My husband and I wanted to try another ship from Fremantle rather than fly over east or to Singapore for a short cruise, as we sail about 6 times a year. This was a one night in port celebration when we booked, but later converted to part of the Perth Fringe festival.

We went on the Astor in 2018 for 1 night (which we hated!) but thought the Vasco da Gama might be a better option as it was ex P&O and larger than Astor. We have been on more than 50 cruises, mostly with Royal Caribbean, and knew it would not be of the same standard, given the age and size of the ship, but the online pics looked good.

Embarkation was excellent - 10 mins from entering the building to boarding the ship. Many crew welcomed us on-board and the cabin was ready which was great as it meant we could off-load our bags immediately. Read more