We travelled with our three adult children and picked the Splendour because of the schedule and itinerary. We were looking for a 7 night itinerary which included both Santorini and Athens. Splendour fit the bill. We knew a little about Royal from cruising Celebrity and will include comparisons in this review.

We stayed two nights pre-cruise at the Hotel Gardena, which was very pleasant with a canal view and convenient to port. We took the People Mover and port shuttle and were dropped off right where we deposited our luggage. We were pleased to see refreshments in the terminal and were checked in by 11:30. Our Celebrity level translated to Diamond status.

We hadn't expected to be greeted with a welcome drink, but were offered rum or regular punch. Read more