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Orient Line

MV Crown Odyssey

Your Rating:
Reviewed by: Sylvia Curbelo
# previous cruises: 7
Date of Trip: June 18, 2002
Itinerary: Mediterranean

Before I start my review, I should say that I was a solo traveler (in my late 20s), so my perspective for cruising may be a little different. I was a little apprehensive because this was my first time traveling to Europe, especially alone, but I couldn't have asked, begged, or pleaded for a better time. I felt like I had a home away from home, and that came from a combination of extremely professional and friendly service and wonderful fellow passengers. I wanted to cruise with Orient because of the unique arrangement with hotel stays before and after the cruise. I couldn't get over how smooth the transitions were between the airport, hotels, and the ship. The itineraries are fantastic, and I thought they offered a good variety of tours for really great prices. I'm a pretty picky eater, but between the seated dining room, the open seating restaurant, and the deck-side buffet, I never lacked for good food. I got a little but of extra attention from the crew because I was by myself, and that made me feel very welcome...it was fantastic to be greeted by name wherever I went! I would definitely recommend this cruise to anyone, and I'm already booking my next trip.

The public areas were all beautiful and very comfortable, and I can't remember them ever being crowded. The only big crowd was at the pool. Finding a deck chair after 10:00am was a nightmare, and I only got lucky at noon because I was by myself. The crew was as helpful as possible in providing extra chairs, but there was only so much space. However, there was a ton of deck space on upper decks, including room next to the jacuzzis on the next deck up. The room they used for the evening shows was big enough to hold everyone who wanted to go because there were always a few empty seats...mind you, I had the late seating, so maybe it was crammed for the early show. There were plenty of quiet nooks and crannies for those seeking some solitude, between the library, Top of the Crown, and other small lounge areas. The casino was very small, and I was disappointed that there was no craps table. However, the gaming usually fizzled out by 12:30am, so I guess they can't justify more tables or slot machines.

I thought the food was pretty good. It wasn't as good as something you'd order in a five-star restaurant, but then again, the chefs are cooking for a thousand people. The service was impeccable...I wasn't thrilled with one particular dessert, and within minutes, the waiter brought me something else. My food was always hot when it arrived, and being a picky eater, I was happy with the food selection. I had plenty of opportunity to eat at the open-seating restaurant upstairs from the main dining room, and their buffet was quite extensive. Also, the service was just as good, even though you didn't have your usual waiter. My favorite was the Italian lunch buffet one deck up from the pool. The food was amazing! A huge selection, however the line was almost as extensive.

I cruised alone on the share program, and I got lucky...no roommate! So I'm sure my cabin must have felt huge compared to people traveling in pairs or more. However, having previously been on several cruises with family and friends, I felt my cabin was pretty huge. I was on the second to lowest deck in an inside cabin...probably the smallest room they had. The bathroom was big for cruise ship standards, and both the bathroom and bedroom had tons of storage space. Four closets! Which works out to one closet per person since my room had two lower beds and two bunks. I'm 5'6" and thin, but I think my Dad (who is a little over full-size) would have easily fit in the shower. My cabin was mid-ship and extremely quiet. We were lucky we had outstanding weather, so you would have had to convince me that we were on a moving vessel while sleeping.

The shows were really good! The comedian was absolutely the best, and the dancers and singers put on a really great show. There were plenty of people at the shows (I think I saw all of them, and people I sat with seemed to love the shows, too.

I'm a pretty active person, so I took a tour at every opportunity...the choices were great! It was really hot on the Med coast, but all the tour operators took extra care to make us comfortable on the buses. I also liked that we were given free bottles of water prior to leaving the ship for a tour.

Barcelona was amazing, even though there was a strike the second day we were there and had to walk everywhere. I would recommend seeing the Sagrada Familia cathedral, and taking a walk up the hill between the Palacio Nacional and the Olympic Stadium. Palma was just OK, and we were only there for five hours. See Bellver Castle and Le Seu cathedral, and if you can avoid getting ripped off, try to find some pretty Mallorcan pearls.

The stop in Cannes was outstanding, even though I didn't really see much of Cannes itself. I took the tour to St. Paul de Vence, which is postcard-pretty. Unfortunately, I was expecting to see and learn some medieval history in this 500-year old walled town, and all I got was jewelry shops and art galleries. The best part was that night when I took the train with some fellow passengers to Monte Carlo. How beautiful to see the Grand Casino lit up at night! It was a Sunday and almost everything was closed, but Monte Carlo was just so picturesque that I would recommend to anyone that they see it for themselves.

We were only in Portofino for five hours, but it was enough for me to spend some serious money on leather! According to other passengers, the selection of restaurants there is amazing (there are like 10-12 restaurants all located in the same main square), and the food is amazing at all of them.

In Livorno, I took the transfer to Florence option (instead of going to Pisa) because there were certain things I wanted to see that the offered tours didn't include. I had it stuck in my head that I wanted to go to the Uffizi gallery to see Botticelli and Michelangelo, etc. It was worth it, but make sure you factor in a two-hour wait in line to enter. You can also make reservations ahead of time so you don't have to wait. And by far, the best part of my trip with Orient was the four-day stay in Rome. The food, the people, the sights. I'm already planning on going back in the spring when it's not so hot.

As for stuff to do on the ship, I can't really say because I hardly spent any time on the ship except to eat and sleep! The free time I did have I spent by the pool, or in my room reading. I did actually spend quite a bit of time in the spa, and for the limited amount of space they have, they do a really great job. I had a massage, body scrub, manicure, pedicure, and my hair done, and they did an awesome job on everything. I don't think Orient really specializes in having a million activities at all hours, simply because that doesn't seem to appeal to their stereotypical passenger. Their itineraries are pretty active, and those who chose to stay on board like to relax.

Maybe I just got lucky, but my fellow passengers were awesome! I kind of stood out since I was the only solo traveler on a ship of 1,000, but everyone was so nice to me. I was always getting asked to join someone for lunch, or at the pool, or on a tour. My table mates were all from the UK and a lot of fun, and I still keep in touch with a couple I met on the plane on the way to Europe, as well as another couple from one of my tours. It definitely wasn't a "party" crowd per se, since about 80% of the passengers were over 40, but everyone wanted to have a great time. I even met people that lived a few blocks away from me back home! I'm a really outgoing and friendly person, so I think if you go out of your way to greet other passengers, it'll be a more lively experience.