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Cunard Line

MV Caronia

Your Rating:
Reviewed by: Sheryl R.
# previous cruises: 10+
Date of Trip: December 21, 2000
Itinerary: Caribbean

Wow. The holidays with the Caronia/Vistafjord family were wonderful. The staff went out of its way to make Christmas and New Year's Eve fun for all ages. (9 kids and mostly 80+ year olds). Kudos to Andrew Graham, the cruise director and dancer extraordinaire. The ship looks much better even since our Aug. 2000 sailing. Yes, the family feeling still reigns here. A couple of negatives: 1) the chef needs a vacation as the menu was uninspiring and preparation unacceptable at times (catfish should never be raw). 2)the band is tired and plays the same 11 tunes over and over. Cater more to the 40-60 year olds than the 80-year olds. (Cunard has a problem here-- lose repeaters and gain new fans by updating the entertainment or keep repeaters and see market share dwindle.) On the whole, we didn't want to leave and we can't wait to go back. A relaxing, pampered environment, not a "factory" awaits potential passengers who can amuse themselves.

The public areas are extremely comfortable, with great visibility for the shows in the ballroom. The Garden Lounge is lovely as always. The health club is, by the way, still free. The pools are clean, but deck chairs were apparently at a premium. The casino is small but adequate and one of the few lively places late at night.

Service, on the whole, was excellent. The food, on the whole, was nothing special. Venison appeared on the menu four times-- on a Caribbean cruise that seemed strange. Deserts were unappealing-the pastry chef was due to go home at the end of the holiday cruise. He must have been tired. The Lido Cafe lunches were better than the dinners. Tivoli is outstanding, as always. Service started out very slow in the dining room-- a slow assistant waiter was the problem. Dining room managers had to be argued with to fix the problem. The person was switched out to another section and our service became stellar. In and out of the dining room in 1 hour 15 minutes.

Our cabin was special (penthouse) and is our home away from home. It is a spectacular way to cruise. Closet space is sufficient. There are three showers. It is quiet. It is spacious and luxurious. The cabin service is outstanding. But, potential cruisers should be aware of two things: 1) when the ship moves through rough seas, one really feels it on the upper floor of the penthouse. 2)The two penthouses share a common wall and loud voices or music can be heard through this divider.

This is the best cruise staff on any ship (our 12th cruise) that we have been on. Unfortunately, the entertainment was geared toward only about 40 passengers (the ladies traveling independently and the older couples on board). But, for New Year's Eve, the entertainment became more upbeat and even the "old gals" got into the swing. A message to Cunard? More variety in the music and the entertainment would appeal to everyone on board.

Don't come on Caronia expecting a rat race of activities as is common on "factory" cruise ships. The Caronia is not a mass production ship in any way--especially entertainment. We liked the lectures on the building of Vistafjord and launching of QE2, the dance lessons and the kids' program (not a regular event on Caronia). Be prepared to amuse oneself. Few sports-related excursions, but the Islands offer their own. The itineraries in the past have been packed full of ports-- so who needs lots on board? Do miss the art auctions though.

Funny, we sailed on this cruise because of friends that we made on a previous Caronia cruise. Most passengers a very elderly. Some more energetic than others, of course, and many seem to live on the ship. No couples were under 40, though. Many speak only German. On this cruise the US and UK passengers each outnumbered the German passengers by 2to1.