4 Nights Baja Mexico From Long Beach (Los Angeles), CA Cruise

Douro River Cruising Delight_a personal experience

Hello! We sailed on the Emerald Radiance for 8 days on the Douro River, Portugal. It was a perfect trip. The boat was classy, modern, clean and everything functioned. They used quite a bit of electronics, such as displaying the daily schedule on the TV screen in our private cabins, the electronic room key was also used for monitoring the on-and-off boarding when joining land-touring. On land we each could use the listening device with ear buds, so we could follow the guide's explanations easily. The app QVtoGO was available to be installed on one's own mobile device. It commented on the region's features and hilights while passing them with the ship. This was delightful. Improvement needed with the QVtoGO app: each time you wanted to restart the app, you had to go back to the reception desk and scan the QR code in all over again...perhaps I misunderstood? The crew was friendly, competent, professional, efficient and knowledgeable, always helping and serving with a smile. The only feature that I truly missed, was a proper pool. The one on deck had the depth of a wading pool, very shallow, very small, non-functional for a nice swim. It was explained to me that they had to keep everything low in case the water level in the river rose, yet the ship still needed to pass under bridges. It makes sense. However, my suggestion is, add 3 feet to the pool's depth so that you can swim without hitting your knees at the bottom. Install an aqua jet , with an on and off switch, that you can swim against a current as long as you want. Otherwise, it was a fantastic trip, I can whole-heartedly recommend it. I want to thank the captain and his "wheel house" team, as well as the ship's staff for their loyal dedication and hard work. You did great!

Unforgettable Family Adventure on the Amazon with Aqua Nera

We went on an Amazon River cruise aboard the Aqua Nera in July, and it was truly an unforgettable experience for our family—me, my husband, and our four-year-old. From the moment we were picked up at the Iquitos airport to the time we were dropped off, everything was seamless and beautifully handled. The staff and crew were exceptional—incredibly warm, attentive, and thoughtful. It honestly felt like a home away from home. They went above and beyond to accommodate our needs: we always had regular milk on hand for our child, and as a vegetarian, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety and quality of plant-based options available. Every detail felt personalized and cared for. The guides were knowledgeable and kind, making every outing safe and exciting, even with a little one in tow. The excursions were unforgettable—we saw a 15-foot anaconda, alligators, countless exotic birds and fish, and even tried our hand at piranha fishing! The daily itinerary took us from early morning to night, filled with adventure, education, and awe. The ship itself was spotlessly clean and beautifully maintained. The rooms were comfortable, the views were breathtaking, and the food was simply phenomenal—some of the best we’ve ever had on a trip. What gave us so much peace of mind was knowing there was always a doctor on board, especially while traveling with a young child. This added layer of care made all the difference. I also love the fact that they enforced sustainability. We are already dreaming about trying their sister cruises in Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Galápagos. If you’re considering exploring the Amazon in Peru, I wholeheartedly recommend Aqua Nera. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience that combines luxury, adventure, and heart. They also gave us to go bags for lunch on our way back home, how cool is that?

Great Experience on Adventure of the Seas

Our Adventure of the Seas cruise surpassed my expectations. We are Diamond members with RCI, but have sailed on Disney and Princess is the last year. We took our adult children and three grands with us. After reading several not so complementary reviews, I was a little anxious about this cruise, but my fears were unfounded. The Adventure is still a great ship, with lots of positive vibes. We only ate in the MDR and Windjammer, but found the food to be good to very good. Our service was excellent. We had three children under the age of seven in our party, but our cabin attendants and servers handled all our needs very well. We stayed in a Junior Suite and still believe it to be a great value for the space. Our daughters and grandkids stayed in a JS also and they said it was perfect for them. Our grands enjoyed the kids club and the crew members there were terrific. When the kids ask to go to the kids club, you know they must be doing something right. The Entertainment was ok. I'm not much on comedy and magic shows, but the Ice show never disappoints and I applaud RCI's efforts to keep live music alive on their ships. AI is ruining entertainment. (JMHO) Embarkation was a breeze and disembarkation was equally easy. Many people now carry their luggage off the ship, so getting on elevators with several piece of luggage with 2,000 passengers was a little daunting. If you're going to carry your luggage off the ship, my advice is to get off early. The ship was cleared at about 6:45 AM and I believe you could have literally walked right off the ship and been in your car (if you drove) in minutes. Passengers with US Passports were able to use facial recognition to clear customs. It was the easiest getting off a ship I've ever seen. There was some negative, but not much. The Voyager class ships lack enough cabin electrical outlets. I use a CPAP machine and had. to improvise my machine as there were no outlets by our bed. Make sure to bring adapters make your life easier. The ship shows its age a little, but appeared very well maintained and we never experienced any annoying difficulties. We had not been to Perfect Day in a while and really enjoyed our day there. We reserved a cabana at South Beach and highly recommend that. It's not cheap, but we thought it was worth the money. Keep in mind, you don't need to upgrade anything there to have a great time, but this was a primo experience for us. Yes, the Adventure is an older, smaller ship, compared to the big new ships in the RCI fleet. But, value-wise, that is, what you get for what you pay, I think it worth considering. You can go on two Adventure cruises for the price of one Star or Utopia cruise. Just food for thought., especially if you're like me and like a smaller ship.