Grandeur vs Splendour

[cheffip]

We are long-time Celebrity cruisers who are considering taking our first RC cruise next October on either Grandeur or Splendour from Venice. Sounds like both ships should be in great shape following their drydocks. I noticed Grandeur is bigger in length but carries 400 more passengers. Any recommendations from past experience on one vs the other?

PS We often book insides so we can spend our dollars and euros on shore excursions. Any advice on interior cabin selection would also be appreciated.

[Albert Ross]

Splendour has just had the full revitalisation last month, new speciality restaurants etc; whereas Grandeur is just going in for a routine dry dock with nothing major planned that I am aware of; so Splendour would be my recommendation.

[Aquahound]

Grandeur is the newer, bigger ship. In fact, Splendour is RCI's smallest ship. Despite that, the ships are very similar and are in the same class. However, Splendour just received many upgrades including more dining options and I-Pads in all the rooms. Between the 2, I would try Splendour.

[Bobal]

Splendour has just had the full revitalisation last month, new speciality restaurants etc; whereas Grandeur is just going in for a routine dry dock with nothing major planned that I am aware of; so Splendour would be my recommendation.

 

Actually this information is incorrect. Grandeur is having the same Revitalisation 'makeover' as Splendour http://www.*****.com/2011/07/11/royal-caribbean-planning-major-cruise-fleet-upgrade so both ships will offer a very similar product in October next year :)

[mjldvlks]

Grandeur is only very slightly newer -- both entered service in 1996, Splendour in March and Grandeur in December. The six ships of the Vision class are actual 3 pairs of identical ships that are somewhat similar. Splendour's twin, for example, is Legend. Point is, that while the two will be similar, they are not identical like the ships of other classes.

 

I have a soft spot for Splendour because our first RCI cruise was Eastern Med from Venice on Splendour in 2007 -- and look where we are now. We loved Splendour in 2007, and after the recent dry-dock she should be even better.

 

It seems to me that Grandeur cruises tend to be longer, so if it means being able to spend more time at sea, I would be tempted to pick her. I suspect there are few ways to go too far wrong on this deal. And sail away from Venice is truly remarkable -- by FAR my favorite so far.

[emeraldcity]

I read a review once about the Splendour (just before I sailed on her) that said this was the ship that the industry would design if cost was not a concern. After this one, they looked for ways to modify the design by reducing public space and add more cabins.

 

That having been noted, my upcoming cruise is on the Grandeur. So I guess I get to make my comparison now. Of course, the number of years that have passed since that Splendour cruise is likely to make a true comparison unrealistic.

[mjldvlks]

I read a review once about the Splendour (just before I sailed on her) that said this was the ship that the industry would design if cost was not a concern. . . .

 

As I said above, we truly loved Splendour. Like the Radiance class, it has a lot of glass and a covered Solarium and I suspect there is a connection there. Like maybe they were using concepts on the Radii that they tried first on Splendour and Legend [and maybe other Vision ships -- haven't tried them]. At the same time, I have always felt that RCI does a great job of giving you a similar "feel" to cruising regardless of the ship. All of the RCI ships I have been on are open and have pretty good design for traffic control. Don't want to be too much of a cheerleader, but We have enjoyed every cruise we have been on.

 

In OP's particular case, I would compare the itineraries and the prices and treat the ships as almost a wash.

[mjldvlks]

OP said they plan to cruise in Oct. 2012. There are 5 cruises leaving from Venice that month 3 on Grandeur [a 10, 11, and 12 nighter] and 2 on Splendour [both 7 nights]. If you only have 7 days, Splendour is your only choice. But if you can afford the time, except for the 10 nighter on Grandeur [about 10 a day higher], all of the cruises are about the same price per day. The 12 nighter on Grandeur looks pretty exciting to me.

[cheffip]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like a win-win with either ship. Since we only have 10-11 days for this vacation it may come down to choosing the longer cruise (Grandeur) or adding a few days on land to the Splendour cruise.

A couple of related questions...anyone have a strong view of Split (Grandeur) vs Dubrovnik? (Splendour)... (haven't been to either).

Also, I notice Splendour seems to have the option (for a price) of choosing a larger inside cabin.

Any views on how cramped or comfortable the standard 130 sq ft inside cabin is?

[mjldvlks]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like a win-win with either ship. Since we only have 10-11 days for this vacation it may come down to choosing the longer cruise (Grandeur) or adding a few days on land to the Splendour cruise.

A couple of related questions...anyone have a strong view of Split (Grandeur) vs Dubrovnik? (Splendour)... (haven't been to either).

Also, I notice Splendour seems to have the option (for a price) of choosing a larger inside cabin.

Any views on how cramped or comfortable the standard 130 sq ft inside cabin is?

Our cruise stopped at Dubrovnik and we loved it. While we have not been to Split, reviews I have read by those who have done both seem to me to favor Dubrovnik. We did the old town on our own. We walked the wall and looked around. Had a great time.

 

We spent a week in a 122 ft OV on Monarch, and while it was small, it was fine -- and the price was too good to pass up. I would not spend a great deal to upgrade from one inside to another.