Cruises, Cruise Deals & Cruise Holidays

We took threearranged tours and cancelled one. Recommend doing your own thing when the liner docks in an attractive port unless there is somrthing some distance from the port that you fancy.Suitcases are not taken away for storage but should fit under the bed(s) or in the cloths closet. Yes I am referring to Suites when I say 'Spacious'. We are used to space and would find the Ocean View cabins a bit cramped. Mind you must suit most people as there are far more Ocean Views than Suites and our cruise was 99% full.The cheapest bottle of wine was $25 ( plus 18% service!) and was quite drinkable. It was what was served as house wine by the glass at $8-9 for a smallish glass. Much better to buy by the bottle which they will store centrally for you if not finished and make available in any restaurant. No idea about an average price -prices ranged up to well over $100 (plus18%!). We prefer to have expensive wines at home! Have a good cruise, I'm sure you will enjoy it.

Breakfasts in the Restaurant and in the Cafe were 5* Lunch in the Restaurant (only on days at sea) maybe 3* - not much choice but OK if you like a gigantic cheese burger which even very few of the Americans finished. Lunch in the Cafe 4* .Carvary was maybe 5*, the cold buffet viruallly the same each day 3 - 4* and the cheese board 1 - 2*. Dinners in the specialty restaurants 5* but dinner in the main restaurant often disappointing mainly because courses were too fancy and often too large . To be fair we are choosy and have small appetites - 2-3 courses out of 6 (Including coffee) exclucing coffee were more than enough for us. Freshly squeezed orange juice was superb as was overall service. Hope this helps and does not put you off. We are cruising on the 'Quest' in October because the itinerary takes in places to which we have not been before despite 5 Med cruises. Given the 'right ' itinerary we prefer the smaller 6* Regent or Silversea liners but they are more expensive.

The restaurants (even the specialtyones) are not silver service even on Siver Sea and Regent but at least with the latter two you could ask for a small portion and usually that's what you got With Azamara if we took two courses before the main course we rarely ate more than half the main course. The Cafe was buffet which was where we had almost all breakfasts and lunches and there you were given what you asked for - frequently by saying 'stop'! In our experience silver service is now rare (except perhaps at formal dinners) even in top restaurants where vegetables frequently come in seperate plates or bowls - especially when you are on a la carte with each veg portion charged 'accordingly'! Hope this helps and good luck in your search

Thanks for your help Mr Lyburn. We have been used to silver service on Ocean Majesty, and have obviously been spoiled! I didn't realise it had died out on other ships. I expect plated meals save on time and staff, so it is inevitable once one does it the rest follow. Judith