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Refreshing!! by
Diana R. from New York, NY Sailing date: Jul 2011Pros: I loved being an American on an Italian cruise line. There was so much diversity in terms of the nationalities of the other guests and we were in the definite minority coming from the U.S. We got to speak Italian, French and Spanish every day. The staff is mulitlingual which makes it even more fun! Cons: I didn't care much for the port of Ancona, it was dull. The ship was clean and beautiful. Some of the fabircs looked dated and some of the towels were a little ratty but in general things looked spiffy. The common areas were generously-proportioned and breezy, and I liked very much that the ship in general was not over-air-conditioned. Ship QualityI liked that the ship wasn't massive but was large enough to offer a variety of different areas, multiple restaurants and evening-activity areas. The pool and pool area could have been a little larger, as it was very popular. Dining/FoodWe couldn't get over the food in the regular restaurant. 6 courses each night with at least 3 choices in each course. Some of the dishes were absolutely unforgettable. We sent our compliments to the chef three nights. We loved being able to get room service for no extra charge, and took breakfast on our balcony every morning, that was the best! Stateroom QualityOur room was small, just a little bit bigger than a queen-sized bed. There was generous closet space and shelves/drawers which was good. Bathroom was a littel dated but very cute. The absolute best was the private balcony in our room-- glass sliding doors and a large blacony with 2 chairs and a table. beautiful! The ship runs so quietly we had no trouble with hall noise. Ship Staff QualityThese guys were superb. Their enthusiasm and joy for what they do really shows! We made many good friends among the staff and loved to interact with them. Entertainment & ActivitiesThere was so much available I think you can't take advantage of everything! There were quizzes and dancing and shows and contests galore. I don't think they repeated anything twice. The singing and dancing were exceptional! Sometimes they brought on special acts in various ports and one named Adams Medini was mesemrizing.  
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Ancona, ItalyWe were there on a Sunday so it was pretty dull- also it was a month where many go on holiday elsewhere. We did choose to worship at the Cathedral high on the hill, and that was very rewarding.
Corfu, GreeceOur excursion included a monastary which was very interesting and picturesque. I loved the collection of ancient icons there. I have been thinking that the beauty of Corfu might have me retire there someday.
Dubrovnik, CroatiaThis was the absolute best port of the whole trip. I wished we could have been here for days and days. It is incredible how they have re-built the old city even after most of it was wiped out in the war in the 90s.
Mykonos, GreeceIt was nice to have the whole day here, and the panoramic bus tour was gorgeous. I say SKIP Paradise Beach, it was yucky and not worth it! Dinner along hte shore in the "Little Venice" area is spectacular, watching the sun set with those crashing waves-- exciting!
Piraeus (Athens), GreeceThis was a terrific poace to visit. Wish they could have extended the visit. The Parthenon and the Acropolis were stunning. Interesting also to be in Greece in such a time of turmoil-- the protest signs in front of the Parliament building reminds one you are in the birthplace of democracy.
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  Decent base price, but read the details by
A Traveler from Denver, Co Sailing date: Sep 2009Pros: Greece Cons: other guests were generally a bit rude Our cruise began in Venice, stopped in Ancona, 4 stops in Greece, one in Dubrovonik Croatia and then back to Venice.
Rather than writing a full narrative, I'll just list the +s and -s
Positives:
Courteous Staff
Good excursions (but they cost $$$ and you should really plan the cost of these ahead of time)
Decent room (we thought it would be tiny but it was okay)
Food was good, but not great
Pool was spacious, but it was quite windy some days. There were enough chairs usually for everyone, but not always.
A decent choice of activities, casino, etc.
Negatives:
You have to pay for Cokes... I hear this is normal, but it was unexpected to us
many of the Italian people were rude and cut into line, invaded personal space a lot... if this bothers you, do not take this cruise line as it's an Italian line and most passengers are Italian
The "shows' were not very good, in fact, they were bad in some cases, I didn't expect a ton but was still disapponted
TV - not much on, and sometimes, it's nice to stay in the room, I would think they could add some more channels, especially English speaking for a minimal cost
Stops were not long enough in some cases, I know that they could have given us much more time, the one stop that let us stay later in the day was great!
Excursions -
Greece was the Best! On Santorini, we did the "Oia Village" excursion and it was the one that gives you the amazing picturesque moments... we also heard that the "Black Beach" here was good.
In Ancona - do the excursion that takes you to the caves, otherwise, there's NOTHING to do there (it takes you there on a Sunday, when everything is closed)
The Athens "Acropolis" excursion was great... you get a lot of good stops and a bit of time for shopping.
Other -
Venice is great, but hard to get around, very expensive and not easy to carry bags around in... keep all this in mind, it's a water city, so there are NO ROADS... only water taxis, and oh, by the way, they're expensive as heck... the water bus is cramped and terribly hard to move around in with bags.
Ship QualityPretty well laid out, not a big hassle to get anywhere Dining/FoodFood was good, but not great. Stateroom QualityOur guy did a great job, we got a mid-level interior room if that helps you at all... in retrospect we would have liked one of the rooms with a balcony, but I'm not sure they would be worth the $. Ship Staff QualityNice people all around, the only guy that was sort of a jerk was actually the English speaking liaison... Entertainment & ActivitiesThe shows were marginal at best. The casino was fun and there were other things going on people enjoyed. 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Great Cruise - Great Experience by
Carl M. from New York Sailing date: Aug 2009Pros: Ship was not too big; crew friendly & helpful; ports of call very interesting Cons: Tour guides were adequate but didn't seem too interested in their work. Ship was very clean, in good repair. They offer a wine package for dinner prior to boarding - it is excellent - the wines are great and rather economical. Having a balacony in the stateroom was wonderful. Every night around midnight we sat on the balcony experiencing the sea and the darkness. Food is very good. Ship Quality
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Ancona, ItalyMost disappointing of the ports. Not much there.
Corfu, GreeceThe monastry is very interesting.
Dubrovnik, CroatiaWonderful medieval city. It was very interesting in experiencing an ancient city that was beginning to see its potential as a tourist site.
Mykonos, GreeceGreat shopping. Love medieval cities like this.
Santorini, GreeceWish we had more time there; would have loved to ride the donkeys.
Piraeus (Athens), GreeceAcropolis & La Placa are incredible.
Don't Miss: Acropolis. 0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
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Good value for the monney - worthwhile by
George H. from Tampa, FL Sailing date: Jul 2009Pros: Service on board Cons: Guides on land excursions Had a wonderful time getting to know a lot about Greece and its Islands. Can recommend to anyone interested to see a lot in the Mediterranian in an pleasant way. Was specially impressed by the efficiency of the service staff to resolve a bad smell problem in the cabine by upgrading to a panoramic stateroom as soon as it became available and doing everthing to minimize the problem.
Food was excellent, be it in the restaurants or the buffet.
Guides, except one, on land tours (took them in spanish) restricted their action to comment what we saw with no or very little feedback on population, economy and other general topics of interest.
Did not like on board entertainement - very amateur and mainly to fill in unused time. Musicians were not to bad. Ship QualityClean and maintained. Easy to get around. Good choice of common areas. Dining/Food
Stateroom QualitySome problems with the finetuning of airconditionning and circulation of air (could not evacuate smells) Ship Staff QualityVery proficient, nice and problem solvers Entertainment & Activitiesbad quality and without imagination
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Ancona, ItalyIncompetent guide
Corfu, GreeceDid the Jeep Tour - excellent specially the outlooks and the beach - proficient guide
Dubrovnik, CroatiaVery worth while from architecture and history - excellent guide
Mykonos, GreeceBeatiful site - bad guide
Santorini, GreeceAverage - bad guide
Piraeus (Athens), GreeceVery rich in history - must see - incompetent guide
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good cruise for the money by
Sandra B. from Germany Sailing date: Jun 2009Pros: food, customer service Cons: not really kid friendly, pool water was way too cold to swim in, no play room for kids The ship was very clean and the staff were friendly and efficient. Only real complaint is that the pool water was freezing and you couldn't really swim in it. Also, there was no real kid play room. Ship Quality
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Ancona, ItalyThe beach excursion was nice. The water was too rough to get in but it was a relaxing day. The beach is rocky so you have to wear shoes.
Corfu, GreeceWe went to a nice sand covered beach with clear water. Had a great time with the family.
Dubrovnik, CroatiaThis was by far the most beautiful stop. Our excursion spent too much time on traveling by boat when we could have gotten to the same stop via a bus. But the area was nice and I would go back there again.
Mykonos, GreeceThe jeep tour was a waste of money. If you have to sit in the back, you could not see. Also, the sites they took us to were not very nice.
Santorini, GreeceSantorini is a nice stop with all the traditional looking houses and churches. It was very hot.
Piraeus (Athens), GreeceLots of tourists were there which made it less enjoyable. Very hot. Otherwise, it was a nice stop.
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Great value! Superb dinning. by
Federico from Costa Rica Sailing date: Jul 2007Pros: Service, food and the itinerary. Would do it again. Dining/FoodExcellent food!
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Catania, SicilyBetter to stop someplace else.
Izmir, TurkeyTurkey is amazing.
Don't Miss: Ephesus. Mykonos, Greece
Patmos, GreecePadmos is beautiful.
16 out of 19 people found this review helpful.
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