Primarily this cruise was chosen because the sail date was convenient for a school half-term break. My Wife & I travelled with our daughter, son-in-law, two grandchildren(age 8 & 5) and my son-in-law's parents.From the moment we arrived at the Port terminal everything swung into a finely tuned and practised event.The embarkation process was swift and painless. In just a matter of a few minutes we were making our first steps to board the ship. We all knew as soon as we entered the Atrium that this was going to be a special cruise.The Rhapsody exudes a timeless elegance with its quality. How good to see the traditional concept of brass and polished wood rather than the more modern ships with their stainless steel and glass interiors. Granted, the ship is now over twenty years old and yes, if you really looked hard enough could find areas which could do with a touch of TLC. These, however, are superficial points, the heart and soul of this ship lie within. The food provided in the Dining room and Windjammer buffet was outstanding, the best we have ever had on any of our previous cruises. The waiters and all the entertainments staff were exceptional. Special mention of our waiters on table 23- Virgilio (Bing) and Igede who made sure everything was perfect. Especially helpful when we had our grandchildren with us. Bing provided entertainment of his own style with his 'magic' tricks and puzzles which are still being raved about by them. A huge thank you to another waiter who had heard that Will was interested in 'magic' he came over to us ad did the most spell binding card tricks we have seen, so well done Elmer Velasco, a superstar Magician in the making. The entertainment staff worked tirelessly to ensure every passenger had a great time. My Wife & I have enjoyed many cruises but none have compared to this. As truly memorable experience. The itinerary was also excellent, who would not be moved by arguably by the best sail-away ever from Venice. Kotor in Montenegro followed which is the most picturesque port setting with the mountains protecting the Fjord type location. Dubrovnik is a joy to gladden the heart with the cultural heritage experience of Napoli, Rome and Florence to follow. I have just seen some comments relating to this cruise ship on facebook. I know you will never be able to please all of the people all of the time but these comments regarding service and the quality of the food is complete nonsense.I can only conclude that the person making this statement belongs to the breed of people who are the most ignorant species of mankind who are also devoid of all the basics of good manners and respect for all others. This is a wonderful ship with exceptional crew and staff, I would not hesitate to sail on this again.