HomeTestimonials & ReviewsKeith Chivers (Nov, 2008)

Keith Chivers

(Cruise on Andrea, Nov 2008)

Now that the tumult and shouting of the Festive Season is over, I just wanted to touch base and give you my impressions of travel of the M/S Andrea. First of all it was as I expected and in many ways, a lot better.

The crew were wonderfully friendly and extremely professional even those who hadn't worked on this ship before. The Hotel Manager explained that even though the ship was less than half full they were expected to work at the same pace and efficiency as if they had a full complement of passengers. He was a very pleasant and friendly man who made sure that all passengers dined with him on at least one occasion. The food , although not of an haute cuisine standard, was for the most part , very good. We were asked at one point toward the end of the voyage if there was anything that they hadn't served that we might like and I was hard pressed to think of anything at all. We had partaken of New Zealand lamb, Scottish beef, chicken , duck , goose , pheasant and even turkey (on Thanksgiving ). Of course there was a fish dish and a vegetarian dish at every meal. Eventually I thought of corn beef and cabbage and sure enough , next night it was on the menu. The complimentary wines were adequate and the wines for purchase were not overly expensive.

We were very pleased on the day of Embarkation when we went to the ship and asked if it would be possible to bring our luggage from the hotel to the ship at midday and then board at 4.00pm as per instructions. This was not a problem and we were told that we could board at 3.00pm if we so desired and that our suitcases would be in our cabins. Disembarkation was equally as painless. The tours provided by the ship were fine and the guides were pleasant and knowledgeable

Because she is a small ship one does feel the motion a little more but to me that was the joy of the cruise because you knew you were sailing and not traveling on a moving hotel at sea. This is cruising for people who love the sea and are reasonably fit as the motion of the ship at times was quite severe. I understood after two days why everything was bolted down including the dining room chairs but I am happy to say that there were very few cases of sea sickness. There was a lecturer on board but as his specialty was sea birds and animals of the Antarctic this seemed at times to be slightly redundant. However, I am sure he will be greatly appreciated on the Southern Cruises. I would have preferred to listen to some one whose knowledge of the history of the points visited was a little more extensive. However, one was not obliged to attend his lectures and so I missed several. All in all, the cruise gave me exactly what I expected. Days at sea , visits to places I had not been to before and a means of getting from Europe to South America. Would I recommend the Andrea ? Yes, but only to people who know what to expect and who are not looking for glamour and sophistication. People who are happy with their own company but who are able to converse with people from other countries and life styles and who are open to new experiences and who can accept that sometimes , things don't work perfectly. Thank you very much for arranging the cruise for us and it has been a pleasure dealing with you and your company. Best regards for 2009