Having travelled on Norwegian, RCL and Holland America in the past 4 years, we did a trip within a trip and went on the Melbourne Cup cruise - a 6 day cruise from Sydney to Melbourne, 3 days in port there, and back.

Having read some horrible reviews, I have to tell you first off that our toilets did not clog, the AC/heat (we needed both) worked, and basic needs were met. The restaurants were fine, not as many lux ingredients, ie no smoked salmon, but good on the whole. We ate at both Angelos and Dragon Lady as well as Waterfront and the Pantry.

The oceanview cabin had a comfortable bed but a very distressing bathtub, the highest I have encountered in a long time, making getting in and out of the shower dangerous and difficult, especially with a little ocean movement. Who needs it? Read more