The worst cruise holiday ever!"
Date: 16/02/2025
Itinerary: Dubai, Oman, Qatar, Abu Dhabi
Ship: Smeralda
The experience on this cruise was beyond disappointing. The staff were neither professional nor friendly, speaking to guests in a condescending manner as if reprimanding them rather than providing service. The outdated decor only added to the overall dreary atmosphere.
The entertainment was a complete disaster—poorly scheduled and executed. One show would be on the 6th floor, and then 45 minutes later, another would be on the 18th, creating unnecessary chaos with the elevators. There was never enough seating, forcing half the audience to stand uncomfortably. To make matters worse, the quality of the performances was subpar and hardly worth the effort.
The service was just as appalling. One night, I simply requested a bottle of water from the bar before heading to bed, only to be rudely refused because of a private party. I was told to go to another bar, even though I had an ankle issue that made walking difficult. My cabin was on the 16th floor, and the nearest bar was on the 8th, yet the bartender showed zero empathy, coldly suggesting I try room service instead of offering any assistance.
The food was another nightmare. The buffet on the 8th floor was consistently filthy, overcrowded, and filled with an unbearable smell. The restaurants were slightly better, but the food itself was completely tasteless. In an entire week, there was only one dish that could be considered genuinely good.
To top it all off, the attitude of the staff was appalling, especially if you didn’t have a drink package. It was as if not purchasing one automatically labeled you as inferior. I have health issues that prevent me from drinking alcohol or coffee, so I didn’t opt for the package—but I still paid for my bottled water and mocktails. That, however, didn’t stop the staff from treating me with unnecessary judgment and unprofessionalism.
And then there's reception—I don't even know where to start! It was always crowded, with people shouting and looking incredibly frustrated. I had to visit reception three times, and not once was I helped. Either the staff didn’t know anything about what I was asking, or the area was so chaotic that it was impossible to get any attention. Seeing at least 50 people in front of the desk with frustrated faces really shows just how hectic everything was on this ship.
In Abu Dhabi, my daughter's passport was randomly selected for an extra security check at the port—something I was never informed about beforehand. Instead, I was rudely woken up at 6 am on the same day and told to rush down to reception with her passport. When I arrived, the staff had no idea what was going on. I had to wait 15 minutes before someone finally came and took my daughter's passport. When I asked when and how I would get it back, I got no clear answer. The receptionist just kept repeating, "You’ll get it, don’t worry," which was not at all reassuring.
At 9 am, we left the ship, and that’s when everything went wrong because we were never given any proper instructions about the process, which, by the way, turned out to be quite simple. Instead, the security staff shouted at us from the ship all the way to the port security. It was an awful experience! The lack of communication and the chaos caused unnecessary stress, and it felt like no one cared to help us properly.
Overall, this was an unpleasant experience from start to finish. The lack of hospitality, poor service, dreadful entertainment, and terrible food made this cruise an absolute disappointment
