Renaissance

Nice ship, little on the small side, but very well presented. was disappointed that there was no food available in the Buffet from 10 till 12 for those that wanted to have a lie in and didn’t want to rush around in the mornings. also Buffet closed at 9 pm felt this was way too early only room service available after 9 pm ? Dress code is way too relaxed especially in the dining room. Most of the staff was very friendly and very helpful although at times I felt in the dining room they was understaffed as we waited long periods between courses and for Drinks. was disappointed, we couldn’t get bottled water on the top Drinks package. which meant we had to pay for bottled water in the cabin it was only £2 a bottle but when you’re paying for Drinks package, you don’t expect to have to pay for bottle water. Didn’t get involved with any of the activities apart from the odd quiz so can’t really comment. Overall probably got what I expected when booking the cruise. had a nice holiday but definitely prefer the bigger ships.

The flights with Virgin Atlantic were great. Being able to drop bags off the previous night saved time in the morning. There was no queue when we arrived to drop off our bags in Manchester. Do ensure you know where you are going though, I followed my Sat nav and drove through the ‘drop off’ zone incurring a charge! There were 10 ports of call on this cruise, one of the reasons I chose it. Unfortunately we couldn’t dock at St Kitts due to the wind which was a shame. We only had to use a tender at one port and at each we walked, used the local bus or a shared taxi to visit the places we wanted to see. We had some great beach days. Generally the food on board was very good, with a lot of choice. The service in the restaurant was a bit haphazard at times but we were in holiday and in no rush. At times the buffet was very busy and one of us had to stay in our seat whilst the other went for food and vice versa. This wasn’t a relaxing way to eat a meal. Our cabin was a good size with plenty of storage space and hangers. The shower is over the bath. There are handrails to help but it might be difficult for someone with a mobility problem. It wasn’t the most contemporary room but it was clean and looked after. We could always find somewhere to sit by a pool or on the upper deck even on sea days. Renaissance isn’t a big ship but it felt spacious. The entertainment in the theatre and lounges was of a good standard. I would’ve enjoyed something a little different especially on sea days. Lectures on the history/ecology/geology of different islands, for example. However this probably doesn’t appeal to everyone and as there were Dutch, French and English on the ship it may have caused problems if they couldn’t be offered in each language. Overall we enjoyed our trip. It wasn’t perfect, but what is? I considered it to be good value for money and a very welcome break from a cold, wet January in the U. K.

interior of ship was good , plenty of areas to relax . Food was of a good quality . Cabin was dark and dingy (port holes for windows) like being in a bat cave. Overall the cruise was enjoyable.

Sadly we would not sail on Renaissance again. A revamp was carried out in France and whilst carpets and lounge rooms furniture is comfortable, the air conditioning system is problematic. The entertainment was amateurish and very repetitive - never experienced so many quizzes in one day. Also never seen so many jigsaws on a ship. Our cabin on Deck 6 was quite large and we had lots of hanging space and hangers. However the bathroom was tired with a shower over the bath with a smelly curtain. The towels were changed daily but they are old and again tired. This ship will cost Ambassador their well earned reputation in the UK if they do not sort out the problems. Many of the French staff are surly, rude and frankly not worthy of a job. We were sold the cruise as an adult only, mainly British cruise. It was NOT! Dual signage is confusing. At least one lift was out of service everyday. Food in the MDR was often tepid or cool although it did improve in the second week after complaints. Food in the buffet was limited on occasions - an example they only had Coco Pops as a cereal choice. I saw a French passenger asking for granola which was given in a small bowl by the server. When I asked I was told it was only for special passengers. Needless to say after approaching the Director of Hotel Operations it was subsequently on the counter the next day. In the MDR many cereal options were available to order.