repo-cruiser

I traveled on the Splendor November of 2011.

 

Overall, it was a very nice trip and the food was ok. We ate in the steakhouse 3 nights (almost did 4, but was just too full from eating so much). The steakhouse is higher quality food and the service was impeccable.

 

I didn't have a problem with the hot chocolate, but found the coffee to be nasty. Even the coffee you pay extra for wasn't much better. Of course, I am a coffee snob and usually drink Starbucks. I think it would be worthwhile to partner with Starbucks (or other well known brand) for the pay extra coffees.

 

The soft serve ice cream machines are hardly "real ice cream" with flecks of vanilla (to argue with a previously poster). They are likely a pre-mix either powder or liquid. I'd be surprised if they even had much dairy. So, I doubt the black dots were "vanilla bean". LOL. They want to regulate your body with healthcare and now they want to regulate what you eat, what car you drive and soon what vacation you can take.

 

I didn't find the sushi too appealing. But, then again my boyfriend if Japanese, so I'm a bit spoiled on that front. I did eat a few pieces, there isn't any raw fish, it's all cooked fish (nothing raw) rolls. Something like you'd find at your grocery store. There wasn't much emphasis on doing it right with the ginger, wasabi, soy sauce and chop sticks. My Japanese boyfriend wouldn't even try it. Sushi snob I know.

 

The 2 times we ate in the main dining room for anytime dining, it was less than pleasant. Had to wait in line a long time to get a beeper. Then had to wait another 45 minutes or so to get seated. Everything took forever and it was hard to customize or get extras (like ketchup, extra mayo), etc. for anything. I ordered a hamburger and ate it dry one night, because no one came back until desert. The servers were sweating and they worked their butts off. I felt sorry for them. Lunch and breakfast was a little better, but the menu is the same every day. The servers were also snooty in the morning (probably tired from late night partying!)

 

The food got progressively worse when you got to the buffet. I would say it compares to old country buffet. Some items were good like the proscuitto at breakfast, but it was hard to find. It didn't stop us from eating many $$ worth of it though. :-) The biggest pain with the buffet was the people! Like in the real world, buffets bring out the "best" in people. Hardly.

 

Despite this, my expectations were met, with all the food. I knew pretty much what I was going to get and that was what I got. And heck, I only spent $349 a person for the cruise for a week! I really can't complain (even though it easy to do, I'll admit). I was very pleased after the cruise and I'd do it again in a heart beat. I think it's unrealistic to expect all the food to lavish and expensive. I mean it's a cheapo cruise!!

 

Everything in the steakhouse was perfect though and everything cooked to perfection and sauces and extras a plenty. Even the double gin and tonic seemed better! LOL.

 

Also, the year prior I went on Mariner of the Seas (RC) and found the steakhouse and main dining room to be a similiar quality of food and experience as the Splendor. However, I'd say the Mariner buffet was a bit higher quality food, but not much.

Anything raw including fish is horrible for your internal organs ,you'll pay later in life, but hey maybe the us gov't will tell you what you can eat and can't eat.;) They will regulate that for you just like the car you drive, what doctor you can see and what vacation you can take

Wow! Calm down. Deep breaths. Relax. I don't think I was expecting it to be as good as Japan, never said that. I was just stating that there wasn't any raw sushi available (which I would have liked) and that it was mediocre store quality at best. Given the typically high quality of Carnival Cruise lines, I felt they fell a bit short on the sushi.

As someone from mexico the mexican food is actually better in Texas, sorry but true. Meant to quote hermitstyle.

Somebody needs to give up on tacky Carnival ...and start cruising Crystal ;)

 

 

It's so much better -and for about the same price! :D

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I sailed them but all there food was spoiled. Even the raw fish was spoiled.;)

I agree and disagree. I wish I had not wasted time on Princess and done more on RCL and gotten higher up sooner.

 

Once you reach a certain loyalty level, then to me I wouldnt push any more to hit higher.

 

I wish I had concentrated more on one line until I reached a certain level and then worked on the others.

 

Im waiting on Celebrity until I reach diamond now on RCL which I could have reached sooner. I just started the end of 2006, after a 30 year break, and only so many cruises I cant fit in.

I'm the opposite, I wasted time on RCL, it is nothing more than a shopping mall imo.