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Airtours

MV Sunbird

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Reviewed by: Debbie Robey
# previous cruises: 1
Date of Trip: December 24, 2001
Itinerary: Caribbean - Eastern

My husband & I decided to go away for Christmas 2001, with our 6 year old son, & selected the Eastern Caribbean itinerary on the Sunbird. Compared to the prices of similar cruises, it appeared to be excellent value for money, although we were somewhat concerned that it may to 'too cheap!'. We couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised. The ship was kept spotlessly clean & the staff were superb. Little was said in the brochure about the kids club, but 3 sessions a day were offered & Santa arrived in a lifeboat on Christmas day - to the delight of all the kids (& adults) on board.

The public areas were very pleasant, although starting to look a little dated in places. We particularly liked the piano bar, & the Chart room (which we didn't find until our last but one day!).

There were 2 suprisingly big pools, which again were kept very clean & ideal for adults & children. Shame they were salt water rather than freshwater though.

The food in the restaurant was first class - 5 courses, with several choices for each course. Also had a separate childrens menu. Service was very prompt - we were never kept waiting.

We always had breakfast & lunch up on deck at the buffet. Breakfast was very good, with fresh fruit, cereals, rolls, croissants etc as well as an extensive range of hot foods. Lunch was ok, although there could have been more choice.

We opted for the all inclusive drinks package which worked out to be very good value.

There were 3 of us in the cabin & it was very small. Decor was also a bit 1980ish! Once again, however, it was kept very clean & there were nice touches like the ice bucket being filled up each day. We were surprised with the amount of hanging space, although drawer space was limited. Bathroom & shower very small & water temperature most unreliable. Water out of the tap was always hot (not pleasant for cleaning teeth!) & the shower ranged from cold to tepid.

As we were in the first sitting for dinner & then needed to take our son to the kids club, it was not always easy to get a seat in the lounges for the entertainment. The resident group Oaysis were very good though.

Kids club was split into 2 age groups 3-6 & 7 & upwards. There was usually an hour session in the morning & the afternoon & a 2 hour session from 8-10pm - which was mixed ages where the kids usually watched videos. The kids were kept to their own areas, so did not disturb other passengers (no walking around the boat shouting or anything - as with some kids clubs abroad).

Organised trips were expensive - we found it better to arrange transport locally. Disappointed that the Marguerita stop was cancelled & replaced with another 'unpleasant' port in Venezuela. Virtually no one left the ship that day as it really isn't safe - Allegedly the ship never stops at Marguerita - but they put it in the brochure anyway! which we will take up with Airtours as we feel that is unacceptable.

The majority of passengers were either English or Canadian & between 30 & 40. We were sat on a table with 2 other families & they were excellent company.