I flew with Ryanair from
I stayed at the 4* Amadeus Hotel which is very near the port. It was clean, Old Italian style and I would have no problem recommending it. I was situated at the back and heard nothing, but there were a few staying there and found it noisy at the front. So I would request a room at the back of the building. So to get to the port you go across to the bus station, walk or warterbus and a taxi (car!) to the port which should cost approx 10-12 euro. On the way back they charged 20! He was a hackney, not a taxi. There was a courtesy bus but we couldn’t find it. On the way back, there was a stop for the bus, which is supposed to arrive every 15 mins, we were there around half an hour and no sign.
The ship itself is beautiful and has 11 decks It is smaller than most of the fleet, not have some of the features which may appeal to families such as the H2O zone water park, the ice rink, flow rider large 42nd street where they have street carnivals etc like freedom class ships. I stayed in large inside state room on deck 6 which was perfect. I didn’t feel claustrophobic, the stateroom attendant was fantastic. Every time you leave, she would tidy your room, fantastic service. You also receive a daily planer on your pillow every night to let you know what’s going on for the next day.
Food wise there was the Windjammer café which is the buffet style restaurant which we ate our breakfast and lunch in. Food was fantastic. So much variety and the choices are different every day. We ate our dinner in the King and I main dining room every evening on the 8.30 sitting. We had a head waiter, waiter and assistant waiter, the same every evening. They only have two tables to look after so service was impeccable. The food was amazing, and again a different menu every night. Also, there is 24 hour room service which is free! On other classes/ships you would have speciality dining options for a little extra cost such as Chops Grill, Italian food at the
On board you have great entertainment and a few bars to choose from. You have The Viking Lounge which was the nightclub that has 360 degree panoramic views, Schooner bar which hosted quiz nights and felt like an English style pub. Opposite the reception you had the
The Spa, Ship Shape, did some great deals while the ship was docked, often getting two for one offers or discounted services. The Theatre had something on every night, such as songs from all the old movies, all cabaret style. There was a magician one night! They are constantly activities going on during the day and night for everyone. You have the rock climbing wall and mini golf outside where the outdoor pool and indoor pool (Solarium) were located also. The Solarium has a retractable roof but was closed the whole time we were there. It is nice and cool in there, they also have food such as pizza, burgers, sandwiches etc on offer when the Windjammer is closed. They also have ice sculpture demonstrations by the pool bar and dancing under the stars one of the evenings with a BBQ style buffet and canopies. Canopies are handed out during shows in the theatre also. So food 24 hour a day!
I only did one excursion into
Everything is in dollars so at the moment is fantastic value. There is an ATM on board but is supposed to be very expensive to use. I converted Dollars in
This cruise and ship has something for everyone. The age group on board was very mixed, from groups of friends in their 20’s, families, singles, and couples of all ages. A great mix. I did hear from one of the staff that they couldn’t believe how young the age group was, and that normally on the Splendour is older. So hopefully everyone will enjoy their experience no matter what age you are. I think this ship being smaller it is more intimate. It was fully booked so we couldn’t see any cabins, so there were approximately 1,900 on board. So you see the same faces every day, as opposed to one of the bigger vessels. One thing was the pool was very small, so kids were constantly jumping in and running around the pool, so the H2O Zone would be fantastic for kids. All in all I couldn’t really fault the Royal Caribbean, fantastic service and staff, great itinerary and excellent food.