Splendour of the Seas’ Revitalization Doubles Dining Options

When specialty dining restaurants began appearing on cruise ships some lines immediately embraced the concept, while others were somewhat slower out of the gate. Royal Caribbean was one line whose onboard restaurants evolved at a slower pace; however, they are certainly playing catch-up with popular dining venues that were initially introduced on the newest ships now showing up on older, refurbished fleetmates.

To build on the success of Radiance of the Sea’s newly introduced restaurants (see Royal Caribbean Embarks on “Revitalization of the Seas”), RCI’s Splendour of the Seas will undergo a similar transformation and emerge from an extensive revitalization on Nov 25, 2011. With more than twice the number of dining options previously available to guests, the enhancements include a variety of new restaurants that were first introduced aboard Oasis-class ships.

“Splendour of the Seas’ dry dock is part of Royal Caribbean’s multi-ship enhancement and revitalization program to offer across the fleet the most popular and innovative concepts first introduced on our revolutionary Oasis-class ships,” said Lisa Bauer, senior vice president, Hotel Operations, Royal Caribbean Intl. “As a result, guests sailing aboard Splendour of the Seas will now have a variety of restaurants, both fine-dining and casual, to choose from providing them with an exceptional and customizable vacation experience.”

Among the dining concepts debuting onboard Splendour of the Seas, guests will find the Asian Izumi restaurant; the line’s signature steakhouse, Chops Grille; as well as the Boardwalk Dog House hotdog counter; the Park Café deli-style restaurant and the exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience. The line also will introduce a new a la carte menu in the Viking Crown Lounge, which will offer guests the opportunity to enjoy bite sized portions of their favorite classics.

Here’s what’s coming, with pricing for the new restaurants:

· Boardwalk Dog House: Guests can choose from traditional hot dogs, wieners, brats, sausages and other delicious linked meats and a variety of toppings to split a long bun (open for lunch and dinner, complimentary).
· Chef’s Table: An exclusive experience co-hosted by the Executive Chef and Sommelier for an intimate wine pairing dinner of five courses (open for dinner, $95 cover charge).
· Chops Grille: Royal Caribbean’s signature steakhouse will be located adjacent to the Viking Crown Lounge and features a menu of prime cuts prepared a la minute (open for dinner, $30 cover charge).
· Izumi: Featuring mouthwatering flavors and a sushi bar with hot-rock cooking, the pan Asian cuisine restaurant is a no-hassle, authentic dining experience. Izumi will be located adjacent to the Viking Crown Lounge (open for lunch and dinner, $3.00 cover charge for lunch and $5.00 for dinner plus a la carte menu pricing).
· Park Café: An indoor/outdoor gourmet market featuring salads, sandwiches, soups and pastries (open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, complimentary).
· Viking Crown Lounge: The line’s signature space will feature a new menu of classic dishes such as jumbo shrimp cocktail or Kobe beef sliders, Asian inspired tempuras and soft shell crab and much more (a la carte pricing).

Guests eager to experience Royal Caribbean’s signature innovations will find additional new amenities on Splendour of the Seas including 124 new balconies, the Royal Babies and Tots Nursery, a Diamond lounge, a Concierge Lounge, and upgraded technology throughout. Upon completion of the refurbishments, Splendour of the Seas will sail a trans-Atlantic voyage on Nov 25 from Lisbon, Portugal to her seasonal homeport of Sao Paulo (Santos), Brazil. From there she will offer a variety of South American itineraries that take advantage of the Brazilian summer season.

Image Courtesy of Royal Caribbean Intl