Background info: It was the first cruise to the Mediterranean for my husband and I. We've cruised twice before with children. I had started planning the trip in August of 2009. I frequented Cruise Critic to get information which was a big help, although I learned some things along the way that I'd not seen here! I chose Royal Caribbean for itinerary and price. My main goal was to visit Santorini and I wanted the longest amount of port time we could get there.

Hotel info: We headed to Venice three days prior to the cruise; it was a smart move as we had adjusted to the time difference by Saturday and had time to enjoy Venice. (It became more advantageous, IMO since Sunday night you lose another hour.) We stayed at the Hotel Stella Alpina Edelweis in the Cannaregio area. I wanted a hotel convenient to P. Roma, yet in a price range we were comfortable paying by staying in Venice. It was a wonderful choice. We only had one bridge to go over and although those steps were a drag on the upside, it wasn't all that bad and easy on the downside. The hotel was lovely and the staff helpful and friendly. I was very pleased with our choice and would not hesitate recommending it to anyone.

Stateroom info: We had an inside cabin on deck 8. You could really feel vibrations and I wondered if it was the location (were we near some engines or something?). We laughed the first night as we joked there was no need for quarters to vibrate the bed! Thing is we noticed it around the entire ship. (The Captain did say at a Q&A that due to the era it was built Splendour does vibrate a lot compared to more recent ships that have newer technology. We got used to it and it was fine.) The room was a comfortable size, plenty of storage space (luggage slipped under the bottom of the bed) having previously traveled with four to an inside cabin this was luxury! We found the bed to be comfortable for us.....some may find them hard. Read more