Splendor February 2023: An Extremely Detailed First Timer's Review!

[Dr. Cocktail]

The Beginning

 

Back to cruising! 

 

After four long years the time had come to return.

 

First, a little about myself as it can help frame a review. I started cruising when I was 25 (and was practically dragged on board by my best friend!)  and was instantly addicted. My partner and I are both in our late 50’s (in my case, unfortunately only for another few days!) and we have recently  tended to cruise on/in  “ships within a ship”.  These have included The Haven, The Retreat and the Yacht Club. Our previous smaller, luxury ship sailings  were a mixed bag  for us. 

 

Now, as I am about to turn 60, my usual unfiltered comments (that have gotten me into trouble before)  that follow will become increasingly “free” …

 

 My review will sound SUPER critical but as I’ve stated before, this is Cruise critic, NOT Cruise Sycophant!  I will preface this statement by saying we had a FABULOUS time but noted many shortcomings, some easily fixed and some not. I’m going to jump from topic to topic and maybe occasionally contradict myself.

 

Now I KNOW I’m going to ruffle some feathers …. I’m placing my critical thoughts among MANY “True Believers” who have sailed many times and have hundreds of nights booked.  I have no allegiance to Regent and hopefully bring an experienced eye after sailing on, well, almost everyone! I have tried to be honest and convey what I experienced - your experiences may well have been different.  The goal is to be helpful for others, like me, who were/are considering Regent.

 

The Night Before

 

We booked our flights and hotel independently and took the cash credit as I like to micromanage all that stuff.

 

We stayed at The Savoy in South Beach for one night before our cruise - it’s a tiny 31 room Art Deco gem with great rooms. The lobby, while nice, is really only one front desk person but the pool, rooms and beach more than make up for it.

 

We used Uber Comfort for all of our transfers and all the rides were in nice, new cars with great drivers.

[Dr. Cocktail]

The Ship

 

Our Superior Suite had one of the interesting, forward facing angles  balconies that was great - if you could get outside! The locking mechanism was misaligned with the door frame and it took ALL of our effort to open the door. Numerous trips by maintenance never got the issue resolved.

The furnishings were extremely high quality but I wish that all of the luxury lines would opt for light or “summer” duvets as it got extremely hot.

 

The cabin was immaculately clean  but strangely showing signs of wear in numerous areas. The faux plastic moldings aren’t particularly durable. I wasn’t a fan of the long, walk-in closet with the lighting not really illuminating the cubbies and shelves.

 

The decor in the ship  overall was quite luxe if not always to my taste. Great artwork everywhere!  Decks 4 and 5 in particular had a grand, ocean liner feel to them and the overall layout was good. There were many varied and interesting floral bouquets throughout this area.

 

The “Infinity Pool”  isn’t really one  as while in or in front of it,  you can’t see beyond the cloudy rear wall. 

 

I noted one particularly  irritating and one MAJOR design flaw based on the many ships that I have sailed on.

 

The “irritating” was the numerous sets of doors on deck 11 that were not self opening or closing. The doors leading outside at La Veranda self open so why can’t the others?  From the forward elevator lobby to the entrance of La Veranda, one always seems to be opening and holding doors for someone else. Just strange considering the target audience. 

 

The major is the absolutely too small pool/resort decks on 11 and 12.  Why is there so much chair hogging? Because there  isn’t enough deck space and there aren’t enough chairs!

 

  “Luxury” isn’t arriving at the pool deck every morning at 7 to get a chair in the shade. The decorative dividers at the sides on Deck 11 creating “mini cabanas”  take up a lot  space. Their removal would facilitate adding more chairs.

 

Why there isn’t a deck 15 (and 16!)  forward sun deck is mind boggling. Not wanting people over the Regent Suite is a ridiculous answer.  Put in some stairs and a gate, only have it open from 9 until 6 and put in some insulation. Problem solved.

 

[Dr. Cocktail]

The Alcohol

 

The cocktail quality overall was SUPERB - like, really the best! The mixology at the Meridian Lounge was beyond inventive and creative.  I think I had one “ bad” cocktail all week and I put that down as my choosing poorly.

 

I had needlessly  worried about the complimentary wines based on prior reviews and while a daily printed list would have been nice, it wasn’t necessary. It was immediately obvious that the sommeliers have been instructed to offer cheaper wines, but some polite engagement and humor got us great choices.

 

As an example, I was offered a pinot at our lunch at Chartreuse with him practically pouring before I could answer. I smiled and asked what he had in a white. He started with offering a Sauvignon Blanc, moved onto a riesling and then asked about a California Chardonnay. I asked if a Chablis was available and moments later it was poured! It does put more pressure on you knowing what YOU want but not a biggie.

 

The pool bar’s main bartender, I Gusti was fabulous but ridiculously overworked. This area was frequently understaffed and resulted in some guests practically vibrating in irritation which I found strangely amusing!

 

The Entertainment

 

A bit of a mess …..but not for the reasons you think.

 

I like to dine late (8 or later)  which was compounded by the fact that the earliest reservations available for the specialties was 8:30 or after. All the lounge entertainment, however,  came to a grinding halt at around 7:30 and was quiet until 9.

 

So -  if I have a dinner reservation at 8:30, it means no band, Gino (fantastic)  or anyone else for that matter with my pre dinner cocktails. And seeing the show? Impossible as I’m still eating.

 

This really falls on the CD and head office … stagger the entertainment in the lounges from 6 until 9:30 and offer an early show at 6. Problem solved.

 

[Dr. Cocktail]

The Dining

 

Generally excellent to superb with some curious and glaring misses.

 

I’ll break it into the various venues:

 

1. La Veranda

An “old school” ship’s buffet with a surprising lack of high end ingredients. As expected, food from the chafing dishes was lukewarm at best.  I would have thought that action stations with smaller portions laid out would be the way to go.

 

I enjoyed the eggs brought to my table at breakfast but the rest was “meh”. No berries or exotic fruits.  Cocktail shrimp in a bowl, not shrimp cocktails or jumbo shrimp. The breads, like everywhere else on the ship, lacked variety and taste and I’m somewhat suspicious that they were from frozen dough.

 

The cheese selection at lunch was shockingly bland - I’d say “Costco '' but my local store has waaaaaaay better choices!

 

2. Pacific Rim

Truly a jaw dropping space with its high ceilings and downtown restaurant vibe. But - bland food served only slightly warm. A big disappointment. High end ingredient food-court Asian.

 

3. Chartreuse.

Two dinners and one lunch. The first dinner was “off” (food thermal problems again) but the restaurant redeemed itself on subsequent visits. Finally some decent cheese - but brought out on a plate with no choice.

 

4. Prime 7

We ordered waaaaaaaay too much and were embarrassed at how much we left. All hot, delicious and satisfying.  I wished the steak were a bit better but I’m really quibbling here!

 

5. Compass Rose.

A winner - easily among the best main dining room food experiences we’ve had at sea. I’m not a fan of big, noisy rooms but it just all works.

 

 

6. Pool Grill

Hit or miss depending on your server. The only restaurant where they got orders wrong.

 

The Lobster Nachos have nothing wrong with them that some lobster couldn’t solve and the burgers are obviously frozen, preformed patties. Simply unacceptable.

 

The other items available were generally excellent

 

The ambient music in the restaurants is generally terrible - not dissimilar from what you would hear in a supermarket.  Different playlists in the various areas - let’s say Frank Sinatra/Tony Bennett in the Prime 7 and  French contemporary music in Chartreuse for example would be a vast improvement.

 

7. Sette Mari

I’ve saved the worst for last. A train wreck. We arrived at 8 and were told it would be about a half hour wait. We said “no problem” and headed down to the Meridian Lounge. At 8:40, we were just getting out of our seats to head to Compass Rose before it closed when they told us our table was ready. 

 

We headed upstairs and went directly to the antipasto buffet which was basically picked clean - platters almost empty and some not even there. The food that arrived was fine but the noise level, clanging of dishes and overall ambiance was awful. We left before dessert and witnessed waiters emptying industrial strength biscotti from packages onto plates. We were so upset that we sacrificed a Compass Rose for this mall food court experience

 

I would have been perfectly fine with an honest answer when we arrived, namely: “we’re so sorry but we really underestimated the number of people tonight and are full for the evening.  You can go to Compass Road or let me phone the other restaurants to see if they can seat you anytime soon”.

 

[Dr. Cocktail]

Shore Excursions

 

All Excellent. I did the Jolly Roger snorkeling in Roatan whereas my partner did the horseback riding. An excellent dolphin encounter in Cozumel (I did my research - supposedly the animals are treated well in this one) and a positively spectacular Private Beach Villa at Harvest Caye.

 

Still - the cattle call in the theater in Roatan was ridiculous. Where’s the “luxury”  in 600 of us sitting and waiting to be called?  I’m a recovering luddite but an app which would tell us it’s time to go would be a far better solution.

 

The Crew

 

Almost uniformly superb. Just wonderful. The only less-than-idea/friendly staff stood out in comparison. I have to mention the servers at the pool grill who just weren’t particularly engaged.

 

Fellow Passengers

 

Despite all of my criticisms, this is where Regent shone.  Bar none, easily THE nicest and loveliest group of people we have encountered on a ship. I didn’t have to give the stink eye to anyone!

 

Interesting, varied backgrounds and all ready to chat and have a drink - my kind of people.

 

I was taken aback when I was chatting with one lady in her late 70’s (?) who asked if I had sailed on Regent before. I told her my cruise history and she was surprised and asked what I thought.

 

I said I loved it but wished it were a bit better in various ways. She said “true, but where else would I meet someone as lovely and nice as you!”. She made my day!

 

[Dr. Cocktail]

The Bottom Line 

 

A fantastic  time on a great “old school” product that really needs some attention to detail. I liked my cabin and appreciated the high end furnishings and finishes. Generally great food and fabulous cocktails. An almost universally excellent crew but noticeable absence of senior officers including the General Manager, F and B director and Captain doing the rounds. It’s not for show - it’s to actually witness on a random basis what’s going on and what people are saying.

 

An absolutely terrific group of fellow travelers!

 

Would I return?

 

At present - no. The lack of shade and jostling for chairs is a real deal breaker for me. The stories are true. It’s really an unwanted stress on vacation. The “rigidity” of timings of meals and entertainment is also not ideal.

 

Again - an excellent product but just not  for me at this time.

 

I have high hopes for Explora Journeys and have a few cruises booked. I’m hopeful that their less structured product and truly vast outdoor and covered pool decks may be a better fit.

 

[CruiserFromMaine]

I’ll just say that your impression of the Splendor is far different from mine. We loved it and booked another on board and another one since. No, it wasn’t perfect there’s a thread  I started here about our cruise. But it was overall excellent. We’re not big pool people and eat earlier so that’s part of it. Enjoy the other lines. 

[Nachosdelux]

Thank you for the thorough review.

 

agree with some of your points: (wife and I also on Splendor in Superior Suite)

 

1. door to balcony was a challenge to open - discovered that if you "lean" into the door it would then slide easily (of course you should not have to do this!)

2. doors on deck 11 - should be auto-opening/sliding

3. I Gusti was awesome and overworked

4. Meridian Lounge cocktails were great

5. crew was fantastic

6, main dining room excellent

 

However (big difference of opinion) - wife and I thought the food in Pacific Rim was excellent.  We are both big Asian food fans (wife is a professionally trained chef),  Lamb was outstanding.  Agree that the restaurant itself is stunning.

 

we never had a problem getting loungers by the pool, even on sea days (ship was 90%+ capacity)

 

 

Edited March 10, 2023 by Nachosdelux

[kjbacon]

Your review seems fair and while I had some different experiences than you did, each person has something to contribute. The pool lounger issue on splendor is a real problem and it was in full swing on our February 8 cruise. Many days, the sun deck was closed for the strong winds making it even worse. If having a great lounger that is easy to get is very important to you, I can understand your disappointment.

 

I agree with you about staggered entertainment times. We are early people and have dinner in the first wave but don’t stay up late enough for the 9pm shows. We absolutely loved the couple of shows that we were able to attend before dinner.

 

I’m hard pressed to understand your issues at Pacific Rim. We had 3 flawless meals there with food, service, and ambiance to rival any land based restaurant.

 

We had several good meals at Sette Mari too but again, we arrived at 6:30 when the antipasto bar was fresh and delicious. They were indeed consistently very busy and we also had a couple misses there. One issue they had during our cruise was that they back deck often had to be closed because of the winds making the restaurant capacity smaller.

 

We saw the Food and Beverage Manager every day and usually more than once per day. He regularly was actively involved in breakfast at La Veranda, even though they were adequately staffed, just being hands on by greeting guests, clearing plates, and serving juice. We thought he was one of the outstanding crew members and often wondered if his identical twin was on board because we saw him everywhere and so often. I do not know how it is possible that you missed him!

 

Regent is the best fit for us. There are a couple others that we enjoy too. Hope you find your better fit moving forward with smooth sailings!!

[pappy1022]

Thank you for your honest opinions and you are correct, you will get some flack from some. I will be sailing on Splendor for the first time this coming September and will form my own opinions from my personal experiences. Opinions are just that, opinions based on experiences and expectations. I for one like reading about varying experiences as long as they are well articulated and thoughtful and you have done that. 

[mrstanley]

Your review of the Splendor was really good. I’ve been on that ship 4 times.

 

We were just onboard Feb from Miami to Miami. Food was inconsistent except in

Pacific Rim. Service was inconsistent.

Worst meals in Chartreuse along with bad service as we ate there twice.

 

Music in all lounges way too loud! You could not have a conversation without yelling! Very annoying.

 

 

The sheer drapes in our suite were dirty and need replacing. Dirt stains on the bottom of the drapes.

 

Overall things are good but the food was a major issue for us along with the awful complimentary red wines. Couldn’t drink them. I stuck with Vodka!

[forgap]

Very fair review.  We have been on all the Regent ships except Splendor and looking forward to a cruise on Splendor this September.  I think that La veranda and the pool grill are training grounds for new staff, hence the inconsistent service issues.  
 

I hope that Regent can get a handle on the chair hogs.  Fortunately, the pool area is never a destination for me but self centered entitlement makes me want to be equally impolite.  As my husband often has to say to me. “Take a deep breath…” 

[caviargal]

Thanks for this.  We are on Navigator and also are underwhelmed with dining  as well as other aspects of the ship.  Pool area is very congested and chair hogs out early to save their seats.  It is undersized for the ship.   Fitness also lacking onboard with a cramped gym and no classes.  CD has to be in his 70's, an odd choice IMO.

Excursions so far not impressive.

 

I was thinking it was just our ship but seems not to be the case.  I am also excited for Explora and looking at them for next year.

Edited March 10, 2023 by caviargal

[irishwitchy]

Fair review!  Last summer we were on Splendor and would totally agree with your Pacific Rim comments, we had major food and service issues, twice.   On the other hand,  got off the Explorer last month and ate in there four times and all was great.   I will say the woman in charge on the Explorer really seemed especially on top on that dining room.   
 

The automatic doors would be nice,  I’m guessing if they lose electric you may be stuck? 
 

Setti Mari seating is either get there when it opens or pop by no later than 7:30 and put your name in and go have a drink in Prime 7.  Normally there will be a few tables that turn over between 7:30 and 8.  

[Dr. Cocktail]

12 hours ago, Nachosdelux said:

 

 

1. door to balcony was a challenge to open - discovered that if you "lean" into the door it would then slide easily (of course you should not have to do this!)

 

 

However (big difference of opinion) - wife and I thought the food in Pacific Rim was excellent.  We are both big Asian food fans (wife is a professionally trained chef),  Lamb was outstanding.  Agree that the restaurant itself is stunning.

 

we never had a problem getting loungers by the pool, even on sea days (ship was 90%+ capacity)

 

 

I

 

Thanks for your thoughts! I will slowly respond to individual comments...

 

The door was well and truly broken!  You had to pull with all of your strength.... 

 

I wasn't specific enough regarding Pacific Rim. We went the first night and got a table at 8:30. Not a single item we had was hot - everything was tepid at best. None of the fried items were crisp - it all just felt warmed over.

 

Getting a chair wasn't a problem - shade was.

[Dr. Cocktail]

2 hours ago, kjbacon said:

 

 

I’m hard pressed to understand your issues at Pacific Rim. We had 3 flawless meals there with food, service, and ambiance to rival any land based restaurant.

 

 

We saw the Food and Beverage Manager every day and usually more than once per day. He regularly was actively involved in breakfast at La Veranda, even though they were adequately staffed, just being hands on by greeting guests, clearing plates, and serving juice. We thought he was one of the outstanding crew members and often wondered if his identical twin was on board because we saw him everywhere and so often. I do not know how it is possible that you missed him!

 

 

Thanks for your comments!  See my other comments re Pacific Rim but - different sailings/seating times/days may have different results!

 

I respectfully submit myself for Five Lashings with a Wet Noodle!  The F and B Manager may have been there but I didn't realize because he wasn't wearing his name tag or stripes!  The Hotel Manager and Captain were definitely MIA.

[SireDoime]

I thought you were speaking of Navigator when you mentioned the "wear and tear" in the Suite, the service, and even the food being warm.

Splendor is a new ship, still.

Sigh... Wow, this really makes me re-think my upcoming three week Transatlantic this November.

 

Not to seem braggery, but I did book a Penthouse; do you think my experience will be "better"? I have learned that all cruise lines love treated people who pay more much better than those that don't.

 

But Regent is VERY expensive all around, so I assumed that all guests treated the same and get the same service regardless of what Suite they booked.

 

Sigh..hmmmm

Edited March 10, 2023 by SireDoime
....

[Pcardad]

2 hours ago, caviargal said:

Thanks for this.  We are on Navigator and also are underwhelmed with dining  as well as other aspects of the ship.  Pool area is very congested and chair hogs out early to save their seats.  It is undersized for the ship.   Fitness also lacking onboard with a cramped gym and no classes.  CD has to be in his 70's, an odd choice IMO.

Excursions so far not impressive.

 

I was thinking it was just our ship but seems not to be the case.  I am also excited for Explora and looking at them for next year.

Ray, as a CD, is the finest man you will ever meet. I would book just to be on board with him and we don't care about shows, activities or even eating in the CR. He has a ton of energy and people absolutely love him. He has the most seniority by a huge margin and we hope he never leaves.

[Pcardad]

23 minutes ago, SireDoime said:

I thought you were speaking of Navigator when you mentioned the "wear and tear" in the Suite, the service, and even the food being warm.

Splendor is a new ship, still.

Sigh... Wow, this really makes me re-think my upcoming three week Transatlantic this November.

 

Not to seem braggery, but I did book a Penthouse; do you think my experience will be "better"? I have learned that all cruise lines love treated people who pay more much better than those that don't.

 

But Regent is VERY expensive all around, so I assumed that all guests treated the same and get the same service regardless of what Suite they booked.

 

Sigh..hmmmm

No - you will be treated the same as everyone. There are so many penthouses that Regent basically uses it to mean a room with a butler. If you are Titanium, you will have a different experience but more so because you know people as you have sailed so much. If you are in one of the named suites there will be a little more attention but as they take such good care of everyone it will not be a large difference.

 

[Pcardad]

17 hours ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

The Bottom Line 

 

A fantastic  time on a great “old school” product that really needs some attention to detail. I liked my cabin and appreciated the high end furnishings and finishes. Generally great food and fabulous cocktails. An almost universally excellent crew but noticeable absence of senior officers including the General Manager, F and B director and Captain doing the rounds. It’s not for show - it’s to actually witness on a random basis what’s going on and what people are saying.

 

An absolutely terrific group of fellow travelers!

 

Would I return?

 

At present - no. The lack of shade and jostling for chairs is a real deal breaker for me. The stories are true. It’s really an unwanted stress on vacation. The “rigidity” of timings of meals and entertainment is also not ideal.

 

Again - an excellent product but just not  for me at this time.

 

I have high hopes for Explora Journeys and have a few cruises booked. I’m hopeful that their less structured product and truly vast outdoor and covered pool decks may be a better fit.

 

The F&B and the GM you had are the very best of who is working at Regent....widely known for hands on personal attention to detail. If you didn't see them, it wasn't because they were out there overseeing everything. Also, Regent implemented a new deck chair policy on Feb1...it should have been in place if you were there then. The pool staff removes articles left unattended for 30 minutes....and apparently they have been keep on top of it.

[Dr. Cocktail]

5 hours ago, kjbacon said:

 

 

I agree with you about staggered entertainment times. We are early people and have dinner in the first wave but don’t stay up late enough for the 9pm shows. We absolutely loved the couple of shows that we were able to attend before dinner.

 

I

 

4 hours ago, mrstanley said:

 

 

Music in all lounges way too loud! You could not have a conversation without yelling! Very annoying.

 

 

 

 

3 hours ago, forgap said:

 
 

I hope that Regent can get a handle on the chair hogs.  Fortunately, the pool area is never a destination for me but self centered entitlement makes me want to be equally impolite.  As my husband often has to say to me. “Take a deep breath…” 

 

3 hours ago, caviargal said:

Thanks for this.  We are on Navigator and also are underwhelmed with dining  as well as other aspects of the ship.  Pool area is very congested and chair hogs out early to save their seats.  It is undersized for the ship.  

 

3 hours ago, irishwitchy said:

Fair review!  

Thanks for all your comments!

[Dr. Cocktail]

1 hour ago, SireDoime said:

I thought you were speaking of Navigator when you mentioned the "wear and tear" in the Suite, the service, and even the food being warm.

Splendor is a new ship, still.

Sigh... Wow, this really makes me re-think my upcoming three week Transatlantic this November.

 

Not to seem braggery, but I did book a Penthouse; do you think my experience will be "better"? I have learned that all cruise lines love treated people who pay more much better than those that don't.

 

But Regent is VERY expensive all around, so I assumed that all guests treated the same and get the same service regardless of what Suite they booked.

 

Sigh..hmmmm

As I stated, different ships/different dates/different biases .... Individual Results May Vary!

 

I think that you have to see for yourself and always keep expectations in check!

[caviargal]

56 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

Ray, as a CD, is the finest man you will ever meet. I would book just to be on board with him and we don't care about shows, activities or even eating in the CR. He has a ton of energy and people absolutely love him. He has the most seniority by a huge margin and we hope he never leaves.

 

Its nice that you feel that way and hopefully you can sail with him soon

We do care about activities and live music.  We have not been to a show nor do we plan to.

[Dr. Cocktail]

52 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

The F&B and the GM you had are the very best of who is working at Regent....widely known for hands on personal attention to detail. If you didn't see them, it wasn't because they were out there overseeing everything. Also, Regent implemented a new deck chair policy on Feb1...it should have been in place if you were there then. The pool staff removes articles left unattended for 30 minutes....and apparently they have been keep on top of it.

I can only comment honestly on personal experiences, not on empirical statements.

 

I won't get into a fight over whether or not I saw the General Manager but the deck chair policy is most certainly NOT being enforced. I witnessed numerous people holding chairs both in the shade and in the sun.

[Pcardad]

5 minutes ago, caviargal said:

 

Its nice that you feel that way and hopefully you can sail with him soon

We do care about activities and live music.  We have not been to a show nor do we plan to.

My point was that I use Regent for the transport, the food and the comfort....not the entertainment. Even with that criteria, Ray stands out as an exceptional CD. I was a little leery early on but I have come to know and appreciate him greatly. He actually kept his trivia contests going all through Covid for people who wanted to play.