Splendour of the Seas

[prfctmrtini]

Wife and i are sailing in Sept. 2008. Has anyone sailed her lately? What condition is she in?All opinions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanx.

[deltadoug13]

We are sailing on Splendour of the Seas Nov. 3rd from Venice with 4 stops in Greece plus Corfu. There are not to many postings regarding this ship, and I, also would like to hear comments from past cruisers on Splendour.

Doug

[Bobal]

We just got back from 20th July sailing on Splendour - 8 day cruise calling in Dubrovnik, Santorini, Crete, Corfu, Kusadasi. We hd a fabulous time. The ship is in good condition - very clean and well presented although showing its age in places (nothing to worry about or spoil the cruise though). The crew were wonderful - we didn't find a single person who wasn't friendly, helpful, polite and seemed happy to be on that ship. All our party thoroughly enjoyed the cruise.

 

Our one and only disappointment was dinner in the main dining room. We sailed on Carnival Triumph last year and were knocked out by the standard, choice and presentation at every dinner. We expected even better from RCCL but it failed to match up. Don't get me wrong, the food was very good but it just seemed to lack imagination and appeared more 'mass produced'. However, the standard of food at the Windjammer buffets - both breakfast and lunch were excellent (and far better than the Carnival buffets).

 

Please ask if you have any questions.

[cruisin4kicks]

We sailed on her this past May. The Splendour is a Vision class ship and it was the 3rd Vision class ship we've been on. It was very clean and the crew was great as the previous poster mentioned. This was our first vacation in 5 years where both of our kids (27 year old son and 26 year old daughter) went with us so it was very special. I would not hesitate going on this ship again.

 

Tim

[KLV2cruz]

Checking on condition of ship, and crew. Been on a Med cruise last fall, 12 days, just to long. I feel the shorter 7 day to Greece may suite us better. Prices are really great so far, except the air, has anyone seen it even for now it has doubled. Nearly fell of the chair, compared to last fall at $700 now $1100to1400 to get to Rome of Venice. But to far to paddle. How were the stops? Would love info taking 16 yr old Grson.

[CruzFamleof6]

Wife and i are sailing in Sept. 2008. Has anyone sailed her lately? What condition is she in?All opinions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanx.

 

I have sailed this ship with and without my 4 children three times in he past 19 months....we hate, hate, hate, to see it leave Galveston as it's home port!!!

 

I will say this...the staff is the BEST of any line, and any ship we have ever been on....The Head Waiter, Omar remembered us...even though we vaguely remembered him.....

 

The dining room food is good to very good and the ship is very easy to navigate...it is a little worn however the maintence is constant and daily and they work hard to keep her guest ready! The new bedding is awesome! The Adventure Ocean (kid's program) was awesome! We have 15, 14, 9 & 4 for ages of kids and every night they would beg to leave the dinner table and go to Adventure Ocean....:D

 

You will not be dissappointed...there is no doubt! Actually, my DH just reminded me that Omar let us know the last time we were on the ship 3/07, that the Splendour had just received the highest guest satisfaction record in relation to service than any other ship in the RCCI fleet for the previous year. He was very proud and the RCCI magazine was on the ship during that sailing taking numerous pictures of the staff.....

 

Do not hestitate to cruise this ship...!!!:)

[petel]

We love Splendour! Sailed her 8 times in a little over two years.... Europe, trans atlantic, and of course Mexico. She is a beautiful ship with a great crew and staff. The officers are all great. Enjoy :)

[vickiw0318]

Have sailed on her twice - both four days out of Galveston for a long weekend anniversary cruise. Would be on her next year if she was still sailing out of Galveston. We love her size, layout and staff. I look longingly at her itineraries out of Venice. Someday....

[Krazy4Kruisin']

We just got back from 20th July sailing on Splendour - 8 day cruise calling in Dubrovnik, Santorini, Crete, Corfu, Kusadasi. We hd a fabulous time. The ship is in good condition - very clean and well presented although showing its age in places (nothing to worry about or spoil the cruise though). The crew were wonderful - we didn't find a single person who wasn't friendly, helpful, polite and seemed happy to be on that ship. All our party thoroughly enjoyed the cruise.

 

Please ask if you have any questions.

 

Please tell me what excursions you did in each port? Would you do them again? We are booked next May on Splendour. Goes to Dubrovnik, Kusadasi, Santorini, and Corfu. I guess the same as yours, minus Crete. We just booked air and I just about fell off the chair. We are using miles to fly free and business class. Cost 250,000 miles each person. We have to go from Phoenix to Newark to Rome to Venice. Also, if you stayed either pre or post cruise in Venice, where did you stay? That is my next thing to do--booking hotel. We will be in Venice 2 nights before and 1 night after. Thanks for answering all my questions. :p

[werchy]

We were on the Splendour out of Galveston in February. Had a balcony AFt cabin. Awesome ship, crew, and staff. You won't be disappointed. We hate to see it leave Galveston.

melissa:(

[cruisin4kicks]

Please tell me what excursions you did in each port? Would you do them again? We are booked next May on Splendour. Goes to Dubrovnik' date=' Kusadasi, Santorini, and Corfu. I guess the same as yours, minus Crete. We just booked air and I just about fell off the chair. We are using miles to fly free and business class. Cost 250,000 miles each person. We have to go from Phoenix to Newark to Rome to Venice. Also, if you stayed either pre or post cruise in Venice, where did you stay? That is my next thing to do--booking hotel. We will be in Venice 2 nights before and 1 night after. Thanks for answering all my questions. :p[/quote']I'm not Bobal but we were on your exact itinerary this past May. This was our first European cruise and I will say you do not have much time to relax.

 

In Dubrovnik, we did the RCI Best of the Adriatic excursion. It included about 2 hours or so in the Old Town. While we were there, we walked along the wall on our own. Then we took the bus to a local restaurant (about 30 minutes or so away, so not quite so local) for lunch, and then went to the seaside resort of Cavtat. We got back to the ship about 15 minutes before it was scheduled to leave.

 

In Kusadasi, we had our own tour guide and spent the day at Ephesus and the surrounding area. If you do nothing else, go to Ephesus either through an RCI excursion or a tour guide you make arrangements with before you go. I would highly recommend the one we used.

 

In Santorini, we did the RCI Village of Oia & Santorini Island tour. The ship stops by the port of Athinios and drops all the excursion people off there via tendering and continues on to anchor at Fira for the rest of the day (tendering there also). Our bus dropped us off at Oia for a while (not enough time there), took us to a local winery for wine tasting, and then dropped us off at Fira where walked around for quite a while and then stood in line for quite a while to take the cable car down to the pier to go back to the ship. Our kids (adults 27 year old son & 26 year old daughter) didn't take the tour with us. My son rode a donkey from the bottom the top by Fira and my daughter walked. Lots and lots of steps... I forgot how many.

 

In Corfu, unfortunatley, we were excursioned out. All we did was walk from the ship to the downtown area of the city by the pier. Looking back, I wish we would have done something whether it be rent a car or take a tour of some sort. Who knows if or when we'll ever be back there?

 

We stayed in Venice two nights before the cruise. We were supposed to stay at the Locanda Orseolo but there were some sort of plumbing issues with the building next to theirs that affected some of their rooms (such as ours) so we ended up staying at the Hotel Casa Verardo. We were very happy with them and would recommend them but we had heard good things and we were really looking forward to Locando Orseola. One more thing, Venice is VERY expensive but combined with the cruise, the whole experience was more than worth it.

 

Well, this is my mini review of our trip. Hope this answers some of your questions.

 

Tim

[Bobal]

Please tell me what excursions you did in each port? Would you do them again? We are booked next May on Splendour. Goes to Dubrovnik' date=' Kusadasi, Santorini, and Corfu. I guess the same as yours, minus Crete. We just booked air and I just about fell off the chair. We are using miles to fly free and business class. Cost 250,000 miles each person. We have to go from Phoenix to Newark to Rome to Venice. Also, if you stayed either pre or post cruise in Venice, where did you stay? That is my next thing to do--booking hotel. We will be in Venice 2 nights before and 1 night after. Thanks for answering all my questions. :p[/quote']

 

I've copied a lot of this from another thread which I posted on (so apologies to those who've read it before:o ). We were tendered in Dubrovnik but not close to the centre of town and had to get a free courtesy coach from the dock which drops you in the centre of town. I would definitely do this yourselves if you don't want to take a ship's excursion. The city is unbelievably picturesque and the walk on the wall is amazing, although at 38 deg on the day we did, it a little hot!!.

 

We also did Corfu town ourselves. A bus took us from the ship to the main entrance to the port and then we had to pay for a bus to take us into Corfu town centre (4 Euros one way - a little pricey). It's walkable, but a long walk. Many years ago we called in Corfu on a cruise and did the trip taking in the palace, tour of the city etc and found it a very good tour. There wasn't due to be a tour in Corfu from the Splendour as the scheduled stop was only due to be between 12.30 and 4 pm. However, due to a lot of traffic in port we arrived an hour later and didn't leave until 8 pm, so the ship laid on a couple of excursions including the city/palace tour.

 

We didn't fancy Ephesus, far too hot and with kids in tow :rolleyes: . However the place is supposed to be fabulous but all the advice I read said that you can do it much cheaper if you pick up your own driver. There's lots of advice on this board or on cruise critic if you type Ephesus into the search box. We chose instead to take a dolmus (local bus) to a beach which was very crowded (being the height of the summer). With hindsight I would have chosen to go to one of the many 'beach clubs' which are scattered along the coast. The ship organises a trip to a beach club but you could just as easily (and much cheaper) do the same thing yourself. The beach we visited - Ladies Beach - has several of these clubs.

 

Santorini was a nightmare :eek: . I had read on various boards that the trip to the top can take a long time if there are many ships in port. There were 5 on the day we stopped there so we took the cruise trip to Fira, Oia and Wine Tasting. We did this purely to get away from the ship and onto the land without queuing for the cable car. The tenders take you to a different dock where you catch a coach which takes you straight to Oia. Oia is the most stunning place but when you consider there were 13 coaches worth of people from our ship, along with all the other people from the other (bigger) ships, the place was mobbed and we couldn't really get to see it at its best before we had to be back on the bus. When we eventually got back to Fira, we made the mistake of waiting for the cable car, 1 and a half hours in intense heat with people pushing in, arguing, shouting - TERRIBLE! I was able to warn some of our party who had stayed behind to shop in Fira and they decided to take the donkey down. It walked 20 yards and the owner said it was too hot for the donkey so they had to walk. As long as you have reasonable shoes and can avoid the donkey droppings the walk down is probably your best bet. Our group split up at the same time and they were able to do some shopping, go to a bar for a drink and walk down and arrived at the tender after us, while we were sweating it out in a crush for the cable car.

 

As a matter of interest those people who chose to do their own thing waited 1 and a half hours to get the cable car up to Fira. If you want to then see Oia it's another 25 min bus journey.

 

Beautiful island but they really need some organisation when so many ships are in port.

 

We stayed for 3 days post cruise in Venice in Hotel Bisanzio. It's a fairly basic hotel but very clean, large rooms, helpful staff, limited breakfast. However the location is excellent - down a quiet side street and only a few minutes walk to Vaparetto stops and less than 10 mins to St Marks Square. We've also stayed at Hotel Kette in Venice in the past - again, this is close to St Marks Square but in a quiet side streeet location. I would recommend both. As mentioned before, Venice is expensive and this is reflected in hotel prices. I would take a look at a site like Trip Advisor to try and find the type of hotel which best suits your needs - and your pocket!

[Krazy4Kruisin']

Thank you to all who have give me some information. I am feeling a little overwhelmed right now about all the excursions and about the hotel. A couple of the hotels I tried to book were already sold out for next May.

[RadFamily]

We are on the 18 Aug sailing thru the Med (Venice, Dubrovnik, Ephesus, Corfu, Santorini).

Which nights are formal?

 

TIA!

 

- Tara

[Krazy4Kruisin']

We are on the 18 Aug sailing thru the Med (Venice, Dubrovnik, Ephesus, Corfu, Santorini).

Which nights are formal?

 

TIA!

 

- Tara

 

Can't wait for a full report when you get back, including the excursions you took, etc.

Do you have early or late seating for dinner? Take lots of pictures..

We are booked next May for same cruise, so can't answer about formal nights yet.