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Airtours

MV Sundream

Your Rating:
Reviewed by: Stephen Pascal
# previous cruises: 9
Date of Trip: March 3, 2003
Itinerary: Caribbean - Eastern

Chose the cruise for the itinerary aware that it was a budget cruise line. 11 Caribbean countries in 14 days with no effort on our part - wonderful.

Standards of cleanliness were high and the ship benefits greatly from a Captain with personality and attitude. Everyone looked forward to his comments on the intercom.

The food was of a reasonable standard, some of it very good some not so good, and the waiters were a happy bunch who brightened up mealtimes with song. There were obvious attempts to cut corners - all the creamed soups tasted like package soups and the vegetables were mainly the same (presumably frozen), salads at dinner time were lettuce and deserts mostly disappointing yet overall the meals were OK if not the highlight they are on other more expensive cruise lines.

The cabin was very compact but adequate for our needs.

We weren't interested in the on board entertainment which we were told was mediocre.

We enjoyed the islands immensely especially Guadeloupe where St Annes beach was the best of all we visited with a wonderful continental feel to it. We always used local taxis as the tours were really overpriced and found that the literature supplied on ship about the destinations more helpful than most ships we have been on.

All in all we thought the cruise very good value for money but the experience was ruined by the absolutely awful flights from Manchester to Barbados and back. The story given was that the airbus which should have taken us had been damaged on the runway by a catering truck and the substitute aircraft was a short haul one necessitating a stop to refuel in the Azores. This story had been offered in explanation to customers for at least three weeks prior to our departure so the excuse was a little thin. Both flights left late. The seating was cramped and extremely uncomfortable and we were not allowed to disembark during refuelling. There was no choice of meal, beef being served both directions. Everything ran out from ice to tea, the in flight entertainment was faulty on the way out and no refunds were given to those who paid for headsets everyone was in a foul mood on the return flight and had mutiny been an option the passengers would have risen in revolt. I have not received even an acknowledgement from the customer service department to my letter of complaint so obviously customer satisfaction is not something Airtours (or My Trave) take seriously. Such a pity. No wonder the company is fighting for survival.