In our experience cruises are good, better, or the best. This cruise was on the lower end of good. The itinerary was great, but some of the staff seemed to be going through the motions at the end of a long Mediterranean season. We missed the smiles and sparkle we saw from the crew of the Pacific Princess, which we were on less than a week before this cruise began. Examples include:

• the coffee guy in the International café who clearly did not want not be there and grunted at you when you ordered coffee,

• the barman in the Explorer’s bar who gave us an environment lecture when we simply ask for a straw to stir our drinks and he complained that we should get glasses for the mini bar in our cabin from our cabin steward rather than him, Read more