Trusted Cruise Ship Reviews

Royal Caribbean is my favourite company to cruise with and most definitely above the rest in terms of class, quality and inclusions. A must for anyone new or experienced to cruising.
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We had a very relaxing time on this cruise. It was not a cruise for people who wanted a never ending night life however. The ship is quite nice but is showing its age. Food was good and the crew and staff were very friendly. The ship only has four tender boats so at one port we did not get off until 11.30am so half the day was spent waiting to get off. Get your tender ticket early.

Our stateroom was comfortable and our cabin attendant was very friendly and helpful. Shows were good - a good variety.

Drinks are quite expensive and RC beverage packages are now quite expensive and they expect everyone over 21 in a cabin to buy a package each. If one of a couple does not drink you need to call RC and arrange to buy one package and one soft drink package. Bars seemed to be understaffed sometimes but not something that was a big worry. The buffet was often full but the ship has an outdoor area leading from the buffet that was very nice - some of it covered so rain was not a problem. The cruise was good value for money - Radiance does have a certain charm and New Zealand is simply stunning.
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We enjoyed our cruise to Tasmania so much. The crew were wonderful. The ship was wonderful, had a wonderful time.

Just returned from a 7 night cruise to Tasmania from Melbourne. The cruise was wonderful, staff are amazingly attentive and sweet. We loved our cruise. Yes the ship is a bit old, but very clean and loved being on it. Food was great, we had a inside cabin (5241) it was roomy enough for the 4 of us. Cleaned daily and the cabin stewards were wonderful. Don’t listen to all the negativity, some people complain as if they’re paying for a trip on the queen mary.
Go on the ship, it really is wonderful
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I went with my 2 daughters and sister in law on this cruise and found everything amazing. It was my 4th trip and they just get better and better. The head waiters and all the crew made it what it was. The seas were in our favour. We crossed the Tasman and it didn't feel like it was the slightest bit rough.. There is always plenty to do and see.. even down to the point of walking first thing in the morning is great.. Got another one coming up in October so that's great

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Made a 9-nights New Caledonia cruise in January 2018 on Carnival Legend in a Vista Suite.. Booking process was excellent without any complications.
The ship and its decor are getting a bit tired and need refurbishment. The cabin layout was great, but the cabin furniture totally non-ergonomic. The Vista Suite balcony was huge! The only draw back was that the location of those suites at the rear of the ship makes them subject to significant propulsion noise and associated vibration, particularly noticeable at night.
The room TV system is primitive and of little use, except to hire a very limited number of movies on demand (mostly targeted at children) at $4.99 a pop.
Buffet style lunch or dining is crowded and quite unimaginative, with the regular restaurant dinners however, being OK. For an extra $45/pp per meal you can enjoy a specialist restaurant experience in a more adult atmosphere.
Staff generally very helpful and obliging.
I have two children of my own. I love kids, but I didn't love the invasion of huge numbers of kids let loose throughout the ship without any apparent parental supervision or control by ship staff !!!

There is a small area designated "Serenity" at the rear of the ship (no children allowed), but unless you drop your towel and other possessions on one of the very few quite comfortable cane lounges by around 7 a.m., you will miss out for the rest of the day because of the high demand for such. There is no designated "smokers" area within the "Serenity" set up. If you want to smoke, you are restricted to a very small area at the front of the ship right in the middle of the children's' swimming pools area.

The prices for WiFi access and for drinks generally are over the top and essentially a rip off. I appreciate that it's all about maximizing profits for the shipping company. But do keep an eye on the daily balance on your universal ship plastic card unless you want to get a nasty shock on disembarkation day!

Summary: A very average experience definitely not to be repeated during school holidays!

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First time cruiser didn’t really expect cruising to be my thing. Carnival exceeded my expectations. The Legend decor is certainly very elaborate, and fussy. There’s no sign of minimalism or trendy vogue decor. However it was safe to say I had the most relaxing vacation in a long time. Great food. Great friendly service and staff. Clean facilities. Nothing really to fault at this price point. Ages 6 to 83 in my group and all parties equally enjoyed it. Would sail with Carnival again.

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First time cruiser didn’t really expect cruising to be my thing. Carnival exceeded my expectations. The Legend decor is certainly very elaborate, and fussy. There’s no sign of minimalism or trendy vogue decor. However it was safe to say I had the most relaxing vacation in a long time. Great food. Great friendly service and staff. Clean facilities. Nothing really to fault at this price point. Ages 6 to 83 in my group and all parties equally enjoyed it. Would sail with Carnival again.

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We travelled on the Auckland round trip 20th October 2017 the services all around were excellent. being my first trip on a cruise I have no other cruises to compare with and am happy to not have to compare. The food in the pantry was superb, no complaints whatsoever. Food was to and acceptable heat and highly presentable, staff immaculate in their dress. Waterfront restaurant was superb. Staff very accommodating, friendly smiles and treated my 2 daughters and I and a friend with royalty. Restaurant businesses in NZ and Australia can and should take note and lessons from the staff who were all mostly ethnic races, in the restaurants, stewards looking after the rooms who quite obvious have the know how of how to treat people as should be. They treated us as royalty.

The entertainment was excellent with always something to fill our whole day....My daughters and I decided we would do a few days cruise before doing the 8 to 10 day cruises to Vanuatu. We are overwhelmed and have cruises as an every year event for us and our families. Family members have travelled on the Carnival and Celebrity Ships and commented of the great services but we are more than happy to travel with Pacific Jewel.
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We have now been on 3 cruises on the Golden Princess it is a good size ship large but not to big like some of the newer ships. The food on Princess Cruise is always very good. We went traditional dining were we find the service better than anytime dining, you have the same waiters and table each night and the same table companions which by the end of the cruise become friends. We have not been to PNG before and we loved it, would certainly go again it has unspoiled beauty and the locals were wonderful. The entertainment was good and the cabin well maintained, the cabins are quite compact, we had a mini suite with is larger than a standard cabin but is still on the small size for a larger than standard cabin. The service was a high standard and the staff very friendly. Most of the guest are in the 50 to death category so not so many children or teens which is good if you like peace and quite, although not many young people you are still able to have lots of fun with the staff with all the on going activities indoor and outside. Would recommend this ship we loved it and would cruise Golden Princess again.

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