However I did many cruises i was very nervous to join ms Europa as German is only my fourth language and it was a complete new challenge : going to a cruiseship mostly catering to the German speaking market. So after a punctual flight and a long taxi drive - the traffic was hectic- i did arrive at the terminal where my hand luggage was taken over; only my electronic ticket and my passport was necessary - no single request for a copy of a credit card. In the Lobby of the ship I immediately was offered a glass of champagne Duval leroy what appeared to be the house champagne. In my cabin - suite is better - a bottle of champagne strawberries , fruit two petit fours and a fully stocked mini bar with soft drinks and beer if you want it. The suite was very nice with ample space - a lot of lights and the first part is with a wooden floor. Beautifully appointed bathroom with separate shower and ample closet space. The people working on the ship are really wonderful and they all seem to be very happy to work on the Europa. The Europa is not an all in ship, the drinks in the mini bar in the suite are complimentary the wines and soda's are not. The service in the different bars was simply outstanding - the Piano bar became my favorite. Champagne however not free seemed to be the most popular drink on board. The first two days i did receive all the information in both English as in German but after the third i could manage to go for german in full; The first dinner was in the Italian Venezia restaurant what appeared to be open for lunch as well like the Oriental restaurant. Service was outstanding and the food simply delicious. It seemed the maitre d 'h started up the first Italian speciality restaurant on a cruise ship ever. The first breakfast was on a sea day and on the Europa on such a day a Gourmet Breakfast is served with complimentary champagne and delicacies as gooseliver, carpacccio of tuna steak tartare and more nice items.

The welcome aboard dinner was great , in the morning the chef already did present his dishes in detail and the sommelier did introduce the wine suggestions with a tasting.The party was a superb experience with a lot of very special hors d 'oeuvres and canapes. Such an experience was like cruising in the "good old days". During the cruise Iranian oscietra caviar was on the menu - such a caviar is not for free but available at a reasonable cost. The wine list is extremely well balanced with a great selection of champagnes and the very good German wines were presented as well; a nice item for singles is that 30 wines are presented by the carafe and some other wines by the glass as well. 3 champagnes were available by the glass, Duval Leroy, Veuve Clicquot and Taittinger rose. One lunch was bavarian with beer and schnapps; In the afternoon there were waffles , tea time was memorable. In Casablanca a great Moroccan night was organized on open deck, it appeared the product manager of the Europa herself did the entire organization of that evening. Other culinary events were a special dinner done by a michelin starred chef Petz from the palais Coburg in Vienna and a presentation of high quality Austrian wines.

Overall friendliness of everybody, a captain who did like the social aspect of his function and simply perfection make a cruise on the Europa a very special holiday on a beautiful ship. The last days no single striving to obtain gratuities could be found. Some cruises are announced as bilingual - everybody does speak English on board. There is no casino on board , some people must think about it and the formal nights are formal indeed with crew wearing tails.