Traveling on the Splendid Splendor from Miami to Miami

From the moment we entered the check-in terminal, we enjoyed impeccable service and a happy crew just waiting to help. Splendor is a gorgeous ship with museum-quality art, 375 balcony suites that range from the 307-square-foot Veranda Suite to the 4,443 square-foot Regent Suite. We chose the concierge-level suite with a walk-in closet, and loved the high-quality linens and mattress. In the public spaces, beautiful art and sculptures abound, and the restaurants are stunning in their own right. Even the entrance to Pacific Rim, the Asian Specialty dining restaurant, has a gorgeous dragon sculpture.

The ports of call were all excellent, and a few highlights included Puerto Rico — we rented a taxi for the day and ate at BaCoa Restaurant. In St Barth, we tried to pre-rent chairs at Nikki Beach as we had done on a previous cruise with our kids, but the prices were crazy. Instead, we planned a nice lunch at Eden Roc, only to learn we could "absolutely" lounge beachside after our amazing meal. What a wonderful day, and one I highly recommend. On the second-to-last day of our cruise, we heard there were openings for the Sailing, Snorkel and Champagne morning excursion, so we signed up. This experience provided one of the main take-aways that I recommend to everyone on a cruise. Sign up for excursions early in the cruise that really interest you to meet other like-minded travelers. My husband and I are very active and enjoy physically challenging activities. Both the spa and gym on Splendor are fantastic, but we had not met other younger and active people until we did the sailing and snorkel trip. There was a big group that met on an earlier hiking excursion. Onboard Splendor is a Culinary Arts Kitchen. The cooking lessons were fun and the instructor was awesome.

RSSC is a multi-award-winning all-inclusive luxury cruise brand, and they truly deliver. They cater to the over 55 group, but some select sailings allow for kids and multi-generational travel groups. The newest ships — Explorer, Splendor, Grandeur and the soon-to-be-added Prestige — are stunning ships. It is just incredible when you look forward to sea days, and even choose to skip a port of call, just to enjoy the ship and crew. The value you receive from booking a Regent Seven Seas cruise is exceptional. I have heard people say they do not want excursions included in the fare because they do not always use that feature, but if you average the costs of other lines, RSSC is a great value across the board. The fact that at the end of the cruise you have no additional charges — unless, like us, you just cannot resist some over-the-top bottles of wine every now and then — makes the trip so enjoyable.

The Caribbean itineraries in and out of Miami on Regent are well-thought out and fun. If you are like me and have already visited many of the ports, you will be delighted to find that the ship itself can be part of the journey.

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to Miami. In need of further inspiration? Check out Julie Sambuco’s guide, Auckland to Bali with Regent Seven Seas Cruises.