It was the only eastern Meditteranean cruise available at Christmas time. My family and I had a wonderful time however the cruise itself was very average. Not excellent, not terrible. I appreciate the fact that they made it feel as "Chistmassy" as possible which was important since this was our first time ever travelling during the holiday. The food was good however not always available. For example, if you'd like to eat something after dinner, your only choice is room service or a pizza - each at an additional cost unless you buy upgraded package. The service was very good and there was definitely an appropriate number of employees. Kudos to the ship for getting that right. The excursions were overpriced...I found that paying a taxi driver would give you a better tour and more for your money. The ports were good. Croatia was the highlight although pulling into port of Montenegro was nothing short of spectacular. Upon return, were delayed due to immense fog thus creating traveling nightmares for many. I heard through the grapevine that there were options to get us into port however I cannot confirm this. I would recommend this cruise to someone with the same goal as ours however keep your expectations in check and you might be pleasantly surprised.