Wednesday 20th August 2008
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Informal Cruising |
| Reviewed By: Gatiens, Dunfermline on 5th Jul 2008 |
| Cruise Line: Island Cruises |
Times cruised before: 3-5 |
| Cruise Ship: The Island Escape |
Sailed:
June,
2008 |
| Destination: Mediterranean |
Age: 56-65 |
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Our Australian friends were joining us for our Med holiday. They had never cruised before and were definitely not into dressing up, so we chose the island-cruises-summer-holidays/'>Island Escape for its laid-back experience. We have always cruised with more formal cruise lines and unfortunately, we read a really bad review just days before we left so we were prepared for the worst and ready to make the most of a bad job. We needn't have worried! Although the ship is getting a bit tired in places, it was clean and comfortable. Our outside cabin was midships on Emerald deck and was no smaller than some in 5* ships. The twin beds were a bit narrow, but our lovely cabin steward Nilish made them up as a double for us when we asked. The food was excellent with a great choice of at least three types of meat and fish every day. Pasta, omelettes, etc were freshly made to order and personal choice. The staff were absolutely brillliant from the cabin steward and waiters to the management staff who were very helpful. Shop staff were good too - I even had a bracelet fixed free of charge which I had bought on another cruise line! We were on an all-inclusive package so had a very small drinks bill, but the normal average for branded spirits was about 3 euros. The entertainment was excellent considering the resident players were amateurs and had other ship duties to perform during the day. The guest stars were also very good, particularly Eve Sherrup, a singer from the UK. Embarkation and disembarkation went smoothly at Palma and the flights and transfers were also problem-free. We went on a few excursions and were most impressed with our day to Monaco and Monte Carlo. We were taken to all the right places with the right amount of time in each, but it was a bit heavy on the feet on a hot day! We were not so impressed with our day to Rome. We chose the Monumental Rome excursion and this did not include stops at the Colosseum or the Forum. Fortunately, the bus passed by them so our friends could at least snap them through the coach window! The guide knew his stuff, but it became very boring after a while and we only ended up with 10 minutes of free time at the end of the tour. La Spezia was a lovely wee place and a promenade train took us in to the town centre for 5 euros. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our Island Escape experience and would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone who is looking for a fun and relaxing, laid-back cruise.
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| Quality of Food |  |
| We ate in the main restaurant for every meal as the food was so good and our waiters were excellent. Although this was buffet style, it was never too busy and the food was always hot and fresh. We mostly ate the roast meats and fish dishes and only one of our party ate pasta. | | Entertainment |  |
| The most enjoyable show was Eve Sherrup. The least enjoyable was the comedian, Tank Sherman. The audience participation shows hosted by Mick Dundee were also great fun and much enjoyed. | | Shore Excursions | |
| The best shore excursion was Monaco/Monte Carlo. Our least favourite was Rome, but only because we had expected to visit the Colosseum and the Forum. | | Staff | |
| Nilish, our cabin steward was very professional, helpful and friendly and was very prompt in responding to our requests.
Melvin and Athena, our waiters, were also first class in their service to us. | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| | Onboard Activities |  |
| | Cabins | |
| The size of cabin was OK but we felt the beds were a bit narrow. The facilities were also OK but showing signs of age. We were disappointed that we had to pay for our safe as this was already installed in the cabin. | | Overall Rating | |
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