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Name: Sharon McCoy
Email: smccoyphd@AOL.com
Age: 47
Occupation: Management Consultant
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Renaissance-VIII
SailingDate: May 31, 1998
Itinerary: Rome to Barcelona
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 100
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 25
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 100
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess: 100
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon: 100
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram: 75
MedicalFacilities: 100
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 20 Jun 1998
Time: 23:27:16
Remote Name: 152.163.204.137
Remote User:
Comments
Renaissance Cruise -- Rome to Barcelona
First, let me say that the price I got on this cruise made the trip remarkable. I tried
all the Internet cruise shops. I gave up because few promoted
Renaissance. I learned why. Call them directly, they prefer to pass on savings to
customers rather than marketers and agents. Ren's Patrick Krawczyk
was wonderful and responsive (888-234-4326, extension 318). Although I have read on the
Internet that people find the Ren policy of paying in
advance offensive, I did not, considering the price I received. This service started a
great beginning to a wonderful trip.
Our family demographics are the following:
Mother 81 yrs Reading Pa/Jupiter FL Sharon & Joe 47 & 51 Phil PA Patricia &
Michael 54 & 58 Villanova Pa Kate & Bill 43 & 51 Boulder CO
I had researched this ship in depth before going on this family cruise. To me it was
perfect. I was most interested in the ports of call than the food on the
ship. The fact that it is a small ship (only 110 possible passengers) I was insured that
there would be few "tenders" to shore--my mother couldn't handle
more than the one in Portofino.
My biggest problem with this air/cruise program was traveling to and from Rome and
Barcelon through FRANKFURT GERMANY. I really dreaded such a
detour. It lost us a good half day each way. However, no one seemed to mind much,
including me. All flights were OnTime, this is something I am unused
to in the states. (I travel by plane Mon-Fri each week.)
Rome and the Excelsior Hotel was fabulous. We had our own Guide Paolo Appolloni to take us
around Rome and to Hadrian'sVilla and Villa Estee. I
cannot recommend him enough. He put up with the idiosyncracies of Nonna (my mother)!
Embarkation the most civilized I have ever seen. Each family was escorted personally while
others waited with champagne in a beautiful lounge.
Remember there could only have been 115 passengers.
The rooms are beautiful and luxurious. I was spoiled by the women's vanity table. Realized
later it was necessary when the ship rocked! There were so
many places to store things! Great room! Remember this is an all suite room, with fabulous
sitting area. Hardly used, we sat so seldom. It was a very busy
destination oriented cruise. ( At the end of the trip, I told my Colorado sister and
brother-in-law that I would talk to them by phone when we got back, we
never had the cruise downtime I had expected).
Since I did not take any of Ren's excursions which I thought were expensive in relation to
the 7 people I had to please, I cannot comment on them. If
anyone would like to know about my privately arranged tours, please email.
Since my husband and I smoke, we avoided the (nonsmoking) dining room except for dinner.
Breakfast and Lunch on the deck was OK, I am not sure it
was better in the dining room. But I am sure that the service had to be better. On the
deck I can only say that service sucked. Perhaps I should say there
was no service without repeated requests.
No one in my family particularly raved about the food in the dining room. It seemed the
only meal I had there was the one they missed (beef
Wellington-fabulous)! I do know that the staff treated my mother as royalty! One couldn't
pay for making her feel that way--it was special. I only saw their
treatment of her, I however, did not experience this treatment myself.
The Cruise Director, Janni and most of the other people (mehta) were personable. They were
surprised that the bar stayed open passed 8 PM.
Obviously, our cruise group were not as old as their normal group. My husband and 3 others
were the only ones to use the "casino." Understand that
the casino is a very small room, and the dealer actually resents having to payout money!
There is no entertainment except for a good piano player and no "activities"
that I saw. Understand, I did not want them, it was the perfect ship for what I
wanted for my family. We were mostly tired after our destination tours and truly have an
aversion to being "entertained." If you want this, don't do
Renaissance.
Last, but definitely the best, was the Hotel Arts in Barcelona. My husband and I have been
to this fabulous city, and were looking forward to going back.
Unfortunately my darling gave up all interest in more exploring after checking in to this
beautiful and luxurious hotel. There is something so different
about this Ritz hotel--It is so UNDERSTATED in elegance. We ate at Los Caracoles (Mediocre
but worth it and fun. ) The biggest disappointment was the
Internet favorite Sette Portes for Paella. Forget it, poor paella and nothing much to
recommend it.
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