My husband and I decided to go on a cruise with our best friends. We chose the Splendor because of its itinerary and their spa. We were very hesitant to sail out of Miami but decided that it couldn't be that bad. We drove there from Orlando. The embarkation was a mess. Our boarding window was 1:00 - 1:30 and we arrived right at 1:00.

we were not on the ship until after 2:30 due to the long lines and spent almost all of the time outside in the 95 degree heat.

However, once we were on the ship we were very pleased. Our balcony cabins seemed fairly spacious and were ready. The Lido Deck was awfully crowded so we decided to go to the Spa to purchase their VIP package (which turned out to be a big mistake). We did not get our luggage until late in the evening and on embarkation day, the most convenient elevator area that had 6 elevators and 4 glass elevators had 8 out of the 10 out of service.We spent a full 40 minutes on the deck for the lifeboat drill....again, in close quarters in 95 degree heat. It was not a very great start. Read more