First things first ~ the age spread was really me at 29, my husband at 42 and our two children 6 & 7. We sailed from corfu on the pearls of the aegean itineary.
We have cruised as a family once before on Ocean village but had booked this just because it offered new ports that husband hadn\'t previously visited before(I don\'t count as I had already seen a few!!)A such we worried about crowding with with the ship only being small and feeling trapped and also about what the ship would be like due to her age.
The most offputting part of all the cheap cruise deals for me is having to hump your own luggage ~ and on here you have to (atleast to the coach outside the airport!) but by the time we had done embarkation and myriad photo\'s our bags were already at our cabin.
We had a bolero deck outside cabin which was spacious compared to others we have had. Usually we plump for the cheapest cabin we can get as we spend so little time there so it always seems a waste to pay more, but on emerald to accomodate a psrty of 4 you have to have an outside cabin.
It had two single beds pushed together as a double, a 3ft sofa bed with a pull down bunk over, 12 drawers one with writting slide, a seperate desk/wall unit with the TV on it, a coffee table, chair and 3 wardrobes (one with shoe rack) plus two portholes.
I have heard people complain that when they have the similar cabins as a three berth they had no way of getting them into a large double as the sofa is placed differently ~ I asked our cabin boy about this and he said that if he was asked he would be hapapy to rearrange the cabin!
The bathroom had a sink with shelf above, temperamental push flush toilet and a bath with shower above ~ yes the grouting could have been better, but it was clean and you had space to brush your teeth without banging your elbows!
The ship was having new carpets fitted on the accomodation decks whilst we were onboard but she was clean and presentable but not overly glamorous and showy like the new ships. All the staff were helpful and polite (plus spoiling our daughter rotten).
Dining was either in the restaurant or at the bistro with a deck barbeque one day for lunch (whilst we were in santorini I think?). For Breakfast and lunch in the restaurant you were seated as you arrived but in the evening you had assigned seating.
The restaurant menu offered a wide variety of meals all at a fair standard, but nothing to blow you away. Whilst the bistro was general grab it and run stuff. We usually ate in the restaurant for every meal even with the children.
We were given the all inclusive package as we booked so early but we probably would have bought it if not. It just helps with the budgetting and left us with more for trips (~ which we needed!) and the casino.
Trips were dear ~ it cost £102 for 2 adults and 2 children for a four hr trip to athens and the Acropolis and £54 for 1 adult and 1 child to ancient olympia for 4hrs. (ON Ocean Village we paid £96 for a 9hr trip to florence & pisa).
Activities were the usual Thomson stuff ~ quizzes, bingo, a deck party.
We didn\'t go to the showlounge, but we did do our best to avoid a band called 20/20 they needed putting down, but juice who played mainly on the lido deck were excellent.
Not a bad cruising experience as long as you bear in mind how little you are actually paying, cabins are spacious and service is good.
