Will I be sorry on the Splendor in Europe?

[Travelalot2]

We have cruised many times with RCCL including taking the the Brilliance a couple of years ago to the med. This was our favorite cruise and we absolutely loved the ship. We have been on the voyager-class size and like it, but for some reason the Brilliance class seems to outdo all other ships to us. We are considering a 7 day cruise in the med. again next year, this time with our 17 year old daughter. The itinerary we like the best for the 7 day offerrings is on the Splendor, however, I have SEVERE reservations about the ship... older, not as nice, outdated decor, low ceilings, outdated looking staterooms. We always book the aft of the ship and am debating between a D1 and a JS if I do go forward with booking. Help! Will we be sorry?

[LEtue]

We have cruised many times with RCCL including taking the the Brilliance a couple of years ago to the med. This was our favorite cruise and we absolutely loved the ship. We have been on the voyager-class size and like it, but for some reason the Brilliance class seems to outdo all other ships to us. We are considering a 7 day cruise in the med. again next year, this time with our 17 year old daughter. The itinerary we like the best for the 7 day offerrings is on the Splendor, however, I have SEVERE reservations about the ship... older, not as nice, outdated decor, low ceilings, outdated looking staterooms. We always book the aft of the ship and am debating between a D1 and a JS if I do go forward with booking. Help! Will we be sorry?

 

We weren't disappointed in the Splendour when we did our 12 night Med cruise but....I wasn't concerned about the ceiling or cabins decor. The crew was great and the service was excellent :D

 

I have seen that 7 day itinerary and you will be spending all day in the ports so I betting you will be exhausted by the time you return to the ship! The aft cabins on this ship are huge if I remember right so that alone should be a plus.

 

After saying all that, if you're concerned about it - book a different ship. The Med is all about the ports IMHO. :)

[terri23]

Splendour aft JS balconies are fantastic. But if you will only be happy on Radiance or Voyager class, book one of those. No sense grumbling through your whole vacation.

[beachnative]

I just read the recent reviews of the Splendour's sailing out of Venice. Some of the negative comments shocked me. My wife and I were on the June 28th sailing and loved every aspect of the ship, staff, and dining room food. I'm not disputing what the most negative reviewers said but we never saw or encountered the things about which they complained.

 

Yes, the Splendour is older. However, the Splendour is still a lovely vessel with a fantastic crew. We were in a junior suite on the aft and had wonderful service as far as cleanliness, special requests, and room service. Our cabin steward and dining room wait staff were superior, the guest relations desk and the shore excursions desk were excellent, and bar staff was awesome (my wife had a soda card and NEVER ONCE did we feel as if we were inconveniencing the waiters as has been mentioned in many CC threads). We enjoyed the cruise so much that we would sail it again in a heart beat.

 

Please read all the reviews before judging the Splendour and when reading do keep in mind that some people are picky about things that others are not. My wife and I are picky about many things especially cleanliness, service, and food quality.

 

With that said, I do have two negative comments...I was never satisfied with the pancakes or french toast in the Windjammer (big deal:rolleyes: ) and the two pictures in our junior suite were very faded (another bid deal :rolleyes: ).

 

My wife broke her ankle a week before we sailed. That could have had a very negative impact on our cruise because it limited us and prevented us from our usual cruise experience. Consequently, we spent much more time on the ship than we usually do, interacted with the crew by requesting FAR more than we ever have before, and had to rely on the advice of the shore excursion desk, the cruise director, and many other crew members for all shore activities. We were NEVER disappointed and never saw anything anywhere that would cause us to feel negative about this ship and crew.

 

The Splendour fits the ambiance of sailing out of Venice to the Greek Isles...she is not brassy, not big, but very special.

[Onessa]

We did a Splendour out of Venice in November and had a marvoulous time. DD (then 12YO), DH and I.

 

The Med itinerary is very port intensive. Partly because it was not a megaship we did not have to tender for any of our ports, which gave us more port time. The staff is outstanding and the ship is well maintained.

 

We are doing a Voyeguer out of Barcelona this November and I have reservations about that cruise. Because after how much we enjoyed the Splendour trip, I'm afraid it will be cattle herding what with the "big" ship.

[maxs mom]

Yep....the Med is all about the ports. The Vision Class ships are merely forerunners of the Radiance Class ships.....lots of similarities. I wouldn't hesitate to sail on any of them. Go and enjoy!

[cb at sea]

RCI does a great job of "upkeep" on their ships--while every ship's decor is different, it won't be "outdated"! Go--have fun!

[suekay]

Beach Native

 

My Mum and I also were on Splendour 6/28 and agree with everything you say.

 

PS .Was your wife using a nifty little zimmer with a knee rest? If so, we were on the same port shuttle bus when somebody tried to load a case on top of the zimmer:mad:

[cruisenfever]

Keep in mind that the JS cabins on Splendour are not as large as the JS cabins on Brilliance. You will have the larger bathroom with tub...........but no walk in closet like on Brilliance.

[Tucker in Texas]

We did a Splendour out of Venice in November and had a marvoulous time. DD (then 12YO), DH and I.

 

We are doing a Voyeguer out of Barcelona this November and I have reservations about that cruise. Because after how much we enjoyed the Splendour trip, I'm afraid it will be cattle herding what with the "big" ship.

 

We will be on the cruise with you and this will be our third trans-Atlantic on the ship. It really isn't that "big." We never felt like we had to pack a lunch to get from one end of the ship to the other and our cabin was towards one end. It is a little "frayed" around the edges in that upholstery and carpets could use some replacing but overall in pretty good shape when we took her last April. I have written one long review (you'll need a Snickers) on our 1st trans-Atlantic and working on an "update" which I will be glad to send you. Email me at whitlock@alumni.utexas.net. The size is just right for me. Large enough so there is plenty of places to hang out but small enough so that you get to know the crew and other passengers. I have been on 25 plus cruises ranging from the old Commodore line with 700 passengers to the Freedom of the Sea and the ship is one of my favorites as far as size goes.

 

Tucker in Texas

[pcur]

The OP makes is sound like the Splendour is old and beat up, and nothing is further from the truth. Let me put it another way: RCCL will not keep up one of their higher priced cruising vessels in a HIGHLY popular market. They will do their very best to make sure their ships sailing in the Med look great and give great service.

 

We loved our cruise on the Splendour. It was our first Med cruise. Best waiter we ever had, ever, on any cruise!

[Travelalot2]

If anyone has photos of a junior suite room, I would appreciate it. Still trying to make up our minds about booking one or the D1 like we usually do. This is the first time we've cruised with our daugher (17) and am wondering if the D1 will be big enough for the 3 of us. Thanks for the feedback on the ship itself. After reading some of the negative comments in review and on this board, I was worried.