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Reviewed by:  Colin Thacker
# previous cruises: 1
Date of Trip: October 26, 2002
Itinerary: Mediterranean

This was our first venture into cruising and a very successful one at that. If you have not done this before, then do so. The kids loved it (14 and 11) and we found the whole experience very relaxing and enjoyable.

First impression was that the decor was a little dated, but that became part of the ship's charm and we found ourselves thankful it was not decorated in a bright, lurid, 'modern' format. We generally liked the lounges, with quiet areas always available. The pool deck is a bit cramped at times, particularly on 'at sea' days. Casino we did not get to try out!

The food and service were the biggest surprises. We found the variety and standard very high and the service impeccable. The restaurant staff were wonderful and the kids loved them! The buffet was open for breakfast and lunch, as an alternative to the more formal restaurant; our kids preferred the buffet for breakfast, but we tried both, depending on the weather.

The initial view on the cabin was how small it was, but again we grew to quite like it. We spent very little time there anyway, so as it was clean, comfortable and sufficient to our needs it, it was not an issue. The shower was a bit small, but frankly so are we!

We did not see any of the entertainment on the first few night, but ended up regretting it, as the second batch of performers were excellent. These are not the kind of performers that we would normally go to see, but that just proves how wrong you can be. Watch out for Jon Courtnay, who was absolutely brilliant and deserves to be a star!

The activities were reasonably limited, but that suited us. We did not want a Butlins style format and didn't get it. There were things going on during the day, mostly quietly, if you wanted them. The shipped started off at Palma, then proceeded to Cadiz, Lisbon, Gibraltar (sorry, but what a dump!), Tangiers, Madeira, Lanzarote and then finishing off in Tenerife. We did not go on the organised excursions, as firstly they were expensive and most of the itinerary you can cover yourself quite easily on public transport.

The kid's club was very good, our daughter loved it. The staff were very friendly and helpful and in control!

Our biggest fear was the other passengers, as this is considered a 'budget' operator. We needn't have worried, they were fine. Mostly well-dressed, slightly older, and never 'over-friendly. We shared our dinner table with two ladies who turned out to be 80 and 81, which we were really surprised by. They were really lovely and we got along famously. We will keep in touch with them.