Brief Review of 2/3/07 Splendour of the Seas

[In the Pink]

This is some brief comments, so I'm not really wanting to post this on the main CC page, but for those who asked, here are a few notes about our recent Splendour sailing.

 

This was our second sailing on the Splendour. Having sailed her over a year ago, we were anxious to see the changes after her "refurbishment". Well, we really had to search to find them.

 

Actually the beds were quite obvious, but I think everybody has spoken favorably of the new RCCL bedding that all the ships have been receiving. They are very nice mattresses, with very nice (heavy!) comforters rather than bedspreads, and higher thread count sheets. Very nice.

 

They also changed the Windjammer up a little. There used to be a section in the middle where you had to step up and only had two entrances so it was a little difficult to get to. (It's the same on the Rhapsody, so I'm guessing on all of the Vision class ships?) Both the railing and the platform have been removed, so you can enter/leave the area in between the serving islands making it much more accessible.

 

The tables and chairs on the pool deck had been changed out.

 

Those were really all the changes we noticed.

 

As for the cruise itself, we boarded early, about noon, with only about 10-15 people in front of us. Now let me try to explain what happened after we presented our Set Sail Pass and ID's. This was our 5th cruise, so our final cruise as Gold Members. We were at check in station #2, so immediately to our left is the gate where they were taking boarding photos and the escalator up to the ship gangway. We started to go that way and we were stopped and asked if we were Platinum. We said, no, we're Gold, so he said, "Well, you'll have to go that way" and pointed in the other direction. So, okay, we head off that way, get to the end of the bank of check in stations, go through the door, take a left and go up a hallway BEHIND the check in stations, then another left, and guess where we are? Right back at the point where they are taking boarding photos and the escalator up to the ship gangway!!!!!! Now is that CHEESY or is that CHEESY?!?!?!?! I can completely understand if there is a separate lounge area or check in station or to not have to wait in line or something that is of benefit to Platinum and above members, but to "create" a "benefit" of not having to walk around in a circle to get to the same point is absolutely ridiculous!

So,we laughed all the way up the gangplank.

 

Naturally, we headed to the Windjammer for lunch. Noticed they no longer felt it was necessary to have a staff member standing there to hand us a plate. Thought that was great. Noticed that there were hand sanitizing stations at the door, but really sort of pushed back out of the way, so you had to know to look for them. To me they should be almost where you have to trip over them to get past them.

 

Lunch was great! Even finicky DH was happy. Later found that this was to be true on the whole cruise. I actually wrote a letter to the Executive Chef while on board and told him that the food on that cruise was the best we had experienced on a cruise yet. I don't know if that is an upgrade on RCCL's part, or his, but everything was much tastier. Now don't get me wrong, I've never complained about the food and have always found more than enough to feed my pie-hole, but many times I did have to think "not bad for the number of meals they prepare everyday", right? Not this time.

 

Because we were trying to economize just to be able to "get out there", and secondly because it is DH's preference, we had an inside cabin. I really struggled with wanting to go open the curtains to get some light in, and DH even finally admitted that we need more than a "1 butt cabin" and that that would be our last inside. YEAH!!! Of course, we already have an aft balcony booked for the Voyager in Jan '08, so we'll see what we book after that.

 

Anyway, first night, I'm unpacking and putting things up and notice a definite lack of tidy whities. I ask DH if he packed them somewhere else to which he replied, apparently not! Good job.

 

Next I realize our shoe bag and our shore bag (backpack) haven't shown up. Never did, actually. But that gave the Purser's desk a chance to impress me. Do you know they actually have a little room with clothing, shoes, etc. where you can go pick something out to borrow?! So, they loaned me a pair of shoes for formal night. Half a size too big, but that wasn't bad for a couple of hours. They had the tux rental send a pair of shoes up for DH. And since she apparently thought his tidy whities were in the lost luggage also, she also gave me a coupon to have up to 10 pieces laundered for free. (DH refused to send out his undies every night though!).

 

Luckily, we didn't have an excursion booked in Coz so we planned to just go shopping for undies and shoes before we hit the beach. And then guess what we found just inside our back door when we got home? The two bags DH had never even loaded in the car!

 

Anyway, back to the ship. . . . Day 2, I ordered room service for the first time so I could have coffee while getting dressed, makeup, etc. Coffee was cold, and there were 3 little creamer packets. I put that much in ONE cup! So, she had to bring me more, which meant a second tip. After that I ordered coffee for 2 and wrote on the form to bring LOTS of cream, which seemed to get the job done.

 

This was Superbowl Sunday so they had a "Superbowl party" in the Top Hat lounge with hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza, and chips with specials on buckets of beer. Of course this was formal night so it did put a damper on those activities. Dining room was about half empty that night (which had a secondary impact of 13-18 foot seas).

 

Cabin steward was great. I had 3 special requests...... we needed a Sharps container for diabetic testing product disposal, I wanted extra ice in my small soft-sided cooler (we do bring on our own softdrinks), and I needed an extra washcloth every evening. Two out of three aren't bad. I always have a hard time getting them to remember to leave that extra washcloth.

 

First night I asked head waiter to please bring me a shrimp cocktail every evening (recently diagnosed diabetic and on Weight Watchers to try to lower weight to put diabetes in remission). This way if I eat two appetizers, I won't eat as much dinner, etc. No problem. He not only brings me one, he brings one "for the table" . Next night he brings two "for the table", and finally ended up bringing three "for the table". Tablemates were thrilled.

 

Our hired entertainers were a gentleman from Louisiana with a dummy act "Chuckie the Duck" "NOT a ventriloquist" he kept saying, but with a VERY cute act. And the dumb blonde passenger from California who never heard of the song "Old McDonald Had a Farm" made it an absolute scream. He couldn't have paid her to make it any funnier. The second performer was a female vocalist with whom we were very unimpressed. I'm sorry, but the Compasses seem to have been tossed already and I don't remember their names.

 

As for our second port day, Costa Maya, we took Ivan and David's Chacchoben ruins tour. There were only 8 of us and Ivan was fantastic. Very knowledgeable. He actually used to do tours all over the peninsula for a tour company so when we make use of that timeshare and stay a week in Cancun, we plan to hire him to take us to Chitzen Itza, etc.

 

I think that about covers it. Seas were rough and weather was cool/cold on all sea days. There wasn't a lot of sunbathing going on. Weather did cooperate on port days. We enjoyed ourselves in spite of the weather and enjoyed meeting all the folks we met on board.

 

Let me know if you have any specific questions.

 

 

edit: Oh yeah! I forgot to mention the VERY nice leather photo frames (2) we received as Crown & Anchor members. I just wish they were embossed "Splendour of the Seas" rather than "Brilliance of the Seas", which I have never even seen!

[phill369]

Thanks for the review! Can't wait to go 3/3/07! :)

[bnsilly]

I'll be right behind you Phill...on 3/8 . Be sure to let me know how it was, how the weather was, etc...Have a great trip! :p

[EastTexans2]

In the Pink......I can't believe the suitcases were at home! I don't think I would have admitted it. LOL.

When you pack for Voyager, you better be in charge of what goes in the car.

[zantedeschia]

 

edit: Oh yeah! I forgot to mention the VERY nice leather photo frames (2) we received as Crown & Anchor members. I just wish they were embossed "Splendour of the Seas" rather than "Brilliance of the Seas", which I have never even seen!

That's funny! Ours said Splendour!

[back2disney]

Hi, I have a couple of quick questions if you still have your Compass(daily program guide)

1) Was there all day child care available when the ship docked at Costa Maya? What times were available - we won't to leave our daughter on board while we take an excursion.

2) Was there karaoke or comedy club and nighttime childcare available on the last night? Same issue we want to spend some time together without my daughter.

Thanks for your help.