Review: Splendour of the Seas 6/15/13

[lovestx]

Great review and very helpful! We are considering a longer Splendour cruise (that includes an overnight in Venice) for June 2014. Really appreciated the comparisons to Celebrity as we loved our Equinox Eastern Med cruise last year and fear we will be disappointed on RCI. The smoking policy and lack of Blu are our biggest concerns. This review is helpful.

[peteukmcr]

You're welcome.

 

We booked all excursions through RCI. As mentioned in Katakolon, we decided not to do any excursions as Olympia did not interest us. There are shuttles running. Cost was $10.00 I remember correctly. We never used them due to tours booked in other ports.

 

Also in Dubrovnik they were taking the euro and U.S dollar. Of course as of today Durbrovnik is now part of the European union.

 

I kept my Compass and will try to get them scanned and posted.

 

You will have a great time. Great itinerary and a great ship and crew. :)

Thanks for the info, much appreciated.

[scottishwee35]

Thank you for your lovely trip report and photos. They are so beautiful.

 

We are going on 19th July and my daughter was asking me if she get football top at Croatia, we realised that it is not euro and do we exchange the money before go to Venice? My daughter love to have football top as she collect when we go on trip in Europe!! I thought she give it up as she grown up but no!!

 

Euros, Croatia and Turkey lira...

 

Anyway, I love your photos of sunset...

 

We booked all excursions apart from Corfu, we decide to hire a car and drive to beach etc... hope we got right decision as my husband Ian had been in Corfu before and he don't want excursion.

 

Scottishwee35

[Holly2]

We also sailed on the Equinox and Constellation and were on the Splendour. You might want to read my review of the Splendour on the review board, also has comparisons to Celebrity.

[Cruising89143]

Great review and very helpful! We are considering a longer Splendour cruise (that includes an overnight in Venice) for June 2014. Really appreciated the comparisons to Celebrity as we loved our Equinox Eastern Med cruise last year and fear we will be disappointed on RCI. The smoking policy and lack of Blu are our biggest concerns. This review is helpful.

 

I don't think that you will be disappointed. The Splendour is a great ship but there will be differences compared to X. This was really the first cruise on RCI where we had an issue with smokers on the balcony but that chance is there. I suggest giving it a try if you really like the intinerary.

[Cruising89143]

Thanks for the info, much appreciated.

 

You're welcome.

[Cruising89143]

Thank you for your lovely trip report and photos. They are so beautiful.

 

We are going on 19th July and my daughter was asking me if she get football top at Croatia, we realised that it is not euro and do we exchange the money before go to Venice? My daughter love to have football top as she collect when we go on trip in Europe!! I thought she give it up as she grown up but no!!

 

Euros, Croatia and Turkey lira...

 

Anyway, I love your photos of sunset...

 

We booked all excursions apart from Corfu, we decide to hire a car and drive to beach etc... hope we got right decision as my husband Ian had been in Corfu before and he don't want excursion.

 

Scottishwee35

 

Euros should not be an issue in Dubrovnik. They were taking euros and the U.S dollar in many places on our visit.

[Cruising89143]

A couple of other comments about suite perks. Since RCI stopped placing chocolates on the pillow in all cabins, they had still been placing the Ghiradelli Chocolates in suites. Never happened at all on this cruise. Not a big deal to us as we usually just stacked them up but we did notice.

 

Also in the past there would be some type of Canapes dropped off each day. They was taken down to two days on this cruise. Again, not a deal breaker but noticed.

 

Also on the first afternoon after boarding our room steward came by to introduce himself. He told us that he would be off duty after 6:00 the first evening only and would not be providing turn down service or refreshing the cabin. We did leave our room shortly before six that evening and he took care of it but had it been much later there would not have been service. He stated that turn around days were a long day for them and they shortened their evenings.

 

Not sure if the above is fleet wide but this is what we experienced last week. As I mentioned in my review, just small things that I noticed during the week that had changed.

[Topo Gigio]

Looking to book the Splendour from Venice to Barcelona from Nov.16-Nov 23 and take the Serenade Transatlantic on the 27th also out of Barcelona.

[Cruising89143]

Looking to book the Splendour from Venice to Barcelona from Nov.16-Nov 23 and take the Serenade Transatlantic on the 27th also out of Barcelona.

 

That would be a great itinerary for both legs of the trip.

[PH8]

What a great review and the pics(and videos) are super...Love the Bocelli music..Makes me want to go NOW!

 

But you can be sure Gordon,if I ever do go to the Med,I'll be asking you all about it.Seems like you really did a lot of research!!:D:D

[Board_Shorts]

Beautiful pictures! Thanks for the great review. :)

[Cruising89143]

What a great review and the pics(and videos) are super...Love the Bocelli music..Makes me want to go NOW!

 

But you can be sure Gordon,if I ever do go to the Med,I'll be asking you all about it.Seems like you really did a lot of research!!:D:D

 

Thanks Kathy, Planning was have the fun. You and Dennis need to jump on the Splendour. It was a great itinerary.

 

Beautiful pictures! Thanks for the great review. :)

 

Thanks.:)

[billsgal]

Great pics and review, Gordon. I guess we just added another itinerary to our bucket list:)

 

Rita

[scotsman]

Great Review :) looking forward to going on Splendour later in the year :)

[Cruising89143]

Wrong thread.

[carfla7]

Thanks so much for that review. As you said, there is less info on Splendour than the rest. Friend and I will be on first cruise ever on 7th September with same itinerary, so your comments were really helpful.

 

A few questions -

We will be arriving from Venice airport on bus organised by RCI. Friend has slightly dodgy back. Are we likely to have same issues getting to the ship or do the coaches drop off closer to the terminal?

Your photos of the ship look like they are for the RCI brochure. There is no-one in them! Were you on really early and/or up at dawn?

My best guess is we will get to the check-in about 1.00 pm. Will that be the peak time for boarding do you think? I am kind of hoping the crowds may have gone down by then.

Finally, do you - or more likely others - know if there is much of an issue getting appointments with the hair salon...?

 

Very excited!! :)

Cheers.

[Cruising89143]

Thanks so much for that review. As you said, there is less info on Splendour than the rest. Friend and I will be on first cruise ever on 7th September with same itinerary, so your comments were really helpful.

 

A few questions -

We will be arriving from Venice airport on bus organised by RCI. Friend has slightly dodgy back. Are we likely to have same issues getting to the ship or do the coaches drop off closer to the terminal?

 

I'm not sure but would assume that buses for RCI would go directly to the cruise terminal.

 

Your photos of the ship look like they are for the RCI brochure. There is no-one in them! Were you on really early and/or up at dawn?

 

Many were taken after just boarding and we were some of the first on board.

 

My best guess is we will get to the check-in about 1.00 pm. Will that be the peak time for boarding do you think? I am kind of hoping the crowds may have gone down by then.

 

Really can't answer that but it seems that it was never really overwhelming as passengers were arriving at staggered times throughout the boarding process.

Finally, do you - or more likely others - know if there is much of an issue getting appointments with the hair salon...?

 

Very excited!! :)

Cheers.

 

No idea about the hair salon. Never use it. :)

[Cruising89143]

Great pics and review, Gordon. I guess we just added another itinerary to our bucket list:)

 

Rita

 

Thanks Rita. A really great itinerary for a short seven night cruise hitting some really good places.:)

[k9x8]

Thanks for the detailed review. All winter, I obsessed over the existence of a promenade deck, and you finally verified it for me. Other pictures and videos revealed very little. Are there any chairs on the deck?

 

The bit of promenade was one of my favorite spots on the Equinox, and a great spot for watching the pilot being picked up after sail away.

[Cruising89143]

Thanks for the detailed review. All winter, I obsessed over the existence of a promenade deck, and you finally verified it for me. Other pictures and videos revealed very little. Are there any chairs on the deck?

 

The bit of promenade was one of my favorite spots on the Equinox, and a great spot for watching the pilot being picked up after sail away.

 

There are chairs out on the promenade deck. Enjoy:)

[LisaAtlCruiser]

Great review! I am on Splendour Sept 21, 2013 with the same itinerary.

 

I think I will book the "Walk the City Walls" tour you took in Dubrovnik as it sounds perfect for me.

 

For Santorini I was wondering if it is doable to walk up Fira, over to Oia and then reverse it all to get back to the ship. I am in good shape - but realize this may still be too much walking for one day. Thoughts?

[Aquahound]

Thanks for sharing Gordon. Your pics are great. :)

[Cruising89143]

Great review! I am on Splendour Sept 21, 2013 with the same itinerary.

 

I think I will book the "Walk the City Walls" tour you took in Dubrovnik as it sounds perfect for me.

 

For Santorini I was wondering if it is doable to walk up Fira, over to Oia and then reverse it all to get back to the ship. I am in good shape - but realize this may still be too much walking for one day. Thoughts?

 

I read in the ports of call boards that it's over two hours each way. I would take the bus over. Check out the boards for Greece. There's info about the buses.

[Cruising89143]

Thanks for sharing Gordon. Your pics are great. :)

 

Thanks Paul.