My wife and i booked a 5 night trip on the Athena from -2/3/09-to-7/3/09 which was bound to sail north from Fremantle to Geralton via monkey mia but the trip was cancelled due to the environmental minister stopping all cruise ships from entering Monkey mia due to the safety of the dolphins.?(yet to check the validity of this as i find it unacceptable reasoning) The cruise went ahead but the destination was changed from north to south and was now going from Fremantle to Albany and return via Bunbury. Due to the change they lost over half the passengers so we only had about 260 of us which meant we were going to have more crew assistance than usual. This was just as well as we had a lot of pensioners on board , some who were relying on walking sticks and we hit bad weather conditions soon after doing the turn south around Rotnest island, A friend of ours was monitoring the weather satellite reports and said she saw the shipping warning about high seas and strong winds which could be twice the forcasted report. She felt that the captain was irresponsible to have not delayed venturing out into it.Conditions worsened and many were seasick. We went to our cabin to get warmer clothes and the cupboards and drawers were opening and slamming shut. We decided that wasnt the place to be and headed for the stern and in the centre above the props and this was about as good as it got but getting to the bar and back was a work of art. The dinning room was almost empty so we had plenty of waiters but had to watch our plates as they would take off and we heard quite a few crashes of plates from the trip from the galley. (couldnt believe these waiters were still trying to carry ten plates at a time.The following morning it was still lurching around at breakfast but showing signs of easing.Then the further south we went it became comfortable. By the time we sailed into Albany 18.30 Saturday 3/3/09 it was calm. There were some passengers dissembarked at Albany and were ending their trip there but i am not sure how many, but it was a shame as the trip back was so flat you could have been out there in a kayak.Other than the bad start, the ship was immaculate and staff perfect and food ,entertainment superb.I would sail on her again as i have good sea legs, but i still feel the captain should have put us on anchorage on the lee side of Rotnest island where we could have enjoyed our meal and entertainment

We travelled on the MV Athena from Fremantle to Lisbon in a balcony suite. Our cabin was very comfortable and equipped with everything we needed for a long sea voyage. The ship was clean and well maintained by a crew who obviously took great pride in both their job and their ship. The quality and selection of food on board was not top restaurant standard but it was quite adequate and we didn't see anyone who looked the least bit hungry. The staff we encountered were polite and friendly at all times, even when dealing with some passengers who seemed to take great pleasure in complaining about the least little thing. We didn't go to many of the evening shows (it's not really our thing and the shows that we did see apppeared to be pretty standard cruise ship entertainment) but most of the passengers we spoke to seemed to enjoy them. The passengers were generally in the 60 - 80 age group and the ship was approximately half full which meant the staff to passenger ratio was good and there was plenty of space for everyone and no feeling of overcrowding. The one complaint we had was in relation to the coffee served on board - it was pretty dreadful and so we purchased coffee each morning from one of the ships bars equipped with an expresso machine. We were fortunate with the weather and encountered little by way of big seas - just the occasional swell which caused Athena to roll slightly. About one week prior to departing Fremantle, we were informed by Classic International Cruises (CIC) that we would have to change ships in Lisbon and would spend the final four days of our voyage to England on the MV Funchal. It was with sadness that we left MV Athena and most of her crew, and while the Funchal was an inferior ship in many ways it was only for four days and the Athena staff who transfered over to the Funchal tried to make the changeover as smooth as possible. Most passengers were disappointed with the accommodation on board Funchal and CIC didn't do themselves any favours by forcing this last minute change as it obviously soured some passengers opinion of the company and those passengers may think twice about travelling on a CIC ship in the future. In summary, we would certainly consider travelling on the MV Athena again. We have done quite a lot of cruising and don't particularly like the new style of cruise liners which have the looks and grace of a floating block of apartments. MV Athena is quite simply a "classic" and harks back to the days when ships looked like ships.

I travelled for 33 days on this ship, operated by Classic International Cruises, from Fremantle to Lisbon in March 2009. The food was good and the entertainment very good. Unfortunately the good points stop there. The cabin stank of smoke, whether from previous smokers or from funnel fumes getting into the air conditioning system I do not know. Repeated complaints resulted in promises to fix the problem which were never followed up. To compound this, the smoking policies of the company allow for unrestricted smoking on the open decks so attempts to get fresh air after the stale cabin air were constantly frustrated by passengers, and crew, smoking all over the place. This problem was particularly bad around the swimming pool, which was effectively unusable for people who wish to have a smoke free environment. Also, on many occasions I saw crew members smoking near air conditioning inlets.

There were many other problems with the ship. The tap water was undrinkable for most of the time and there was no way of getting drinkable water outside of meal times without paying for it. There was very little seating in the shade on the open decks, despite the ship having frames for awnings on the top deck, which went unused for the whole voyage. Much of this voyage were in the tropics and these issues rankled badly.

To top this off, we were forced, at the last moment, to transfer to the Funchal from the Lisbon to Harwich part of the voyage. This is a considerably inferior ship and the cabin facilities which we enjoyed (?) on the Athena were not available on this ship. It emerged in conversations with other passengers that changes to itineraries appear commonplace with this company.
In short, if you are not worried about air quality, the lack of drinking water, or late changes to the cruise, this company is ok. Otherwise it is best avoided.

As a retired Travel Agent I have sailed on many ships around the world and this was the smallest in tonnage.However what it lacked in speed and tonnage it made up for in good old fashioned cruising! No matter what ship you travel on there will always be some who are not happy and this cruise was no exception. Certainly there were worrying issues of cabin invasions and theft, and the ships security needs attention.
Personally,however,I enjoyed every minute of the trip from Fremantle to Lisbon ( thence Harwich).
I found the ship extremely clean and comfortable and with modern furnishings. The crew were all very capable and friendly, and despite the long voyage, were very attentive.
Food on board was good quality, albeit a bit repetative, and evening dining offered a good choice of menu. Drinks at the bars and in the dining room were very reasonably priced and with an excellent choice.
Entertainment both during the day and at the evening shows was excellent. The 'caberet' style performances were top quality productions put on by a young energetic team of professional entertainers, and musicians.
Shore excursions were well organised and were within the costs of similar excursions offered by other cruise liners. It would have been an advantage to have had a bureau de change on board and I think the company missed out on this ommission.
All in all it is a cruise ship where the passengers have a chance to meet and become friends, and one that would attract those looking for a relaxing cruise, and are prepared to enjoy reading a few books,play cards,make new friends, and relish shipboard life.

Robbery on the High Seas
We booked on the M V Funchal last year, for a 37 night cruise, sailing from Fremantle to Harwich UK, March to May 09.
This ship had established a good reputation, with many repeat passengers.
During last year the Flagship of the fleet, the M V Athena replaced the Funchal.
The Funchal has a passenger security system, for the comfort & peace of mind, of the ships passengers, to use individual safes located in the reception area.
The Athena has safes in the cabins, which the Security staff have access to with an overiding code. This is normal practice in hotels around the world.
Unfortunately there were numerous thefts on the ship,
the most disturbing were 5 cabin invasions, 4 where money was taken out of the cabin safes.
The Company which is Portuguese based in Lisbon, is accepting no responsibility for the thefts, saying
they are "ALLEGED THEFTS", in other words the don't believe the passengers.
Another upsetting thing, is we booked through a so called Cruise specialist, based in Brisbane, who don't want to know about the problem, & are only intrested in their next booking.
The above is a shame because the cruise was very good, except for the ships officers, the crew tried very hard to please the passengers.
Under the ships present security system, I would advise passengers not to book on this ship when it comes out to Australia for the next season.....Robert

As a part of our journey to emigrate back to Canada we elected to cruise through to the UK on the MV Athena. We both thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the voyage and the destinations enroute. The ship was an ideal size with only 330 passengers. The crew was helpful and friendly, the food was excellent, the bar prices reasonable. Our cabin (junior suite) was great and represented value for money for the 37 day voyage. If we could make a complaint at all it was there were a good number of UK born Australian-dimiciled passengers "pommes" and many of those routinely complained about everything. This wasn't a cruise line problem; more likely inborn traits.
We love to travel on the Athena again; it is far more enjoyable than those floating shoe boxes disguised as floating retirement complexes.

WE FOUND THE SHIP VERY NICE BUT THE POOL WAS TINY
WE WERE SICK FOR 2 DAYS OUT OF 3 AND THE STAFF WERE NOT VERY NICE I FEEL THAT THEY DIDNT LIKE AUSTRALIANS ALCOHOL WAS VERY CHEAP AND COCKTAILS VERY GOOD THEY DONT SCIMP ON MEASURES FIRST DAY ON BOAT WE HAD TO STARVE UNTIL 9PM AND IF U MISSED LUNCH THEY WOULDNT LET U HAVE ANYTHING TO EAT WE WERE ALL DISAPPOINTED

Cleanliness was excellent - everywhere you went on the ship. Even in the public facilities.
There was a good variety of food that should cater to most tastes. The staff were polite, respectful and some had their humour show through. what really impressed me was one morning i went on 'the walk' on the upper deck where the life boats are kept and at every life boat station there would have been 6 crew all going through the procedures and being tested and drilled. the cruise itself had a very relaxed atmosphere and easy going pace. prices of drinks were extremely good. would definitely cruise on board Athena again.

We travelled on the MV Athena on a seven day coastal cruise off West Australia. While the ship is only 16500 tonnes, passenger accessible areas were quite modern, smart, very clean and well maintained. The crew friendly, attentive, smart and efficient. The ship was smartly maintained everywhere.

Food was plentiful, plenty of choice and of excellent quality.

Cabins were serviced twice a day, beds made twice a day, cabin tidied and cleaned, fresh towels twice a day when used.

Our cabin was a four berth outside cabin on the Aegean deck but still had it's own ensuite, phone, satelite TV,bar fridge and plentiful wardrobe/drawer space. Cabin was not huge but roomy enough to be comfortable. The point is that we really only slept in the cabin and spent most time elsewhere. Even though the ship was fairly full, there were plenty of places to go for space and privacy if wanted. Plenty of space on the ship both outside on deck and in various lounges. We never felt crowded.

Despite some choppy seas, the ship seemed very stable, rolling was very mild. We did not see one sea sick person.

Entertainment was excellent, a dance troupe from England, various musicians, comedians and singers.

Thank you to all staff & crew!The cruise(Bali Serenade) surpassed all my expectations.This was my 1st ever cruise & it won,t be my last.In fact we are taking along some friends for the 3 day cruise for "Australia Day" weekend less than a week from disembarking.The cabin(category 2)to my surprise was quite spacious with sufficient room to move around between twin single beds.T.V ,bedside tables & lamps,wardrobe,dresser,fridge,toilet,bath with shower,handbasin,etc.What more do you need?.On top of that your room is cleaned every day with fresh towels & toiletries.Theres even a safe to keep your travel documents & valuables secure.
The food was very good and the variety was excellent with a wide choice and selection.Service in the restaurant and buffet was friendly and the staff were all eager to please.
all in all it was a pleasure to sail on this ship and i am happy to recommend it to anyone.