We booked this cruise at a great price of £620 for a balcony cabin deck 10 for two of us. The cabin 10686 was exceptionally large, situated right at the aft of the ship near the kids club. There was no noise from the kids club and it was in a great position for the buffet. Out the back door and up a couple of stairs and you were right there. We didn't experience much vibration or noise from the engines. The seas were slightly, rough a couple of nights and we felt the movement badly. We normally choose deck 8 mid ship and prefer that as less motion in the ocean on rough seas.
The ship is in reasonable condition for her age. We felt that the cleanliness could have been better. Lots of finger prints on glass and in elevators and carpets not vacuumed in public areas as much as in the past. I really noticed the cut backs on staff. Choosing to sit in the aft area on sunny days proved impossible to get a drink without leaving your lounger as no waiters were ever in that area.
The food was a big disappointment. Dinner service in the MDR was slow, even when we ate at 5.45 just after opening. The food was always Luke warm, even after I specifically asked for it to be brought hot. The food in the buffet was the same. Soup tepid, meals barely warm. My husband thought he'd hit the jackpot one day as they brought out a fresh tray of meat casserole and veg which he thought would be hot. No! Again it was Luke warm!!! We did the chefs table and thoroughly enjoyed it. It cost $89 per person but the food and wine pairings were excellent.