Splendour of the Seas vs. Norwegian Jade

I'm a relatively new cruiser and I'm looking to decide between two ships for an August 2015 cruise - RCL Splendor of the Seas or NCL Norwegian Jade. We're a family of 4, including 2 adult children. We like to eat and be entertained. Both start in Venice and go to Dubrovnik, Croatia and Ephesus, Turkey. RCL also stops in Santorini and Katakolon, Greece. NCL also stops in Athens, Greece and Split, Croatia. I'd happily entertain your thoughts on the merits of one ship over the other and the different ports between the two. I'll appreciate any advice.

different itineraries but I was debating between both ships a couple of years ago. I chose SOS because it had better port times ... longer time in port and at a better time of day. If the ports are of equal interest to you, perhaps the times will be a deciding factor. You need to ensure that you're in port long enough to enjoy planned activities/sights.

(our itinerary was Venice, Split, Corfu, Athens, Mykonos, Katakalon, Venice)

Athens was the highlight ... walking to the Acropolis was unreal.

Thanks Maple. I think I'm down to the point of one ship over the other. Ports are similar enough as are times in port. Hoping someone could critique one ship over the other for me. Did Splendour have enough in the way of grown up entertainment for you? That's one of my concerns - Jade seemed to have bigger and better shows.

Hi David - myself & DH were on NCL Jade a little under 3 years ago, while a family member was on RCCL Splendor a little over 3 years ago.

Making direct comparisons between the 2 ships, the Jade came out on top!

Dining - always subjective, but we preferred the informality of anytime dining on NCL as opposed to my Cousin having to book a table each night even though on my time dining - then cancel if they decided to eat elsewhere. The food on Jade was plentiful and always a good selection either in the main dining rooms (both of which were great) or buffet. Also the Blue Lagoon (24hrs) eatery was a lovely place to sit for a snack. The Great Outdoors at the back of the ship was a lovely place to sit and eat during the day and admire the wake!

Entertainment - this is where the Jade came out massively on top. My cousin felt the entertainment on Splendor (at that time) was slightly lacking - in her opinion, whereas we had amazing entertainment, especially the White Hot Party! We enjoyed pretty much nightly shows in the theatre. Various entertainment venues all had something different going on. There were also plenty bars to sit and chat to fellow passengers.

Staff - the staff on the Jade were lovely, so friendly and cheerful.

General - the ship is mid sized (perhaps slightly larger than Splendor), and although not always able to get directly from 1 end to the other on all decks from what I remember, was in good order and had a Hawaiian theme to it! Plenty of outdoor space to walk around also.

Which ever ship you choose I'm sure you'll have an amazing cruise as the ports are all wonderful.

Hi David: welcome to Cruise Critic!

May I make a suggestion -- since you are now asking more about the ships than the ports, if you haven't already done so, you might want to pose your ship-related questions over on the RCI and NCL boards, recognizing that you'll get replies from the "cheerleaders" of each cruise line, but you should also get info that may help you.

We have sailed the Jade as well as two of her sister ships, and really like that class of ship. But we haven't yet sailed RCI so I can't help you with the comparison.

Whatever you choose, have a great trip!

PS: Not that you asked... But re Ephesus, which is phenomenal, do your homework on here and book a private shore excursion, and be sure to include the Terrace Houses.

Hi David - myself & DH were on NCL Jade a little under 3 years ago, while a family member was on RCCL Splendor a little over 3 years ago.

 

Making direct comparisons between the 2 ships, the Jade came out on top!

 

Dining - always subjective, but we preferred the informality of anytime dining on NCL as opposed to my Cousin having to book a table each night even though on my time dining - then cancel if they decided to eat elsewhere. The food on Jade was plentiful and always a good selection either in the main dining rooms (both of which were great) or buffet. Also the Blue Lagoon (24hrs) eatery was a lovely place to sit for a snack. The Great Outdoors at the back of the ship was a lovely place to sit and eat during the day and admire the wake!

 

Entertainment - this is where the Jade came out massively on top. My cousin felt the entertainment on Splendor (at that time) was slightly lacking - in her opinion, whereas we had amazing entertainment, especially the White Hot Party! We enjoyed pretty much nightly shows in the theatre. Various entertainment venues all had something different going on. There were also plenty bars to sit and chat to fellow passengers.

 

Staff - the staff on the Jade were lovely, so friendly and cheerful.

 

General - the ship is mid sized (perhaps slightly larger than Splendor), and although not always able to get directly from 1 end to the other on all decks from what I remember, was in good order and had a Hawaiian theme to it! Plenty of outdoor space to walk around also.

 

Which ever ship you choose I'm sure you'll have an amazing cruise as the ports are all wonderful.

You're not required to book a table for My Time Dining on Royal. They do sort of encourage it, but we never do, and have never had a problem turning up when we want to eat. So booking/cancelling dinner doesn't need to be a factor.

Thanks Maple. I think I'm down to the point of one ship over the other. Ports are similar enough as are times in port. Hoping someone could critique one ship over the other for me. Did Splendour have enough in the way of grown up entertainment for you? That's one of my concerns - Jade seemed to have bigger and better shows.

With all due respect, I'm not sure I'd say the ports are similar. Athens was a major hub of Classical civilization with some pretty amazing ruins to prove it. There is nothing similar on Santorini or Katakolon. I also enjoyed Split very much (more so than Dubrovnik) for the chance to see a modern city built inside the ancient remains of the palace of a Roman emperor.

Katakolon is mainly a stop for ancient Olympia -- if you aren't interested in that, the town near port isn't particularly pretty and doesn't offer much.

Santorini is "THE" scenic Greek isle.

So as you can see, all of these are quite different one to another. And most people will tell you that a Med cruise is much more about the ports (where you will likely spend long 8-10 hour days sightseeing) and less about the ship.