Overall, our 7 night Western Caribbean cruise on Splendour was very enjoyable and a good value for the money. Our family party of 7 had 4 people who had cruised before (July '04 on Mariner of the Seas), so the only comparison I can make is the difference between our cruise on Mariner and the one we just took on Splendour.
Embarkation and disembarkation went smoothly with no problems on either end. Our first meal in the Windjammer Cafe was not promising because the food was lukewarm even though we were eating by 12:30 p.m. However, that was the worst meal of the cruise. Subsequently, food in the Windjammer was very good --especially at breakfast and tea time.
Every meal in the King and I was outstanding, as was our server Darwin from the Philippines. He made a special effort to make our 73 year-old mother feel special, and she loved all of the attention. The best meal was the lobster on the second formal night. The best desserts were the flourless chocolate cake and baked Alaska. The salads were excellent every night. Service in the King and I was much better than our service in Rhapsody on the Mariner. We only ate 2 times in the dining room on the Mariner because it took 2 hours to eat dinner both times. Our dining room service with Darwin was speedy and efficient. Since 3 in our party drink wine, we ordered the $154 wine package and especially enjoyed the Malbec which we ordered twice during the cruise.