Our holiday began well, with a rep from Voyages of Discovery meeting us at Heathrow to assist with checking in. It was the speediest check in ever, and stress free. We had an excellent flight to Athens, and once again we were met at the airport to be transferred to the ship. All went smoothly, and our luggage arrived in our room. Unfortunately some passengers didn't receive their luggage due to a problem at Heathrow. The Captain helped considerably by delaying the departure of the ship in order for luggage to be delivered. In fact, throughout the journey the staff went out of their way to make the cruise enjoyable, and on one occasion when it was impossible to dock because of choppy seas, the Captain rearranged our position and took the ship to the other side of the island which we were visiting, so that guests could disembark.

Yes, the ship is quite old, but has recently undergone a refit, and looked much smarter than on our previous trip a couple of years ago. Different types of cruise ships appeal to different people, and this is not a ship for those who are looking for constant entertainment in a theatre type environment. There is entertainment, but being a smaller ship it does not have the vast choices of the larger ships, although the small group of singers and dancers were very professional and talented. The lectures are excellent and there were three lecturers on our cruise, covering a wide variety of subjects.

However, for us it is the experience of being on a smaller ship of only around five hundred people that appeals. It is a very friendly ship, people get to know each other easily, and often find others with similar interests. The staff are exceptional, hardworking, and can't do enough to please the cruisers. Read more