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Festival Cruises

MS Bolero

Your Rating:
Reviewed by:Johanne P.
# previous cruises: 2
Date of Trip: February 5, 2000
Itinerary: Caribbean - Western

This ship does "destination cruises". It does not have a lot of "at sea" days. You sail almost only at night. It is not as big as other ships (800 psgrs)but it doesn't matter since you spend every day on an island. Service is excellent as well as the food. It is not a new ship but very clean and well maintained. Perfect for first time cruise.

Public areas are comfortable and there are enough. I preferred the outdoor decks for hanging out but I noticed the dancing areas indoor where popular at night (not my fancy). The two pools and the casino are very small, but it did not seem to be an issue since most days you are not on the ship. The walk-around promenade is OK, but the view is sometimes obstructed by the safety boats.

there are 3 different ways to get your breakfast, two for lunch, and one for dinner. In all cases the food is very good in the main dining room. Less good in the Signal cafe but nicer in a way because you can take your meal outside, on the large terrace. The service is excellent. Most of the staff (busboy, waiter, room maintenance) are foreigners and hardly speak English. They know pretty well anything related to their job but anything else is not easy for them to understand.

Our cabin was big enough, with enough closet space and we were three people. The bathroom was also big enough. Careful tall people, you can bang your head many times when entering the bathroom.

We saw three evening shows. While the performers were friendly and talented, it was not what I expected. Low budget shows, small stage.

We made stops at San Juan (we went to Isla Verde beach, nicer than the recommended beach), St-Thomas, Nevis (rain forest hiking, enjoyed very much), Antigua, St-Bart, Tortola, Santo Domingo. Tours can be done by hiring a taxi for much cheaper. On board, the children club is enjoyed by all the children that I saw, including my 9 yrs old. They also had shore excursion for the children.

Average age: 50