Live from the Splendor: Sunday, Dec 13th - Sunday, Dec 20th; PV, Mazatlan, and Cabo.

[mathgeek1978]

Friday, Dec 18th

Cabo San Lucas

Land’s End Boat Tour

The Boat tour would depart from the pier at 9AM and we were supposed to meet in the Spectacular Theater at 8:15AM to get our tender ticket. Tendering was very efficient because in addition to the regular tender boats, they also used a catamaran to transfer passengers to the pier.

At about 8:20AM they called groups 10 – 14 all at once and we would board a catamaran to be transferred to the pier where we would board another catamaran, The Cabo Mar, for the boat tour.

Lands End wasn’t really that far away from where the Splendor anchored. In fact, you could see it from the ship. However, the boat tour took us up close and personal, and also went around both sides of Land’s End, which you could not see from the ship. Overall, the tour was scenic and very relaxing.

When we got to the arch, the boat would stop briefly and a photographer would take pictures for the guests. Should you want to purchase the picture, it’s $14.

Shopping and Dining

After the tour we walked alongside the Marina to the Downtown area. Along the way there were numerous people trying to sell us a boat tour, water taxi, glass bottom boat tour, jewelry, cigars, etc, etc. If you don’t plan on buying anything, the trick is NOT to make eye contact with them and walk away saying “No, Thank you (or Gracias)”. They would not bother you further.

We have never been to Cabo and it didn’t take us long to figure out where to go – you pretty much keep walking along the Marina once you get off the boat, or simply follow the crowd. Along the way there were numerous shops and a few flea market plazas and bargains were everywhere. There are many dining options available such as Senor Frog, Hard Rock Café, or Cabo Wabo just to name a few; or if you just want some fast food, Burger King and Subway were also right there.

Cruise Elegant Night

While the vast majority of the guests were very well dressed, attendance was visibly lower than the first Cruise Elegant night. There were plenty of empty seats and even a few empty tables.

The food was great. DW had the escargots and The jumbo shrimp dinner. I had a shrimp cocktail and the Chateaubriand. We were very happy with the food tonight. We also noticed that the pace of the service has picked up a bit in the last 2 days. Overall, an excellent dining experience tonight.

Comedy Show

The capers said “The Comedy of Stephen Thomas and Juggling Comedy of Fred Anderson.” But apparently only Stephen Thomas appeared.

It was a family friendly comedy featuring mostly jokes about cruising, signs (such as road signs), married life, and family life. His first segment was about cruising, and specifically cruising on Carnival (This happened to me on Puerto Vallarta day… well, actually Puerto Vallarta day two…) For the most part, this segment was very funny, creative and original. The segment on married life wasn’t too bad but some of the materials are quite old (like how many pairs of shoes women need.)

Overall, it was clean and funny and we had a few good laughs. If you like comedy shows, you would most likely enjoy this.

[mathgeek1978]

Mathgeek - The Land's End through Carnival if only offered (online) at 9:15. We are booked on the submarine excursion at that time. Did you notice any other operators offering a "Land's End" tour when you got off the tender at the dock?

 

I am loving your review.

 

Yes. Once you get off the tender boat, just walk along the pier and PLENTY of people will be here to sell you all kind of tours.

[mathgeek1978]

If you can remember - - - - what was the weather like at the deck party on Tuesday night?? Did yopu need a sweater of was it warm out??

 

Thanks

mowdoc

Warm, high 70's, though a bit breezy, After a few dances, you'll warm up.

[shakwurst]

No sorry, not on the Splendor.

 

 

no need to be sorry, i thought it was way overrated anyways. way too greasy

[logbook]

Thank you so much for taking the time to spot this review. It sounds like getting stuck in PV turned out to be a very good thing for you. Your second day sounded wonderful and I think that is exactly what we will do in March! Do you talk to anyone that did the Sunset Sail in PV? We were considering that in the evening....

[mathgeek1978]

Saturday, Dec 19th

Fun Day at Sea

We moved our clock ahead one hour last night (back to Pacific time) so we had extra hour of sleep. We were tired from all the activities the entire week and we took the opportunity to sleep in late this morning. We went to the Lido buffet for breakfast and discovered a new entrée: Sausage and spinach pastry. It was absolutely delicious. If you have never tried this before, don’t miss it the next time you cruise Carnival. This sausage and spinach pastry will easily win my vote for the best breakfast entrée.

What’s up tonight:

Fun Farewell – This is confirmed: Drinks are free.

Carnival Legend Show – Guests were selected from previous night in the karaoke events for tonight’s show. These selected guests will perform with the Splendor Dancers, Singers, and Splendor Big Band.

[Prairie_Gal]

Thanks very much for taking the time to post this reviw, I am really enjoying it.

[mathgeek1978]

Saturday, Dec 19th. Continued…

Fun Farewell Party

Two words: It rocked!

Well, the free drinks were great… But what made it really rock was the awesome rock band (the same band that played on deck party #1) playing Rock N Roll music and a good crowd dancing on the stage. The atmosphere was absolutely vibrant. This was, in my opinion, actually better than the past guest party, which I thought was boring.

Dinner in the MDR

DW had the lobster bisque and the prawn dinner; I had the shrimp cocktail and prime rib – medium rare. The food was great! The desserts were even better, especially the cappuccino cake. The service continued to improve and the pace of the meal was a lot better than the first night.

Carnival Legends Show

Before you go see the show, you’ll need to remember one thing: None of the performers tonight are professionals. In fact, most of them never thought that they would be performing tonight when they first boarded the ship.

They were passengers just like you and I. They were selected through a series of karaoke events. And tonight, they would each imitate a pop/rock superstar, such as Elvis, Elton John, Brittny Spears, Frank Sinatra, etc.

Well, let’s just say that some were better than others. In fact, it was almost like an America Idol show without the judges. The winners weren’t any of the singers, but were the awesome makeup and costume professionals that made each singer look like the artist that they are imitating.

Sunday, Dec 20th

Debarkation

We were cleared for debarkation early and self-assist started at 7:45AM. The self-assist were called by decks, starting from the higher decks and working their way down.

Debarkation by zone number started around 8:15AM. We were #19 but were in no hurry to leave. And neither were a lot of people. It was really great that they made the Lido deck one of the waiting areas, and many people were enjoying the last moments of their vacation there.

The weather was nice, the big screen TV was on, and the chairs are comfortable. Although the buffet ended promptly around 9:30AM, they kept the drink stations open so we could get coffee or iced tea. The lounges in deck 5 were also waiting areas, so there were plenty of space for everybody. But I would suspect that most people would prefer the Lido deck on a nice day like today.

Getting off the ship was fast and orderly. The line at customs took about 15 minutes – not bad at all, considered that the ship was full. Overall, we found the debarkation process smooth and well organized. (NOTE: Bear in mind that we were NOT there at the self-assist and the early zones, so if there were dog fights, we wouldn’t have seen them).

Up next…

We are home now and the final section of my live review will be:

What’s HOT and what’s NOT.

And I took LOTS of pictures and videos so I’ll be posting a video review soon. If you have been enjoying this live review, you’ll definitely want to check out my video review.

[slabeaume]

We did the self-debarkation at about 8:45 and found it to be the fastest, easiest debarkation of the 8 cruises I've been on. It was also the first self-debarkation that we did. I was at LAX by 10 arranging an earlier flight home.

 

We did a lot of the things you did and agree with everything you said.

[mathgeek1978]

Love reading your blog. Going on the Splendor in March. Can you please try to get a copy of the camp carnival capers for 9-11 yr olds? Also can you please report on the sushi/tapas? I think they alternate but can't remember exactly what was served when it wasn't sushi.

Hope you have a wonderful cruise!

 

The California Roll is located on deck 5 midship, right next to the Red Carpet Disco. Hours: 5:00 - 8:15PM

 

Sushi: Sun, Tue, Thur, Sat

 

Tapas: Mon, Wed, Fri

 

Regarding the Camp Carnival capers... sorry we have no children so the kids things completely slipped my mind... Sorry, but I'm sure someone else will have a copy.

[mathgeek1978]

I would love to know if anyone spots any whales from the ship. I heard this time of year you can see them from the ship when you are around Cabo . . . . Thanks for the updates. I will be on the Splendor in 31 more days!

On our return trip from Cabo (Friday afternoon) whales were spotted on the starboard side shortly after sail away on a few ocassions but only momentarily -- if you blinked you missed it...

[mathgeek1978]

Thank you so much for taking the time to spot this review. It sounds like getting stuck in PV turned out to be a very good thing for you. Your second day sounded wonderful and I think that is exactly what we will do in March! Do you talk to anyone that did the Sunset Sail in PV? We were considering that in the evening....

 

Yes, in fact our tablemates took that excursion. The wife had a great time but the husband got seasick. They said as it got dark, it was a lot easier to get seasick. In fact, he said 2 other guys also got seasick. If you are prone to seasickness, be sure to wear a patch or take a Bonine before the trip. Their overall experience was good, and they believe the price was reasonable.

[mathgeek1978]

We did the self-debarkation at about 8:45 and found it to be the fastest, easiest debarkation of the 8 cruises I've been on. It was also the first self-debarkation that we did. I was at LAX by 10 arranging an earlier flight home.

 

We did a lot of the things you did and agree with everything you said.

 

That's amazing! I was at one time thinking how we could be on the same ship but seeing completely different pespectives of it...

[cruisinJenF]

I cant wait to see your pictures and videos!!! I am going on this same cruise 03/21/2010 and this makes it very exciting seeing what I have in store (hopefully minus crashing into something).

Jen

[Elationismyship]

Where will I look for your video review . . . .will you post a link here?

 

Thanks for all your hard work on this review. I'll be on the Splendor in 27 days!

[maumekim]

<P>Thank you so much for the review!! I sail January 31st with DH for our first cruise. We are in 6269 balcony. Hubby is now a little worried about the ships accidents, but like I told him, If I can survive the car accident I was in, a little tender peir chompin boat is gonna be just fine.</P>

<P> </P>

<P>We are staying on the Queen Mary for 3 nights prior to the cruise and heard there is an early bag check"??</P>

<P> </P>

<P>Also what is a self assist? We get off the boat on Superbowl Sunday and are headed to San Diego. Hubby of course wants to find a place to watch the game near our hotel in San Diego so the earlier we can get off the ship and get on the road the better. Although Id love staying on it longer. </P>

<P> </P>

<P>I plan on taking many photos and hopefully videos on our trip so our friends and family can share the fun too.</P>

<P> </P>

<P>Thanks again</P>

<P>Kim (and Carl)<IMG class=inlineimg border=0 alt=0 src="http://boards.cruisecritic.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif" smilieid="3"></P>

[maumekim]

Im a little confused on the time things.. My itenerary says we get to PV at 9am, but our excursion was set for 9:15am, and then you said we get there 8am ship time, which is ?? PV time 9, right? So my question is...do we really get there at 8 or was that due to the mishap? and if we do get there at 8 ship time, does that mean we have 15 minutes from docking to get to the excursion place? Oh I think Ive confused myself more!

[maumekim]

Jen you know we want to crash into something minor in Cabo so we can spend more time on vacation! Just kidding, Hubby would have a cow and get off the ship and fly home..HEHEHEh

 

I cant wait to see your pictures and videos!!! I am going on this same cruise 03/21/2010 and this makes it very exciting seeing what I have in store (hopefully minus crashing into something).

Jen

[mathgeek1978]

I cant wait to see your pictures and videos!!! I am going on this same cruise 03/21/2010 and this makes it very exciting seeing what I have in store (hopefully minus crashing into something).

Jen

Ok... I won't make you wait long... I've take almost 20 GB of videos which will take me a long time to edit, but I'll post them as I work on them :)

[mathgeek1978]

Where will I look for your video review . . . .will you post a link here?

 

Thanks for all your hard work on this review. I'll be on the Splendor in 27 days!

I'll start a new thread, if not tonight, by tomorrow morning.

[mathgeek1978]

Im a little confused on the time things.. My itenerary says we get to PV at 9am, but our excursion was set for 9:15am, and then you said we get there 8am ship time, which is ?? PV time 9, right? So my question is...do we really get there at 8 or was that due to the mishap? and if we do get there at 8 ship time, does that mean we have 15 minutes from docking to get to the excursion place? Oh I think Ive confused myself more!

 

We just happened to get there early that morning. Again, ship time is one hour behind PV local time. If you book excursions throgh Carnival, you don't have to worry since Carnival will take care of everything. If you book through local operators directly, I'm very sure that they are aware of the ship time/local time difference.

[mathgeek1978]

OK, I've gone over all my notes, and here's the list:

 

What’s HOT and what’s NOT?

 

Main Shows

 

What’s HOT:

 

Fiesta Latina. A must-see if you like Latin music. Even if you don’t like Latin music, you may still want to check it out – it might change your mind.

 

What’s NOT:

 

The Tom McGillen Comedy Show (Sunday night). Don’t waste your time there (well, unless you enjoy making fun of people of different nationalities or ethnicities.)

 

Food

 

What’s HOT:

 

Breakfast: Sausage and spinach pastry (Lido) and Eggs Benedict (MDR)

Lunch: Indian food at Tandoor

Dinner: Escargots Bourguignonne (appetizer) and Supreme of Hudson Valley duck (main course).

Dessert: Tiramisu and Cappuccino Pie

 

What’s NOT:

 

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs

 

Juices – They are all very sweet and sugary

 

The Parties:

 

What’s HOT:

 

Deck Party #1 (Rock N Roll Deck Party) – Great band, awesome crowd, vibrant atmosphere.

Fun Farewell Party – Same as above.

 

What’s NOT:

 

Deck Party #2 – Disappointing participation. Maybe back to back deck parties on 2 consecutive days is not a good idea.

 

The Musicians:

 

What’s HOT:

The Rock N Roll Band (Deck Party & Fun Farewell Party)

Calypso Music with “Innocence”. (Lido Deck)

Classic rock music with “Just Us Two”. (Lobby Deck)

 

Puerto Vallarta

 

What’s HOT:

 

The Broadwalk (Malecon) – A very scenic and relaxing walk. Take the time to explore all the beautiful sculptures, many of which have historical or cultural significance.

 

What’s NOT:

 

Any kind of city tours – You don’t need to join a tour and you don’t need a tour guide. Take a cab downtown and enjoy!

 

Cabo San Lucas

 

What’s HOT:

 

Land End’s Boat Tour – Up close and personal!

 

What’s NOT:

 

The salesmen – Everywhere you go there are lots of people trying to sell you a boat tour, a water taxi ride, a glass bottom excursion, jewelry, cigars, etc, etc.

[liciaheart]

I would like to add that the Black Pearl Dinning room is a HOT (sit in the middle or edge or the room) and the special supper club is a NOT.

[maumekim]

Im excited to see them!

What program do you use to edit and put them together?

 

Kim

 

I'll start a new thread, if not tonight, by tomorrow morning.

[maumekim]

Thanks! Yes we did book through Carnival so we should be fine..actually booked two for PV

 

We just happened to get there early that morning. Again, ship time is one hour behind PV local time. If you book excursions throgh Carnival, you don't have to worry since Carnival will take care of everything. If you book through local operators directly, I'm very sure that they are aware of the ship time/local time difference.