Greece, Lifestyle, Travel blog

On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2

on board a 5 stars plus luxury cruise ship

I was lucky to spend my very first cruise through the greek island on the MS Euopa 2. One of the most luxurious cruise ship in the world!

Arrival on the luxurious MS Europa 2, one of the most luxurious cruise ship 

After spending 2 days in Rhodos with my friend Vicky, we started our cruise through the Greek Islands on the port of the old town of Rhodos.

I had absolutely no idea how a cruise ship would look like from the inside and I got very surprised when I entered the lobby that looked like the one of a luxurious hotel.

On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 lobby On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 lobby On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 lobby

After our check in over a glass of champagne, we went into our room. One of the veranda suite, where a welcome gift was waiting for me : a bottle of Duval Leroy champagne and a fruit basket.

On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 welcome

The Veranda suite on the MS Europa 2

Every room on board the MS Europa 2 is a suite with a veranda and sea view but there are different categories and size. While the Penthouse suite is 42 square meters, the Veranda suite is the smallest room category but it is still very spacious with 28 square meters. I mean, would you expect less from one of the most luxurious cruise ship in the world?

The veranda suite has a bathroom with both shower and bathtube, a walking closet, a king size bed and a living area with TV, tablet, a mini bar and a Nespresso machine that is refilled everyday.

Also, everyday in the afternoon the fruit basket is refilled and every night a midnight snack is put on the pillows on the bed. One of the many small attention we got on board the MS Europa 2. World class service!

On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 Veranda suite On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 Veranda suite On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 Veranda suite On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 Veranda suite

Talking about food I am now reviewing the food and drinks experience on board the MS Europa 2.

Food and drinks on board the MS Europa 2

Breakfast on the MS Europa 2

I tested 2 of the breakfast options. On the first day I woke up very early to see the sunrise so I went to seat for breakfast at the Yacht club. I had breakfast while the ship was entering the bay of Santorini. This was truly magical and the open terrace at the Yacht club allowed me to truly enjoy the view. This is one good reason to have breakfast with everyone else. Another one is the wide choice of food from cereals, yoghurt, muesli, eggs, cold cuts, cheese, varieties of honey, fruits, breads, etc. I wish I stayed longer on the boat so I would try every breakfast options 😀

You can also order in room breakfast. It is perfect for me time in the privacy of your room or the veranda to enjoy the quietude of the sea.

“The open terrace of the Yacht Club”

On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 Yacht club

“In room breakfast”

On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 Veranda suite

Lunch on the MS Europa 2

The dinner option on board is an all inclusive dinner option which means you can eat . This way you can have a buffet lunch at the Yacht club where you will find every day new lunch dishes as well as a pasta and grill station. I had lunch there 2 times. The other days I was off the boat during lunch time to explore the islands of our port of call so I either skipped lunch or I ate lunch later in the Sansibar.

Dinner on the MS Europa 2

There are many dinner option on board the MS Europa 2. Again it is possible to have a buffet dinner at the Yacht club. Note that on Thursday there is Caviar on the menu 😉 This is the one and only time I saw people line up on this cruise. I have been told, it is much different on other cruise ships, people do queue much more often.

Another option is to reserve one of the 7 restaurants, all looking like some Michelin restaurant. Again : most luxurious cruise ship!! My tip here is to be quick for the reservation as some restaurants are very popular.

The culinary options from Italian to Asian food are sure to please every palate. My favorite were the French restaurant Tarragon, the Asian restaurant Elements as well as the sushi restaurant Sakura.

“Tarragon, the french restaurant”

On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 Tarragon restaurant On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 Tarragon french restaurant food bis-min

“Elements the Asian restaurant”

On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 Elements restaurant On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 Elements restaurant

– Drinks on the MS Europa 2 

For those who want to have a drink after or even before dinner, there are 6 bars to choose from all proposing different experiences and a large wine and spirits Selection. It is possible to do tastings. We did one champagne tasting and since the MS Europa 2 has got the largest gin selection at sea we did also a gin tasting. I did many tasting over the past years and it is always a great experience in which there is a lot to learn.
My highlight bar was the “Herrenzimmer” where you can smoke cigars. So classy!

“Champagne tasting”

On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 Champagne tasting On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 champagne tasting

“Sipping a Martini in Herrenzimmer”

On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 Herrenzimmer

What to do on the MS Europa 2 at day time

During my cruise through the greek islands, we navigated during night time and arrived in the early morning to our port of cruise so that I was quite busy during the day exploring our port of call.

When I finished exploring I would go back to the ship and enjoy one of the many things that you can do on board.

Relax on the MS Europa 2

The most obvious thing to do, is to enjoy the swimming pool and relax on one of the sun bed. The MS Europa 2 is not only the most luxurious cruise ship, it is also one of the most spacious one with the most space by passengers.  Everywhere you go, it is never crowded. And therefore there is no need to reserve a sun bed with a towel 😉

On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 pool On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 pool area On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 pool On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 pool area

Beside the pool, there are two jacuzzis, one on the highest deck and one in the spa area that has also three separate saunas, one steam room and a large selection of treatments

On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 jacuzzi Travel blogger On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 spa

There is also a library where you will find books and games and a work space.

Gym in the MS Europa 2

When I am home I am always going to the gym 3 times a week. The problem is, I am not often at home but I try to stay active as much as I can. When I received all the travel informations by post about the MS Europa 2 I got very excited by the mountain bike tours that allows you to discover the different destinations on a bike. We did a bike tour on the Island of Naxos and I loved it. It is a great way to stay active but also to discover a destination with a complete other way.

On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 greek islands

I also used the on board gym. The fitness room is quite small but there is all you need and there is no better gym than one overlooking the sea. I loved the view so much that I could have keep running on the treadmill for hours!

For those who play golf, there is even a golf simulator. I tried it one night with the other people in my group it was very fun but I have to admit I have absolutely no talent for golf 😀

What to do on the MS Europa 2 at night time

Finally let’s talk about the entertainment onboard the MS Europa 2. Every night there is a large program to choose from. Live music, dance performances, screenings. It is all a question of taste. I have to say that I am not a huge fan of entertainment. I prefer a good movie or drinks with friends. For the latest, the Sansibar is the perfect place to have a good drink and dance.

Conclusion : definitely one of the most luxurious cruise ship in the world!

I had the best time on board the MS Europa 2, to be so close by the sea. My dream was always to go on a cruise one day. It was planned for later, when I would be older. But honestly there is no age to cruise. There is no age to contemplate the beauty of our world especially if you do it on 5 stars plus cruise ship. Most people with a day job are stressed and don’t have much time. When I hear my friends, they all say “I want to go here and there”. Their travel list are endless but it is just not possible for them to explore many places, their schedule allow them to go to just a few, if even, every year. Most of the time they are so stressed that they take holidays to stay home just to relax. To all of them, and all those in the same situation, I would suggest to go on a cruise like the MS Europa 2. It is absolute relaxation, great service, and different places to discover all at the same time.

In my case, I went to Greece a few times but I always dreamed to discover the Greek islands. Since there are so many I did not know which one to visit first. This cruise gave me a first impression and I will probably go back to the places I liked the most like Santorini!

Travel blogger On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2

“With the captain of the MS Europa 2”

On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2 On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2

My best partner in crimes, Vicky and Vic 🙂

travel blogger On board one of the most luxurious cruise ship : The MS Europa 2

If you want to read more about my cruise experience, read my article about my Greek island hopping itinerary with Celestyal cruise and about my sailing cruise through Indonesia.

*This trip was made possible thanks to an invitation by Hapag Lloyd.
*The opinions expressed here represent, as always, my own.