Marl47
December 31st, 2008, 04:46 AM
November 2008 6 friends – 3 couples set off on a very special cruise – 2 of the 3 couples were celebrating their 35th Wedding Anniversary, no mean feat. For this special occasion we chose the Island Escape Venetian Adventure for the ports of call it offered and value for money. Having cruised before but not with Island, we were not sure what to expect. We were told at the airport by passengers we met who had used Island Cruises before, and some who had been with the Escape before, to lower our expectations when we mentioned that we had cruised before, not sure why at the time but we learned that they were right.
Note that 20kg of luggage allowance per person is NOWHERE near enough when cruising for more than 10 days !!! The ship itself was "tired" and in places a bit 'grotty' [an example was the poor drainage and pump systems of the cabin toilets which at times caused unpleasant smells]. You could tell it had been a ferry in its past life.
Having said that, the cabin itself was fine always kept clean and tidy, if a bit small and the balconies were bolted on (a bit scary for some of our friends). The entertainment on board was good and varied, however we cannot comment on the children’s activities as none travelled with us.
The food was varied and excellent, however there was often nowhere near enough seating. Even if you were all inclusive, the Café Bar was chargeable – bizarre and unfair. The other point to make about dining, etc is the strange and inconvenient way in which all inclusive people had to sign for each and every drink – ridiculous really when trying to watch a show.
The main drawback to our special holiday was the Island Escape Excursion/Tour staff based on the ship. In contrast to the rest of the staff on board there were only 1 or 2 polite and helpful members of this team, the manager was especially devoid of customer relations experience, almost causing a riot at one point in the way they spoke to 40-50 very upset people. Also in contrast to the rest of the ship the tours were not value for money, especially Venice. Talking to other passengers at the time it really depended on which tour guide you were designated. A full written complaint has been sent about the circumstances and the individuals concerned, so there is no need to repeat here, except to say that, on the whole, all six of us have been put off using representatives or booking Shore Excursions. It should be said that to date Island have not responded to our complaints.
Overall the staff (with the exception of the Excursions Team) especially the cabin staff, worked tirelessly to help and nothing was too much trouble; they were always polite and helpful wherever necessary.
(malky47@aol.com)
Note that 20kg of luggage allowance per person is NOWHERE near enough when cruising for more than 10 days !!! The ship itself was "tired" and in places a bit 'grotty' [an example was the poor drainage and pump systems of the cabin toilets which at times caused unpleasant smells]. You could tell it had been a ferry in its past life.
Having said that, the cabin itself was fine always kept clean and tidy, if a bit small and the balconies were bolted on (a bit scary for some of our friends). The entertainment on board was good and varied, however we cannot comment on the children’s activities as none travelled with us.
The food was varied and excellent, however there was often nowhere near enough seating. Even if you were all inclusive, the Café Bar was chargeable – bizarre and unfair. The other point to make about dining, etc is the strange and inconvenient way in which all inclusive people had to sign for each and every drink – ridiculous really when trying to watch a show.
The main drawback to our special holiday was the Island Escape Excursion/Tour staff based on the ship. In contrast to the rest of the staff on board there were only 1 or 2 polite and helpful members of this team, the manager was especially devoid of customer relations experience, almost causing a riot at one point in the way they spoke to 40-50 very upset people. Also in contrast to the rest of the ship the tours were not value for money, especially Venice. Talking to other passengers at the time it really depended on which tour guide you were designated. A full written complaint has been sent about the circumstances and the individuals concerned, so there is no need to repeat here, except to say that, on the whole, all six of us have been put off using representatives or booking Shore Excursions. It should be said that to date Island have not responded to our complaints.
Overall the staff (with the exception of the Excursions Team) especially the cabin staff, worked tirelessly to help and nothing was too much trouble; they were always polite and helpful wherever necessary.
(malky47@aol.com)