This was our first cruise and we really couldn't fault anything. From booking in the Louth branch of Thomson with the wonderful help of Sophie, to arriving back home it all went like clockwork. We had chosen an outside cabin and I have to say I'm very thankful we did. If you can afford it I highly recommend a cabin with a window, or even with a balcony. We did find the air conditioning very drying and my husband felt like he had a cold, whereas if we had a balcony we could have opened the door for fresh air. ALL the staff on the ship were so amazingly friendly and happy, and as the cruise was 'tips included' it wasn't as it they were being falsely friendly for a tip. The wonderful couple who cleaned our cabin were so kind and helpful (so they did get an extra tip!) and nothing was too much bother. The bed was very comfortable which was a bonus as so often you stay somewhere with an uncomfortable bed compared to yours at home. The food was amazing and plentiful. We chose not to eat in the waiter service restaurants as we prefer a more relaxed atmosphere and we aren't into 'dressing up'. Someone said to us the choice of food in the self-service was probably better than waiter service and I can only say it was amazingly good and varied. The entertainment was far better than we'd expected. We hadn't planned to watch anything, but decided to give it a go and I have to say it was high class entertainment. The singers and dancers were very good indeed and the comedian, Buster, was fantastic. If he's on your cruise then you are in for a treat and do go and watch him, I defy anyone to say he wasn't funny!

We went on two excursions and both were very good indeed with good tour guides on both. One was in Madeira, which is a pretty island, the other Lanzarote, it was a trip to the north of the island which was so much nicer than the port. I would recommend going on as many as you can afford as you see so much more than shops and cafes.

Everything went like clockwork. The ship sailed when it was due to, and any transport was right on time, either excursions or transfers to and from the airport. Read more