The room was excellent. it took us over a week to properly book a table for when we wanted to eat at night.There were two people at the point of booking,one the man was very good and tried to help when he could.The other a female was one of the most horrid people I have ever met on a cruise liner.Basically the ship was too big. To say I wont be going back is an understatement.
There were problems with food supply - firstly, between 14:00 and the dining second sitting (20:00), no food was available, except Room Service. Secondly, the dinner portions were small, and vegetables had to be requested! The Deputy Food & Beverage Manager admitted that a policy-decision had been taken to reduce the portions. One night, our table of four had to wait 1 hour 20 minutes between the first and main courses - apparently a problem with some raw chicken having been served at an adjacent table and having to be re-cooked. None of the four of us had ordered chicken! When my strips of sirloin beef were eventually served, they were so small I had to ask for more. So much for the USA having a reputation for excessive portions! The free drinks on board were great. I have to say that the part of the Mississippi on which we cruised (Memphis to New Orleans) was very flat and not very attractive visually. The free "hop-on, hop-off" coach excursions in each port of call were a very good idea, but some of the ports of call were disappointing.
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Wonderful time. Excellent food, staff and entertainment. Cabins a little dated and aircon not always working but overall very happy and going on another Ambasader cruise this August. Very sad that this will be the last multi-generation cruise as Ambassader are no longer doing them. My family and I have loved all our cruises with Ambassader.
Chosen because of itinerary and more days on land than at sea. Had been on this ship more than 10 years ago. Ship recently refurbished so looks very smart. Balcony cabin more spacious than other P&O ships. Food generally good in main dining rooms though getting a table for 2 very difficult unless you are prepared for a long wait. Entertainment good, itinerary excellent (Santander is recommended, not often on itineraries). Ship had to have a deep clean so boarding was late but didn't detect high levels of sickness, just keep away from the buffet and Jacuzzis!
On the whole, good value and the only gripe was missing out on Guernsey with a day at sea instead. As there was warning that this would probably happen there was disgruntlement among the passengers that there appeared to be no effort made to find a substitute port of call.
Auckland to Sydney with stop in Hobart, Tasmania.
Loved Westerdam and of course, the scenery was amazing - especially the 3 fjords.
A one week first cruise to test the waters...........
Before booking those expensive bucket list cruises we needed to know we liked being on board in a cabin at sea.
Choose Marella for convenience and ease after some research on first time cruising.
We were heading to the airport full of nerves and concerns as more recent reviews and critique of Marella had been quite damning about Marella. Butlins at sea, aged fleet overdue retirement etc etc made us anxious.
We needn't have worried about any of it. The ship whilst dated was immaculately clean. The junior suite was well equipped with more than ample storage. The balcony was our haven of tranquility.
The ship was easy to get acclimatised to and we quickly knew which areas we'd avoid and where we would feel at home. In our case the summer house and coffee port were our goto havens. Personally we found the pool deck was loud, crowded and not to our liking.
The restaurants were varied enjoyable and every meal was well presented and of great quality in relation to the all inclusive price. I'm not talking Michelin star but exceptional and served with care and enthusiasm. From MDR to the included alternatives everything was great. Our personal favourite abuellas and Nonna's.
We regularly frequented the Kitchens which we originally dreaded after reading reviews and forums. What we actually found was well presented, clean and again staffed by fantastic people. I think the quality was slightly lower here than the other eateries but it was enjoyable and the process and set up was superbly thought out. It totally suited our idea of low key relaxed space with exceptional varied options at lunch and for afternoon tea.
Entertainment on board was thoroughly enjoyable every evening. The shows were excellent until the guest comedian (who was stuck in 1980 with an obsession with the youth of today) and the many many music options accommodated every taste and mood.
So in summary great food, entertainment for all tastes and venues to suit every mood. A perfect booking for an introduction to the cruise world.
The experience from airport to airport superbly managed by TUI. The ship staff were a major highlight who truly work exceptionally hard to ensure both an amazing holiday and a memorable cruise.
Only our 2nd cruise (1st was the Caribbean on Arvia) but even though we were on a smaller and older ship we still had an amazing holiday. The destinations and tours we did were fantastic. Our only negative was we should have booked for 2 weeks instead of one!





