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CRUISES
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ROYAL CARIBBEAN SPLENDOUR OF THE SEAS
©Bobbie Peachy |
Several years ago my daughter had an opportunity to go on an African Safari over her university's Spring Break. Since I scheduled my vacation to coincide with her break, I had to either go away alone, go with a friend, or stay home.
I chose to invite my friend Bobbie Peachey, the About Network's Guide to Web Clip Art to join me on a 10-day Circle the Caribbean Cruise on Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas. It was going to be a unique experience for me since my daughter had been my constant traveling companion for many years, and I was not accustomed to spending so much time with another adult.
We met at the Miami International Airport where we grabbed a cab for the Port of Miami and our ship. Check-in was fast and easy; we were given an outside cabin mid-ship on the lowest deck, with a large picture window and a small settee. We quickly set about rearranging the furniture to maximize both the space and the view.
From this... |
To this. |
Then it was time to set sail.
This was my fourth Caribbean cruise, but Bobbie had never experienced an adventure like this. There is something magical about leaving the Port of Miami at dusk, the cityscape outlined as the sun sets behind it.
We had scheduled ourselves for the first dinner seating, at about 6:30 PM every night. We were seated next to the window wall at a table for eight, but no one ever joined us at our table. The view was lovely, the food was generally good, especially the breads and pastries. Our waiter was fine, not great, but our assistant waiter was wonderful, as was our Maître d'.
We were delighted to find that the ship was filled with a wide variety of age groups. There was a good mix of middle-agers (like us), families with young children, older adults, and some teenagers on Spring Break vacation with their families.
The ship was too large for me, but Bobbie found it "just right." It was her first cruise, so she had nothing else with which to compare it. The entertainment was fine, not terrific. The ship atrium (called The Centrum by most cruise lines) had been described as looking somewhat like a North America shopping mall, and I found that to be true. It held little appeal for me.
This particular ship has a miniature golf course ($5 a round per person). Bobbie and I swore we would "do it" one day, but we never did. We did, however, spend some time in the beautiful pool solarium located at the stern of the ship. It was a peaceful respite from the hustle of the rest of this "floating resort;" we really enjoyed it.
Our cabin was spacious; except for a refrigerator, it had all the amenities we needed. We particularly loved the size of our window, and although it is considered lesser quality, we were pleased that we were on the lower level of the ship. (We could have easily enjoyed a cabin with a balcony, but were not about the pay the hefty upgrade charges). On two occasions we chose to "dine in," taking advantage of the room service provided. 
Coffee, Coffee, Coffee |
We selected from the dinner menu, and approximately thirty minutes later, we had full dining service in our cabin. We also used room service for coffee in the morning, coffee before bed, coffee when we were resting mid-day.
One night Bobbie and I had gone to one of the late shows and then to the ship's casino. We got back to our cabin quite late, got into our beds, started reading before "lights out."
"Want pizza?" I heard Bobbie ask.
"Sure, why not?" I responded somewhat sleepily. 
Two AM Pizza Call |
It was 2:00AM. One quick phone call and thirty minutes later, two piping hot personal pepperoni pizzas were delivered to cabin 2732.
One of the nicest things about a cruise vacation is that you don't have to do ANYTHING; for the first few days on board, that is exactly what Bobbie and I did. Nothing. We read, we napped, we spent most of our time in our cabin, in the casino, or on Deck 9 near the 24-hour coffee pots. Being dot-commers, our fingers were itching for keyboards, our ears were primed for the stuck-pig sound of modems connecting to the internet. We had severe withdrawal symptoms, but we survived and flourished.
The Winner! |
Our port days were terrific too, with sight seeing and shopping. One of the best things about my going on vacation with someone similar in age is that we seemed to get tired at the same time, our bones ached in sync. The cruise itself was so relaxing, the ship served as an all-inclusive resort. We spent a lot of time at the casino, winning, losing, splitting our take, shopping with the winnings, losing again. It was a real "grown up" time away for both of us.
Would I recommend a cruise as a vacation? You bet! Would I recommend this cruise line or this ship? Yes, with caveats.
This ship, Splendour of the Seas, has, without exception, the worst coffee I have ever had anywhere. Since Bobbie and I are both "coffeeholics," that made it tough. We didn't stop drinking the stuff, but we made faces as we sipped. Linda Coffman, the Cruise Diva, told me that Royal Caribbean International uses a liquid "coffee starter" instead of real coffee on all its ships, so the lousy stuff isn't limited to the Splendour. They also have this revolting liquid "coffee whitener" in little peel packs, which floated around in melted icewater. It was foul tasting; I somehow couldn't see Lauren Bacall (whose voice was used for the old commercials) tolerating this atrocity.
Cabin cleanliness was also an issue for us, since all of the surfaces in our cabin were covered with a thick layer of white fibrous dust just minutes after cleaning. We requested assistance from the Purser's Desk, but didn't really get any, which was very disappointing. The ship passed its third anniversary while we were cruising, so I don't see how this could be such a problem, but it was, and so was the feeling of being "blown off" by the Purser staff.
Of all of the cruises I have enjoyed, this ship/experience was my least favorite. Other people love Royal Caribbean, though, so maybe I'll have a better time at a later date, on another sailing.
While I wasn't that fond of the ship, its staff and its horrible coffee, I had a terrific time because I was with my friend. That's the best way to ignore the stuff that doesn't really matter.
Other resources:
Cruise Diva
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