rccl-splendour4

Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Brenda Harding
Email: Hardingd@cadvision.com
Age: 47
Occupation: Homemaker
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Splendour
SailingDate: Jan 06, 1999
Itinerary: Miami Mexico Grand Cayman Jamaica St. Thomas etc
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 98
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 96
CabinAmenities: 99
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets: 97
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 88
FoodVariety: 98
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 98
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 98
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 96
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 24 Jan 1999
Time: 08:58:48
Remote Name: 207.228.66.229
Remote User:

Comments

We did search out which ship line to go with and feel that we made a great choice. The ship was extremely clean
and we had more than enough cabin space. We were very surprized. The crew we found we very friendly and
helpful. The meals in the main dining room were excellent every night. The head waiter and waiter in training
were right there when we had a request and the whole dining room staff even entertain you on certain nights. We
had a tour of the kitchen and it was very clean. We made the mistake of taking too many excursions and would
advise some rest days. The entertainment could have been better. Some of the comedians should have stayed
on shore. The Osmond Brothers were good and the jugglers were good. The ships singers and dancers were
very good. There was a medical emergency a few hours out of Miami and they turned the ship around and
headed back for Miami We were impressed. The mini golf was fun. The outdoor pool was too small. More for the
children but the indoor pool was ok.Was nice to see the cruise lines own private rest area on some of the stops.
You could put your feet up and have a snack in security and just take a breather. Was impressed with the TV
communication. You could see pictures from outside you could plot where we are and where we are going and
how far we have come. Also any talks that you may have missed in any of the theatres or entertainment are all
rebroadcast in your room. Great idea.Trying to think of some negative but not much comes to mind. We would not
hestitate to go on this ship again but would like to investigate others.

Name: Bob Spletzer
Email: sandmanzip@usa.net
Age: 37
Occupation: Graphic Artist
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Splendour
SailingDate: FEbruary 17, 1999
Itinerary: 10 day Ultimate Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService:
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 08 Mar 1999
Time: 11:44:50
Remote Name: ip129179-24-91.a.cdc.com
Remote User:

Comments

Wow - wow - wow !

Just stepped off our first cruise onboard RCCL's Splendour of the Seas and had an absolutely fabulous time. As
this was our honeymoon as well, it was a special time that I spend a lot of time planning for. After months of looking
and planning I settled on the Splendour for a few reasons: wanted a 10 day trip - 7 was not long enough to unwind;
wanted a balcony/veranda to enjoy and there's was special (more on that later); wanted a good Caribbean itinerary
- wasn't interested in the Panama Canal; needed it in the month of Feb. since we got married late January.

Once we got the ship narrowed down it was time to beat the Travel Agents about the head and face trying to get a
good rate. Ended up with a great Agent in Florida and a great rate on a 'C' mini-suite cabin on the 8th deck. FYI -
This review is going to be pretty extensive so have a seat and enjoy the trip.

Following the advice of my fellow Internet travelers we arrived around 3:15pm and missed the crowd of early
boarders. Walked right up to the counter, signed in and walked on the ship. To say I was excited is to state the
obvious. It took about 10 seconds of staring up the Centrum area to fall in love with cruising and the boat hadn't
even left port. We went straight to the Shore Excursion desk (again, Internet advice) and signed up for several
tours. I thought about booking my own beforehand, but since this was my 1st cruise I didn't know what to expect so
we played it safe and went with their tours. We did end up getting every tour we wanted, thanks I'm sure to our
getting our requests in EARLY (a definite recommendation).

Took the glass elevators up to the 8th floor and proceeded to our cabin, 8020, port side. It was fantastic, larger
than I was expecting at 20' x 11' plus the 6.5' x 11.5' veranda to boot. Having a couch and 2 chairs plus the outside
furniture made it feel like a tiny apartment. We loved it and admittedly felt a lil ritzy but as I stated, this was a once
in a lifetime event for both of us.

Proceeded to the Purser's desk and got our famous 'blue card' for onboard purchases and used it in <5 minutes
for a welcome onboard drink. The Shore Excursion talk was taking place in 5 minutes and since we arrived late we
missed lunch so we grabbed a slice of pizza and a chicken sandwich and carried it to the 42nd Street Theatre for
the talk. My wife felt like we were breaking the law carrying plates and a drink into the theater. I tried to explain that
this was OUR ship for the next 10 days and we could pretty much do what we wanted but she still felt like she was
going to be scolded. Needless to say, nobody said anything and today she giggles at the thought of worrying about
it.

The 1st night was casual dress night where we met our tablemates (table for 8) and discovered our table, 54, was
right next to the Captain's table on the main floor. Our waiter was actually the Captain's waiter! We felt pretty lucky
on these arrangements. 2 of the couples were from Ohio and the other couple from Portland. We spent the dinner
getting to know each other and were one of the last tables to leave at 11p.

We ended our 1st day dancing a bit in the Viking Crown lounge and dipping into a Solarium jacuzzi before hitting
the hay.

NOTES: If you don't think about it you can't feel the ship sway. We did feel it later on in the cruise but for the most
part it's unnoticeable. The most you feel is when you're lying down and there's nothing to occupy your mind or
attention. Then you can feel it but nothing bad. Did hear some creaking in the cabin but not overly obnoxious or
loud. Slept most nights with the veranda door open and the ocean sound drowned out any other noises. Bring
water or soda with you because you have to pay for them (except for water in the dining room). I did and was glad.

DAY TWO

First day at sea and it's raining! I guess it was a good day to be at sea and it only rained until the afternoon so it
wasn't a total bust. Did room service, felt lazy but hey! This was our vacation! No need to feel guilty. Bought my 1st
t-shirt then signed up to rent a bow tie for $8 because I couldn't find the one I packed (found it when we packed up
at the end. Do'h!). Had lunch in the main dining room and met a nice pair of ladies from the UK plus a couple from
Montreal.

By this time the clouds were breaking and could finally see some blue sky. People started feeling better.
Celebrated by losing $ in the casino. Made up for it by having tea in the Windjammer café and enjoying the view.
Took a nap and got ready for the 1st formal night and the Captains welcome cocktail party.

Arrived to the party late and missed meeting the Captain - met one of the 1st officers instead. Since we missed him
we hung around the party til people left and then asked to be introduced to the Captain. Seems like we weren't the
only ones who missed him because a few other folks hung around as well. I believe it was the Food and Beverage
Manager who helped us and took time out of his schedule to talk with us a minute, then got our names and
introduced us to the Captain. I thought it was nice gesture on their part to take time to accommodate us - but then
the whole staff on the ship was like that. Conversed with the Captain only a moment but made us feel special.

Had a great dinner of escargot appetizer and Beef Wellington entrée. Wanted to get to bed early for our 6am wake
up call and Tulum tour so we were lights out by 11:15pm.

NOTES: It's funny the people you run into. The ladies from UK we had lunch with today we ended up seeing
throughout our trip and felt like we had made friends. Every dinner you get a choice of 3-4 appetizers, 3-4 soups,
salad, pasta, 5-6 entrees (beef, fish, vegetarian, pork). The portions are not huge but with all those choices you
want for nothing. As I understand they do that to avoid wasting food . Two of the TV channels were dedicated to
ship information. One of the channels showed our position, how far we were from Miami and how far we had to go.
It was fun to watch early on in the cruise, but as time past it was less fun seeing our time and location approach the
end. The 2nd channel covered weather, wind, waves.

DAY THREE

Now you're talking! This is what vacation is all about. Sunny skies, light tropical breeze. Even though it's 5:45am it
still looked great. Had a quick meal then took our 1st tender - to Playa Del Carmen for the Tulum Mayan ruins tour.
15 min. quick trip and we landed. There were people herding all of us up to the bus pick-up about 2 blocks away.
Hopped on the bus and headed out for our 45 min. trip to the ruins. The town reminded me of other small towns in
Mexico - kind of 3rd world country poor. Didn't spend any time in town as we headed right out to the site.

Michel and Caesar did a great job as tour guide and driver, respectively. Michel is a Mayan descendant and taught
us on the trip out about the culture and the time period. Once we got there spent 2 hrs. exploring the area and
listening to Michel. The tour was one of the highlights for me because I enjoy walking through history and exploring.
Unfortunately you can't walk into most of the structures but you still get a sense of the culture. By the time we
wrapped up it was getting hot - a nice time to hop into an air conditioned bus and ride back to the town for a tender
over to Cozumel for 4 hours of shopping.

No, I'm not kidding guys. If you take a cruise then expect to be dragged around carrying shopping bags of hours.
What I have failed to mention so far is the great bargains you can get at the Islands. Some women take cruise just
for the shopping! Well, my new wife isn't that bad but we still shopped for several hours. Found a few things for the
folks back home including a bottle of rum as a thank you to my Brother in law. It was nice to get back to the ship for
a dip in the pool along with a quick bite from the Solarium café and a drink. Excuse me, sir? Yes, another beer here
please. Ahhh, love this life. Fell asleep in the lounge chair and got a lil red but nothing dangerous. Glad I brought
the aloe vera gel with me. Save the skin!

Dressed casual tonight and ate duck for the main course. Another killer chocolate dessert. Saw Robert Klein
perform at the 10:45 show.

NOTES: Should have served a buffet breakfast instead of Dining room service. Everybody there was taking the
early tour and with the room opening at 6:30am we only had 40 min. to eat and get ready before the tour. Took 25
minutes to get our food (normally no time problem ) and then gave us only 15 min. to eat before rushing out to
catch the Tulum tender to shore. Bring aloe vera gel with you. You'll want it after taking a shower for the sun
tan/burn you're developing. We never burned and I thank the gel for that. Our tourguide Michel told me he lived
250 miles from Tulum. He works during the week, then takes a 4+ hour bus ride home every weekend.

DAY FOUR

Can someone say Grand Cayman?!?!?

Docked at 11a and quickly got to shore for our Sting Ray City snorkel. A 10 min. school bus trip to the dock and we
were back on the water again, this time with a Don Freeman snorkel excursion out to Sting Ray City. Sting Ray City
is actually a location where wild stingrays exist and you can interact with them. They call it a snorkel but it's actually
not necessary. The City is a large sand bar where there's waist deep water, and you walk around feeding and
bumping into the stingray. I tried to snorkel but with 40-60 people there there's no room. It was fun feeding the
stingray and watching others do it. One guy close to me was feeding and laughing thru his snorkel tube (OK - he
was snorkeling, but not many were). Ladies would scream and jump around as the rays brushed past them. As I
fed the ray he glided over my hand and sucked up the food. Felt like a hoover vacuum with teeth. Didn't hurt -
didn't bite, just a weird sensation.

When we got back to the island Valerie and I rented gear and snorkeled a wreck just off the coast by the Don
Freeman shop for about an hour. It was great. Felt like Jacques Costeau. The wreck is about 70 yards offshore. As
you snorkel out you see fish, some coral, then a shape slowly materializes in front of you and you glide over a
huge freighter that was intentionally sunk there. Tried for some underH20 pictures and hope they turn out.

Finished up the day by heading back onto the Ship and having chicken dinner. After several days of very good
and rich food I wanted to give my stomach something he recognized. Won $10 in blackjack and called it a day.

NOTES: There weren't as many old folks as I was expecting. The crowd is definitely slanted older but there were
enough middle and young folks to give it a good mix. We attended a honeymooners and newlyweds cocktail and
there must have been 10-12 couples there. Several got married on Valentines Day.

DAY FIVE

Jamaica mon!

Got in around 8am. There was a time change the night before and I forgot to set our clocks back so when I woke
up I thought we had to get dressed and out the door in 15 minutes, but then realized I was wrong and had enough
time to eat breakfast.

We boarded the San San Luxury Yacht for a Dunns River Fall tour and some snorkeling. The Yacht was quite nice
and we made quick tracks to the Fall tour. Ever since I saw the Dunns River Fall walking tour in an attraction at
Disney World many, many years ago I made a vow that I would walk it someday. That day finally arrived. The Falls
is a 940' waterfall that you walk up by forming a human hand holding chain and going up it slowly. We stopped
several times for photos and the video guy. Took about 45 minutes to climb, then you can walk stairs back down to
the boat. We got soaked during the trip and had a blast. It was slippery in spots, and the water is rushing by you
quickly, but I saw nobody fall or get hurt - even the Sr. Citizens made it up safely.

The snorkel was just as fun. I tried to not swim around much but stayed at only a few coral reefs and floated there.
After being there a minute or 2 the fish start to materialize and you get a much better show than just swimming and
moving around all the time. After 45 min. we got back into the boat, got a quick fresh water shower on the deck
then ate fruit, drank and jammed to the music.

Since it was only 2 or so we walked into town for a lil shopping. Unbeknownst to us the shops all closed at 3p so we
didn't get much action in - oh what a pity. Probably was because it was Sunday and we were the only boat in town
and they opened up just for us. We took our time walking back and boarded around 4:20pm. Had a casual night
with blue cheese torte, pasta soup , beef tenderloin and a chocolate/coffee cake. We were pretty tired at this point
after doing 3 days of excursions and sacked out around 11:45pm.

NOTES: You do a lot of tipping, or so it seems. You tip the Falls guide, the people on the Yacht, if you get room
service tip the waiter, you tip your cabin attendant if they do something special for you. Bring along $50-70 in ones
and fives and you'll be set. We didn't bring enough small bills and had to scramble for change a few times.

DAY SIX

A day at sea - a day to rest - yahoo!

Felt like a weekend day of rest after the last several days of touring and swimming and walking around. Celebrated
by sleeping in and ordering room service for the verandah. One of the best things about the Splendour verandah
(besides having one) was that it wasn't carved out of the bulkhead. You've probably seen balcony's that are really
just holes cut into the bulkhead. These balconies had glass walls, so when you're sitting down you can see through
the glass and into the ocean. Other verandah's you would see diddly because it's a bulkhead. That was a BIG plus
for us.

Spent the day playing mini golf, entered the black jack tourney for $20 (lost miserably), Val attended an eye
make-up seminar and ended up being the only one there so she got a private consultation, watched the art
auction, saw the Captain interviewed for the internal ship TV channel, had lunch with some good ole folks from
Tennessee. This was our 2nd formal night and we invited our tablemates to join us in our room for hors-d'oeuvres
and wine. They all gladly accepted and we had a nice time chatting. Since none of them had been to Stingray City
we played back some of the video we had shot there and all had a laugh watching Valerie and I feed the fishies.
They said thank you for the invite by purchasing us a nice glass heart shaped paperweight that said 'Honeymoon,
Splendour of the Seas, 1999' on it. Valerie and I had already decided we wanted to buy it so it was a great gift for
us.

Another night - another great dinner. More pictures of us dressed up. We sealed the day by doing the disco night
in the Viking Crown Lounge, dancing and watching some of the ships cruise staff dressed up as the Village People
doing YMCA. Even Bill, our cruise director, was dressed all in leather and gyrating with the rest of them!

NOTES: Take time to rest. Really. Some people get so caught up in the vacation that they fail to take it easy. It's
just as important as the tours and the running around. Now that we're back into the real world neither of us are
tired or have that 'I need a vacation from my vacation' feeling. I think the down time had a lot to do with that. They
take lots of pictures of you. Dressed up for formal night, disembarking, eating, playing - you don't have to buy any
but we did get a few. Even bought the Photo album book to keep our honeymoon picture memories in.

DAY SEVEN

It's Tuesday - it must be St. Thomas!

All the ladies on the ship have been waiting impatiently for this day to come. Shopping! ! ! We had a shore
excursion in the afternoon so we spent the morning shopping in the local markets at the pier and never made it in
town. Actually bought a set of dishes there. We hadn't been able to agree on a pattern but found one we both
loved so we got it. Not that I was expecting to pick up our dishes on our honeymoon but what the hey. Also got my
wedding gift from my wife of a new watch - a Concord. We 'got a deal we couldn't refuse' and THAT kind of
shopping I don't mind!

After a quick sandwich it was off on the Leeland Snee for a trip to St. John for snorkeling and SNUBA-ing. A SNUBA
is underwater swimming where you breathe air like a SCUBA diver, only the air tank is floating on top of the water in
a small raft and you're attached to it via a 20' air hose. The raft follows you as you swim around so it's SCUBA
without the tank strapped to you. Valerie was going to go with me, but when they found out she has Asthma they
'highly recommended' she not go, so she didn't.

I loved it! It was the 1st time I had the sensation of breathing under water and it was just too cool. They really took
their time getting us ready for the trip and walking us through the paces. We ended up doing a 30 min. SNUBA and
it was great to see the coral and fishies close up. A few times I looked up and saw snorkelers above me. I gave
them a 'nah, nah, nah nah nah' as I swam past. Even got pictures of me standing on the bottom of the ocean. OK,
the ocean was only 10-12' at this point but still, I was standing on the bottom of the ocean!

All too soon it was time to head back to the ship. This evening the waiters gave us the 'flaming bubaloo' dance that
I won't take time to explain. You have to enjoy it yourself soon. Lost a few more $ in the casino. That night the seas
started getting rough and in the middle of the night I woke up to a rocky boat. I woke up Valerie and together we
put on the Sea Bands I had brought with me. Did the charm. Even though the boat was moving my stomach didn't
do flip-flops.

It was around 2:30am at this point and I stepped out on the verandah to see what the world looked like. It was
beautiful. Actually one of my cherished memories of the trip. The stars were shining, the ocean shimmering and the
moonlight beautiful. Even convinced Valerie to wake up enough to come outside and enjoy it for a few minutes. I
liked it so much I put on a pair of shorts and went topside to the top/front portion of the ship where there were no
lights on and enjoyed a panoramic view of the sky while lying in a lounge chair. I recommend it highly.

NOTES: They had a shore excursion specialist Sonya on board to help with all of your shopping needs. We spoke
with her several times and she helped us out immensely. Cruisin is great because you get the flavor of each island,
but only a flavor. I like exploring and this was great, but the daylong stops don't give you any time to really soak in
the flavor of each island.

DAY EIGHT

Welcome to San Juan, Puerto Rico!

When we woke up we looked outside and found ourselves portside in San Juan. No tender boat needed here, just
walk right onto land. The ship glided in so smoothly we felt nothing. Quite a feat.

Took a rain forest tour and enjoyed it, although it was a long tour. Took 1.5 hrs. to get there and then we didn't
spend too much time exploring the area. Felt like lots of drive time for a lil payoff. On the ride back the air
conditioning started to leak onto several passengers and you could feel the mood of the bus shifting to frustration.
I really felt for our tour guide, a young 20's man who was doing his best to show off the country he was obviously
proud of and people not being kind. He tried to talk us into a food stop but by this time the bus only wanted to get
back to the ship. He tried to stop the a/c. leaking but it was a futile effort. We made up for it by giving him a larger
tip than normal and he was very thankful for it. You have to feel for these people who do their best in areas that
are obviously not as nice as the US and we try to take advantage of them.

We were sailing in an hour so Valerie and I splurged on a taxi and told the man 'Take us to the fort!' There are
several old forts I wanted to view and he took us to the largest one (the name escapes me). Spent 10-15 min.
doing a quick wander through, then grabbed another taxi to the 2nd fort. He waited for us as we did another quick
look-see at this smaller but very cool landmark. The taxi got us back to the dock with about 5-10 min. to spare -
enough time for Valerie to hit a duty free shop in the port and pick up a nice lil leather purse.

This was our 3rd formal night and it was also the bounciest night of the cruise. Going into and out of San Juan gets
bumpy and the ship was rocking. We both felt a lil green but the sea bands helped. Went to the variety
dance/music show and it helped keep our minds off the rolling decks. They dancers did a great job in spite of the
movement. We made it to dinner and ate lightly - there were more empty seats than any other night tonight and
obviously the motion did it. We decided to skip dinner and head back to the room. The motion got to Valerie more
than me and she got sick, but said she felt much better afterwards and promptly fell asleep.

NOTES: As we left San Juan we happened to be standing in the Windjammer Café and noticed the Captain just
below up helping to steer the ship out of port. He glanced up and smiled at us at one point. I smiled and waved,
which he returned. The exit was smooth and soon he and the 1st officer disappeared into the bridge (which is
located one floor beneath the Windjammer). So, if you pull in/out of port instead of using a tender head to the
Windjammer and you may catch the Captain help maneuver the ship. FYI - It's on the port side.

DAY NINE

Hey, hey it's Labadee!

Only 2 days left but let's make the most of them. Landed at the RCCL private resort of Labadee in the morning for
a day of rest and beaching and Jet skiing! We had a late breakfast in the main dining room and met a few older
folks. Within 60 seconds of sitting down we learned that one of the couples was from Florida, she was on dialysis,
he had cancer and that we should take care of our kidneys! Hard to argue with that.

Labadee was great, with a few beaches to lounge at (2 to swim, 1-2 that you couldn't), a walk area, dragon's head
and some nice shady areas. We decided to check out the island and walked around a bit. The shops were the
most 'in your face' we had the whole trip. The first bldg. had a few shops with non-Haitians running it so it was no
pressure. Once you step outside it's an assault on you. 'Hey Sir, I have something special here; Please sir, only a
minute; I have the best prices!' It got to be a bit much after the 10th or 12th guy stepped up to you and tried to get
you into his table/spot/corner. We would've bought more there if they didn't give us the pressure push so they lost
business. Pity. Would've liked to look around more but didn't want to go through that hassle again.

I had set up to do a Jet Ski at 1:30 and we had just found a hammock to lie in together when it approached 1pm.
We were bummed that we had to wake up when I suddenly remembered that we crossed over the time line again
and forgot to set our clocks back. We had another hour to snooze!

A quick bbq on the island and it was Jet Ski time. This was my 1st time on a sit-down machine and I can honestly
say it was the best excursion (along with the SNUBA) that I did the whole trip. It as a lil intimidating hopping over 3-5
ft. waves but after a few minutes I was in heaven. Since we were the last tour of the day our guide let us loose and
instead of taking the island tour we played and jumped waves for about 30 min. or so. I swallowed a bit of water,
not due to capsizing (which I didn't) but due to laughing and saying 'I love this!!' out loud while I crashed through
the waves. When I returned to dock Valerie was videotaping my return and I hollered out 'I want one of these!' to
get it on tape. She told me I could rent one whenever I wanted. Oh well, didn't have room in the apt. to store it
anyway.

A quick shower, tea time, a snooze, a lil filet mignon for dinner and the late show of the Platters performing and that
was it for us. 1:30am crawl into bed.

DAY TEN

Last day!

I got up around 8:30am to sign up for a bridge tour and we got a 10:30am time. Had one more room service
breakfast and then did the bridge tour. There were only two 1st officers there along with an assistant. The ½ hr.
tour covered pretty much everything - the automatic pilot (I got a picture of me 'steering' the boat), full deck plans,
the emergency system, the stabilizers. It was pretty cool.

Attended the disembark discussion and sounded pretty easy. Played another round of mini golf and Valerie beat
me. Attended the last blackjack tournament and actually won! At least, won my round to get into the final for the
day. Since there weren't many people entering I chided Valerie to enter and bet conservative and she got into the
final for the day too! Wait - it gets better. We played the final, hit a few lucky cards and guess who won for the
day?!? Guess who came in second? Yup, I won and Valerie took second. $125 and $75, plus we both qualified for
the overall grand tournament for the cruise. Played 7 hands only and at the 5th hand Valerie ended up bowing out.
The cards weren't smiling but she was happy with the $75. I was right up there with the few remaining leaders when
it came time for the last hand. I had to bet 1st and put out a $500 bet (play chips, not real). Got dealt an ace-three.
Dealer showing a 9. Since I was not playing against him but against the other players I watched someone bust then
sit on a 17. When the dealer came to me I said (really) 'Give me a 7' and he did! Twenty-one! I won the hand and
ended up winning the tournament! Not bad for a last day event. Pocketed another $244 plus a bag of casino
goodies. Hey - this can help pay for the next cruise!!

Tried to parlay our luck to Bingo but busted. Some lady won almost $9,000 on the last game and everyone gave
her a round of applause. Stayed after the game and watched the passenger talent show. Only 4 people performed
including Bill - one of our tablemates and a magician to boot. Every night before dessert he would do some slight of
hand trick that we all looked forward to. I even brought out the cards and did a lil card magic myself a few of the
nights. Told Bill I was his opener.

Alas, started packing but had to quit for our last dinner. Roasted lamb with a prime rib chaser. Saw a comedian
perform and then finished up packing.

LAST DAY

Miami here we are.

We had to be out by 8am so got the last bit of packing done, had our final bkfst and said our good-byes to our
table in the main dining room then waited along with everyone else to disembark. Since we had no plane to catch
ours was one of the last colors called but it still only took I'm guessing about 30-40 min. from the time we left bkfst
to the time we left the ship. Gave our list to the customs inspector just inside the ship and before I knew it we were
off and heading out - the Splendour dropping out of site and getting ready for the next wave or happy vacationers.

S H I P I N F O R M A T I O N

Since this was our 1st cruise I'm not the one to compare - but I can say that it held up to every expectation that I
had. It was clean, big, roomy, never felt like there was 1800 people on board. Even on 'at sea' days there were
enough activities to keep people occupied. Outside of the San Juan roughness the seas were calm and I felt little
movement. The verandah was the best. It really made the cruise special. Never had to worry about finding a lounge
chair but then we never did lay out at the pool. It's not something I like to do anyway.

Everyone, and I do mean everyone was the best. Our cabin attendant Beverly always seemed to be there when we
left and offered a cheery good-bye and have a nice day. She cleaned our room 2 times a day and the latter one
always had the pillows in a different shape - the chocolate and itinerary for next days cruising neatly laid out on the
bed. Our waiter and ass't Dominic and Jose (pronounced 'Joe-se') always took great care of us. I like drinking
water with lemon in it and after the 1st day Jose always had a small plate of lemon in front of my plate for me.
Dominic got to know my chocolate tooth and when taking dessert orders would just look at me and smile.

The food was good and kept us very happy. Neither Valerie or I are real gourmet eaters so we were very happy
with the overall content and taste. I will admit that the lobster was a lil tough and one steak night wasn't the best,
but then I didn't give them a chance to rectify the situation by sending it back like they requested. Probably would
have gotten a better meal. Overall we were very satisfied with the food - the freshly baked breads every day were
great and the desserts too tasty. What was more important was that they took excellent care of us, gave us a
gorgeous ship, kept us entertained, provided great shore excursions and let us relax. I can truly say it was a very
fulfilling, rewarding vacation. Now if I can save up our pennies for a European cruise in a year or two?!?!?

If you've made it this far then thanks for hanging on for the ride. I hoped this gave you a view into the world of
cruising as seen by yours truly. I was very satisfied with RCCL and the Splendour and wouldn't hesitate to sail her
again. If you have any questions send me an email at sandmanzip@usa.net and I'd be happy to respond. Happy
Cruisin ! ! !

Name: Dianne Myers
Email: rdmyers@wcnet.org
Age: 48
Occupation: housewife
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Splendour
SailingDate: Jan.16, 1999
Itinerary: Circle the Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 100
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 100
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 100
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService:
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff: 100
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 100
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 100
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 16 May 1999
Time: 16:05:53
Remote Name: dialup-20-89-bg.wcnet.org
Remote User:

Comments

This was the best cruise so far. The ship was wonderful and very clean. The only probelm we had was a little
rocking when we hit some 8 ft. seas. I don't remember any real problems with seasickness. It was rather funny to
watch everyone sway the same way when we were leaving the theater. The food in the dining room was very good,
and the service was impeccable. We had an assistant waiter who had to fill in for another assistant who became ill
about the third day, he did a wonderful job. Our waiter was very attentive. We requested the international cheese
plate the first night and every night thereafter it was on the table when we got to the dining room. I still think an all
non-smoking ship would be a great idea. One problem that we did find on Splendour was the lack of restrooms in
public areas. The captain acknowledged this and admitted that it was a design flaw. There was no restroom on the
same floor as the dining room, not a good idea!!

I would definately take the exact same cruise again. The fact that it was 11 nights long made it much more
enjoyable. We also booked only 2 shore excursions, we chose to explore on our own. We've never sailed with any
other cruise line, and probably won't as long as RCCL keeps up the good work. As with anything, there are things
that could be improved, but our overall trip was wonderful.

We also chose to go to Miami a day early and spend the night in the Hyatt. That was the first time we've ever done
that and I think it was a good idea. The fact that we are from Ohio and were sailing in Jan. sort of made up our
minds for us. It certainly paid off this trip because we had a huge snow storm the week we were leaving, the fact that
we had a day as a buffer helped to calm my nerves about a canceled flight. It was nice leaving 20 degree weather in
the morning and propping our bare feet up on a sunny warm balcony that afternoon!! It's also nice to be more
relaxed the day you set sail. I know on our two previous cruises, by the time we got done flying all day we were
almost too tired to enjoy the first evening.

Nice job RCCL!

Name: Randy Tatano
Email: RTatano@hotmail.com
Age: 45
Occupation: travel agent
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: Yes
Ship: AmericanHawaii-Independence [Ed. note-incorrect-should be RCI-Splendour]
SailingDate: 6/10/99
Itinerary: Scandinavia-Russia
FoodDiningRoom: 87
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 80
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 60
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 70
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 04 Jul 1999
Time: 08:54:40
Remote Name: pppa26-mobile4-5r135.saturn.bbn.com
Remote User:

Comments

This was our fifth cruise and first on Royal Caribbean, and my wife and I both agree it was by far the best. And for once, we
went a whole cruise without one person asking my wife if she wanted her hair braided. I'll have to think very hard to find
anything to complain about, for this ship's staff seems to think of everything you could possibly want. The Splendour of the
Seas is a fabulous ship and very large...it's almost as big as an aircraft carrier.

RCCL meets you at the airport and is very organized. Incidentally, the trip to the port is over two hours, so leave yourself
plenty of time. Embarkation is fast...less than ten minutes.

Passengers: This is very much a seniors cruise. I'd say 80-90 percent of the passengers were retired. We were told 60
percent were Americans, and it seemed like most of those were from Florida. If you're young, single and hoping to meet
someone, this is not the cruise. (Unless you get off the ship in Sweden and stay there.)

Ship/Cabins: One warning...this itinerary goes close to the Arctic Circle. The sun goes down at midnight and comes up
about four, and it never gets really dark. If you're a light sleeper, you might want an inside cabin.

Our cabin was in the middle of the lower deck, and was right next to the elevators and gangway. Very convenient and
surprisingly quiet. The cabin was very roomy and even had a love seat. A television offers several movies each day and a
wonderful video guide of each tour, which was very helpful when we made our decisions. Cabin steward (stewardess?) Nina
was first rate and very pleasant, though I never did find my bathroom tissue folded into an origami swan. Big deal. Cabin
was spotless and nicely decorated, with plenty of closet space. At one point our plumbing went out. I walked up to the
purser's desk and reported the problem. The purser picked up the phone and called for service. By the time I walked back
to the cabin, the maintenance man was there! He had it fixed in no time.

The ship is gorgeous, and the best feature is the solarium, which is decorated like a Roman bath. You half expect Caesar
and Brutus to walk out in togas. The solarium keeps things warm and dry, which was nice on this itinerary since it rained
and/or was chilly on a few days. There's also a nice library, which looks like something Niles Crane (Frasier) would love. All
hard covers and leather chairs. The atrium is several stories high and a nice place to sit for awhile, but tends to be
dominated by smokers. The casino is large, but smoky. They could easily erect a wall and divide it into smoking and
non-smoking areas. There are lots of fast elevators, which have the day of the week imprinted on the floor mat. On a twelve
day cruise, there were many times we forgot what day it was. RCCL has finally figured out that people on a cruise like to
look at the water. The whole ship seems to be made of glass, with spectacular views from the Viking Crown lounge on the
eleventh deck.

Food/Dining Room

I wanted to change our seating time, so upon embarking I found the head waiter. I tried to tip him when asking for a good
table, but he politely refused, saying "that's not necessary." He must have appreciated the gesture, since we ended up at a
great table in the balcony (number 111) right in the middle of the room, and the Captain showed up for dinner on two
occasions. (Free wine and pictures!) Get the balcony if you can...better view and a bit quieter, since there's a piano on the
first level. Dining room is gorgeous, and all glass. Great views while dining.

I was told RCCL's food was just OK, so I was pleasantly surprised to find out it was very good, with some dishes downright
excellent. The chef excelled on seafood, soups, breads, and warm desserts. If you take this itinerary, try the salmon and
don't miss the baked Alaska. Claudio, our waiter, and Andre, our assistant waiter (who should be promoted) were cheerful
and fast. My empty glass barely hit the table before it was refilled. Note: Soft drinks are free in the dining room but nowhere
else.

The Windjammer cafe also offered buffet meals to those who wanted to go casual or just plain missed their meal time. The
food there was not as good as the dining room, but offered neat things like made-to-order omelets and soft ice cream. Great
view.

Entertainment

After so many cruises offering "Star Search" quality shows, I was bowled over by the Broadway style productions on this
ship. The Wave Revue dancers are first rate, and a couple belong on Broadway. Excellent choreography and sets, and very
creative productions. Don't miss the rock and roll show or the cute little production on the final night. We also had a piano
player who performed twice and was excellent. Other acts were just OK. Most people seemed disappointed the Wave
Revue troupe didn't perform every night, but it would have been unreasonable to expect that since their shows require so
much energy. They also have a full orchestra which was top notch. The only thing we would have liked but didn't get was a
stand-up comic. On two nights where there were night tours, the theater showed movies. The facility is huge and very
comfortable. Bar waiters don't interrupt the show. Nice touch. The Cruise Director needs some new material however. His
jokes are as stale as airline diner rolls.

Ports

(Incidentally, every single port of call accepted either American dollars or credit cards, though few shops took American
Express. Most wanted Visa or MasterCard. Or, as it is called in Europe, "Maestro.")

Oslo, Norway--The ship's dock is about one hundred feet from a castle, and we spent most of our time touring it. It was
terrific and only cost $2.50 for admission. There are tour guides in period costumes who lead you through the castle's
dining halls, bedrooms and down to the dungeon. Don't miss it. A lot of people took a tour of a sculpture park, and either
loved it or said it was totally strange. It was chilly (50 degrees) and rainy so we didn't explore too much.

Stockholm Sweden--Is this a perfect city or what? It looks like a preserved museum without a gum wrapper anywhere. The
ship docks about two miles from the middle of town. We walked after being told it was only twenty minutes. Yeah, maybe
for Deion Sanders. Take the shuttle (four bucks) and save your feet. You'll see stuff like sidewalk massages (the legit kind,
not the nude stuff) and people who seem to be obsessed with ice cream. We went to the Royal Palace (about eleven
dollars) and spent most of the day there. Shopping is very expensive, and there's no haggling.

Helsinki, Finland--Not quite as nice as Sweden, but a pleasant place. Take the shuttle into town (four bucks again), then
check out the Orthodox Church near the water. ( A short walk.) That was the best thing we saw, and we walked around for
quite a while. No bargains here either, but the church had some good buys. Instead of hot dogs, vendors sell plates of
salmon and fish.

St. Petersburg, Russia--First of all, when you book your cruise you'll be told you can go into Russia by yourself if you buy a
Visa. Or you can go into town with one of the ship's tours with a blanket visa. The Russian visa costs $120, so the tour is a
better bet. Unless you're fluent in Russian or with someone who is, I wouldn't advise wandering around on your own. Our
passports were scrutinized several times by military people, but really no hassles. We took three tours, and all were great.

Peterhof tour-A palace and incredible collection of outdoor fountains. Incidentally, in Russia you have to put special slippers
over your shoes for all the museums. Anyway, this was a half day tour and we drove through the depressing downtown area
which is filled with thirty year old tenements. This country is very poor, though it doesn't have that "third world" look. It
rained on the way, and we were struck by the amount of people who don't have umbrellas. The palace is gorgeous but the
gardens and fountains even better. There's even a booby trap fountain that sprays you if you step on a certain rock.

Hermitage Museum- The place has one thousand rooms and is the Russian version of the Smithsonian, only better. I could
have spent a week here. Spectacular. The tour was much too short, only half a day. Warning: There are gypsy children
outside the museum who swiped a few wallets and will hassle you for money, then curse you in a foreign language. The
royal Caribbean people did a good job shooing them away, but it brought back memories of Jamaica. The only place we
were bothered. Shopping: The best bargains are outside. Anything in the giftshop, including books, is half price on the
street. Money spent in the gift shop goes to the government, outside, it goes to these poor folks trying to make a living. The
best bargains were in Russia.

Last of the Romanvos tour— a day long tour that included a great collection of palaces, and a nice lunch in a Russian
restaurant.

Russian Ballet-A special evening performance just for the ship. (Sixty bucks) I grew up in the New York area and have seen
the Joffrey Ballet, and this troupe blows them away. They invented ballet, so they should be the best and they are. You'll
see a collection of "ballet's greatest hits" but the troupe puts new twists on old classics. Definitely worth it.

We spent two days in Russia, and came away feeling guilty as we sat down to another great meal. At one point I had
tipped the bus driver a buck and he looked at me like I'd paid his mortgage. I later found out bread is ten cents a loaf! The
Russian people look like they want to smile, but are almost afraid. You have to make the effort. Smile at them first and they
open up a bit. Our tour guides were either college professors or PHD students making extra money, which should give you
an idea of the economy there.

Tallinn-Estonia--I really don't know why we stopped here, though my wife enjoyed it. It's just a quant little village with not
much to do. Shopping was decent, good bargains.

Copenhagen-Denmark--Just across the water from Sweden and quite similar. Beautiful castles everywhere and extremely
clean. We took the "castles of North Zealand" tour which visited several spectacular castles and palaces, then took a
scenic drive along the water. At lunch we had a smorgasbord which was unbelievable. One odd thing...the tour included an
hour for shopping, even though everything was closed on Sunday. We were somewhat rushed thru the castles and I felt we
could have spent more time and blown off the shopping, since the only thing you could buy was ice cream anyway.

Debarkation: Fastest ever. Fourteen minutes from the time we were called till the time we stepped on the bus with our
luggage. Incredibly organized.

In summing up, this was as close to a perfect cruise as you can get. The only problems were the passengers who seemed
to complain about everything. One woman demanded luggage a few minutes after getting on. Another wanted her dress dry
cleaned in less than an hour. A man chewed out a head waiter because he didn't like his table. And I was bowled over
several times by little old ladies who seemed to think if they were one nanosecond late for dinner all the food would be
gone. We decided about half of the passengers were people who couldn't afford servants at home but wanted to see what it
was like to order people around for no good reason. The staff was just so nice it pained me to see all the criticism. And be
prepared to be elbowed as you try to get off the elevator. I'm sad to say most of the people with bad manners were
Americans. Lighten up, you're on a cruise.

One thing that was a problem were the children and the parents that indulged them. There was a pack of about a dozen
teenagers who ran wild thru the ship. There were some people who brought their small children to bars after midnight and
watched them roll around on the dance floor. This was really not RCCL's problem, but a good example of bad parenting. If
you want to get your teenagers out of the house, let them go to the Caribbean and get hammered. (One threw up on our
tour bus.)

Other than that, a great vacation. You never get hassled by bar waiters, or those annoying "tip recordings" on the last day
of the cruise. Europe is so clean and polite you'll realize how badly we've trashed our own country, and how poor our
manners have become. It's nice to spend time in cities (and on a ship) where everyone is so nice and respectful of the
environment.

Name: Harvey Rosen
Email: ab297@rgfn.epcc.edu
Age: 53
Occupation: Librarian-Teacher
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Splendour
SailingDate: June 22, 1999
Itinerary: Norwegian Fiords
Cabin: 7537
FoodDiningRoom: 94
CruiseDirector: 50
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 99
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 99
FoodVariety: 99
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 80
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 89
LoungeService:
TenderService: 99
GoodForSeniors: 98
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 94
WheelchairAccess: 95
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 92
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 50
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 99
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 97
ShopsOnBoard: 96
SpaceRatio: 99
OverallCruiseValue: 96
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 11 Aug 1999
Time: 21:20:49
Remote Name: s216.dzn.com
Remote User:

Comments

Our cruise was for twelve days, flying from the U.S. Southwest we changed in Chicago for a quick trans-polar route.
Late booking by the cruise line made getting comfortable airline seats a problem.

The transfer from London's Heathrow Airport to Harwichport adds a 2 1/2 - 3 hour time to the total trip. We wanted to
stay longer in London but add-ons were rather high.

This cruise covers only Norway and visits both small and large ports except for Oslo, the main city. Overall, the trip is
relaxing with great scenery on most days. We had unusually warm weather for most times but one day was rainy as
was somewhat normal. The stops included Flam (SCENIC with railroad trip), Honnigsvag/North Cape (quaint but
North Cape was crowded), Tromso (interesting but we lost seven and a half hours due to cruise members stuck on a
jammed cable car), Svartisen Glacier was passed to make up time, Molde (rebuilt city), Gereinger (great scenery),
Bergen (historic and beautiful if not a bit rainy), and Stavanger (international with some scenic highlights). This trip is
run only once a year.

The ship was filled with a majority of European or British passengers. A majority of over 65 seemed to be the norm.
Children were kept occupied but adult, shipboard activities were thin. It's rough when you feature that the library is
open, pick up trivia sheets with answers or get your board games and bridge cards soon. The entertainment tried to
cover many age ranges but the seniors felt a bit left out with too much younger appeal--they said. Anything after
1946 was modern, to them. The golf course was only open on a limited schedule, affected by weather and closed for
repairs when it was to be open. Some few activities that seemed interesting were only scheduled very late for
American tastes.

The shore excursions were convenient and many places could be partially seen with easy walking. Tenders were
only needed once. Free bus shuttles were used in another port. Shore guides were provided and very helpful. In
cabin TV service provided movies and information and shore data along with the port lecturer. The Art Sale was
pretentious and overpriced. Music was a mix of popular (not modern) and classical.

Meals were well served but many passengers skipped breakfast or lunch in the dining room (...too formal?). The
buffet was bland and lacked some side selection. The dining room is two levels and pleasant. It is strange that the
main dining and theatre deck had no restrooms.

The cabins were generally comfortable and those with balconies, we were told, enjoyed them. Inside cabins are fine
but putting the two twin beds together made the space a bit awkward. The shower was cramped compared to the
general space availible. Room service was always tops.

There's lots more that I could write but space and time limit. I will be glad to answer emails.

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