Time for some Splendour in the Med

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dock.jpgThe last time I saw Splendour of the Seas, the ship was out of the water in dry dock at Cadiz, having millions spent on bringing the vessel up-to-date with new restaurants and bars, added cabin balconies, and a spectacular aerial show in the Centrum.
Every square foot of carpet was ripped up and replaced, cabins were getting new furnishings, and the ship even received a substantial addition to its stern – a ducktail – to improve stability.
The crew weren’t ignored either. They were provided with a new restaurant, upgraded accommodation, and wi-fi so they can keep in touch with family back home.
Since leaving Cadiz, Splendour has been in South America for the winter, but now she’s back in the Med, and I’m flying to Venice today to spend a week on board.
The cruise will take me – and about 1,800 other passengers – to Bari in the heel of Italy and on to the Greek islands of Santorini and Corfu. Then we head for Kusadasi in Turkey, for an excursion to Ephesus, and Katakolon in Greece, from where I will be setting out to Olympia, the site of the original Olympic Games. A gentle day at sea takes us back to Venice, and I should be arriving home in the UK in time to see whether my football team qualifies for automatic promotion from League One.
I’m just hoping my presence does not jinx Splendour’s arrival at Santorini – on my last two visits high winds have prevented the ship I was travelling on from mooring. Instead of being tendered ashore, my fellow passengers got a little extra time to examine the cliffs from a distance before heading for an alternative destination.
I arrive too early to take advantage of another innovation on Splendour; it will be a couple of months before Royal Caribbean provide iPads for every cabin. But I will have my trusty laptop with me, and I’ll keep you updated throughout the week.

By | 2017-06-15T15:59:50+00:00 28 April 2012|Cruise Destinations, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

About the Author:

John Honeywell is a travel writer specialising in cruise ships and cruise travel. Winner of CLIA UK's Contribution to Cruise award 2017.

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