Royal Caribbean International's
Splendour of the Seas, launched in 1996, is one of RCI's Vision Class behemoths, the younger sister to the
Legend of the Seas. Her speed of over 24 knots permits longer stays in some ports as well as additional calls. This 69,130-ton, 867-ft ship has Norwegian registry and officers and a largely international crew of 720. She is 105 feet wide with a 24-ft draft, and carries 1,800 passengers at double occupancy, 2,076 at capacity.
Through March 2008, Splendour treks South America on 13- and 15-night cruises from various locales, including Buenos Aires, Valparaiso and Sao Paulo. In April, she crosses the Atlantic to the Eastern Mediterranean to offer weekly cruises from Venice. She returns to South America in November.
Public rooms fan out from the seven-deck atrium, which shows a dazzle of window-walls, acres of glass and brass, and gigantic sculpture. More than 50 artists and studios were responsible for the works of art spangling the ship, and those in the atrium are perhaps the best in the entire RCI fleet. Here, for the first time, RCI has placed the Viking Crown Loungeaft rather than wrapping it around the stack. It jumps with disco music at night, but during the day, it is a wonderful spot for reading. The Top Hat Loungehas dancing and late-day entertainment, while the show room offers outstanding sight lines for Vegas-type reviews, Broadway-style productions, and headliners, such as Neil Sedaka, Ben Vereen and the Smothers Brothers. Spanning two decks, the spectacular 802-seat 42nd Street Theatersports leather seating, special receivers for the hearing-impaired, and an orchestra pit that raises and lowers. Aft are a popular nautical bar and a large casino, and the paneled library and nearby card room look appealing with leather furnishings and window-walls. The Champagne Barprovides an additional touch of class. The indoor-outdoor pool amidships has a retractable glass roof, four whirlpools, and a snack buffet. The fitness center offers weights, aerobics, saunas, spa treatments and a beauty salon, and its interior staircase allows the just-done hairdo to make it back to the cabin intact. On Compass Deck, the 18-hole mini-golf course welcomes duffers, and the line's "Golf Ahoy" program is always in full force, with a 40-ton canopy to shelter the links when nature dictates. Lighting allows for night play, and children have their own tee times. A jogging track surrounds the greens, and the teen center and children's program offer imaginative year-round activities. The 200-seat conference facility is equipped with a state-of-the-art audiovisual system. Boutiques provide varied shopping.
The spacious bi-level dining room is beautiful and boasts 20-ft window-walls and a capacity of 1,050. Its international menu, offered at two sittings, incorporates vegetarian, low-fat, and children's selections, and a string quartet and pianists aid digestion. The popular cafe, which seats 550, offers a casual breakfast, luncheon, and snacks both indoors and out.
The compact cabins furnish sofas, phones, TVs, radios, and twin beds that convert to queens. Vision Class cabins are worth considering, for they provide more space, greater comfort, and enviable balconies. Two Family Suites accommodate up to seven people each, while the Royal Suite impresses with a dining room, white baby-grand piano, and whirlpool tub. All public areas and 17 of the cabins are wheelchair-accessible, and 388 cabins come with third or fourth berths.
Like her sisters, this ship offers a lush experience on wonderful itineraries. For all North America reservations, a fuel supplement of $5.00 per person, per day for the first two occupants in a stateroom (subject to a maximum of $140 per stateroom) will apply to all sailings departing on or after February 1, 2008.
