Blissful week

 
Reviewed By: Emery, great yarmouth on 1st Jul 2009
Cruise Line: Island Cruises Times cruised before: 0
Cruise Ship: Island Escape Sailed: June, 2009
Destination: Mediterranean Age: 56-65
Cabin: Outside
We have just returned from a weeks cruise and have nothing but praise for this ship its crew and facilities.Having read bad reviews we were very apprehensive but we have the most wonderful holiday on this ship.All staff aboard were lovely.........friendly, helpful and always cheerful.The food was fabulous and there was so much choice it was a delight.Food was served 24/7 so there was always plenty of variety.The afternoon cakes were absolute bliss.We went on three excursions and did 2 ports of call on our own.The excursions were well organised and reasonably priced but the days out on our own were just as good so its really up to the individual as to how you spend your time and money.We had the all-inclusive drinks package but unless you are huge drinks I would`nt bother as the drinks are very reasonable( £2.80/£2.90 for a pint......£2.80 for the cocktail of the day) £3.50 for most other cocktails.I went to the spa once and it was wonderful but a little pricey but i knew the price before i went and again its personal choice. No-one pressures you into spending any more than you want to.If you go on this cruise you won`t be disappointed....make sure you go to the look-out bar on deck 12.....the barman Kumar was the best I`ve ever seen.
Our cabin was small but kept spotlessly clean by the steward twice a day..that included clean towels(every day the towels were in the shape of a different animal........look out for monkey day as it is left hanging from the ceiling)
We were midships on deck 5 which was very quiet even though we were near the reception desk.
Ignore the professional moaners on the reviews.........we had them onboard on our trip,there is nothing to fear on this cruise except not wanting to come home!!!!!!!!!!!
Quality of Food5
Entertainment4
Shore Excursions5
Staff5
Children's Facilities4
Onboard Activities5
Cabins4
Overall Rating5
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Question by Purdie, Motherwell (20 Jul 09 19:09) about this REVIEW
Hi there - you mention that you did some excursions alone and others as part of the tour group. Can you give a bit more info on those? Which ones you found easy to do on your own and the value for money on the organised trips? Do you feel like you have enough time in each port? We go on Island Escape in August and as first time cruisers, i am very anxious about how easy it is to make the most of visiting different places!
Answer by emery, great yarmouth (20 Jul 09 23:28) to a QUESTION by Purdie (20 Jul 09 19:09)
we did a coach tour of sardinia.that was nice and took you to places you wouldnt have gone on your own......an organised trip to pompeii and vesuvious well worth the money.we went to rome and paid£38 each for the coach there and back but did the sights on our own but i would say do that on the train by yourselves.the train station is near where you dock and the fare to rome is only 10 euros...once you get to rome you can find hop-on/hop/off buses which take you to near the main sights for 16 euros but be warned when you get to one sight the others are quite close by so you maybe not even need the bus unless you want to do the tour round then decide where you want to see, in corsica and menorca we just got off the boat and walked into the towns ourselves browsed the shops and had lunch etc there was plenty to see and do for no money! the only other thing i would say that if you want to go to the vatican in rome.....do an organised trip because the queues to get in are horrendous maybe 2 hours queuing and on the organised they get you in quicker......we didnt have time but did see the trevi fountain and the spanish steps and walked the via del condotti(the designer street) which was lovely.we decided you need about 4/5 days to do rome justice so will go back later this year for a long weekend.there is a free trip in palma on the last day but this entails sitting through a leacture on beds at a factory..which lasts about 2 hours!!!!!!!!!! not for the faint hearted! hope this help but please ask me again on anything you`re not sure about...........oh yes and have a wonderful time..i`m so jealous i wish i could do it all again xx
Opinion: Disagree Comment by Dansey, Rochford (01 Jul 09 21:31) about this REVIEW
To be honest, when you are able to compare Island to full scale cruising, there is no comparison. It depends what you're going for. If you are going for a standard holiday and normally do a resort holiday, it's going to be fine. However, the "professional moaners" do have a point. Comparing this to the likes of Cunard, Princess and Celebrity is like comparing a Travelodge to a Hyatt. It's clean and serves the purpose, but it's not the full cruising experience. Those people who normally cruise with Princess, P&O etc should know that this experience will not be the same... look at the brochures for a start!
Comment by McClymont, Long Eaton (05 Jul 09 21:12) about a COMMENT by Dansey (01 Jul 09 21:31)
Sory to disagree, I saild on the old Arcadia, the entetainment was hit and miss in comparison with other cruise lines. A tribute to Queen was scheduled for 01:00 when we were docking the following day with trips scheduled to depart at 08:00 The staff were sullen in comparison with other lines that we have cruised with. My wife and I have crui se with Thomson twice and can find no fault with them. We have also cruised with Celebrity, Fred Olsen, Royal Caribbean
Comment by mcguire, dunfermline fife (02 Jul 09 11:26) about a COMMENT by Dansey (01 Jul 09 21:31)
hiya you must cruise top notch cruisers some times these cruisers do island as well you see you sometimes get better service on island cruises you just have to read this site .so im afraid all classy cruises have problems and complaints as well
Comment by Emery, great yarmouth (01 Jul 09 22:54) about a COMMENT by Dansey (01 Jul 09 21:31)
we certainly didnt expect this to be a 5* cruise you get what you pay for..............and we got total value for money.yes the ship is old yes it could do with a lick of paint but with what they had the crew certainly kept everywhere spotless. we were`nt expecting 5* food and we were very happy with what was on offer there was plenty of choice and i never ever once got cold food unless i went to the cold buffet. for a budget cruise this was spot on.we are going on the oasis of the seas in january and yes we will expect perfection...thats what we`re paying all that money for. The drinks were very reasonable in price and we were quite happy with the all-inclusive selection.however if we did want something else we paid the price ...........again we all have the choice.
Comment by Lipscombe, Faversham (01 Jul 09 22:02) about a COMMENT by Dansey (01 Jul 09 21:31)
This is utter cojones (that's Spanish for round spherical things). Why denigrate someone's honest revue with your prejudices. I notice you don't mention the rip off drinks prices on the lines you mention nor their "nickel amd diming", as the Americans would say. The reviewer enjoyed their cruise and that's all we need to know. Your comments add nothing.
Comment by Dansey, Rochford (02 Jul 09 21:57) about a COMMENT by Lipscombe (01 Jul 09 22:02)
Actually, I think I was adding some substance to the concept of a "Professional Moaner". Like I said, it depends on the reason you're going. I merely stated that someone whoe has cruised with other, premium lines will notice the differences BUT they should have known the difference by looking at the brochures! Next time I'll keep my words simple.
Comment by Emery, great yarmouth (01 Jul 09 23:01) about a COMMENT by Lipscombe (01 Jul 09 22:02)
i would hardly call the drinks prices a rip off.........you can`t expect top brands for pennies
Question by Shaw, Spennymoor (01 Jul 09 21:26) about this REVIEW
Could you please tell me about eating arrangements on island escapes as we are doing 14 day med cruise in august. Do you have to pay extra for the restaurant with waiter service and which other restaurants do you recommend.

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