This was mine, and my wife's, first ever cruise so we really did not now what to expect. From the outset, which was being picked up from home by a chauffeur, it went like clockwork. We were delivered at the port of Dover, where our luggage was whisked away, and we were processed at the check-in, which all went extremely smoothly, and then taken to our cabin which was really very, very well laid out, clean, and well lit too. All the information that we could have wanted was to hand in the cabin and indeed accessible on the TV there too, so we felt very well supported and not all left to stumble along alone. All the staff we met were so polite and helpful, and with the signage near the lifts it was fairly easy to sort out where all the restaurants and other places of note were located. We set off exploring the ship, and were amazed by the cleanliness and sparkle of everything we came across. That evening we went for our dinner fairly early on. The food was amazing, the service equally so, and this was so throughout our cruise. During dinner, being sat on a table of four, we learnt a lot from the other couple about the ship, and about the other restaurants and bars throughout the vessel. We made great use of the promenade deck for some fast walks, and indeed the Spa area for the sauna, steam room, and the hydro-pool; each time were were surprised to find very, very few people there - on the promenade deck or indeed in the Spa - normally just another couple or two, we reasoned that perhaps the average age of the passengers was probably responsible for that. However, the bars were well frequented by everyone in the evenings, and the entertainment we found there was very enjoyable. We took four excursions while in dock in Norway, and each disembarkation and re-embarkation was handled superbly by the staff - always going so very smoothly, which was amazing given that some of the passengers were not always that quick on their feet. The trips were excellent, and the ones that we paid for in addition to the others were very good value for money. At the end of the cruise the disembarkation was so well done, with us being matched with out luggage and our chauffeur for the return home within minutes of coming down the gangway! All in all, being treated like honoured guests for a week was a fabulous experience, one which we will definitely repeat as soon as!
