Reviews of Island Escape Cruise Ship, Island Escape, Island Cruises

We have just returned from our...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Itinerary:

Island Escape Cruise Ship

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mrs L Dolby

Comments:

We have just returned from our first and last cruise with Island Escape. The food was excellent, however the accomodation was appauling especially when we paid £520 to have a balcony. The carpet in the cabin got very wet when it rained, the shower tiles were disgusting all covered in mould, the towels we were given on two days were disgusting, one of the yellow towels given to us for pool use was actually taken out of the bathroom folded up (still wet) and put back for us to use! The sheet which was on my bed all week was badly stained from previous use. My hairdryer blew up on our first day at sea and when i went to reception to hire one they said they had none left as they don't carry many.Main problem with the island restaurant was if you were seated on the inside of the table of 8 you had a job to get out and get your food without disturbing everyone else.Entertainment was OK at the start of the cruise but by the end of the week you were fed up hearing the same old songs. One review that i read described the ship as being Butlins at Sea well i dissagree it's Far worse than that, if you are thinking of going on this ship i should think again. We can't wait until September when we are going on a proper cruise with a company that treats it's passengers as adults not children.

I am currently on this cruise...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Itinerary:

Meditteranean Spirit

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Ms K Lester

Comments:

I am currently on this cruise and SO distressed by the horror that is the Island Escape that I have sought solace in the internet room.



We too are having the holiday from hell and it does not matter how loud we stamp and scream nobody hears! It's like being trapped in a smoky bingo nightmare that will not end.



We have found human (I think) hair on our beds, shelves drawers etc, snot on the bed base, copious amounts of mould growing around the bathroom door, what appears to be blood on our sheets, there was poo on our toilet seat, a bathroom floor that has more waves and crests than the sea, chewing gum (already masticated) on the floor....oh my the list goes on!



If you want a bed that is comfortable then bring your own. I have already purchased my own pillows because I could not take any more!



DO NOT come on if you are a non smoker because you are not given the choice...unless you sit in the theatre all day which is empty - except for 2 or 3 readers - and has no bar or daily entertainment. When I complained I was told that each room was divided into smoking and non smoking areas...clearly the concept that smoke travels and is not intelligent enough to know not to cross the imaginary room divide has eluded the management on this ship.



Also this is NOT a family friendly ship. We booked on here because that is what we were told....LIES! Apart from the lack of clean air, broken equipment and no cot mattresses, (well, no cots really), we had to contend with tutting older passengers who did not appreciate our very well behaved child, a Captain that kept asking children to be seen and not heard over the PA system and entertainment staff that fretted that our baby may cry and disturb the bingo calling. What a joke.



OH I could go on and on...and I will when I escape (ah, that's why it has been named such!!). Watch this space.



Until then DO NOT BOOK!

Comments: We have just returned...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Itinerary:

island discovery

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr V Young

Comments:

Comments: We have just returned from holidaying on a Cruise ship ha ha! was an old Norwegian ferry (fact) ie loud engines flat bottom so boat rocks and rolls more than Elvis Presley when someone sneezes. Loads of people sea sick. close look at interior you can see mutton dressed up as lamb. Most windows dirty and filled with condensation. A couple of windows in beachcomber restaurant only Perspex being held in by scotch tape! Can only speak for cabins on lower decks numbers 3,4,5. These were small and less luxurious than a static caravan.

Although an English "boat" you can only watch foreign TV programs with exception of BBC news and 3 video which are shown constantly for 24 hrs. This boat was on TV few years ago due to W/C spilling over with sewage, still smells of sewage at lower levels. Swimming pool only 8ft wide by 24 ft long freezing cold and dirty no good for 1000 people. food ok but deteriorates towards end of week. Entertainment a bit like the ferry, sorry i mean boat, a bit up and down with cabaret and comedians ok for most adults but a bit close to the mark for children and elders.

Cant fault bar and restaurant staff housekeepers service etc they were brilliant. However Excursion managers and guest relations officer will fob you off are rude and obnoxious. forever a large number of people complaining.

The excursions are expensive and not value for money children over 12 treated as adults. my family and i booked to go on a number of trips we made them all except one. This was due to a bad crossing the night before and the captain delaying launching tenders for 3 hours. My wife got a bad migraine and went to bed, my kids didn't feel well so we asked if we could have a refund on the trip, that cost £87.50.

We told by staff tough! need to give 24 hours notice, explained that we were unfortunately not granted physic powers an therefore did not have 24 hours warning of impending migraine. Then told we should have got doctors certificate he charges £50.00 to see you then anything up to £30 for medication. so they would give it o us in one hand ad take it the other. Remember they take your visa card details at the beginning of trip and deduct amount they believe you owe. Staff to be wary of as they are gutless Barbara Villala and Silvana Paiva of the excursion team. we put in an official complaint on the boat to Galina Georgieva guest relations manager who said not my problem when we said we would give negative publicity, she shrugged her shoulders and said all publicity is good for us so go ahead.

I spoke to a number of people on the cruise who had their rooms double booked and were moved from top deck to bottom deck given £80 compensation and told not our problem contact your agent when you get back. The staff are mostly Brazilian as you can tell from above and are lowly paid in comparison to the British National wage and therefore they have little or no sympathy for us richer holiday makers.



Beware you have been warned look at all he reviews and you will notice a trend the earlier ones were all good then as time as gone on they have deteriorated. someone told me that the good ones are fictitious, you can make your own mind up. Remember you get what you pay for in life. Possibly if you want a cruise you should book with a cruise ship that is a cruise ship and not a ferry.

I would like to start by saying...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Mediterranian Isles

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr P Gibson

Comments:

I would like to start by saying that I booked this cruise over 6 mths ago and have been constantly reading the reviews ever since, I have read both the good and bad reviews and have just returned from the he above cruise today and decided to put my mark on this page.



To all those who have written about their " Holiday from Hell " I wish to say to them I doubt anything would make them happy, And I dont apologise for saying so.



I have just enjoyed the most fantastic holiday with 2 other friends, this holiday run like clockwork from start to finish, from arrival at Palma we were treated with a professional attitude and taken very quickly to our waiting coach, We were then transferred to the ship in around 25 mins and upon embarkation we were greeted with a smile and shown to our cabin.



The cabin was clean, tidy and perfect for 3 adults to share quite comfortably, our Steward Nilesh immeadiatly came and introduced himself and informed us that if we needed anything or any help to let him know.

The cabin was on the outside and on deck 7 , the shower was clean and had hot water 24/7 , the towels where clean and fluffy, and the beds where spotless.



Meal times were amazing and the amount of food and variety was 1st class, yes in two of the dining areas you had a buffet selection but I really dont see the problem with this after all many so called POSH restaurants are now using this method.



The entertainment was excellent and very well planned, after all you are on holiday and not paying £65 per ticket to see a show so anyone who compares the shows to a westend production needs to get a life.



Overall this was a perfect holiday and a you are surrouned by well mannered and very attractive ladies and guys from all over the world thee to make your holiday special.



Just so as people done think im just easily pleased, I can assure you that I have holidayed in many fine Hotels and resorts, dined in many fine restaurants and have watched many many West End shows and would be quite quick to complain if I felt that something was wrong but hand on heart I have nothing but praise for this Ship and its Crew.



I have even booked again and am bringing 4 others with me next year !!



To anyone who is thinking of booking I can assure you you will love it.



As for the weather, well who can predict that !

Well we didn't sink so it could...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Itinerary:

Island Escape Cruise Ship

Date of Holiday:

Mar 2008

Tour Operator:

Hays Travel

Submitted By:

fitness

Comments:

Well we didn't sink so it could have been worse. Same situation as others, travelling since 2am with a toddler , mass disorganization at the port, rooms not ready, adn mechanical delays which caused delays in departure,which I believe caused a delay in getting to our next port thereby resulted in us getting stuck out in a storm. The electricity cut out for more than 20 minutes and the generators stopped. The health and saftey on board is definatley in question as pictures were falling off walls, and hit a passenger in the head, my salon chair slid across the room, and staff were slightly worried the exercise equipment might fall in through the window so it was taped off. The missedprots were the worst although I can understand the last one due to the weather but the first I put down to the ship. It was an awful experience as a whole and myself and about 15 others are making sure we don't let this go by unnoticed! please feel free to email alexmcvicar@hotmail.com if you want to stay in touch reference claims etc.

Joined ship on 25th march, we...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

mediterranean discovery

Date of Holiday:

Mar 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr J Baird

Comments:

Joined ship on 25th march, we had good luck with the weather, all the staff were great, food was excellent. I cannot understand anyone who moans about the food. the choice was so great and all food was cooked to perfection.

I have no complaints about the ship being old etc, we were in an inside cabin and it was ok, suitcase put under bunk,plenty of coathangers for our clothes,quite a few drawers, tv with films playing most of the day.

The tours were expensive so we caught the train to Rome from Civitavecchia(9 euros return) stay on train till Rome Termini, walk to metro B and second stop you are at the colosseum.

I would definitely go on a cruise with this ship again. The ship was so organized and well run.

We were not plagued by the...

Overall Rating:

4/10

Itinerary:

Island Escape Cruise Ship

Date of Holiday:

Mar 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mr PM Waters

Comments:

We were not plagued by the departure problems in Palma as we had made our own travel arrangements.The delays onboarding the ship resulted in all cabins getting a £50 credit .

The first impressions of the boat were that it had come out of a quick renovation .The comments on previous reviews said they were planning to make a sports bar and this had been done, also as a result of previous reviews bars had been divided up into smoking and no smoking areas. Carpets had been replaced and walls painted .This is a budget cruise ship and the rooms are small ,however they were cleaned regularly and our room stewardess was sweet. The food is all served at buffets apart from a paying restuarant. This does lead to variations in food temperature ,however there was plenty of it and the salad bars were good.We didnt take the drinks package as the drinks were very reasonable onboard .My teenage son (19) liked the onboard gym and my younger daughter the Spa area. The prices there were a bit high and as a result it was never busy ! The staff onboard were very polite and helpful. Captain Bathgate kept us very well informed of the delays as a result of the sea conditions and did his best to keep us comfortable. The weather was awful all over Europe that week and we should have checked the long range forecast. There is an informal atmosphere on this ship as you dont have to dress up.The entertainment was very good and they had a good comedian flown in from UK to join the last half of the cruise.

This was our first cruise and it didn't put us off ,but we know now what would be our future priorities . Bigger rooms ,a la carte dining, Cinema, & reading rooms . You can get very cheap web deals on this ship, and if you can go for those, as this is an average and old cruise ship.

This being our first cruise we...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Itinerary:

Med Discovery

Date of Holiday:

Mar 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomas CookIsland Cruises

Submitted By:

Miss N Prowse

Comments:

This being our first cruise we weren't really sure exactly what to expect.

Arriving at Palma to board was a bit of a nightmare as 4 coaches had to disembark before we could register & board. we had 45 mins on the coach.

Once onboard everything was fine.

We upgraded to an outside cabin on deck 5, & it was more or less what we expected.

big enough for what we wanted & clean.

The ship itself was a little run down & really could do with a makeover & refurb but there was nothing in particular that we thought was bad.

We only used 1 of the restaurants - The Beachcomber. mainly because we could go in anytime we wanted, 24 hours a day. We always found something we liked & couldn't fault the quality of the food. (although the juice at breakfast was awful!)

We had a free All Inclusive drinks package, which could have been better.

There wasn't much choice for the drinks included & as I don't like a lot of alcoholic drinks, I found it difficult to find something I wanted. (My partner had no problems.)

We only did a couple shore excursions through the ship, as they were expensive. It was cheaper for the other few days to arrange everything ourselves, & we did save money this way.

The entertainment wasn't anything we were really interested in, but no entertainment could please everyone. (mainly bingo, quizzes & a "resident" group that weren't really any good.) There were shows on the one of the other lounges but we didn't see them.

The ship itself is very relaxed, & if you are used to cruising with any other company you may be in for a shock.

Overall it was great. We would cruise again but probably not with Island Cruises.

Why didnt i read the bad reviews...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Itinerary:

Med spirit

Date of Holiday:

Mar 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Miss

Comments:

Why didnt i read the bad reviews before we booked!!



holiday from hell!!



Delays,disorganisation& we didnt get to, two of the destinations, disaster from start to finish!!

It was our first cruise & will be our last.



The cabin was like a broom cupboard, unhygenic, old & run down, basically inhabitable!!



The food was nice & staff friendly, bar staff really friendly.

Reception slow & unhelpful.



It should be a 0 star!!



I'd give it a miss if i were you!!

You might think i'm exaggerating...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Itinerary:

Island Escape Cruise Ship

Date of Holiday:

Mar 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Miss M Hodgkinson

Comments:

You might think i'm exaggerating but believe i'm not my first cruise was a disaster not just for me but for my children! We didn't get onboard until 12pm and my children nearly fainted they had been up since 2am and they only had a bread roll. Inside was quite buisy, the entertainment was excellent espeially for the children. The sea was realy rough and not suitable for little kids as it broke about 200 wine glasses. On one of the nights the electricity went off I was not aloud to go to my children. Overall good service but it was just ruined by those little things I hope it improves quickly!

As others have commented, the...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Itinerary:

Island Escape Cruise Ship

Date of Holiday:

Mar 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr R Campbell

Comments:

As others have commented, the cruise commencing 18th March 2008 was disasterous from start to finish and I feel most sorry for those for whom it was their first experience of cruising.



The ship is well past its best and is what I would call a 'fair weather ship'. This cruise was definately not value for money and I would advise potential vacationers to look elsewhere.



If you like 'Play Your Cards Right', Bingo or 'Mr & Mrs' on a daily basis then this cruise is for you, but at a price and not for me.



I am thouroughly disapointed with the cruise and wil not use First Choice for cruising again.



Sorry for being so negative.

I totally agree with everything...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Itinerary:

Island Escape

Date of Holiday:

Mar 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mrs M Fairgrieve

Comments:

I totally agree with everything Mrs Peart has said. I myself have just returned from this holiday from hell, which was to have been a lovely family holiday to remember, but now one which we all would like to forget. Dont get me wrong i would like to praise the following staff, waiters/waitresses, reception staff, domestic staff, entertainment staff, who were all trying to make the best of this terrible situation that everyone was involved in. I totally blame bad management from the highest level for their incompetence, this ship should have never been out of dock rather than setting sail in its terrible state which was badly in need of repair.



Right from the start, from waiting hours to get on the ship to riotist behaviour leading to a female rep being punched in the face, which could have been prevented by competent management stepping in from the very start and taking control of the situation, to toilets being blocked for two days in a row plus toilets around the ship being out of order.



Also, whilst trying to relax on the deck, painting was being carried out, drilling and maintenance was being carried out, inside the boat banisters were being painted, wet paint notices were everywhere, there was not one person on board who i spoke to that didnt have a complaint about the ship or their cabins.



After this we were late getting to Messina, we did not get to see Pisa or Barcelona at all and just when we thought things could not get any worse we had the blackout which lasted about 45 minutes and by this stage everyone had had just about all they could take, and if the Captain hadnt announced that the ship was heading back to Palma, i think a lot of people would have chosen to swim there, but not before lynching the Captain.



I would like to think that those responsible for letting this ship set sail would now realise that people had scrimped and saved to go on what they thought would be a holiday of a lifetime, and have just turned these peoples dreams into a nightmare, and i would hope that they would be bitterly ashamed of themselves. There is a programme on the t.v. called Holidays From Hell and we have just been on the cruise from one.



Please note the 6/10 is for the food, entertainment and staff that i mentioned, as for the Management and ship 1/10 and that is only because i liked the colour of the paint.

I am sorry to say that we have...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Itinerary:

Island Escape Cruise Ship

Date of Holiday:

Mar 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mrs F Peart

Comments:

I am sorry to say that we have just returned from the nightmare holiday from hell. i am normally very easy going and go with the flow but the experience myself and 99 percent of the other passengers just had was hellish! I am not exaggerating we started our holiday at midnight on Monday 18th and didn't get on board the ship untill nearly the same time the next day ....the flight was on time and the coach was on time....but no boat! we were shipped to a hotel at 10 in the morning and told we would board about 3pm....the coach arrived back at about 6 ish and we drove to the boat. We then waited and waited in first the coaches and the in unorganised queues...we queued for about 2 hours and then people got fed up and started to push in...this caused a near riot and the police were even called in!....that was just the start...



The first stop was a dirty place called Messina what a dump! and nothing was open whilst we were there as it was a holiday. We then went to Naples and to pompei no problems untill the night time when when cruising to Loverno and watching a show the power went not lights or engines...I was terrified as my children were in a different club and it was pitch black in some parts of the ship. This lasted 45 minutes we were singing war songs like we were in the blitz or something!



On the way to Loverno there was terrible gales and the whole ship was jarring and creaking and everyone was very ill. We were told that we couldn't land and went straight to Toulon....that took a full day and two nights of terrible weather. Toulon was ok and we managed to get off ship however when it was time to depart the captain announced that it was far too dangerous to proceed to Barcelona as there were force 10 gales so we moored overnight. Two tugs had to hold us in place as the weather was so bad and doors were ripped off and one couple got a fright when in the middle of the night someone walked in unannouced to check their portholes.



The next day the weather was no better but the captain announced that we were going back to Palma but the journey was going to get rough! and it did!!!! tables and chairs were sliding ( and these are very heavy) most people were very ill and couldn't get out of

bed. This went on for a day and night. in the middle of this we were told that on our last night all luggage had to be outside by 2 am. This was no mean feat as we couldn't get out of bed and I literally had to crawl to get my stuff bit at a time.

The next day when arriving at Palma you got the impression they couldn't get rid of us quick enough...we had to wait until 3.30 for our coach but luckily another company offered us a tour of Majorca if we listened to them sell us beds for 45 mins ......apart from the selling bit this was the best bit of our hols....how sad!!!!



The whole time on board people were doing up the boat painting, scraping etc to make it look good...but ask them to clear up some sick in the corridor and no one appeared! Another ladies 5 year old boy was served vodka and orange by mistake!!!



All in all everyone was saying that they would never sail with them again ever, even if it was free and I agree..this boat seems to be not up to the job and in no way felt safe



When we got home my husband broke down and cried........in fourteen years i have never seen him do this.......all I can say is if you have booked think again...on ringing up to complain the lady had already heard of all my complaints from other guests...so be warned!

This holiday got off to a bad...

Overall Rating:

3/10

Itinerary:

Island Escape Cruise Ship

Date of Holiday:

Mar 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr G Skinner

Comments:

This holiday got off to a bad start with the ship arriving late into Palma and us having to hang around in a hotel just biding time. The ship was in fact so late that passengers were still being booked onboard after 23.30.

Our accomodation was fine, although we did have a couple of niggles, in that the hot water supply failed a couple of times and the toilet stopped flushing on our last morning.



The cruise itself was plagued by bad weather, in respect of gale force winds which prevented us from entering and leaving a couple of ports.

Hence we were unable to visit Florence,Pisa and Barcelona.

Obviously this was unavoidable, and as such is a lesson in choosing the right time of

year to cruise the Med.



My biggest complaint about the cruise was the amount of cigarette smoke that we were exposed to. This was very difficult to avoid once you were in the bar and lounge areas.



I would agree with other comments about the ship being tired and in need of a serious makeover.

I couldn't fault the staff in any way and found them very friendly and helpful.



It is unlikely that i would cruise again with First Choice and would in fact go back to Thomson as i have cruised previously with them and found it a more enjoyable experience.

My wife and I have been on 5...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Island Escape Cruise Ship

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr C Billington

Comments:

My wife and I have been on 5 cruises with Island Escape, and have NEVER been disappointed, yes the ship is in need of a refit , which I believe it got in February this year , so next time we go on it , it will look better, not that it was that bad before.



The crew are excellent , the food is brilliant the entertainment is second to non, I have read some of the negative comments , and wonder if they really were on the same ship as we have been on.



We have been with other cruise lines and found them all to be of a very high standard, this year we are lucky enough to be going on the Ventura , next year on a Tompson cruise , which we have done before. But Island Escape will always have a special place in our thoughts as a friendly and great holiday. And as Arnie says we will be back!!!