Cruise Review: Venice, Bari, Corfu, Athens, Mykonos, Dubrovnik - Splendour - Aug 2012

[LitaArn]

The Bridge Officer who conducted the tour gave me the Captain’s hat to wear for photo shots. I was quite happy (I never thought I’d be allowed to wear the Captain’s hat on this tour ;) Of course, I was pretty sure the hat was not truly the hat of the Captain; it must be for Bridge tourists like us for the usual touristy picture taking :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emily didn’t want her turn to wear the Captain’s hat

Edited September 27, 2012 by LitaArn

[LitaArn]

View of the front and the starboard part of the bridge

 

 

On this tour, I’ve met a couple of ship staff from the Philippines where I was born and raised. My beloved parents (now both deceased), siblings and I moved to Canada 35 years ago.

 

Noel Ismael - Ship’s Lookout, and Maria Mendoza - Ship Security. Had a nice conversation with them while they were on break.

 

 

 

 

Noel doing one of his duties as a Lookout

 

 

 

Ship’s Lookout job description below taken from http://www.marineinsight.com/careers-2/what-are-the-duties-of-a-ships-lookout/

 

“ A Lookout is a person at the ship’s bridge who maintains a continuous watch of the sea to report any kind of hazard that can be an obstacle in the navigation and cause harm to the ship. He or she is required to give his or her uninterrupted attention at all times to the ship’s navigation in order to inform the officer on watch (OOW) about other ships, shipwrecks, debris, floating objects, etc.

 

The lookout should also inform the OOW (Officer of the Watch) when he observes any of the following:

 

Navigation mark or lights

Any type of distress signal from other ships or ports

Land

Ice, irrespective of size or form

Any type of ship irrespective of its size

Sandbags or prominent navigational features

Problem with any of the ship’s navigation systems, including navigational lights

Any kind of hazards or derelicts that can be dangerous to the ship’s navigation.

Edited September 27, 2012 by LitaArn

[LitaArn]

After the Bridge Tour, we had about an hour in between to go to our next one, the Galley Tour.

 

 

GALLEY TOUR

 

Luca Radice from Italy - Sous Chef - Another great tour! Luca was also excellent and very patient in answering all our questions. He said that the kitchen staff has to be specially dedicated and committed to their jobs. After 2 ? or 3 ? infractions, (e.g. coming in late, reporting to work intoxicated), he/she will be fired. It seemed to me that Luca is a compassionate person, and definitely does not enjoy workers being fired, but in cases like mentioned above, letting go of the worker is the best option for everyone’s safety and the smooth operation of the huge undertaking of feeding 2,000+ people three times a day

 

 

Recipes

 

 

Even with their busy schedule, kitchen staff was cheerful and welcoming

 

 

Extra huge pots for cooking pasta

 

 

More of the welcoming, cheerful smiles (Royal must really treat their staff well, so good to see lots of happy faces :)

Edited September 27, 2012 by LitaArn

[LitaArn]

We were offered to partake these delicious appetizers, and we did! Thank You to the wonderful Kitchen Staff :)

 

 

This gentleman worked with RCI for over 21 years. Impressive!

 

 

I loved watching this lovely young lady singing and swaying slightly to the beat of the music while working... Such a joyful spirit to behold :)

 

Edited September 27, 2012 by LitaArn

[LitaArn]

Desserts on the island counter and on the trolleys

 

 

 

We were allowed to happily munch away (we had to sanitize our hands before entering the Galley)... Noticed the recipes, and also the huge lines of desserts on the side counters

 

 

 

Edited September 27, 2012 by LitaArn

[LitaArn]

After the Pasta, Dessert, and Appetizer Sections, we climbed up a set of stairs to the Salad, Cold Cuts, Bread/Pastry Sections:

 

 

Super sized Mixers

 

 

 

Dough separator for dinner rolls

 

 

 

Dinner rolls rolled out, pun intended ;) The Bread staff bakes approx 20,000 dinner rolls a day :eek:

 

 

The tour ended here at the Chef's Table. The Chef's Table is a specialty dining experience offering a 5 course gourmet meals specially prepared and presented by the Chef. Every course pairs with a wine chosen to enhance your enjoyment of the dish. On Radiance of the Seas, Splendour of the Seas, and Oasis-class ships. Menu, wine selections and price vary from ship to ship and itinerary. Max participants: 14

Edited September 27, 2012 by LitaArn

[LitaArn]

BACKSTAGE TOUR - another great tour. I am sorry that I didn’t get the names of the two primary dance members who conducted this fun, wonderful tour.

 

Earlier in my review, I introduced our wonderful Concierge Diego and mentioned his wicked sense of humour. On this tour, he played a trick on our group. He asked me to be his conspirator and I couldn’t say No, it was a harmless joke after all.

 

The group was following Diego and I, and Diego proceeded to walk around the roundabout way, in circles, on the way to the 42nd Street Theater. I heard the other group members behind us make comments “We’ve just been here a moment ago...” :D

 

 

 

Another joke from Diego. He also told us that one of the dancers conducting the tour was his twin brother. We believed him at first, because they looked so much alike, and then knew it was just a joke when he said that his father visited Florida a lot 25 years ago or so (the same place where the dancer was born) :D

 

Diego with our daughter Emily

 

 

Diego’s “twin” on the right

 

 

Another photo of Diego's "twin"

Edited September 27, 2012 by LitaArn

[LitaArn]

Markers for the dancers and singers to help remember their places while performing

 

 

This portion of the stage goes up or down according to the show's program

 

 

Christine, the lovely "Production Control Manager" :)

 

 

 

 

The wigs are labelled by names of the different shows

Edited September 27, 2012 by LitaArn

[LitaArn]

 

 

Christine can definitely pull it off! Looking good Christine! The wonderful colours suit you :)

 

 

 

The wonderful Cast at the Q&A after the tour

 

 

 

 

Learned the following from the Q&A:

 

~ The Dance Team practiced their dance sets on land months before they sail, and because they practice in advance, they get to explore the ports more, unlike the average crew staff (I asked this question because in our past Caribbean cruises, I’ve seen the familiar faces of the dance team many times while touring the ports).

 

~ No, their families do not get cruise discounts.

 

~ One dance member said she can get ready in 15 minutes from being sweaty after her workouts at the gym to having a shower, then fully dressed with full makeup on... ready to dance! WOW! That was truly Awesome! Couldn’t believe it... 15 Minutes!!!

 

~ During live performances, changing in and out of costumes is a breeze with the dance team helping each other out with zippers, etc. Also, velcro on their shoes, costumes, help too.

 

~ When the sea is a little bit rough, they change their dance routines (already practiced in advance on land). Also, the ladies wear flat or low heeled shoes instead of their usual high heels.

 

~ They are on contract, and when their contract is finished (usually in 6-8 months), it is usually up to them to sign up again or not.

 

We very much enjoyed this Q&A. The Dance Team was lovely and was very generous of their time in answering our questions. Thank You so much to the wonderful Dance Team!

Edited September 27, 2012 by LitaArn

[LitaArn]

Very nice dresses and I like your black dress too...

 

Scottishwee35

 

 

Oh, Thank You! Sweet of you to write in :)

 

I’ve had that black dress for at least 10 years now, and it is actually my favourite, so easy to pack and I have room for the 2nd helpings of the dessert I sometimes have.

 

I have worn it a few times already, that dress is like a cruising “uniform” for me :D

Edited September 27, 2012 by LitaArn

[LitaArn]

Thank you so much for taking time to write this amazing review and beautiful photos! We are going on the Splendour in May. Instead of Bari we will be going to Santorini and Katakolon replaces Mykonos. Your pictures in Corfu have convinced my husband and I to either rent a car or book a private tour. I have made note of the olive oil tasting stop ;) I know you did a tour, but did you notice if those that rented cars had any trouble finding places to park? Also, did you have lunch at the Golden Fox? It looks beautiful there. How far in advance did you book your private tours for your cruise? And when you took the private water taxi from your hotel in Venice to the port, how close where you to the terminal? It looks like you avoided the people mover and you get let off very close to the ship. Thank you again!!

 

 

Thank You for writing in, and for your very kind comments :)

 

Oh my, I am so happy for you going on the beautiful Splendour!

 

Santorini is stunning! We loved it! Haven't had the pleasure of visiting Katakolon yet. Also, here is the link to PCWalton1’s excellent review. They visited Santorini and Katakolon on their cruise

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1638871

 

As for George’s wine/olive oil store, they have ample parking spaces from what I remember. I’m pretty sure you’ll have no problems finding a parking spot.

 

We didn’t have enough time to have lunch at the Golden Fox because of our busy itinerary. The sceneries there were breathtaking! I wish we could go back again and spend a leisurely lunch in that stunning atmosphere. We booked with Corfu tours about 3 months before our cruise (I was surprised, and very glad, that they still had open spots for our family). They did not require any deposits at all. Great tour guide and driver, and a great company to deal with :)

 

At the Venice port, our water taxi driver took care of our luggage and handed them all to the baggage handlers with Royal’s staff overseeing the procedure. It was a leisurely walk because we only had our small handcarry, and our walk to the cruise terminal took less than 5 minutes.

 

Hope the above helps in planning your cruise. Please do not hesitate to ask more questions. I'll be very glad to answer them :)

Edited September 27, 2012 by LitaArn

[jgscruise]

Lita,

Thank you so much for the reply. I will check out that review. Because of your review I am excited to research Corfu beyond the town!

[LitaArn]

After the tours of the Bridge, the Galley, and the Backstage, Emily, Arn, and I had lunch at the Pool area. They were serving one of my favourite dishes: Paella! So delicious, I had 3 helpings (they were served on a medium-sized plate) :D

 

 

Edited September 29, 2012 by LitaArn

[LitaArn]

After lunch, Emily wanted to sit out in the pool area with Elyssa and Chloe while Arn and I stayed back in the cabin. I wanted some computer time to touch base with our oldest daughter Eileen and to hear updates about our Mia. My sister Bek (one of my two sisters who’ve been looking after her) and I have been exchanging emails since we left home. She said that all’s been good about Mia, running and jumping as if that terrible accident didn’t happen (thank goodness!). Our very nice Vet also had phoned too just to make sure everything was fine with our puppy girl.

 

One thing about Royal’s internet... it was very slow, my one and only complaint. They’re working on it though and soon (I don’t know how soon), it should be a lot better. It was a good thing that we had free, and fast internet at our pre-cruise hotel, Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo, in Venice. Emails then with families went quickly and didn’t cost us any.

[LitaArn]

Emily came back from the pool area later and said that Christine and the girls will be playing Bingo and asked if we’d like to join them. Emily and I did but neither any of us got close at all to winning; we had fun though. The young lad, who was playing with his father, had a much better luck than us. He won the big prize of around $300. Good for him and the other winners as well :)

 

After playing Bingo, we all headed back to our cabins to get ready for that night which was the 2nd Formal night of the cruise.

 

Our top notch, 5-Star Cabin Attendant was Elvie from the Philippines. She was so very efficient! Her husband also works on the ship, in the Electrical Dept. I am happy for both of them that they’re together on the ship, and not separated by oceans of distance during the term of their contract.

 

 

 

 

Elvie created a “turkey” for us that night. On the first formal night, I think she made us a "dog" or a "rabbit". Either way, they were both really cute and our family appreciated Elvie's creative efforts! Thanks Elvie :)

 

 

 

Our "turkey"

 

 

 

A very cute "Dog" or a "Rabbit"

Edited September 29, 2012 by LitaArn

[LitaArn]

The 3 Lovely Young Misses :)

 

 

 

Another lovely dinner shared with Christine, Neil, Elyssa, and Chloe :)

Edited September 29, 2012 by LitaArn

[LitaArn]

After dinner, we went to see the aerial show at the Centrum. It was the first time for Emily, Arn, and I to see an aerial show on a ship, so after dinner, we quickly went to find spaces to best view the show.

 

Since we came less than half an hour before the show started, very few spaces were available. Emily and I found spots across from Christine’s (there was a very nice lady and a man sitting sitting together who kindly let us into the little available spot beside them (we were on deck 5). We thanked them very much for their kindness. Because of them, we were able to see the show really well.

 

The show was very well done, but I am sorry that so many of my photos didn't turn out well. I’m a very, very amateurish photographer, and just know how to point and shoot photos :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 29, 2012 by LitaArn

[LitaArn]

ALL THE PERFORMERS DID SO WELL, AND THE AERIAL ARTISTS WERE AMAZING SPECIALLY THE LADY WITH THE STARRING ROLE ~~~~~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 29, 2012 by LitaArn

[LitaArn]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LitaArn]

Afterwards was the Disco Night Party at the Centrum

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emily and Christine dancing away! Nice moves Ladies!

 

 

Elyssa and Emily were “handcuffed” by the “Disco Police” to dance with the others on stage

 

 

The “Disco Police” on the bottom right corner of the photo

 

 

A dancer (wearing an Indian headdress) dancing with one of the cruisers

Edited September 29, 2012 by LitaArn

[LitaArn]

Arn and Neil enjoying the party (both wearing black tuxes and black bow ties)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The band Vicki and the Holding Company provided the excellent dance music

Edited September 29, 2012 by LitaArn

[LitaArn]

Lita,

Thank you so much for the reply. I will check out that review. Because of your review I am excited to research Corfu beyond the town!

 

 

You are very welcome; glad to be of help. Paleokastritsa was breathtaking!

 

Thank You for writing in.

[louhun88]

DAILY COMPASS - I’ve kept copies of our Daily Compass. If anyone is interested, I’ll publish photos of them here.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

I'd be interested in seeing the compasses :)

 

Louise

[LitaArn]

I'd be interested in seeing the compasses :)

 

Louise

 

 

Hi Louise,

 

I'll start on the Compass for Day 2 of our cruise. If Royal had issued Compass for the Embarkation Day, I'm sorry that I didn't get one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LitaArn]

Hi Louise,

 

I think the above Compass turned alright; generally readable I hope.

 

I'm sorry, but I will have to post the rest of the Compasses later. I'll have to work on the quality of photos a bit more.

 

Thanks for your patience... :)

Edited September 30, 2012 by LitaArn