I took the Western Mediterranean Cruise aboard the Splendour of the Seas on July 16-23,2005. Check-in was a breeze! It took literally 2 minutes. It helps if you have all of your paperwork done ahead of time prior to going there. No problems whatsoever with the luggage.
The cabin was surprisingly larger than I expected. The bed was comfortable as well. The tv was small, but quite frankly, I didn't go to Europe to watch TV! They did have a very good assortment of different movies playing all day for the time when u were there. As far as cleanliness (sp?) goes, this was a very clean ship, although a little older. In a couple of years, they may have to refurnish the whole thing, but it works for now. The service and helpfulness of the staff was outstanding. The cabin service was excellent, as was the dining room service. The waiter had been working with that same company for 12 years, and believe me when I tell you that he KNEW that menu like the back of his hand! He was also very good with wine suggestions. As far as the food goes, it was very good as well. The steaks were excellent, as well as the coq au vin!! AND THE TAPAS BAR!!! For those of you fellow foodies, this is like the holy grail of food areas... and Spain has the wonderful tradition of tapas.. YOU MUST try the tapas served next to the pool daily, especially after the tours... Tapas, sangria, music, wine, and the Mediterranean.. enough to double the world population in nine months!!!! The assorted tapas included serrano ham, manchego cheese, stuffed olives, meatballs, garlic cloves, toasted French bread, roasted potatoes, and others. Very very yummy! My biggest disappointment with food was breakfast, by far. The scrambled eggs were horrible! You were better off eating cheerios and milk every morning or tanking up on fruit. The entertainment was decent, although not as fancy as the other cruise I went (Carnival Pride to Western Caribbean in 2003). The Gaucho show SUCKED! But the Flamenco show is a must see.
As far as shore excursions go, I have to say that I was not disappointed, and they were well worth the money! Now, I am myself not a big fan of excursions, and am more of a free spirit. But taking into account that I had never been to Europe before, and that we only had 12 hrs in each port, and most things were far from port, the cruise-arranged excursions were by far the best option for my parents and I.