Cabin Review

Our Rating - Poor

Description

Our cabin 467, a category 12 premium twin ocean view, was near the middle on the starboard side. Most of these cabins have two windows but 467 has only one although it is a reasonable size. The décor, notably over the dressing-table unit, was modern mock art nouveau with large mirrors. Curtains ran the full width of the room but there were no nets. The twin beds can be arranged as a large double but with a marked ridge down the middle. The cabin also had one chair, a dressing-table/desk/TV unit, two bed-side draw units, one with a ‘phone and two double wardrobes plus a hook inside the door. Both wardrobes had more draws and one contained a safe. We had enough hanging space and more than enough draw space. There was space under the bed(s) to store cases. The main lighting, switched at the door, was bright. There were two dimmer lights over the dresser unit and lights over and switched from each side of the bed.

At the the window end of the dressing-table unit there were two power sockets, a euro 220 volt and a USA 110 volt. Our cabin had a kettle plugged into the euro socket but some cabins do not have a kettle.

The “bathroom” had no bath. It had a shower, a WC, a basin unit with a mirror, a hair-dryer and shelves above plus a cupboard below. It was a step higher than the cabin and there was a deep threshold on top of the step, presumably to prevent flooding. The doorway was set at an angle further reducing the already small wash room size.

Experience

Ours was the highest grade of cabin apart from de luxe and the suites. As such, it was very disappointing with little space, a single window and only one seat. The wash room was even more cramped and the step out of it, over the threshold, with no grab handle, was dangerously high. The hair-dryer blew piped warm air. It was cumbersome, not very powerful and not very hot. The alternative of a session at the ship’s hairdresser cost £48.

During our nine nights, the basin tap broke twice and the wash-room light failed. These faults were quickly repaired and the regular cleaning was adequate. Towels and flannels were changed daily. The bed was made each morning and turned down each night but with no chocolate. In the wash-room there were two glasses for tooth-brushes in a fixed holder. The bottom of this holder was coated with an yellow slime which was never cleaned. Similar evidence of less than thorough cleaning could be found around the ship.

The TV had the usual view from the bridge, cruise video and excursion marketing channels. There were three film channels, one channel showing old TV comedy and two more which changed several times a day. One of these, sometimes but not often, carried a news channel.

There was little mechanical noise and no noise from the rooms above or below us. The engines and air conditioning could be heard but were not intrusive. The walls are not, however, at all sound proof. We heard neighbours one side occasionally and those on the other side must have been deaf as several times we were able to hear what their TV was saying.

Finally, the cabin door has a key so this must be carried around the ship at all times as well as the cruise card.