I chose this cruise for 2 reasons. First to celebrate my 60th birthday and secondly because of the itinerary. There were 7 people in our party. From previous reviews of this ship we were expecting to board an old, tired ship with poor food. Well, my experience couldn't be further away from that and was very happy with the whole experience. My wife and I had an unobstructed ocean view cabin which was exactly as described. Plenty of storage room to unpack everything with plenty of room to move about the cabin, Shower was small however more than adequate for one person at a time, The bed was the most comfortable bed we had ever slept in. We really only spent time in the cabin to sleep as we were off the ship most days visiting ports or experiencing the activities on board. We only went to one of the specialty restaurants on one night. That was Sabatini's on the day of my birthday. The food was fantastic and well worth the $25 per head surcharge. Other nights we alternated between the buffet and the main dining room. The food and service in the dining room was top notch with a good selection of meals. The buffet was what you would expect however the selection was enough to satisfy. We ate breakfast each morning in the buffet and were more that satisfied with the quality and selection.

Embarkation and disembarkation were both smooth and easy. We opted to disembark on our own as we were staying in the UK for a few more days and didn't have flights to meet.

Entertainment and activities met our needs and the Cruise Director and his staff did a good job. Because of the itinerary the cruise attracted an older age group. It certainly wasn't a party cruise. Quiet often we were the only ones left to watch bands and singers as everyone else had gone to bed. 10pm was bedtime for most. The performers described there last sessions as paid rehearsals which we didn't mind and they appreciated our support. There were some great shows in the theatre which were well patronised and full at least 20 minutes before showtime,