I have no basis for comparing since this was my first. however, family members have cruised and from their recounted experiences, and from talking to the customer representatives of rci (royal caribbean international for just about every concern and question i had, i felt pretty well-informed. having said that, i held reasonable expectations. reading about splendor of the seas, i thought that i'd see a tired-'ole-lady of a ship, but to my surprise, i saw a well-outfitted cruise ship that may have had some nick-and-tucks over the years but looking splendidly ageless!
There are a lot of things that impressed me: what stands out is the very organized, practically seamless manner that reservations, ticketing, check-in, embarking, imparting of information, disembarking, and everything else in between was handled by ground and cruise ship staff, resulting in a painless, pleasant experience for us passengers. secondly, the customer-orientedness of the cruise ship staff! their experience was evident in their professionalism, and i never got the sense that they were feeling that this-is-getting-old feeling! always sunny-dispositioned, the smiles, the approachability, the hospitality, the service-beyond-what-was-expected of the crew members, especially the wait staff, made an immense difference for me in having an outstanding vs. Just a very good experience. everyday, i looked forward to getting out of our cabin to see what wonderful thing the day would bring! and, speaking of our cabin, being a neat-freak, our cabin was always faultlessly clean!!! the cruise ship was clean as whistle, and then did i really understand the expression in-shipshape-order. so, i have only great things to say about our splendor of the seas experience!!! only superlatives!!! thanks rci for a splendid first that is imprinted in my memory!!!
The Stateroom we opted for was just the right size for our needs, and having as much luggage as we had (we spent a week in Italy before embarking on our cruise). The shower may have been a bit squished but it was not a biggie for as long as water didn't run onto the floor (which it never did). That our stateroom and bathroom were always faultlessly clean every time we'd enter it was a balm to my OCD-heart! Loved it!!! Slept very well in our bed!!! Great all around.