We sailed on Splendour of the Seas, sailing date 12/22/03-01/03/04, Port Galveston, Texas. This was our seventh cruise and the third with RCL. It was to be a happy holiday time together. Unfortunately, RCL did not perform at a level we have come to expect from their cruise line.
The Splendour of the Seas was placed in service in 1996. It is not up to the standard for modern enjoyable cruising I have experienced on RCL other ships. The power plant renders a nauseating rumbling that is felt most prominently in the King & I Dining Room. This is felt no matter what the sea conditions are. The stabilizer system has had problems in the past.
RCL changed the itinerary of this cruise at a late date omitting Jamaica and adding half day visits to parts of Central America. These half-day afternoon visits were worthless as arrivals were late and shore time minimal. Departure to Belize was scheduled for 7:00 AM. Tender transports were delayed until 10:00 AM to those without excursions booked through RCCL. The wait for a tender exceeded one hour. Grand Cayman arrival was scheduled for 1:00 PM and arrival and tenders did not start till after 3:30 PM. We missed our own booked shore excursion entirely. Our entire family was looking forward to swimming with the stingrays. Not to be. Another disappointment without an explanation or apology being offered. No one seemed to be in charge or wanted to take responsibility. The cruise director never seemed to know what was going on or to help us deal with these constant problems.