REVIEW: M/S Caronia cruise: Apr 30th to May 4th, 2004

[mtbny7]

Hi.

 

I've returned from my 4-day mini cruise on the Caronia around the English Channel. This was my first time on Caronia.

 

Embarkation:

Well, for me it was unusual. As I sailed to the UK on the April 25th "historic" eastbound crossing of QE 2, I arrived in Southampton on May 1st, one day too late to board Caronia. So I flew to Guernsey (1st port of call) to meet the ship. My friends had boarded already in Southampton and were waiting for me at the airport.

 

I was the only on line to embark so it was a snap.

 

The ship:

A very pretty ship; very traditional in appearance. I was very happy. The public rooms were quite nice, with many lovely high quality touches left over from her days as the Vistafjord (i.e. tile inlaid tables in Garden Lounge and White Star Bar... fantastic!). The dining room and ballroom, the two rooms meant to hold all the passengers at once, seemed VERY crowded at times. Our friend Mark (who had been on Caronia before) said the cruise seemed to be oversold (?) and there were more tables in the dining room then he had ever seen. To me everything seemed OK, if a bit tight at times... but it was the most crowded dining room I've ever sailed in... including the low priced Regal Empress in 2002... but far from unpleasant.

 

Service:

Mona, our waitress in the dining room, was fighteningly gruff to my friends during the first dinner and the next day's breakfast; but when I arrived with them for dinner the second night she was fine. Not great, but fine. Maybe she knows I'm a cruisecritic nerd?

 

Other staff members seemed very friendly and willing to try their best (sometimes failing, but they did try).

 

Samira, our cabin stewardess, was invisible. However, she appeared on the last night to take her tip envelope .

 

Cabins:

Bill and I were in an "E" grade outside-double cabin 123 on Sun Deck. This nice, because our friend Mark was in 125 (outside single)... next door! Our friend Carolyn was in 349 on Main Deck (outside single).

 

The best points of cabin 123 were location (the "prestige" of being high up on the ship) and the two huge windows and the large comfy beds. Also two phones (desk and nightstand) were a luxury touch.

 

The low points were the lack of floor space, tiny bathroom w/ shower only, NO full-lengh mirror , and the windows overlooked a workers "catwalk" and a HUGE lifeboat.

 

Mark's cabin was smaller but almost excatly the same (with one bed), but he had a full length mirror and one phone. It is the most popular single cabin on the ship; always the first to be booked.

 

Carolyn's cabin was quite nice, smaller than Mark's but more "ocean liner-ish" with a very large porthole, lots of closet/drawer space, and bathroom with tub & shower.

 

Dining:

Meals in the dining room were quite nice, with a good number of choices and menu variety. The one dinner we had in Tivoli (the alternative restaurant) was only the smallest notch above the dining room, and the room was deadly silent like a tomb. I was not impressed.

 

Tea time was a madhouse to be avoided if possible. It is served "buffet" style and is not as nice as tea on QE 2.

 

"Elegant Tea" (with white glove service) is served on sea days at 4pm in the Garden Lounge. I arrived at 3pm to get a table for the four of us... do you think that's crazy? Well, guess again... the room was PACKED by 3:15. Not a seat to be had... not good for a "luxury" cruise ship.

 

Entertainment:

 

The Morag Dance Co... please! Let me save something for my 80's! Dinner theater in Idaho is better.

 

The Picadilly Night Club was the only game in town, and it was fine... always a table to be had and good friends to dance with.

 

The casino was tastefully small and (hooray!) never used... what a nice change from most ships.

 

Disembarkation Morning:

Ooops! We over-slept and missed breakfast and we were the last people off the ship... so there was (once again!) no lines.

 

 

All in all, it was a very nice cruise on a very nice cruise ship... I had a great time. If Caronia called at New York, or if my British friends were cruising her again, I would sail on her again. But for now, I think I'll stick to my favorite ship: QE 2.

 

Michael

NYC

[Linerguy]

"Dinner theater in Idaho is better."

 

Now THAT'S funny!

 

Thanks, Michael.

 

Russ

[guernseyguy]

Michael,

 

Glad you (mostly) enjoyed your time on Caronia - even if you didn't get a chance to test her 'sea legs'. Sorry to hear the Morag troupe had not improved - on the first performance on the West bound Transat they were dire...but had come a long way by the last (or so it appeared)....I still think the Garden Lounge is the prettiest room afloat. Did you see any of Guernsey...or just the road from plane to ship?

 

Peter

[Flick]

Your comment about the Morang Troupe was strange. On our recent TransAt they improved with each show and frankly by the end of the cruise received a well deserved standing ovation. And don't tell me I don't know what I'm talking about-we did theatre in both New York and London at the end of the cruise and they certainly were as good as what we saw in London, which was very, very good.

 

Rick,24 cruises and counting! Next cruise- #25-Riverboat cruise from Amsterdam to Vienna in July '04

 

[mtbny7]

Hi.

 

Unfortunately, my flight to Guernsey from Southampton was delayed by over 2 hrs (fog) so when I landed on Guersey I taxied straight to the ship, tendered out, and stayed aboard. My loss , as what little I saw of the island looked lovely.

 

I'm glad some of you had a better expierince with the Morag Dance Co. Maybe they were having an "off" night when I saw them in bad Spanish drag skrieking "Shady Lady of Seville", and maybe something had happened to their good costumes the next night, and they HAD to wear the gold lame "Solid Gold" TV-show outfits (inc headbands) I saw them in while I was running out of the room before I wet myself...

 

I guess all excellent companies have a bad cruise once in a while. I'll be sure to look for the various members of the Morag Dance Company here on Broadway, and in the West End in London.

 

 

Michael

NYC

[Colin_Cameron]

Hi Michael, Did you take any photos of the cabin? We're booked into 122 for the final cruise in Oct. and are a little concerned about the size. We're normally in 153 or 154. We've actually joined a waitlist for a downgrade!

 

Regards, Colin.

[mtbny7]

Colin,

 

No, I'm sorry but I took no pics of the cabin.

 

123 was pleasant enough; but I do think that 153/154 are better (larger & full baths).

 

Michael