Picked this cruise as we had not been on a Northern Europe cruise before. It was my 19th cruise in 10 years (7th with MSC) All cruise lines have their positives and negatives. I like MSC because their ships are lovely and they provide good value for money. The food was good in the main dining room with plenty of choice.. We had tenderloin, rib-eye, salmon, fillet, lobster, lamb, veal to name but a few dishes. If you disliked anything it was quickly changed for an alternative. The speciality coffee, ice cream and freshly made pizza were all delicious. The buffet had plenty of choice but we mostly ate lunch and dinner in the dining room. The staff were mostly efficient and polite with one or two grumpy exceptions but that wasn't going to spoil my holiday.

It is so nice to travel with a mixture of people from Europe, on a recent P&O cruise is was entirely British with all British food similar to what you would eat at home (pie's, Sunday roast, mash etc etc) so just did not feel as if you were on holiday. P&O compare price wise with MSC (at the lower end of the cruise market) and MSC (in my opinion) offer a better all round package and holiday feel.

The embarkation and disembarkation was carried out quickly and efficiently as were the port tours. The ship was spotless and although we didn't bother with the shows we found plenty of bars and late night entertainment to keep us occupied. The basic drinks package is exceptionally good value for money but there is an upgraded package if required, As a cruise package they are excellent value. Our next cruise is with Holland America but the price is double so when doing a review the cost must be taken into consideration which I am not convinced some of the reviews reflect,