Just back from Splendour of the Seas

[raysen2]

I know for every person that agrees with me there is another who thinks the opposite, however, I just returned from my first Royal Carribean cruise and I have to say, I was pretty dissappointed. My first cruise was with Carnival 3 years ago, and in my opinion there is no comparison in the 2 lines. I just had to vent a little, not sure if it even belongs here.

[pacthepuppies]

sorry to hear that you had a bad experience- what are the details???:confused:

[camreesmom]

I know for every person that agrees with me there is another who thinks the opposite, however, I just returned from my first Royal Carribean cruise and I have to say, I was pretty dissappointed. My first cruise was with Carnival 3 years ago, and in my opinion there is no comparison in the 2 lines. I just had to vent a little, not sure if it even belongs here.

 

Hi raysen2, we were on the same cruise. Which Carnival cruise have you done in the past? We were a little disappointed in the Splendour this time around but it still beats Carnival in our experiences. What was the biggest disappointment for you? You were with the wedding group, right?

 

Sorry that we didn't get to meet up with everyone. We went to the Top Hat lounge at 3 but it was closed for a wedding reception. We later found out that there were 2 weddings on the ship while it was still in Galveston.

 

Julie

[raysen2]

I previously cruised on Carnival's Inspiration, what I found with RC is that no one that I dealt with in the stores or our wait staff were friendly, they were rude and made it seem like we were putting them out if we asked for anything. The entertainment was not even close to what Carnival had, on our Carnival cruise we were having to figure out what show/game we wanted to go to the most, because there was almost always multiple things going on at one time that we wanted to do/see. It seemed like the food options during off peak times was not as good as Carnival, RC had 1 midnight buffet, Carnival had one every night and each one having a different theme. In my experience with this message board and friends I've asked they say that RC is a higher class of people, I did not see anything close to that. I guess it really depends on your preference, we are upbeat and love loud and entertainment non-stop, but I guess the people that want quiet and to be left alone, RC is the one for them. As for me and my family we will stick with Carnival.;)

[RevSmith]

Sometimes you can have a bad experience with a cruise line...but try and give it another chance...you may be pleasently suprised...I hated RCL the first time I cruised with her now I'm a fan. Go figure.

[HurricaneSally]

I hate to say it, but I think you will find that all cruise lines have changed in the last three years. They are all about the bottom line.

 

I still love cruising but I notice a real change from my first cruise seven years ago.

[Lewdog]

what I found with RC is that no one that I dealt with in the stores or our wait staff were friendly, they were rude and made it seem like we were putting them out if we asked for anything.

 

How did you treat them? I find this extremely hard to believe. We just did this cruise last monht and it was the most service oriented people we have ever dealt with, from the time we hit the pier in Galveston until we returned.

 

We would be walking down the halls and different room stewards we encountered would stop what they were doing to speak.

[Alphawave]

I cruised 2 years ago on the Splendour, and I think it was the 4-5 day cruise thing that changed the atmosphere. A lot of Spring Breakers and people looking for a deal. Several "company" cruises with rude people from Connecticut and New Jersey. I was horrified at a man shouting at me for sitting on what he thought was HIS lounge chair (I had set up my own lounge from a stack, hours before). Teenagers running amok in the halls, etc. I will never take a short cruise again. Last year we did the Rhapsody, and on Easter we go again.

[camreesmom]

I previously cruised on Carnival's Inspiration, what I found with RC is that no one that I dealt with in the stores or our wait staff were friendly, they were rude and made it seem like we were putting them out if we asked for anything. The entertainment was not even close to what Carnival had, on our Carnival cruise we were having to figure out what show/game we wanted to go to the most, because there was almost always multiple things going on at one time that we wanted to do/see. It seemed like the food options during off peak times was not as good as Carnival, RC had 1 midnight buffet, Carnival had one every night and each one having a different theme. In my experience with this message board and friends I've asked they say that RC is a higher class of people, I did not see anything close to that. I guess it really depends on your preference, we are upbeat and love loud and entertainment non-stop, but I guess the people that want quiet and to be left alone, RC is the one for them. As for me and my family we will stick with Carnival.;)

 

I would have to agree with your opinion of the entertainment. We never miss the evening shows in the theatre and usually stay busy all day long. We were not impressed with the cruise director's staff on the Splendour and the evening entertainment. We just took advantage of it and actually spent some time relaxing this cruise. On previous cruises that we've been on, we never have our glasses empty before a bartender/waiter is asking if we want something else to drink. On this cruise, we actually had to go to the bars to get a drink.

 

There was more than one night time buffet. I didn't see it advertised in the Compass though. They had the Gala Buffet on formal night and then they also had a caribbean buffet up on deck one night....not sure if it was Cozumel night or Costa Maya night though.

 

It seemed like most people on this cruise were enjoying themselves. There were SEVERAL large groups on the ship.

 

Raysen2, you should really give the Rhapsody a try. We've cruised on that ship twice and there are numerous people on the boards that are repeat Rhapsody cruisers. You won't find a friendlier mix of passengers and crew anywhere else in my opinion.

 

We weren't happy with the Ecstasy but we'll still give Carnival another try. In my book, there is no such thing as a bad cruise. I'm still not having to cook, clean or go to work and listen to a boss. Lounging in the Solarium or out by the main pool with a drink in my hand, even if I did have to go to the bar myself to get it, will always beat a day in the office! :D

 

Julie

[dougp26364]

It's to bad your first experience with RCI was not a good one. It would be very hard for me to spend the kind of money one spends on a cruise vacation and give a company a second try if I wasn't happy the first time around.

 

For the most part, we've been reasonably happy with RCI's shipboard experience. There have been a few hiccups but fortunately, our first impression with them was a very good one. I suppose if I sailed another cruise line and it didn't meet my expectations from a previous cruise, I'd be extremely dissapointed that I had left the first line that I liked so well.

[Firefighterhoop]

Ok, Having never been on the Splendour of the seas, I am going to agreee with the op:confused: for the following reason.

 

1) I was on the Legend of the Seas last winter (Which is the sister ship to the Splendour). The staff (Stores and the purser's desk) were not very friendly at all. (Actually I would have to put the purser's staff in the RUDE category), and their entertainment was very poor. Not a big selection at all. Also the dining room staff was not very friendly, and very slow, and on one occasion forgot our food for over an hour.

Honestly it was the only RCCL cruise that was not Fantastic.

 

2) Now, saying that, A note to the OP. The bigger ships, mainly the Voyager Class, and I would speculate the Freedom class, have staff that I have noted to be much more friendly, prompt and attentive. Also, they have more cruise director's staff, so more games are played, and they have options like Ice Skating and other things to do or see during the down time that you experianced on the Splendour, and I on the Legend.

 

Each Cruise line has their positives and negitives, but as I just suggested, try a larger ship, I think you will like that a lot more!

 

Scott

[raysen2]

Don't get me wrong, we had fun, anything is better than work. Our steward was really nice, as were all the others we passed. The people wiping down the elevators were nice, the Adventure Ocean people were nice. Our main waiter and his assistant turned into jerks by Tuesday, we ordered my nephew a peanut butter sandwich, the head waiter brings it back with peanut butter and jelly, so we told him we only wanted peanut butter and that is where it all went down hill. He immediately got an attitude when we had him correct the sandwich, I'm sorry but you can't make a 3 year old eat it anyways. My daughter only ate in the dining room 1 time the whole cruise, however, I still gave my waiters the full 15% gratuity for her, maybe I should have re-thought that. The head waiter was really cool, he would come around and do magic tricks at our table for the kids, by Wednesday we never saw him again. On Wednesday evening our main waiter asked how dinner was and I told him what I thought, I told him I felt like since we had given our tips the service had gone way down, ofcourse he disagreed with me.

 

We were in the cruisin' store (t-shirt and souvenier store) just about every night and not one time did we encounter a friendly person working there. The first night we tried to go they weren't even open until at least an hour after the scheduled time.

 

And Julie, you are soo correct on the drinks, we couldn't hardly get anyone to wait on us. We had to go get it all ourselves. With Carnival it got to the point they were annoying because they were all over you trying to get you a drink. However, Splendour's wait staff did get better towards the end of the cruise.

 

I don't know, maybe my first cruise was soooo good that it set my standards way too high. My first one was a 7 day, but there wasn't any teenagers really bothering me on this cruise, the people were fine except the LOSER at the pool who wanted to start a fight with me over my magazine, that was over a year old, by saying it was hers.

 

It was a vacation so I hate to complain too much and it wasn't all bad, like I said our room steward was real nice. And the casino did get to take some of my money, and all of my family was there, and that was the most important. Thanks all of you for allowing me to have a negative opinion against what is obviously a reputable company otherwise the ones that love RC wouldn't keep using them.

[Merion_Mom]

2) Now, saying that, A note to the OP. The bigger ships, mainly the Voyager Class, and I would speculate the Freedom class, have staff that I have noted to be much more friendly, prompt and attentive. Also, they have more cruise director's staff, so more games are played, and they have options like Ice Skating and other things to do or see during the down time that you experianced on the Splendour, and I on the Legend.

 

Each Cruise line has their positives and negitives, but as I just suggested, try a larger ship, I think you will like that a lot more!

 

Scott

Scott, without getting into a p***ing contest, I'm going to disagree with this thought. I have been on Voyager, Explorer, Enchantment and Sovereign. BY FAR, the friendliest staff, both individually and as a whole, was the Sovereign's. Explorer and Voyager were fine, but in terms of FRIENDLINESS, EFFICIENCY and general all-round LIKEABILITY, I give the crown, hands down, to the crew of the Sovereign. The only nasty, BAD steward we ever had was on the Voyager.

 

What I mean by posting this is to say that you may find unfriendly people on any ship. I don't really think it's connected to "big ship" or "small ship".

[nrdsb4]

I don't know, maybe my first cruise was soooo good that it set my standards way too high. My first one was a 7 day, but there wasn't any teenagers really bothering me on this cruise, the people were fine except the LOSER at the pool who wanted to start a fight with me over my magazine, that was over a year old, by saying it was hers.

 

 

That's the story I want to hear!

[vickiw0318]

We cruised on the Splendour the end of January and had such a good time that we booked for the same time in 2007. Our waiter was wonderful - even to the point of getting all courses of an evening's dinner sent to our cabin when we were too tried one evening to go to dinner. (He may have very much appreciated our letting him know we weren't going to be at the table that night.) He did the same thing for a tablemate who wasn't feeling well - personally delivered her dinner to her cabin. Our room steward was also terrific. We had great service in the Windjammer and in the shop on board that we frequented. We visited the Purser's desk twice and were treated courteously.

 

We were on the ship to relax and we did a good job of it. We had more active tablemates and it sure sounded like they were managing to find plenty to do - from trying to work in the shows to karaoke to the dances up in the Viking Crown Lounge.

 

It does sound like this may be the wrong ship for the OP, but I didn't want all the other posters reading this to think that there were no good experiences on board. We had a great time and were treated famously.

[bubbadog]

hi ray sorry it didnt go so well,hey maybe try princess,ive had good luck with them:)))))and ive been on rci too,but i like princess better,just a thought:))

[Firefighterhoop]

Scott, without getting into a p***ing contest, I'm going to disagree with this thought. I have been on Voyager, Explorer, Enchantment and Sovereign. BY FAR, the friendliest staff, both individually and as a whole, was the Sovereign's. Explorer and Voyager were fine, but in terms of FRIENDLINESS, EFFICIENCY and general all-round LIKEABILITY, I give the crown, hands down, to the crew of the Sovereign. The only nasty, BAD steward we ever had was on the Voyager.

 

What I mean by posting this is to say that you may find unfriendly people on any ship. I don't really think it's connected to "big ship" or "small ship".

 

Hi Merion Mom,

 

Don't worry about getting into a match, the view I expressed was what I have noticed, and is my opinion,, as well as you are entitiled to your opinion and observations. You have been on 2 ships that I have not been on (Voyager and Sovereign), and I have no Idea how those ship's staff relate with customers.

 

Just wanted to clear the air:)

 

Scott

[NancyIL]

My first Royal Caribbean cruise was on the Splendour last April out of Tampa (7 day western Caribbean) - and I LOVED it! I'm sure there have been staff changes since then, and the Splendour's itinerary is different from a year ago, but I'd love to sail on her again. :)

[Bebet]

I was on the Splendour at the beginning of the month for a 5 night cruise. I had previously done a week on The Rhapsody. I enjoyed both ships greatly. Found the staff to be very friendly/helpful. The food was O.K, better somenights, not much to complain about or highly recommend. Everyone experiences life differently, but I wouldn't write off a cruise line because of one cruise, there are many more ships out there.