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Mixed start to first cruise but perfect finish
 
Reviewed By: Routley, Sleaford on 23rd Aug 2009
Cruise Line: Cruise & Maritime Voyages Times cruised before: 0
Cruise Ship: Marco Polo Sailed: April, 2009
Destination: Norwegian Fjords Age: 46-55
Cabin: Outside
We had discussed cruising many times but wasn't sure if we would like it. This 6 night "Springtime Fjordland" cruise seemed ideal for our purpose. Short enough to be tolerable if cruising wasn't our thing, a mixture of cruising in the open sea but also in smooth Fjords if we had no sea legs and finally UK - UK so no flying.

The check in at Tilbury worked fine. The staff were polite and efficient. Our car park pass was waiting with the attendant and a coach brought us to the terminal. The embarkation began at 1230 promptly. We were shown to cabin 625 which was an upgrade on the cabin that we had paid for. Our first suitcase arrived within the hour. The self service restaurant served an excellent light lunch which was well received by the passengers. Unlimited free tea and coffee was available by the pool. Our second suitcase hadn't arrived by lifeboat practice at 1645 but we were assured by reception that it wouldn't be lost. Sure enough it showed up after the emergency practice.

We were allocated the second sitting at 2015. Obviously something had gone seriously wrong. We were not seated until 2100 and then it was a free seating just to get the passengers fed. The decision to serve a complimentary champagne eased the pain of what followed. This was the first sailing of the summer season with new serving staff. Coupled with the fact that many passengers decided to ignore their sitting allocation and just show up, inevitably service was far from perfect. When the food finally and painfully arrived it was excellent.

We took cocktails later that evening in Scotts Bar. The prices (in sterling) were very reasonable.

The ship was originally Soviet, but has German owners. As such it has been refitted to a very high (German) finish with quality fittings.

The next day was at sea and we settled down to the cruising routine. The entertainment crew are British and extremely talented and hard working. If I have a criticism it would be that their approach sometimes borders on a holiday camp atmosphere rather than a cruise.

That evening was the Captain's reception. The navigation crew are mainly Russian which makes sense as the ship was originally Soviet. Following the Captain's address the service at dinner was poor. The food was only warm and many mistakes were made in not bringing the ordered dishes or bringing incorrect ones.

The next morning we woke up in our first fjord. Dead calm and spectacular. During this day I suspect that German troubleshooters had been flown in because from that evening the dinner service was near perfect. From that point the waiting staff and food was very good or perfect.

My wife tried the hairdresser and manicurist. She was very pleased with the result. The prices are a little high compared to the average high street salon but not outrageous. We used the laundry service and were satisfied with both the service and the price.

On the final morning back in Tilbury the disembarkation was handled very smoothly. Breakfast was available and we were in our car within two hours of docking.

Following a shaky start with the service in the restaurants we had an excellent cruise. The value for money was great. The ship is small enough to be personal. There is sufficient intimacy but at the same time it is never impersonal.

This was our first cruise ever and on the strength of this we hope to have many more.


Quality of Food4
We ate mainly in Waldorfs Restaurant but sometimes in the self service Marco Buffet
Entertainment4
Most enjoyable entertainment was an Irish trio called She Three.
Shore Excursions4
We tried no excusions as such but went ashore when possible. The least satisfactory was on the Sunday because Bergen was closed.
Staff5
Richard Sykes Cruise Director. Excellent and genuine all rounder.
Children's Facilitiesn/a
Onboard Activities3
Plenty of activities, although sometimes bodering on Hi de Hi.
Cabins5
We were given Cabin 625 which was excellent for the price paid.
Overall Rating4
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Question by Rutter, Gorleston (21 Jan 10 12:03) about this REVIEW
Hi......we are thinking about sailing on the Marco Polo to The Fjords and we were wondering how the ship handled during your time at sea.We sailed to Norway last year on the Thomson Spirit and had a bad crossing there and back although the rest of the cruise was excellent.
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Answer by Routley, Sleaford (21 Jan 10 21:24) to a QUESTION by Rutter (21 Jan 10 12:03)
The North Sea was incredibly calm on the way out and reasonable on the way back. The main reason that this was our first cruise was because we were always concerned about sickness. I can honestly say that it was easy to forget we were afloat. There was no discernible movement at all.
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Comment by Rutter, Gorleston (22 Jan 10 17:02) about an ANSWER by Routley (21 Jan 10 21:24)
Thank you very much for the quick reply.I cant wait to get aboard now i have read all the reviews about her.I am put off the large ships as i think they resemble blocks of flats at sea.I am sure they are beautiful inside and provide a fantastic cruise experiance but they are not for me....thanks again,Mark.
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