Need help choosing: RCCL Splendour or HAL Nieuw Amsterdam?

[Jen516]

I have been researching and pouring over these posts for a few weeks now and I need to make a decision! I keep switching back and forth between these two cruises, so please, advise us on what to choose. This is for our 10 year anniversary (and we wanted a 7 night cruise where we could fly non-stop into the departure port)

 

Ship: ms Nieuw Amsterdam

Ports of Call: Venice, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Katakolon, Greece; Corfu, Greece; Kotor, Croatia; Split, Croatia; Ravenna Italy

Departure Port: Venice, Italy

Departure Dates: Jul 04, 2010

 

BENEFITS: Brand new ship, a new cruise line for us with "new" things to do like cooking classes, a bit more luxurious, not as many kids, more "exotic" itinerary (?)

DISADVANTAGES: New ship could come with MANY issues (I read all of the Eurodam Inaugural reviews.) Do we really want to be guinea pigs? Also, older crowd (not that we care that much...)

 

OR

 

Ship Name: Splendour Of The Seas

Departure Port: Venice, Italy

Ports of Call: Venice, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey; Santorini, Greece; Corfu, Greece; Venice, Italy

2010 Date(s): 26 Jun

 

BENEFITS: Established ship, good reviews on cruise critic, two days a sea to "rest," goes to Santorini which I am very excited about

DISADVANTAGES: Older ship, many more kids than HAL, "been there done that" to us since we have sailed RCCL a number of times (but we like it).

 

I welcome any/all advice. I am having such a hard time with this!

 

Thanks,

 

Jen

[chipmaster]

I have been researching and pouring over these posts for a few weeks now and I need to make a decision! I keep switching back and forth between these two cruises, so please, advise us on what to choose. This is for our 10 year anniversary (and we wanted a 7 night cruise where we could fly non-stop into the departure port)

 

Ship: ms Nieuw Amsterdam

Ports of Call: Venice, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Katakolon, Greece; Corfu, Greece; Kotor, Croatia; Split, Croatia; Ravenna Italy

Departure Port: Venice, Italy

Departure Dates: Jul 04, 2010

 

BENEFITS: Brand new ship, a new cruise line for us with "new" things to do like cooking classes, a bit more luxurious, not as many kids, more "exotic" itinerary (?)

DISADVANTAGES: New ship could come with MANY issues (I read all of the Eurodam Inaugural reviews.) Do we really want to be guinea pigs? Also, older crowd (not that we care that much...)

 

OR

 

Ship Name: Splendour Of The Seas

Departure Port: Venice, Italy

Ports of Call: Venice, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey; Santorini, Greece; Corfu, Greece; Venice, Italy

2010 Date(s): 26 Jun

 

BENEFITS: Established ship, good reviews on cruise critic, two days a sea to "rest," goes to Santorini which I am very excited about

DISADVANTAGES: Older ship, many more kids than HAL, "been there done that" to us since we have sailed RCCL a number of times (but we like it).

 

I welcome any/all advice. I am having such a hard time with this!

 

Thanks,

 

Jen

 

Tie breaker be the ports, I'd lean toward the second one with Ephesus. I didn't think much of that port, just a stop before the big attraction Istanbul. I was wrong, we really enjoyed the ruins and wished we had more then the half day we got.

 

European is all about the ports, pick the one that gives you the ports and most time in the ones you really want to visit. You'll spend so little time on the ship with 8-12 hours in port that its little more then your moving hotel except for the few sea days you have.