VOYAGE TO ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS
VOYAGE TO ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS |
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Reviewed By: GRANT, LENZIE on 15th Oct 2009
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| Cruise Line: Spirit of Adventure |
Times cruised before: 6-10 |
| Cruise Ship: Spirit of Adventure |
Sailed:
September,
2008 |
| Destination:
Mediterranean
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Age: 56-65 |
| Cabin: Outside |
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Our package included flights from Glasgow to Gatwick to Venice (British Airways) for a pre-cruise stay. Transfers from the hotel to the ship and check-in were both very efficient. The cabin was a good size with plenty of natural light. The en-suite was very spacious with a good selection of quality toiletries. The cooked breakfast, choice and quality, was excellent - the food was apparently cooked to order and service was very good. The main restaurant was never busy when we went for breakfast Very good continental breakfast ... plenty of fresh fruit which my wife liked. Lunch in the buffet was a bit hectic and often we found it difficult to get two seats together. Lunch in the main dining room was much more relaxed ... my preferred choice. Very good choice for lunch and dinner menu and quality of food was truly excellent. Dinner, from 6.30 p.m. onwards, was open dining. My wife likes to eat early and often we were the first dinners and were usually asked if we would like a table for two. Service was first class. Hygiene was excellent with automatic anti-bacterial gel dispensers outside dining areas. Rarely saw cabin steward but his attention to detail could not be faulted. There were a number of on-board lecturers who gave a variety of lectures on the places to be visited. Evening entertainment varied but included a comedian / magician and an excellent young singer. On Spirit of Adventure excursions at each port are included in the cruise price. Optional (payable) excursions were also available and we did this once as we wanted to see both the ancient sites available from the port. There was no charge for as many bottles of water as you wished to take ashore for the excursion ... no risk of becoming dehydrated as we walked round Delphi, Olympus, etc. Automatic anti-bacterial gel dispensers were also located at the end of the gangway. Hot towels were provided as you boarded the ship after an excursion. From the security point of view the gangway was manned by ex-Gurkhas. Staff were very friendly and the Cruise Director, Neil Horrocks, was, in our opinion, the best we have had. There was plenty to do on the ship but we only had two days at sea and one of these was sailing through the Corinth Canal. Went to the gym a few times to try and lose the pounds I was gaining. Also went to a couple of classes to try and learn some Greek. Very well stocked library. Open air cinema at night. Disembarking at Istanbul a stop was made at a restaurant for lunch (included) before arriving at the airport for the flight (charter) back to Gatwick. Leg room on the charter flight was very poor .... unfortunately I did not get an inflight questionnnaire to complete. The big question is ... we would sail on Spirit of Adventure again? Most certainly YES. WE would have to make our minds up quickly to secure the best discounts. Spirit of Adventure is a direct sell and they discount a certian number of cabins by e.g 30% then, as cabins are sold, drop the discount by 5%, then a further 5%, and so on. Spirit of Adventure does not return to the same home port each fortnight but more or less has a progressive cruise e.g. we embarked in Venice and disembarked in Istanbul from where it was then going to tour the Black Sea. We know which area we want to sail with Spirit of Adventure next and are hoping that 2011 may be the year they visit that part of the world again..
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| Quality of Food |  |
| Main dining room for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I had a lot of sea bass. Cheeseboard ... I do not like cheese. | | Entertainment |  |
| Unfortunately I cannot rember the name of the young woman singer who gave two performances ... she was excellent. Unfortunately the 'theatre' on Spirit of Adventure is level and you cannot always get a good view e.g. of the magician. | | Shore Excursions | |
| They were all excellent ... Delphi, Olympus, etc. The poorest was Troy but no fault of Spirit of Adventure. The heavens opened and probably half the passengers returned to the coach to wait for the likes of me who ventures forth, camcorder tucked under the poncho, to record the site as best I could for my wife. | | Staff | |
| Neil Horrocks, Cruise Director ... great personality and wit. | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| No one under 21 allowed on the ship. | | Onboard Activities | |
| Great library, quizes, Greek lessons, art class, lectures, gym, outdoor and indoor pools (quite small but it is a small ship), daily crossword and soduko, open deck cinema at night | | Cabins | |
| Yes, in fact better than expectations. | | Overall Rating | |
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