Cruises4 U Ltd (2024)

09/06/2024

Review of latest 24 day cruise to follow. Cruise number 64.

14/02/2024

Costa Fortuna meets the Southern Caribbean Sun

Cruise number 63

Costa Cruises – Costa Fortuna
9th January to 28th January 2024

Cabin number: 7262 - Mid ship, Deck -7 : Suite

Total pax :2200 , Crew :1000 : Decks : 13
Cruise for 15 nights.

Ports of Call: Guadeloupe, At Sea, Bonaire , Aruba , Curacao , Grenada Martinque , Guadeloupe , At Sea , Tobago , Grenada , Barbados , St Lucia , Martinque ,Guadeloupe.

After 3 wonderful days relaxing at the Le Creole hotel we watched our ship arrive and had a late embarkation so allowed for another day in the sun.

The suite as expected on arrival was spotless and perfect our butler Sakharam and suite steward Richard were listed for our Suite. The suite steward was on time daily and very attentative, his talent in towel work and design was the best we have seen ever. Alongside his daily routine Richard was fantastic. Our minibar always stocked, and our suite spotless every day after breakfast. Our suite was situated midship as all the suites were located on deck 7. However, after being in suites and samsara suites on Costa Cruises new builds it could be time to update these premium cabin products on the older ships as some of the furniture needs repair.

Our first dinner in the Elite club restaurant as expected was first class in service. This was a level kept up through all meals we had in the restaurant, along with destination selections on the menu each day this made for a very special dining experience. Excellent service by our table waiter Ruddy and his assistants Hazel and Czarina and the restaurant manager Anil who was always at hand to assist.

When it comes to our excursions, all other excursions where well organised and on time. When it comes to the issues of cancellations due to low numbers or languages spoken this does not seem to affect the ports of call in the Caribbean as much as it does in the Europe. Our top two tours taken where the Jeep tour in St Georges, Granada, very informative on time well organised and great guide. The other outstanding tour was the island tour and folk show in Scarborough, Tobago. Two wonderful ports of call which cater for self-walking tours exceptionally well is Willemstadt in Curacao and Oranjestad in Aruba.

Once again, the productions on board the ship where first class with stand shows being H20 and Romeo and Giulietta (acrobats). The Voice at Sea is a great production and always a crowd pleaser. Then the two shows by the good talented singers being Francesca Aureli and Maximillen Phillipe.

The Cruise director Sabrina was outstanding as usual and entertainment team average. Th VIP functions attended by the Captain Vlaho Lazarevic where handled well and on time , The Costa Club event had some new features to it which where interesting.

In conclusion, a wonderful Costa Cruise with exceptional service and overall great crew. Good to see new islands being added to the itinerary as Costa Cruises needs to start to broaden its routes around the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. Speaking to other frequent travellers the lack of variety in routes offered needs to be addressed as other lines grow and offer a larger variety.

Highly recommend this itinerary.
2024 rating – 4.5 stars

12/02/2024

Review of latest Cruise to follow

05/11/2023

Cruise number 62
Costa Cruises – Costa Favolosa
Costa Club Cruise – Special Event
21st September to 6th October 2023
Cabin number: 1007 - Forward ship, Deck -10 : Samsara Grand Suite
Total pax : 2810 , Crew : 1230 : Decks : 17

Cruise for 16 nights.
Ports of Call: Marseille , Barcelona ,Savona , Civitavecchia (Rome) , Palermo , La Goulette, At Sea , Cartagena , Cadiz , Casablanca, Casablanca , Tangiers, Malaga , At Sea, Barcelona , Marseille.

A lazy morning in Marseille started as our boarding time was set for !3h00, so a relaxed transfer to the new improved Marseille Province Cruise Terminal was hassle free. On arrival it was clear that this was special Costa Club Event and what would normally take us an hour plus was fast tracked and completed in under 30 minutes. Well done, now I expect that every time.
The Samsara Grand suite was spotless and perfect our butler Leo and suite steward Gideon were listed for our Suite. The suite steward was on time daily however it took 3 days before we got to meet the butler and he was very scarce thereafter. Not the standard we used to at all. Our minibar always stocked, and our suite spotless every day after breakfast. The whirlpool bath we never got to use this time round due to a very hectic schedule of events, functions and excursions. The Samsara suite was forward on the ship we had panoramic windows in which the private enclosed balcony and whirlpool bath where in. Alongside a separate long external balcony, the bathroom had whirlpool tub (pictures as attached) However after being in mini suites and suites on Costa Cruises new builds it could be time to update these premium cabin products on the older ships as some of the furniture was marked and scuffed.

Our first dinner in the Elite club restaurant as expected was first class in service and what was presented to us from the guest chefs was amazing. This was a level kept up through all meals we had in the restaurant, along with destination selections on the menu each day this made for a very special dining experience. Excellent service by our table waiter Basilo Jnr and his assistant Rosalie and the restaurant manager Leslie who was always at hand to assist.

The guest chefs aboard where Michelin star Helene Darroz and Group Head chef for Deserts and Pastries Ricardo Bellera. The gastronomical delights served up according to the destinations made the courses a delight each day. Then came the deserts, innovative, unique, tasty, and just amazing flavours.

When it comes to our excursions, Costa seem to have the same struggle within the Mediterranean routes where they are very seldom in English. Again, we had 5 excursions cancelled due to tour guides not speaking English or not enough English-speaking people booking the excursion. Good customer service does mean that you then send one of your Costa MY Tour desk staff to translate and not lose the revenue and goodwill of the passengers as happened before OR come up with a better solution for all guests. All other excursions where well organised and on time, the standout excursions on this trip where the day trip from La Goulette to Tunis, Carthage and Sidi Bou Said, great informative guide who went out of his way to ensure the group enjoyed every bit of the day. The Casablanca by night with dinner and show was a special event for the Club members which was very well put together and went off without an issue. A very good way to see Cadiz was a self-guide routing which the tourist board gave on disembarking well worth it and is comprehensive.

Once again, the productions on board the ship where first class especially on this Costa Club Event cruise. The build up to the birthday productions with “Duo Ice Air – Destiny, Flamenco production and Anthony Alveraz all set the tone for an awesome week over and above the normal cast shows. The Voice at Sea is a great production and always a crowd pleaser.
Then the two shows by the awesome talent that is Talia Alexis elevated the entertainment even more an amazing singer never to be missed if onboard when you cruise. Finally culminating in the one night only pure Gold of Tony Hadley (of Spandau Ballet fame) . The best 16 days on board of entertainment we have had in a very long time.

The Cruise director Sabrina was outstanding, holding the very busy events timetable on course. Another very welcome change was the constant attendance of the Captain Federico Sias at all the invited events (and there was a lot) as well as out and about on board.

In conclusion, a wonderful Costa Cruise Club event with exceptional service, new ports of call and a great new look entertainment program.
Highly recommend this itinerary and a experiencing a Costa Club Event cruise.
2023 rating – 4.5 stars

24/10/2023

Cruise number 62 review to follow soon

29/09/2023

Wonderful Costa Club Cruise on Costa Favolosa

23/09/2023

Its cruise number 62 . On a special Costa Cruise Club event for 16 days on Costa Favolosa.

02/07/2023

Cruise number 61

Costa Cruises – Costa Diadema
10th June to 17th June 2023

Cabin number: 11008 - Forward ship , Deck -11 : Samsara Grand Suite
Total pax : 3810 , Crew : 1230 : Decks : 20
Cruise for 7 nights.

Ports of Call : Marseille , Savona , Civitavecchia (Rome) , At Sea , Ibiza, Palma (Majorca) , Valencia , Marseille.

A lazy morning in Marseille started as the Costa Diadema only arrived at 13h00, so a relaxed transfer to the new improved Marseille Province Cruise Terminal was hassle free.
On arrival it was clear that no pre boarding status for frequent cruisers or suites existed as advertised. This was a free for all and very disjointed. However miraculously all 680 embarking passengers in Marseille made it on time.

The Samsara Grand suite was spotless and perfect our butler Rosh and suite steward Dan where always at hand and never missed a beat. Our minibar always stocked, and our suite spotless everyday after breakfast.
The whirlpool bath was set to our liking whenever we required and spotless within the hour of usage. Both highly recommended, being in the front of the ship we had panoramic windows in which the private enclosed balcony and whirlpool bath where in. Alongside a separate long external balcony, the bathroom had whirlpool tub (pictures as attached)
However after being in mini suites and suites on Costa Cruises new builds it could be time to update these premium cabin products on the older ships.

A lot of people always question the purchasing up from standard balcony to suite to grand suite, its not always about the massive extra sq meters you get and the awesome service you receive from Butlers and International onboard consultants. But take into consideration the unlimited spa accesses the extra gifts the special exclusive events you invited to and the forward discounting levels for future cruises it all makes for a very relaxed hassle-free cruise.
Not forgetting if you are a gold member with costa cruises your luggage (1 suitcase each) is flown out to the ship 7 days before and wating in your cabin for you.

Our first dinner in the Elite club restaurant as expected was first class in service and what was presented to us from the chefs This was a level kept up through all meals we had in the restaurant. Excellent service by our table waiter Stanley and his assistant Abijhit and the restaurant manager Vera who was always at hand to assist, a pleasant surprise was to see Christell from our previous cruise on Pacifica last June.

With regards to the excursions, Costa seem to have the same struggle within the Mediterranean routes where they are very seldom in English. Again, we had an excursion cancelled due to a Spanish tour guide not speaking English.
Good customer service does mean that you then send one of your Costa tour desk staff to translate and not lose the revenue and goodwill of 42 passengers as happened before.
All other excursions where well organised and on time, the stand out excursions on this trip where the day trip from Civitavecchia to Civita di Bagnoregio the village that is fading away and Exploring Ibiza by Jeep awesome driver Gregorio from Oscar Jeep a great day off the beaten track on Ibiza.

Once again, the productions on board the ship where first class and stand out above those on Both Costa Toscana and Costa Smeralda. The traditional staging of productions and themed correctly are always full house and enjoyed especially the production called “Kings and Queens“ and “Feel the Beat”, The Voice at Sea is a great production and always a crowd pleaser . Sadly the cruise director on board never met the standard we used to on ships like Firenze , Deliziosa and Pacifica.

In conclusion, a wonderful cruise with exceptional service and always good to see a ship near capacity and operating well. Just wish Costa would be more exciting with there ports of call and not so repetitive. See you at sea.

Highly recommend this itinerary.
2023 rating – 4 stars

22/04/2023

The New Improved Costa Pacifica

Cruise number 60
Costa Cruises – Costa Pacifica
19th Feb to 5th March 2023
Cabin number: 7318 - Mid ship , Deck -7 : Suite
Total pax : 3805 , Crew : 800 : Decks : 12
Cruise for 14 nights.

Ports of Call : La Romana / at sea / Montego Bay / Ocho Rios / Amber cove / Samana / Catalina island / La Romana / at sea / Port Castries / Barbados / Guadeloupe / Antigua / Tortola / La Romana.

We set out for the long 1hr 45min private transfer from Santo Domingo Sheraton to La Romana Cruise Terminal. On arrival we where able to drop bags and relax in the new terminal surrounds. However after being messaged to be there for midday we eventually got to proceed through a very antiquated system of check in ,3 hours later. Once on board 3 of our 4 bags arrived in the suite within the hour the other lost for 7 hours.

It was very clear on day one the remarkable change that had occurred since our disastrous cruise on Pacifica last year summer (written about on the Cruise Journal, https://www.cruisingjournal.com/en/cruise-topics/cruise-experiences/costa-pacifica-the-summer-sizzle-cruising-the-islands ) The entire vibe and feel of the crew was upbeat and positive. We would soon over he next 14 days enjoy a revitalised entertainment crew and one of the best Cruise directors at sea.

The suite we had was perfect our butler Roshan and suite steward Jeffery where always at hand and never missed a beat. Our minibar always stocked, and our suite spotless everyday after breakfast. Can only but highly recommend both.

Our first dinner in the Elite restaurant as expected was first class in service and what was presented to us from the chefs in the kitchen in the restaurant. This was a level kept up every single breakfast and dinner by our table waiter Arun and his assistants Raymart and Anna. Specialist dinning in both the Teppanyaki and Sushino (sushi bistro) can only be highly recommended both in service and quality of food. Not to forget the wonderful entertainment and waiters in the Gran Bar Rhapsody mainly Moe who kept the Banana Coladas flowing.

With regards to the excursions, it was wonderful to have them all in English unlike the struggle within the Mediterranean routes where they are very seldom in English all excursions where well organised and on time stand out excursions where the Rain forest by Cable car in St Lucia and the Abyss Adventure on board the Atlantis Submarine in Bridgetown, Barbados along with a awesome day spent on Costa Cruises Catalina Island . However, for very immersive experience on an excursion I highly recommend whilst in Montego Bay a visit to Rose Hall Great House

Once again, the productions on board the ship where first class and stand out above those on Both Costa Toscana and Costa Smeralda. The traditional staging of productions and themed correctly are always full house and enjoyed especially the production called “Music” and “Carnevale”, The Voice at Sea is a great production and on 14 day cruise you get to enjoy many and very talented passengers who enter.

In conclusion the vast improvement created by a new Cruise Director made for a well thought program of events and structured to the part of the world we were in. But mostly the overall vibe of the ship was excellent.

Highly recommend this itinerary.
2023 rating – 4 stars

Craig Stembridge F.Inst.TT

22/04/2023

60th Cruise completed

04/11/2022

The New Prima Donna of the Waves.
Cruise number 59

Norwegian Cruise Line – NCL Prima
23rd Sept to 5th Oct 2022

Cabin number: 14744 - Mid ship , Deck -14 : Club Balcony Cabin
Total pax : 3215 , Crew : 1400 : Decks : 22
Cruise for 12 nights.

Ports of Call listed : Southampton / at sea / Lerwick (Scotland) / at sea / Reykjavik / Reykjavik / 4 nights at sea / Halifax (CN) / at sea / NYC
Actual Ports of Call : Southampton / 3 nights at sea / Reykjavik / Reykjavik / 4 nights at sea / Halifax (CN) / at sea / NYC

Early Autumn North Atlantic crossing is not for the faint hearted. Great that NCL did not insist on masks however a few kept them on. All pretesting to board made for a very swift seamless check in and boarding at the NCL terminal. The ship had only been operational for 4 weeks prior but did not expect so many issues, more about them later.

On arrival into the atrium, it is most definitely not the norm you would see looking up, as it is spacious and sliced out into three levels creating an open welcoming space with good quality furnishings and a real change from the NCL bank of elevators which dominate all other ships. Along with retail outlets on each floor you have guest services, excursion desks, IT helpdesk and many more in house service centres. Not to forget the large bars one on each level.

Our Club Balcony cabin was ready from 1pm and luggage all arrived by 4pm. Our cabin Steward Roman JR Abat was on hand to introduce himself and throughout our stay keeping our cabin in perfect order and delivering the wonderful treats we had in the cabin fresh and on time. His attention to detail along with charming personality made for wonderful hospitality. The cabins are a welcome change to the norm on NCL with much more sq metre than before and really well decorated interior. The shower must be one of the largest I have seen in any balcony class to date.

The dining options are immense, Hudson’s one of the main dining rooms you able to take in 270-degree views while dining located in the aft of the ship overlooking the stern. The other main dining room for a more upscale experience is The Commodore Room. Both venues have the same extensive fixed main dining menu that offers a good variety. The menu also features a build-your-own pasta option where guests can request a tailor-made dish by selecting their choice of pasta, sauce and toppings for more than 24 meal combinations. The menu also includes a “Specialties” section from which cruisers can select a dish from one of the ship’s specialty dining restaurants which is chargeable. Other restaurants to eat in without cover charges is the Local pub and Grill, Surfside Café and the Indulge food hall which has 11 different menus to choose from and the service is prompt and always ready to eat.

Wonderful staffing all around but stand out was Roselan ( Rosie) – assistant Maitre D and Priscilla – restaurant assistant both in Hudson’s and Indulge Food Hall.
The speciality restaurants again don’t hold many covers. But were always full. Plenty to choose from in 8 different styled restaurants.

Sadly during this inaugural transatlantic many shortages did crop up which one does not expect at all. On day2 no hash browns, Day 4 no more brown or wholewheat bread, Day 7 no more croissants or cottage cheese, Day 8 no more Hollandaise sauce. On a ship full of so-called chefs etc they cant make hash browns? No bakery is on board that is clear as nobody could bake bread or croissants. This leads me to think food portioning and control surpasses that of customer service.

The variety of bars around the ship are pleasant and intimate not large maximum seating of between 40 and 50, again making for standing around and not many seats especially when its 6c outside and raining. NCL is continuing its experiment on sustainable cocktails however bold and to be admired not many people enjoy them. The music in the bars is very mediocre for exception of Syd Normans if you can get in (always prebooked and full). The lower atrium has a corner for musicians to play, sadly this then resembles a more busker style of performance as they rock up plug in and play.

Sadly, the entertainment team did not meet up to expectations and standards expected especially as it was an Inaugural Atlantic crossing. The Cruise Director was lost in action and only appeared on a daily brief on the in house tv channel. A two thirds full cruise ship and a very lack lustre entertainment team is not good. Along with the theatre not being used to its capacity they could have had 24 performances over the 12 nights but only used it 12 times in total. Thus, in a 900-seat theatre it is clear then to all that not all your passengers will see all the shows on offer. The headliner show being Summer the Donna Summer Musical from Broadway. This was put on 3 times in 12 days. Along with a variety of very mediocre acts on the other nights. No real productions just groups singing and a pretty good Violinist from Hungary

The lounge acts in the “improv at sea “and Syd Normans could have been moved to the theatre with ease as they were a lot better than some of the main acts in theatre. Both these venues you had to book tickets for along with all the shows in theatre thus many people never got to see what was on offer. We for one tried every night to get tickets for improv at sea and Syd Norman’s but to no avail as each venue only holds 50 people again far too small.

Even as this was the Inaugural Atlantic Crossing nothing special in ports of arrival or from the cruise line or even onboard by the Cruise Director and team. This was the over whelming feeling from many I spoke to on excursions and on board. Bit of a damp squid.
The excursions where well-structured and presented. However, the chaos that reigned on our arrival in Iceland and to get everyone off and to the correct excursions was like a school playground with no one in charge and not one person from NCL guest services /excursions/ entertainment once you had managed to get off the ship. Unbelievable mess, however, this seem to have slightly improved a week later on arrival in Halifax.

Overall, an improved looking product with amazing interior décor and exterior design. However, the interior has been compromised by the vast exterior which does not make up for the lack of seating and productions/ entertainment to keep a full cruise liners guests occupied.

Ship rating 2022 – 4 Star
Craig Stembridge (F.Inst.TT)

22/09/2022

Looking forward to the Inaugural Atlantic crossing departing tomorrow from Southampton - Lerwick - Reykjavik - Halifax and New York. On Board this awesome brand new ship NCL Prima.

21/08/2022

Costa Pacifica July 2022 - review below

21/08/2022

Costa Pacifica - The SIZZLE of the Islands
Cruise number 58

Costa Cruises – Costa Pacifica
23rd July to 29th July 2022

Cabin number: 7260 - Mid ship , Deck -7 : Suite
Total pax : 3780 , Crew : 1100 : Decks : 17

Cruise for 7 nights.
Ports of Call : Bari / Catania / Valletta / at sea / Mykonos / Santorini / at sea / Bari

Mid-summer and at last no masks but pre testing to board all made for a very swift seamless check in and boarding at the Costa Terminal in Bari ( Italy) The ship had only been operational for 4 weeks prior due to the covid lockdown . So, I had expected a few issues, but none occurred.

Our suite was ready from 1pm and luggage all arrived by 2pm. Our butler Angelo on hand to introduce himself and throughout our stay keeping our drinks fridge full of what we wanted and the sparkling and still water always cold and always plentiful. His attention to detail along with charming personality made for wonderful hospitality.

Having our meals in the Elite restaurant was again a pleasure with amazing service levels by Matre D Gabriel and servers Dessie, Christell and our wonderful wine steward Reza whose knowledge of wines and pairing will take him a long way in the future. However, the menus could vary and be more destination specific as majority of the guests eating in the Elite restaurant would have had the same on the other ships in the fleet in the same restaurant. But still the standard of presentation and overall taste and flavours was superb.

Sadly, the entertainment team did not meet up to expectations and standards expected. A very full cruise ship and a very lack lustre entertainment team is not a good fit. The cruise director would give very long intros and explanations pre and post show in Italian, but the English translation would leave you still guessing as it was not more than one sentence. The standard of two of the productions on board in the theatre namely “Sport” and “Music” where well set and staged, the dancers totally outperformed the other shows which where more like tribute acts on Italy’s got talent but in some cases not got talent. The lounge acts of which there is many all around the ship where fantastic and in most cases given the chance to perform on or be staged in theatre would probably do a better show.

All excursions where well-handled and on time, with many being full days and plenty of options to choose from, however the pre boking of excursions in English seemed to be a problem in both Catania and Valletta as our excursions where cancelled and we were placed on an Italian only bus. This practice is outdated and should be looked at by Costa. Once we had discussed this with the tour desk and found this rather strange practice in 2022 especially with many people having the same issue, they decided to send one of the Tour staff with who was fluent in Italian and English. Solution is to just employ companies who speak both Italian and English.
With regards the highlights full day tour of Santorini, unless you travel out of school holidays and are prepared to stand in 40 C in up to 3 km lines just to get a cable car (which is made up of 6 gondolas with only 6 people in each, every 5 minutes total Greek Chaos) back to the dock to get the tender to your ship which is one of 5 on the day. Don’t bother don’t take the tour it’s a nightmare. There clearly should be a restriction on the number of ships allowed per day.

It was a wonderful very hot summer sizzle in the islands. The ship has a good few problems to sort out before it gets back to the standard expected pre covid.
Overall, an improving product after extended lockdown which will deliver with the right people in the right positions.
Ship rating 2022 – 3 + Star
Craig Stembridge

01/05/2022

Cruise number 57
Costa Cruises – Costa Firenze
11th March to 18th March 2022

Cabin number: 7235 - Mid ship , Deck -7 : Suite
Total pax : 4500 , Crew : 1278 : Decks : 18
Cruise for 7 nights.
Proposed route booked . Dubai / Dubai / Abu Dhabi / Doha / At Sea / Muscat / Dubai
Actual route taken due to covid restrictions in Qatar. Dubai / Dubai / Abu Dhabi / At sea / Muscat / Dubai / Dubai.

With covid regulations relaxed in Dubai it made for easy transition with no testing required on board during the cruise. This being our second cruise on Costa Firenze in under 6 months I was very pleased to see the amazing improvements made.

This biggest changes to enhance a growing market in the middle east was to place a very experienced cruise director in Luigi Cougei onto Firenze along with major overall in entertainment team and productions.
With specific Arabian night themes and wonderfully structured shows made for a 100% improvement on what we had seen 6 months earlier in Europe. New addition was The Voice of the Sea and variety of artists bought on the ship throughout in its various lounges and bars.

Having our meals in the Elite restaurant was again a pleasure with amazing service levels by Matre D Sapna , Albin, Kurt , Samanta and Arnold. A wonderful evening in the Teppanyaki speciality restaurant entertaining in its own unique way. (see pics)

All excursions where well handled and on time, with many being full days and plenty of options to choose from . Highlighted was many royal palaces, souks and mosques. But outstanding is the Dubai by night on our return with an overnight before we disembarked.
Disembarkation was seamless and at our leisure

It was a wonderful trip seeing the cruise ship operate in a totally different market outside of Europe and I am sure this will grow from strength to strength.
Overall a very much improved product which delivers with the right people.

24/02/2022

Cruise number 56
Hurtigruten – MS Maude
26th January to 9th February 2022
Cabin number: 646 - Mid ship , Deck -6 : Artic Superior Outside Cabin
Total pax : 150 , Crew : 120 : Decks : 9

Cruise for 14 nights .
Proposed route booked .
Dover – at Sea - Stavanger – Alesund - Bronnoysund –Reine – Tromso – Honningsvag (North Cape)–Finnsnes – At Sea – Kristiansund – Bergen – at Sea - Dover .

Actual route taken due to major storms
Dover – at sea – at sea – Alesund – at sea – at sea – Tromso – Honningsvag (North Cape) – Finnsnes – Trondheim – at sea – Bergen – at sea – Dover.

Arrival at the Port of Dover was Covid controlled, Parked and directed to drop off luggage then moved to a Covid PCR testing suite and into a waiting lounge. Unlike other cruise lines you had to pay for your test which never sat well with the majority of passengers. The one and half hour wait for the result including a snack parcel helped bide the time. However, if you tested positive you never got to board and where shuttled out.

Our Artic Superior Outside Cabin, what can I say but, in need of refurb soon. It resembles a 1970s passenger train compartment however on the plus side plenty of cupboard space and a refitted new shower in a bathroom needing a update. A single window gave you a glimpse of the day light. Our wonderful cabin attendant Eric from Philippines could not do enough for us keeping the cabin spotless and to a very high standard. The corridors and passenger spaces where always clean, neat and tidy.

The main dining room, Aune was a welcome treat, revamped and our table staff, Reynan and Ann Theresa, both from the Philippines made every time we sat down a wonderful 1st class experience. The menus daily well-structured balanced and Highly commended.
We did miss a few lunches and instead ate at the Fredheim restaurant. With a variety on the menu included during meal times and the most amazing milk shakes and waffles. Our table was always handled by the very attentive Jaymilee from the Philippines. (even to go as far as to arrange cabin service for those dreadful storm days with 120mph winds 10m waves in the north sea )

The excursions under the Covid protocol even after testing every 2nd day where well managed and varied. Masks on indoors and off outdoors well it was at some points minus 20.

This leads me to the selling point of a Hurtigruten Expedition as it is known. This is generally not for the average cruise passenger. Be prepared in wardrobe, physically and mentally for the difference. The excursions are included in all stops if you on the set route out or having to alter as in our case every other day due to weather. If your bucket list includes like mine did visiting North Cape, ( very few cruises do it) seeing the Northern lights and experiencing once in a life time events then do it but always keep in mind it’s a expedition.

Now for the on board entertainment or total lack of it, not even a lounge musician for the piano that is placed in a very attractive venue with a bar. There is a lot to keep you occupied including listening to traditional stories and lectures from the well-educated and competent expedition team. The science centre is great for those odd lectures that peak your interest. The on top deck explanations of fjords, wildlife and of course the northern lights are perfect and well timed.
Including the crossing of the arctic circle and anointment ceremony of all on-board. There is definitely room for improvement on the evening schedule post dinner.

With this style of expedition cruising be prepared for the unexpected as I explained cruising the North Sea and Norwegian Sea in mid-winter is not for the faint hearted and the odd day or two or three will be spent in your cabin (A cork in a washing machine springs to mind) But to reach the fjords and experience the Northern lights on 4 different evenings well up in the arctic circle is an emotional and very real experience. To visit areas that not many get to even in this day and age.

A lot of the variety of excursions and day to day events are highlighted in the video produced on board for us and loaded on below this review.

https://www.facebook.com/msmaudship/videos/538399014561518

The Captain and crew will always put safety first hence all the alterations to the route taken and due to keeping a covid free cruise those contracting the virus where disembarked along the way. Along with sadly a passenger passing away a lot fewer passengers returned to Dover

Overall a very good product, which delivers the expedition experience totally.
2022 star rating – 4

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