My husband and I weren't taking this trans-Atlantic cruise as a saved-up-for dream vacation or an anniversary trip or something. Not even as a bucket list trip, we were doing this because my husband was immigrating to the USA and we wanted to do it the "old fashioned" way. So, really, we were looking to spend the least amount of money possible and our expectations for the 2-week journey were really low. I mean we were only expecting to live comfortably (watch movies, read books, eat "freestyle"... The same stuff we do at home) as we made our way from Europe to North America. This was not the case, though.

Let's start with the most basic necessity: food. This ship seemed to be built with all of their chips in the dining experience, because 75% of the space outside of cabins is taken up by restaurants and bars, most of which you must pay extra to enjoy. So, we stuck with the free options. Before cruising, we had contacted the company and informed them that we are both vegetarians and one of us is allergic to dairy products and they assured us that everything would be fine. Well, cut to us in the buffet line, wading through lines and lines of meat. Every single kind of dead animal you can imagine was displayed in various shades of broiled, baked, and fried; but there were no meat substitutes at all. Not even a lowly slab of tofu. So, for 2 weeks, we ate mostly watermelon, boxes of cereal, bread, and cold, previously-fried broccoli. Everyone seemed fine with that, too. Since, you know, we wouldn't die from eating the above foods. The complementary dining experiences like Manhattan and Savor and Taste (all of these restaurants use the same kitchen, by the way, I hope you all realise this) had no options at all. There was only one vegetarian option and it was cheesy pasta. The "vegetarian" section in the buffet was actually just the "Indian" section and actually included beef curry. Bcause, you know, cows are vegetables. Seriously, if you are a vegetarian, do not subject yourself to this madness.

Then there's Dan Dan. He's the "cruise director." I'm not certain which authority that gives him. Is he a manager? Does he plan all the activities? All I know, is that this title gave him the permission he needed to wake us up constantly with his fun announcements about what's happening on board that hour and where you can spend your money next. It was unending interruption and meant that we were forced to (in a cruise in which the time changes almost daily) live by his schedule. Read more