This was my first cruise and it exceeded my expectations. The journey from Manchester to Cyprus was longer than expected and having to then queue to get on the ship was tiring. The ship was outdated in its style, but was very clean. I had an inside cabin on level 1. The room was cleaned twice daily and was big enough for a week. Next time I'd pay for a porthole to enjoy the daylight. Be prepared to shake like mad in your room, the vibrations are very strong and after a few days you do get used to it. The staff were much friendlier than in a traditional hotel and made me feel very welcome. The food was good to excellent for every meal in the waiter service restaurant. Having to sit with fellow travellers was interesting and we enjoyed chatting to people about their experiences. I paid £200 over the week for drinks and shop extras for 2 people. I had prepaid for trips - we went to Panoramic Jerusalem and The Sea of Galilee. The former was great in the morning with lots of things to see, but by the afternoon it felt like we were wasting time visiting a shop and eating a long lunch. The latter trip was less visually interesting (none of the charm of Jerusalem), but it did feel as though we visited more places. Israel was the highlight of my trip. The other ports in Turkey and Crete looked great from the boat, but with variable weather and it being low season were dull to walk around so I'd wished that we had booked excursions. The day at sea was relaxing with great weather and sunbathing. I went to deck 10 for full sun, but we were packed in like sardines. The final day was horrible - we left our cabins at 9am and didn't leave for the airport until after 4pm. The toilets had long queues and began to smell horrible. Next time I'd pay extra for an earlier flight. Before the cruise I was worried that it would be full of 'booze cruise' type of customers and out of control children, luckily these guests were few and far between. An enjoyable experience overall.