Didn't have a SPLENDID time, but...

[Rottweiler Puppy]

That was a pretty snotty remark.

 

Unfortunately its common around here.

 

OP, thanks for the fair and balanced review from your perspective.

[Rottweiler Puppy]

 

I love this photo!

 

I agree. Probably the cutest pic on CC. If there were a contest, that pic should win.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

I agree. Probably the cutest pic on CC. If there were a contest, that pic should win.

 

Where is my LIKE button? We need a like button!

[Royaltmom]

Thank you for your review. We are sailing on the Splendor in a couple of weeks. Everyone experiences the same trip different, thanks for sharing your trip with us.

 

We sailed the Fantasy a month ago, and it was a good trip, not a great one. Out of 13 cruises, 12 great ones and one good one. Pretty good odds to me.

[parrotthead]

thanks for the interesting review.

Sounds like the baby had a fine time.... we are sailing in a few days with "the Traveling GingerBaby on the Go" (8mo) for his first cruise.. so your review was fun for me to read.

Sounds like you do prefer smaller ships/crowds/cruises.. but made the best of it... good for you. :)

I think a lot of that has to do with where someone lives and what they are comfortable with --we took my partners Mother with us on a cruise... (she has lived in a small town in Min. for several years now)--she was completely overwhelmed by the experience..was not for her...

We live in a large metro area and Since we have only been on "megaships" we are accustom to the 'crowds' dont really bother us... we dont notice if they seem crowded... so I think thats just a personal thing.

:)

Thanks again...glad you had a plesent time!

[lrowe70]

Thank you for taking the time to do the review. From the sound of it you would be happier on Celebrity, Holland America, or Princess. They would offer more of the experience you seem to prefer. Also, the decor would be much more conservative. I do understand your choices were exceedingly limited in sailing from California.

 

You mentioned that one of the game shows was offensive and is an example of Carnival's reputation. Well, that same game is wildly popular on RCI ships, so it is not only a Carnival thing.

 

.

 

Thanks for the tips and advice. I will look into those lines for future. Also good to know about the offensive shows being on other boats as well, I'll keep that in mind so I don't accidently wander into them.

 

Our next cruise will be either from the East Coast or in Alaska, so we do have more options.

 

However as I did mention before, I'm not counting out Carnival. There were good points-the kid club being one of them.

[lrowe70]

Oh and thanks to everyone on the compliments on my baby. I'm a tad bit biased, but do think he's the cutest thing in the planet. LOL :D

 

I'm very happy he was able to cruise with us and he has FOUR ship-on-a-sticks to play with(until they break). Actually they make me want to go on Carnival again, so we can get ship-on-a-sticks from the other boats.

[mjl1960]

Thanks for your review and pictures. I have been on the Splendor twice, and I think the first time was better than the last, but I also was with a larger group the first time. Glad you did enjoy your cruise, and I am kind of like you, where I like to cruise to relax, so much so that I could really just stay on the ship in ports.

[RuthlessBoss]

I hope this review was helpful to some, that was my only intent. This board was sooo helpful to me before I sailed with some of the in depth reviews that I just wanted to return the favor.

 

About the outlets: fyi, you can get a plug adaptor at many outdoor stores such as REI as well as on E Bay for about $2.

 

the tenders: I don't recall what time we went to stand in line for a ticket, or what time the tenders left. All I remember was we got there pretty early and ended up in group 17. We had time to eat breakfast and get our daypacks before our tender group was announced.

 

As far as choosing not to find a quiet place, I disagree. We looked and looked and there was no quiet(and comfortable) place to be found. We found the balcony much to small(and cold) to relax and stretch out which is why we didn't sit there. The main problem was the amount of music and noise being pumped through all the speakers.

 

I agree with everyone's assessment that this may not have been the line for me. Considering I used to live outside of LA but chose to move to a state with only 600,000 people probably tells you a bit about my preferences.

I think where things went wrong and caused criticism, was the first post states about relaxing on the balcony, but postings indicated you attended many functions and this confused us. It was not until this later post that it was clarified why you did not use the balcony.

[Equest]

Thank you

[bakechef]

I have lots of experience on big ships and not any experience on very small ships, the smallest was 1400 people.

 

I agree, the Splendor has to be the ugliest ship that I have ever seen (pink zebra dots EVERYWHERE!). With that said, we had one of our best cruises on her.

 

We do pretty lazy, laid back cruises. We would love to do a more subdued small ship cruise, but for our financial situation, Carnival gets us a nice vacation at a nice price.

 

Mass market cruises aren't for everyone, that's for sure, but I'm glad that you made the best of it!

[evilelf]

Thank you for the review.

 

Can anyone answer this Splendor question(s): Do OV cat 6c cabins have sofas

Yes, the OV cabins on the Splendor have a sofa. If your cabin is for 3 or 4 people, the sofa becomes one of the beds.

 

I agree, the Splendor has to be the ugliest ship that I have ever seen (pink zebra dots EVERYWHERE!). With that said, we had one of our best cruises on her.

Sorry, I think the Splendor is a beautiful ship. The "pink" has never bothered me. I really love being on the exterior deck on deck 3 at night, where it is always quiet, you can hear the ocean, and the only lights are the neon blue lights on this deck.

[tonit964]

Your baby is a cutie pie! :)

[Cultuslakenurse]

Thanks a lot for your refreshingly honest review! You stated things as you saw them, the good the bad and the ugly. It was your trip and it is your opinion..good for you..the pics are so cute of your son.

I am going on my first Carnival cruise in 2 wks and I have taken note of the things you said. Mine is just 4 days just enough to feel I have had a little holiday. I like trying the different cruise lines...everyone enjoys different things and sees the ship in different lights, depending on your age, your ship ports, and your frame of mind...I am glad you had a good time..and thanks so much for the review.

[CourtneyLovesCruising]

I read three instances of you using 'trashy' to start your review before I decided to end quite while you were behind.

[bumorgan]

I enjoyed and want to thank you for your review. It was nice to see a review from a different perspective. That of a cruiser of very small ships of less than a 1000 passengers. It seems you made the best of what you had to work with. I agree it is night and day cruising on a ship with 300 passengers versus 3000+. It brings back memories of cruising 30 years ago.

 

Dan

[halos]

I read three instances of you using 'trashy' to start your review before I decided to end quite while you were behind.

One person's trash is another's treasure.

Don't take it personally.

[cdamion]

Thanks for the tips and advice. I will look into those lines for future. Also good to know about the offensive shows being on other boats as well, I'll keep that in mind so I don't accidently wander into them.

 

Our next cruise will be either from the East Coast or in Alaska, so we do have more options.

 

However as I did mention before, I'm not counting out Carnival. There were good points-the kid club being one of them.

 

Princess and Holland America are king in Alaska - they have been doing it a very long time and have it perfected. I would pick either of those lines. Princess on average will be a bit younger than HAL, but there are all ages on all ships. I would absolutely take one of these lines if you do Alaska. HAL even specializes (at least they did within the last couple years) on Northwestern style food with lots of salmon dishes, etc.

 

On the east coast, I would try Celebrity, Princess, or the Radiance class on Royal Caribbean.

 

Personally, I like Princess. Unfortunately their itineraries and schedules are not matching up to my needs. To me they bridge the gap nicely between Carnival/RCI and Celebrity.