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Name: Phil Hovatter
Email: philhov@aol.com
Age: 42
Occupation: Desktop Publisher
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Splendour
SailingDate: 3/28/98
Itinerary: 11-night Grand Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 95
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 16 Apr 1998
Time: 23:24:44
Remote Name: 207.220.174.35
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise in 12 years and boy, have ships changed in that time. We got a
video of the Spendour before our trip, and we were stunned
at the size and beauty of the ship. In one respect, the video wasn't good: it took away
all elements of surprise for us. On the other hand, it gave us a
tremendous sense of anticipation for a long-awaited cruise vacation.
The best tip I can give to anyone taking this or any other ship is to carefully pack a
good carry-on bag with anything you may need for your first day.
Our luggage didn't arrive at our cabin until after dinner the first night, so we were very
glad that we had a change of clothes and shome toiletries
packed in our carry-on bags. Embarkation and debarkation were a snap. Royal Caribbean
makes both processes as painless as possible for all
passengers.
Our cabin was a Category L larger inside stateroom. We found it to be plenty roomy, with
tons of storage space. Of course, it would have been nice
to have a larger shower. The bed was comfortable, the climate control system worked well,
the room was virtually soundproof, and the TV system
provided a wider than expected range of viewing choices.
One of the reasons we selected this ship and itinerary is for its good balance of days in
port and days at sea. Although we enjoy the opportunity for
exploration and adventure in ports of call, we also relish the relaxation and sense of awe
we get from being at sea. We had only visited two of the
six ports on this itinerary on previous trips. Here's a tip on excursions: if you want to
maximize your chances at having fun on your shore trips, make
sure you get enough sleep the night before. If you hit the casino late, stop in at the
midnight buffet, and then close the disco, you just can't expect
to be as fresh as you'd like to be for your excursions. At least not when you're well into
your 40s like I am.
Key West was our first stop. We opted for the bicycle tour of off-the-beaten-path sights.
Our tour guide made every effort to give us a taste of what
Key West is like for the residents, and he gave us numerous opportunities to literally
stop and smell the flowers. The only turn-off with this excursion
was a stop at a creepy place called the Medicine Garden.
Our next stop was Curacao. We took the ocean canoe trip. Where else are you going to get a
chance to paddle a canoe out in the open ocean?
This trip was divided into three rough equal parts: the bus ride to the canoes, the canoe
trip itself, and the bus ride back to the ship. The canoeing
part was pretty good, gliding past towering cliffs with crabs and iguanas scurrying over
them. The bus rides, however, were mind-numbing voyages
through truly dreary countryside. Our tour guide tried to make it as interesting as
possible by providing a well-delivered lecture on the history of the
island, but it just couldn't compete with the snooziness of the bus ride. We had hoped
Curacao would have been a prettier place than it was, but it
turned out that the familiar shot of the old Dutch-style buildings, though stunning, are
the only worthy photo op in the city.
Then we went to Aruba. I've never heard a bad thing about Aruba. Now I know why. We loved
the pristine beaches and scenic beauty of this desert
island paradise. We took the eight-hour off-road jeep trip, also called the 'shake and
bake' tour. Aptly named, and fun, fun, fun. We saw vitually the
entire island, from the lighthouse to the natural bridge to the bat cave. Our tour guide
from De Palm tours was Elbert. He was wonderful, funny and
informative. This trip was one of the highlights of our cruise, but beware: it leaves NO
time for shopping.
Our next stop was Ocho Rios. We were here 12 years ago and did the Dunn's River Falls
thing. This time around, I had read so many bad things
about Jamaica on the internet before getting on the ship that we had already made up our
minds to not get off in this port. Our decision was
rewarded by numerous accounts from fellow passengers of being hassled to death by the
aggressive residents who won't take no for an answer.
This is a terrible shame, because I am thoroughly convinced that Jamaica was the most
tropical and beautiful of any of our ports. I believe that if the
citizens didn't act the way they did, they could have anything they wanted. People would
flock to Jamaica to spend their hard-earned tourist dollars.
Instead, people get back on the ship shaking their head and saying 'never again.' We had
never stayed on the ship during a day in port before, but
it was a good experience. We used the time to go around and take pictures of the ship
without all those tourists cluttering up our shots.
From there we went to Grand Cayman. I had been itching to go to Stingray City since I
first heard of it. It does not disappoint. This is a must-do trip for
animal lovers. This, along with the Aruba jeep tour, will be what I remember when I think
back on this cruise.
Our last stop was Cozumel, a place we had vacationed at many times, but not for the last
five or six years. We were very disappointed to seeing the
rapidly advancing Americanization of what was once a nice little Mexican resort town. It
now has three Subway sandwich shops, a big KFC, and a
Hard Rock Cafe. I'm sorry, but that's not my idea of Cozumel should be like. If you want
those kinds of things you should go to Cancun. Or Miami. Or
Cleveland. Not Cozumel. Nevertheless, we found our favorite restaurant (Plaza Leza) on the
plaza and had a nice lunch. The salesmen in Cozumel
can be a little pushy, but unlike in Ocho Rios, they do take no for an answer and they
don't try to sell you drugs.
As for the Spendour itself, it was, in a word, spendid. The food was consistently good.
This was the first time we had a head waiter that was more
than a cigar store indian. The cruise driector's staff were a lot of fun. The shows, while
not equally appealing every night, were always very
professional and energetic. We had a great time being pampered, fed and entertained.
My last tip: if you can fit it into your schedule and budget, a 10- or 11-night cruies is
definitely the best way to go. On a 7-night cruise you feel like the
meter is always running. Just when you start relaxing it's time to start getting ready to
leave. With the Splendour's 10- and 11-night trips, after three
days when you are able to find your way around comfortably and life is looking pretty
good, you still have a whole other week left to enjoy the ship!
This is as good as it gets, folks. The repeat passenger rate of Royal Caribbean is
phenomenal and is the best testimony of how good a job they do to
make you happy. If you have any questions about anything, please feel free to e-mail me.
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