My wife and I took our first cruise on the splendor the first week of November 2004. As it turns out, this was the last cruise ship to hit the Western Mediterranean for the year. It was obviously late in the season and we were hoping that this would result in fewer kids on board and fewer tourists in the ports. We were right on both counts. Unfortunately, what we didn't count on was how rough the seas would be at that time of year and we were caught in a couple of heavy storms that really through the ship around. My poor wife was seasick most of the trip. In spite of that, we had a great time.

The ship was in great condition, spotless, and comfortable. We don't have any experience with cruising to compare with but I doubt you could do much better for the price.

The food in the dining room each evening was fantastic and the wait staff superb. The food and service in the "windjammer cafe" (which is really a buffet) was extremely poor and I'd recommend you not waste time there. The room service food was better than the buffet. Read more