Although I was a little wary of the size of the ship as I prefer smaller vessels, in fact I found the newly refurbished accommodation and facilities very stylish and spacious.
All the staff were very polite, helpful and friendly at all times.
However for the first two days then food in the restaurant was disappointing, and there was a distinct lack of
professional expertise on the part of the chef/s.
For instance – pavlova was barely edible and bore a very vague resemblance to the classic dish, and even worse “tarte tatin, another French classic, was a flat circle of hard pastry with a bit of unflavoured stewed apple on top.
Luckily the standard of cooking improved and was quite good by the end of the cruise.
The shore excursions were fine, but because the departures were not “staggered as in most cruises I have been on, the lifts were overcrowded, and passengers were being taken up and down several times in the effort to arrive at the desired disembarkation point.
It became something of a joke by the end of the cruise.
However, it was no joke when one of my friends, who had mobility issues and used a walking frame, was unable to access a lift for about 30 minutes, resulting in our almost missing an excursion as the coach was about to drive off without us.
I enjoyed the cruise very much, but I feel that the matters to which I refer could be put right with a little thought and training.