise port?! TIA!

 

Enza

Hi. I just booked the Elation for a cruise in August and the cruise line transfers from MSY to the port and back to MSY after the cruise is $46 per person total. I think I'm going with that because it's $23 each way versus a cab being about $40. Plus it goes straight to the ship and to the airport.

 

Have you checked your booking on the Carnival site to see what the cost would be for you? It's listed under excursions you can book.

 

Cecilia

Every Thursday, we'll randomly select three cruise reviews to feature here! Plus, we'll send each member a Cruise Critic logo item. We hope they enjoy it!

 

Thomson Dream Still Dreaming by China doll52

Had a good flight, faultless transfer and a quick check in. Now for the bad bits first. We did a late booking this time and didn't choose our cabin - this was a mistake as the cabin we were given was a 4 berth ( if ever there was a bad description, this was it ). It was an inside cabin so was a little on the small side with a double bed and just about walking space down each side. Unfortunately above that space were the other two bunk beds in cupboards which meant you had to walk sideways down the bed or you walked in the cupboards. My husband is 6ft 2ins and nearly knocked himself out every night, we tried to change cabins but sadly all were occupied. Continue reading... Still Dreaming

 

Seven Seas Navigator ALASKA & REGENT SEVEN SEAS - JUST A PERFECT COMBINATION by Gemlea

Before you read any further, I am sorry this is such a lengthy report. I hadn't intended that it would be, but by the time I’d finished..... well you decide. Whilst we are not new to cruising, just new to Regent Seven Seas, and are just one of the growing number of UK residents who are now enjoying this cruise line. It was the Itinerary that first attracted us to this particular cruise. Generally speaking, Alaska cruises last just 7 nights and either go North from Vancouver/Seattle or return South from Anchorage/Seward with full on port intensive itineraries. Our Regent Seven Seas cruise on "Navigator' was 12 nights, starting in San Francisco and finishing in Vancouver and had a couple of sea days in which to truly relax and restore your energy. Continue reading... ALASKA & REGENT SEVEN SEAS - JUST A PERFECT COMBINATION

 

Black Watch Pleasantly surprised! by whippet66

My partner and I, both mid 60s decided to try Fred because we wanted to go to the Baltic, and this cruise left from Dover, 2miles from our home ! We had previously cruised with P&O, Thomson and Saga. We had read reviews and quite a few were not too good. So with trepidation on the Monday we set off ! Embarkation was ok, so we went on board, walking through to find our cabin which was on deck 4. The ship and decor looked very nice as we walked along, all clean and tidy, the carpeting was very smart. So into our cabin, this was quite roomy, twin beds in an L shape, all nice and clean,two portholes with thick curtains to keep the light out. (this was good as it stayed light till 11.30pm !) Continue reading... Pleasantly surprised!

 

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Every Thursday, we'll randomly select three cruise reviews to feature here! Plus, we'll send each member a Cruise Critic logo item. We hope they enjoy it!

 

Adventure of the Seas Adventure of Seas review by first time RCI cruiser by ged1967

Embarkation: The process to check-in and board was very smooth. From leaving our hotel to stepping into the ship was 30 minutes max. We timed it right I think, we left hotel just after 11.30am. The security line wasn’t long and we passed through quite quickly. As we stood in the queue we heard the PA announce various number to board (such as red number 17 & 18) Once through security we went to check-in. The queue here was very short and only stood in line for no more than 3-4 minutes before being called forward and checked in. Continue reading... Adventure of Seas review by first time RCI cruiser

 

Queen Mary 2 Great voyage in Queens Grill by Roseprop

We were in Staterooms 9035 and 9037 on the 10th anniversary crossing of QM2 . Our expectations were high and mostly met although I had read some recent reviews which did concern me a little. Our initial impressions were not helped when we received through the post paper labels to affix to our luggage: hardly the right image for this type of travel. The review below appears to be critical but we did very much enjoy our trip overall. Continue reading... Great voyage in Queens Grill

 

MSC Preziosa Absolutely BRILLIANT! by ComboUK

Having read the negative reviews just one month before we sailed my partner and our two friends were a little apprehensive to say the least. Thankfully, nothing could be further from the truth! Let's start with the fact that this was our first cruise.....it won't be the last! From arrival at embarkation to disembarking I have NOTHING but praise for the ship, the staff, the destinations. The ship is huge! It is beautifully decorated and designed. We had a balcony cabin on the 12th deck which was spacious and well appointed. The views from our balcony, truly stunning. Continue reading... Absolutely BRILLIANT!

 

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Every Thursday, we'll randomly select three cruise reviews to feature here! Plus, we'll send each member a Cruise Critic logo item. We hope they enjoy it!

 

Astor Best Bargain ever! by Spacecruiser11

I had been tempted when I saw the offer of a one night Gala Cruise on the Astor as I was curious to look around that ship, but my wife was working and unable to go. However, just one week before the cruise, I received an email that told me the price was now £99 with "no single supplement"! That clinched it for me, so I rang and booked it straight away. I agreed to pay an additional £15 for the coach transfer from Stansted, since that is where the included flight returned to, and where I left my car. Continue reading... Best Bargain ever!

 

Saga Sapphire Well done, Saga by Mariner44

This was my first cruise with Saga, a 2 week voyage around the Baltic. I had read earlier postings about this ship, both positive and negative, but approached the journey with an open mind about what to expect. The review is from a fit-and-able 69 year old travelling with his wife, and with a first career as a merchant navy deck officer. We did not use the door to door chauffeur service, but drove to Dover arriving a few minutes after the 1.00 pm earliest check-in time. After dropping off the luggage with a porter, and parking the car 50 metres from the check-in area, we took the escalator to the first floor of the terminal building, were photographed and issued with our cruise card, and waited about 10 minutes to be called forward for boarding. Continue reading... Well done, Saga

 

Celebrity Equinox Great cruise, problems with drinks package and OBS by HMWCambridge

Background information: We have cruised five times, three of which have been with Celebrity. Celebrity have always been our preferred cruise line and we had a great time although cut backs are beginning to show. We come from Cambridge in the UK. Hotel information: We stayed the night before at the Holiday Inn at Gatwick, a reasonable hotel which includes parking and a shuttle bus in their rate. Had a good nights sleep. At the end os the cruise we had one night in Barcelona at the Silken Diagonal. Continue reading... Great cruise, problems with drinks package and OBS

 

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Marco Polo Exactly as Described on the Box by Apcwmwl

Subject: Cruise P414: The Baltic Cities & St.Petersburg 6th-18th May 2014 1. The port: Embarkation procedure was straightforward except that having arrived 15 minutes prior to the booked time 1300, unloaded luggage etc., we then had to make our way to the car parking site some 1km away, returning on the shuttle bus after it had filled, where we then found the 3 buses arriving from Victoria disgorging a substantial number of passengers prior to their scheduled time (1330), which forced a wait at the rear of the queue to check in. Continue reading... Exactly as Described on the Box

 

Thomson Dream Great Week on the Dream by Bodster

We have never had a holiday onboard a cruise ship so I cant compare to any other ships and I am not going to try, but I will give an honest review for a ‘1st time cruiser’. The reason for choosing the Thomson Dream was for the Itinerary, flight from a local airport and the reviews on here. We chose to do the Mediterranean medley from the 17th to the 24th of May. Transfer from Palma airport to the ship was slick and hassle free, check in was swift and we were soon given our cabin, travelling with our 2 sons (age 4 and 7) we booked an outside plus cabin. We were given a cabin on deck 5, 5136. Clean, spacious and an excellent cabin steward named ‘Jaya’. He must have worked so hard as our cabin was always spotless and he was great with the kids. Continue reading... Great Week on the Dream

 

Island Escape Great fun on a budget by Rosie@47

This was my 22nd cruise but the first one on the Island Escape. We booked it for the choice of ports visited, the limited time at sea and the overall price. Having usually travelled with PO and Royal Carribean we were under no illusions of what to expect from this cruise ( my first cruise was on MV Bolero years ago! ). But we loved it!!! So easy flying from. Bournemouth , no rushing around so relaxing start to our holiday . Palma airport and transfer to the ship was also easy and there was no time wasted getting us aboard the ship where we were greeted by friendly staff. Our cabin was on deck 4, lower down than we normally would choose but although a bit dated it was spotlessly clean Continue reading... Great fun on a budget

 

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La Marguerite Indochina tour and La Marguerite Mekong River Cruise by soccerref

My Husband and I have just returned from a wonderful land tour of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia which included an overnight stay on a Junk in Halong Bay and a 7 night cruise down the Mekong on the ‘La Marguerite’ I am a compulsive note taker and write a diary for my own enjoyment but record practical information too for future reference. I have some mobility problems so was not able to access all the activities but I was so grateful to everyone that I met as they were all very helpful and supportive of the fact that I can’t walk very fast. I am posting extracts from my diary here which you may find useful. I am including my entries for our time in Siem Reap and Saigon (Ho Chi Min City) as i would guess that most people who sail the Mekong also visit these 2 cities. Continue reading... Indochina tour and La Marguerite Mekong River Cruise

 

Saga Sapphire Fantastic Norwegian Fjords and Super Sapphire May 2014 by charltongirl

Where can I start! A truly magical holiday, made even more so by the (mostly) fabulous weather, magnificent scenery, beautiful ship and very attentive staff and the food, oh the food - wonderful! Our cabin (5072) was very well appointed and much bigger than we had imagined it would be. Plenty of room to move around easily, even in the bathroom. Lots of storage space in the triple wardrobe and chest of drawers. The in cabin fridge is an excellent feature if you want to keep your mini bar gin cold! A point to note about the cabin is there was only one three pin plug socket so if you need to plug in more than one electrical item you'll need to bring an adapter or borrow one from reception. Continue reading... Fantastic Norwegian Fjords and Super Sapphire May 2014

 

Costa Serena Simply wonderful by An WildRedHed

My age 59, travelling with my 88 year old Dad. We have been on many cruises with different cruise lines, but this has to be my favourite. We booked a very last minute cruise after being sent a great deal by our favourite cruise agents - too good to miss, even though previous reviews of the ship and line have been mixed. Although I booked an outside cabin with no number, I was delighted to find that we had been upgraded to a balcony. Our first experience, but definitely not the last. We set off for Barcelona - an easy well-timed flight down from the UK to arrive there at 1.30 pm, and went straight to the cruise terminal. I was surprised to find very few passengers there, and we walked through to the embarkation desk where all they needed were our tickets and passports, and where we were issued with the usual ship cards. I found out later that on this cruise the ship had passengers boarding and leaving at almost every port, a bit like a ferry, but it meant that we had a long time in each port. Continue reading... Simply wonderful

 

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Every Thursday, we'll randomly select three cruise reviews to feature here! Plus, we'll send each member a Cruise Critic logo item. We hope they enjoy it!

 

Celebrity Eclipse First celebrity cruise by previous Princess cruiser by Rascal1

We've just returned from our first Celebrity Cruise onboard the Eclipse. It was a 8 day Norwegian Fjords cruise. We are a couple in our mid 40s and this will be our 5th cruise, the rest have been on Princess. Our holidays are all about the ports, relaxing and recharging our batteries, we like great service but hate hard sell. I've done comparisons to Princess where we noticed differences and have tried to be constructive. I'm sure others on the same cruise would have different perceptions but these are ours. Embarkation was a breeze, we stayed at the holiday inn in Southampton and were able to walk to the ship, the process was smooth and there were only 3 people in front of us at check in and security. Our check in time was 12, we arrived bang on 12 so don't know whether we would have had to wait if we were early. Continue reading... First celebrity cruise by previous Princess cruiser

 

Ventura Second Ventura Cruise by emjayen1

This was our second trip on the Ventura and already had two cruises on the Azura. Ships are the same layout but still managed to take wrong turnings. On the whole though the ships easy to find your way around. Flew from Manchester, flight P & O Thomson charter which was fine, all run to times. Airport to Cruise Terminal and Embarkation seamless, though had a wait of 20 minutes for Italian Police to show re embarkation. Accessed our cabin relatively quickly, luggage soon after. Greeted by a smiley Vijaya, very pleasant cabin steward who kept the cabin spotless. Continue reading... Second Ventura Cruise

 

Thomson Dream Very enjoyable Transatlantic Crossing by An rook

When we booked this Transatlantic cruise with friends! I was a little concerned how I would cope with being at sea for a long time, not being the best sailor in the world, and the Dream not being the biggest ship in the world. I needn't have worried. We had chosen an outside cabin on Deck 6 near the middle - good for avoiding the worst of the motion. The cabin was fine - very comfortable - and the bathroom was small but beautifully formed! I wish the hair dryer was in the cabin though, and that it had a nozzle but that seems to be universal. Our cabin steward, Raymund, was lovely and very helpful. All the crew and staff work very long hours, and we were surprised to hear that they have to pay for wifi. At every port they were to be seen finding free wifi in order to Skype their families - bit stingy Thomson! Continue reading... Very enjoyable Transatlantic Crossing

 

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Oceana A super Easter Break on a 'pretty ship' by Presto2

We last sailed on the Oceana in 2010 and having done 3 cruises since on the Celebrity Silhouette jumped at the chance of returning to P&O for a week's cruise over Easter. We were interested to see the difference between P&O and Celebrity and how we would enjoy P&O after a 4 year absence. I am pleased to say that we had a great time - ok some things were not perfect, but overall it was excellent value for money. The plus points were: *Easy embarkation - very well organised and we were on the ship very quickly. Continue reading... A super Easter Break on a 'pretty ship'

 

Star Princess 20th Wedding Anniversary Cruise by jlloyd

This cruise has been one that my husband and I have been waiting to go on for quite sometime. We love the days at sea and find them very relaxing. Having never seen Hawaii before we were very excited coupled with our 20th Wedding Anniversary we couldn't wait. We booked a pre-cruise night at the LAX Marriott Hotel with transfers. The hotel was comfortable and the public rooms were really large and clean. The pool area is super but the rooms are starting to show their wear and tear. The transfer was quick and efficient, we were told to leave our bags in our room and they were collected from there and taken to the ship. When we arrived at the port we were taken to the door of the terminal, just a short escalator ride up to the check-in, all so easy. Continue reading... 20th Wedding Anniversary Cruise

 

Island Escape What a fantastic value holiday had so much fun, can't wait to go back by betabet

I have been on 5 previous cruises, the last one being more than 12 years ago. I am 48 and all I can say is cruising has changed so much in that time (for the better). This cruise is quite informal, you can dress up if you wish, which I did most nights. To start with cabins are small but perfect. I had an inside on deck 5 with a brilliant shower. No problems what so ever, it was very quiet and comfortable. The steward attended to us very well. There is a TV and a hairdryer, 2 hanging spaces and 2 sets of 4 drawers, a dressing table with mirror, and a chair. Food was also very good. Choice of 2 restaurants, one for 24 hour dining. Food always plentiful and hot. Breakfasts were brilliant. There are an additional 2 restaurants which have a supplement, we went once and it was lovely. They do afternoon teas (amazing) Indian nights etc. Continue reading... Excellent experience - a few niggles

 

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Thomson Dream Enjoyable cruise experience by southcroft

We have recently returned from three weeks in the Caribbean to celebrate our retirement. We spent the first week exploring Barbados, the second week on Thomson Dream and the third week in St. Lucia. I can honestly say we thoroughly enjoyed the cruise. We were a little worried having suffered at the hands of a Carnival cruise in the past and all the "bad reviews" we read on this site before we went about the Dream. We had no problems embarking the ship as we made our own way there mid afternoon from our hotel in Barbados. We were shown to our Grand Suite and were thoroughly impressed with what we saw. Ronaldo Q our steward could not do enough for us. Ok we paid extra for the suite but as it was a special celebration we decided to "Splash the cash" for once and at least we were guaranteed a sun bed on sea days. Continue reading... Enjoyable cruise experience

 

Island Escape Lots of Fun, Amazing staff - was a great week. by rickbell4

Usually when my partner and I go on holiday we do stay in 5* hotels - I decided to take 2 members of my family on this weeks Spirit of the Med cruise. After reading some reviews and having sailed on Celebrity Equinox, Oasis Of The Seas and others, I was a little worried about what to expect. My first impression was the ship was bigger than I expected, cabin was small but ok just to sleep, change and shower. The ship is almost 30 years but the staff do an amazing job at keeping it spotless and clean. Ross and his team are FANTASTIC, funny, cheeky, camp and professional ! The entertainment was great, the show team did a great job. It was my mums and nephews first time on a cruise and for £600 each it's well worth every penny. The all inclusive cocktails were great, the food was ok and lots of it, time to hit the gym now I'm back. Continue reading... Lots of Fun, Amazing staff - was a great week.

 

Ventura Excellent experience - a few niggles by wanderer8706

Having read the previous review of the same cruise by Rakugoka I find it fascinating to see just how subjective a review can be, as it is clearly based upon one's own experiences, but of a similar event. Anyway, this was our first P&O experience, and the beginning could be seen as a good start, or a bad one, depending on how you look at it. To ensure your baggage arrives at your appointed cabin P&O very kindly e-mail you a label to attach to your case(s). As these labels are not of the type you would see attached at the baggage check-in at the Airport, we felt there was a risk of them becoming detached during the handling of our suitcase at either Birmingham or Genoa (or in-between) and so had intended to sellotape them to the bags once we collected them at Genoa. However, we had not been made aware that, once the bags were deposited at Birmingham check-in, we would not be expected to see them again until they were delivered to our cabin and so missed the opportunity to attach our labels indicating our cabin number. Continue reading... Excellent experience - a few niggles

 

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Thomson Majesty First time on the Majesty by ginntonix

This was our 5th cruise with Thomsons but our first on the Majesty. I had read a lot of derogatory reviews but was pleasantly pleased and surprised on our trip. The transfer was smooth with a short ride to the port ( Malaga) and we were soon on board. Our cabin was on deck 4 with a large outside window - really good views and bright and light. We had twin beds and the cabin was 'snug' with little room to move about but we spent very little time in there anyway, The bathroom was small and tired but with a good shower and it was all spotlessly clean. The ship has plenty of places to eat and lots of seating/bar areas. We ate in the Seven Seas for breakfast and dinner and were delighted to find our favourite waiter from previous ships was now on the Majesty - in fact he recognised us! What a great team Jerry, Niki and Dias were and nothing was too much trouble for them making our holiday special. We had snacks in the San Marco - clean, with lovely views. We also went into the Cafe Royal but it was crowded with a poor selection. As it was a birthday for one member of our party we booked The Bistro for dinner - we were made to feel very special with excellent service and fantastic food & then our favourite waiter came in to sing us a song! Continue reading... First time on the Majesty

 

Oceana Thoroughly enjoyed! (The Med) by SPBrad

I have read many reviews of the Oceana prior to my (first) cruise. I booked as a party of 14 (2 x grand-parents, 4 x 30/40 somethings (parents, of which I was one) and 6 x grandchildren (ranging from 9-24, some with partners)). A variety of ages therefore were required to be catered for... the Oceana seemed to fit the bill - many of the family have cruised before, some more than a few times, and historically with the P&O ship 'Canberra' but I never had. We had a variety of room types between us, one suite (Orcades B755), two mini suites (B321 & B309) and a few inner rooms on B deck. The first thing that struck me was the grandeur of the ship - the large atrium is certainly a sight to behold! The design of the ship is a canny one! Generally, the best way to traverse from any of the main bars and restaurants to the rooms is via the main 'run' of the Promenade Deck (past all the shops, casino, photo shop etc) - on one hand this was a good way to advertise much of what was on offer commercially, it did mean that we did much walking on the 14 day cruise! (useful, given the calorific intake!) Continue reading... Thoroughly enjoyed! (The Med)

 

MSC Preziosa Wonderful first ever cruise. by jenolly

First of all we have spent time in some great locations all over the world mainly in 5 star hotels. We decided to try a cruise for a change - we had never done one before - and we had a wonderful time. We were a bit nervous as we had read some very negative reviews about MSC cruises, but those people who left negative comments must have been very hard to satisfy! Embarkation at Venice took quite a long time but with so many passengers to get on this was understandable. We had a lovely balcony cabin on deck 13 - on the port side of the ship which made it interesting when we came into each port. The cabin steward was so attentive and looked after us so well, and kept the cabin spotless. Continue reading... Wonderful first ever cruise.

 

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MSC Fantasia Fantasic Holiday by Pamxox

6th April 2014: Genoa – Naples – La Valetta – Sea Day – Athens – Corfu – Dubrovnik Flights and Transfers : Rating 5/5 I bought my flights and transfers through MSC so thought I would include them in this review as very little has been said about them on the boards and I was quite nervous about this before I went. Turns out I didn’t need to be worried our flight with BA was on time and when we arrived at Nice there was an MSC representative waiting for us. The long transfer from Nice to Genoa went without a hitch, in fact it had some of the most stunning views of the entire trip as we followed the coastal route. Continue reading... Fantasic Holiday

 

Oriana Transatlantic to the Caribbean and back by happy2golf

There's a lot that's right about Oriana. Our main impression was of a well designed ship with lovely public rooms which were fit for purpose. The Pacific Lounge isn't huge but a good size for a medium-sized ship and it offers much better views of the artists than does the equivalent on Azura. If you like dancing then you will enjoy Harlequins, much better than being stuck down on a small floor in the Atrium as you are on some ships. The pub was a very good size, light and airy. The theatre offered good views with only a couple of pillars to get in the way. There were quiet, comfy rooms if you wanted to sit and read and a decent sized coffee shop area. The cinema was a very good size for this size of ship. We were in the Oriental restaurant which was pleasant and the Conservatory was, as on most ships, adequate but small for the number of passengers wanting to use it on a sea day when the weather's not so good! Continue reading... Transatlantic to the Caribbean and back

 

Thomson Celebration A reason to Celebrate!! by ChrisKate

Myself and my partner have just returned back from what can only be described as a fantastic trip on the good ship Celebration doing the Canarian Flavours cruise taking in places such as Gran Canaria, La Palma, Funchal, Fuerteventura, La Gomera and Tenerife. We have to admit that we were slightly concerned about the reviews that we had read prior to departing on our cruise. We have to say that we did not experience any of these issues and would like to respond to a few. Continue reading... A reason to Celebrate!!

 

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Thompson Dream Excellent cruise once again by Lisajones

This is the 2nd time we have been on the Dream but first time on a Caribbean cruise and 1st one after the upgrade to platinum. We were a party of 4 and have to say after reading some of the poor reviews before setting off we were a little concerned. However we think these people must have been on a different ship to us or they were expecting 5* plus service but not paid 5* plus prices. We had an absolutely fantastic time. The embarkation- yes there was a queue but what do you expect when you have 4 or 5 flights landing around the same time most of which are boarding the cruise. We queued for around 30 minutes. But hey so what. By the time we were on board our cases were outside our room. Within 2 1/2 hours of landing in Barbados we had checked in, unpacked and enjoying our first drink. Continue reading... Excellent cruise once again

 

MSC Armonia Well worth paying extra for a balcony room by hammer24a

This was our first ever cruise and as a repositioning cruise, it was very reasonably priced. When we booked, there were no single person supplements so we decided to book one balcony room and an inside room to save money and to compare. The balcony room was twice the size of the inside cabin, although still an adequate size if you plan on only using it for sleeping, showering etc the inside cabin is adequate but it is nice to sit on your private balcony especially when arriving/disembarking although there are plenty of decks to that too. The main differences aside from balcony and overall size were the extra storage space, bath (rather than shower) and a sofa/coffee table in the balcony cabin. Both cabins had a mini bar and safe. Continue reading... Well worth paying extra for a balcony room

 

MSC Fantasia Fantastic relaxing holiday by glittergal1

First of all I will start by saying a cruise or any holiday is what you make it and before you book any holiday DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!!!!!! many reviewers it seems just did not research what they were getting on MSC and they should have as many gripes and moans could have been avoided. I booked a fly cruise package as a solo passenger and had a fantastic deal of 0% supplement and a free upgrade from outside to Balcony cabin deck 12 ,other cruise lines could not get close to what good value this was. I flew from London Gatwick with British airways to Nice airport where we got a bus transfer to Genoa , when we arrived at Nice airport we could not see any representative from MSC (other reviewers have stated the same) but rather than get annoyed and Irate we just looked for other travelers with cruise luggage tags and stood together to wait and soon enough a Rep arrived to take us to the bus. The only annoying bit was then having to go to terminal 2 and wait another half an hour for the French passengers landing. Continue reading... Fantastic relaxing holiday

 

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