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Carnival Splendor From NY June 10th-18th - Loved it!!!

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in Carnival Cruise Lines

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cruise luvr

cruise luvr

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Carnival Splendor June 10-18 Review

A little about me - Loves to vacation and pretty east to please. With that in mind here is my review:

My sister-in-law and I sailed the Carnival Splendor June 10th-18th out of New York. Had a great cruise, love Carnival, would do it again.

PORT: New York was a breeze. We got a ride to the port from Connecticut. As soon as you get off the exit the ship is literally right there. Drop off was at about 11:15 and we were on the ship by 12:15. Boarded with Zone 7. So much easier than flying somewhere.

Once onboard we headed to the buffet, which IMHO was great all week. The only exception would be if you were to not go to the dining room for dinner and just want the buffet it seemed smaller than breakfast or lunch. We passed by one night as I wanted to see if they offered the same things as in the dining room. We then went to the cabin. Inside spa cabin, plenty of storage for 2 gals. The shower was small, but doable for a week sailing the seas. Went to the meet and greet, was so nice to meet fellow CC’ers! Muster drill was next. It was raining but we were covered. It was over pretty quickly. Then up to find a spot for sail away. Went up to Deck 10 as right outside the back of the ship there is a covered area. It was really foggy so the view was probably not as nice as it could be. Watched the Statue of Liberty and went inside. Missed the bridge, but we have both seen it before. I promised myself I would catch it on the way in. Headed to dinner. We had my time dining in the Black Pearl. Our waiter was Putra. Or Poo. That’s what he said to call him. Poo and his staff were amazing! We requested them all week and would highly recommend asking for their section. Food in the dining room was always good and plenty of selections. I’m not a picky eater and can always find something. The chocolate melting cake always delicious! Afterwards headed out to explore the ship. The first night was a little rocky. It doesn’t bother me at all.

I can’t go day by day as I didn’t take notes so I may skip around a little.

CABIN: Spa cabin deck 10. Loved the access to the spa! Loved the Thalassopool, steam rooms, and relaxation rooms. I upgraded from a standard inside to a spa cabin for $20. Would do it again in a heartbeat! Would I pay the fee to have access? Not sure, but probably not. We went the first few days and once we hit ports were too busy to go. Bring a power strip. I didn’t. With 2 girls sharing a room and only 1 plug. Yes, count them, 1 plug. It was not enough with hair dryers, straighteners, etc.

FOOD: Very good! Main dining room every night for dinner. Buffet for breakfast every day but one. Tried the dining room for breakfast. We wanted to try another part of the dining room, service was nowhere near as good as Poo’s. The breakfast I felt was no better than the buffet and at least at the buffet we could get a variety. My SIL felt the same way. So back to the buffet for breakfast. Pizza was good. Indian buffet very good. I liked that you can “try” things. Hot dogs and nachos by the pool good. I always feel you really can’t screw up a hot dog! I never tried the deli. There was always a line so it must have been good. I’m just not much of a sandwich eater. Rotisserie was really good! Wanted to try the Mongolian Wok all week. I never made it. 9 days you would think you could do everything….???? LOL!!! It looked amazing. Coffee shop – got a cappuccino every day and loved it. Service is a bit slow. Kept thinking there has to be a better way. We sat on the second floor every day at breakfast, there is literally no one up there. It’s nice and peaceful, you just have to walk up the stairs.

ENTERTAINMENT: We did not go to every show but saw a few of them. I always like the shows. Karaoke was always fun. I won’t sing (and you wouldn’t want me to) but I give kudos to anyone that will try. Deck parties – love them, did I day LOVE THEM…??? Love dancing and being in the fresh air! We spent a lot of time in the Red Carpet disco at night. Love to dance. Red Carpet opened at 10 nightly and went until who knows when. Met a lot of great people in there.

BARS and Bar Service: Piano Bar – love listening to the piano. Hayley did a great job! Martini Bar – went once and we were the only ones there. Met a great bartender – Silvia, who usually works in the casino. Visited her in the casino bar every night after that. Always was able to find someone serving drinks on deck. Our dining room server was amazing. Once he knew us he was at the table first thing. Never a problem to get a drink.

CHOGS: The first day was the hardest to get a chair. There were people in ALL of them. As the week went on it got easier. If you go to the top deck you can find stacks of chairs you can put out. I like it up there as there is a great breeze you can’t get near the main pool.

POOLS: The main pool is the happening spot. However, the back pool is adult only and the one that I preferred. Nice view from the back of the ship. Deli and Indian food right there and a fabulous bar. Near the bar are great tables to sit at if you want shade.

PORTS: Loved Grand Turk and Margaritaville. Half Moon Cay is absolutely beautiful. White sand beach and sparkling water. The sand does not get hot. Great music coming from the pirate ship. Did the Cupid Shuffle for the 105th time in the water on HMC. Loved the outdoor BBQ. Nassau was a day to just walk around port. After so many days in the sun I needed that. Great shopping. Saw other ships in port. Wish I had gone to the Atlantis, it looks amazing. Maybe next time.

DEBARKATION: Not a problem at all. We had #10 which said between 9 and 9:15. We were off the ship by 9:15 and in line for a taxi. This took an hour but that’s ok. Who is in a hurry to get home? Haha! We opted for a taxi to GC then the train to Connecticut on the way home. It seemed to difficult to plan a pick up not knowing exactly what time we would be off the ship. This worked out well

COMPLAINTS: None!!! But I'm easy to please. Give me sun, food, and a cocktail and I'm one happy camper!!!

We had a really great group of people on this cruise. We met some wonderful people. I would definitely recommend the Carnival Splendor. I’m ready to plan the next cruise!

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riclop

riclop

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Carnival Splendor June 10-18 Review

 

A little about me - Loves to vacation and pretty east to please. With that in mind here is my review:

 

My sister-in-law and I sailed the Carnival Splendor June 10th-18th out of New York. Had a great cruise, love Carnival, would do it again.

 

PORT: New York was a breeze. We got a ride to the port from Connecticut. As soon as you get off the exit the ship is literally right there. Drop off was at about 11:15 and we were on the ship by 12:15. Boarded with Zone 7. So much easier than flying somewhere.

 

Once onboard we headed to the buffet, which IMHO was great all week. The only exception would be if you were to not go to the dining room for dinner and just want the buffet it seemed smaller than breakfast or lunch. We passed by one night as I wanted to see if they offered the same things as in the dining room. We then went to the cabin. Inside spa cabin, plenty of storage for 2 gals. The shower was small, but doable for a week sailing the seas. Went to the meet and greet, was so nice to meet fellow CC’ers! Muster drill was next. It was raining but we were covered. It was over pretty quickly. Then up to find a spot for sail away. Went up to Deck 10 as right outside the back of the ship there is a covered area. It was really foggy so the view was probably not as nice as it could be. Watched the Statue of Liberty and went inside. Missed the bridge, but we have both seen it before. I promised myself I would catch it on the way in. Headed to dinner. We had my time dining in the Black Pearl. Our waiter was Putra. Or Poo. That’s what he said to call him. Poo and his staff were amazing! We requested them all week and would highly recommend asking for their section. Food in the dining room was always good and plenty of selections. I’m not a picky eater and can always find something. The chocolate melting cake always delicious! Afterwards headed out to explore the ship. The first night was a little rocky. It doesn’t bother me at all.

 

I can’t go day by day as I didn’t take notes so I may skip around a little.

 

CABIN: Spa cabin deck 10. Loved the access to the spa! Loved the Thalassopool, steam rooms, and relaxation rooms. I upgraded from a standard inside to a spa cabin for $20. Would do it again in a heartbeat! Would I pay the fee to have access? Not sure, but probably not. We went the first few days and once we hit ports were too busy to go. Bring a power strip. I didn’t. With 2 girls sharing a room and only 1 plug. Yes, count them, 1 plug. It was not enough with hair dryers, straighteners, etc.

 

FOOD: Very good! Main dining room every night for dinner. Buffet for breakfast every day but one. Tried the dining room for breakfast. We wanted to try another part of the dining room, service was nowhere near as good as Poo’s. The breakfast I felt was no better than the buffet and at least at the buffet we could get a variety. My SIL felt the same way. So back to the buffet for breakfast. Pizza was good. Indian buffet very good. I liked that you can “try” things. Hot dogs and nachos by the pool good. I always feel you really can’t screw up a hot dog! I never tried the deli. There was always a line so it must have been good. I’m just not much of a sandwich eater. Rotisserie was really good! Wanted to try the Mongolian Wok all week. I never made it. 9 days you would think you could do everything….???? LOL!!! It looked amazing. Coffee shop – got a cappuccino every day and loved it. Service is a bit slow. Kept thinking there has to be a better way. We sat on the second floor every day at breakfast, there is literally no one up there. It’s nice and peaceful, you just have to walk up the stairs.

 

ENTERTAINMENT: We did not go to every show but saw a few of them. I always like the shows. Karaoke was always fun. I won’t sing (and you wouldn’t want me to) but I give kudos to anyone that will try. Deck parties – love them, did I day LOVE THEM…??? Love dancing and being in the fresh air! We spent a lot of time in the Red Carpet disco at night. Love to dance. Red Carpet opened at 10 nightly and went until who knows when. Met a lot of great people in there.

 

BARS and Bar Service: Piano Bar – love listening to the piano. Hayley did a great job! Martini Bar – went once and we were the only ones there. Met a great bartender – Silvia, who usually works in the casino. Visited her in the casino bar every night after that. Always was able to find someone serving drinks on deck. Our dining room server was amazing. Once he knew us he was at the table first thing. Never a problem to get a drink.

 

CHOGS: The first day was the hardest to get a chair. There were people in ALL of them. As the week went on it got easier. If you go to the top deck you can find stacks of chairs you can put out. I like it up there as there is a great breeze you can’t get near the main pool.

 

POOLS: The main pool is the happening spot. However, the back pool is adult only and the one that I preferred. Nice view from the back of the ship. Deli and Indian food right there and a fabulous bar. Near the bar are great tables to sit at if you want shade.

 

PORTS: Loved Grand Turk and Margaritaville. Half Moon Cay is absolutely beautiful. White sand beach and sparkling water. The sand does not get hot. Great music coming from the pirate ship. Did the Cupid Shuffle for the 105th time in the water on HMC. Loved the outdoor BBQ. Nassau was a day to just walk around port. After so many days in the sun I needed that. Great shopping. Saw other ships in port. Wish I had gone to the Atlantis, it looks amazing. Maybe next time.

 

DEBARKATION: Not a problem at all. We had #10 which said between 9 and 9:15. We were off the ship by 9:15 and in line for a taxi. This took an hour but that’s ok. Who is in a hurry to get home? Haha! We opted for a taxi to GC then the train to Connecticut on the way home. It seemed to difficult to plan a pick up not knowing exactly what time we would be off the ship. This worked out well

 

COMPLAINTS: None!!! But I'm easy to please. Give me sun, food, and a cocktail and I'm one happy camper!!!

 

We had a really great group of people on this cruise. We met some wonderful people. I would definitely recommend the Carnival Splendor. I’m ready to plan the next cruise!

Glad you had a great time.

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herb

herb

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thanks for sharing your positive experiences on the Splendor. Looking forward to our turn at the end of this month :D

 

P.S. What a tiny font you used :cool:

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gusandgidgetsmom

gusandgidgetsmom

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I agree with all your comments as I shared this cruise with you. I enjoyed meeting all in our roll call as well. Our dining experience wasn't as good as yours. Normally it would not bother me, but we were in the dining room each night practically until the next bunch came in. Slowest service ever, waiters not really friendly but the food was great. Our Grandson's were with us so I would have liked to have dinner a little quicker. Most times our glasses of water were not filled but once and only on the last night did they remember to bring the lemonade. Nothing to throw a fit about-just a surprise after all these years.

We loved this cruise. The Splendor is a great ship and not nearly as hard to get around as some had made it out to be. Our rooms were forward and dining aft so we had to trek it across 9 to get to the dining room. Not so bad. Needed the walk on the way back!!

In 25 years this was the easiest embarkation we ever had. As far as debarking we were waiting until the end as we did not have to fly out that day and the CD came by and said" I called the last number you should be getting off". His tone was not that of a joke, but we are choosing to think he was just harried and meant it that way!

I felt that the décor was no way near the garish description many had given. I found it kind of interesting.

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Cyber Kat

Cyber Kat

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I agree with all your comments as I shared this cruise with you. I enjoyed meeting all in our roll call as well. Our dining experience wasn't as good as yours. Normally it would not bother me, but we were in the dining room each night practically until the next bunch came in. Slowest service ever, waiters not really friendly but the food was great. Our Grandson's were with us so I would have liked to have dinner a little quicker. Most times our glasses of water were not filled but once and only on the last night did they remember to bring the lemonade. Nothing to throw a fit about-just a surprise after all these years.

We loved this cruise. The Splendor is a great ship and not nearly as hard to get around as some had made it out to be. Our rooms were forward and dining aft so we had to trek it across 9 to get to the dining room. Not so bad. Needed the walk on the way back!!

In 25 years this was the easiest embarkation we ever had. As far as debarking we were waiting until the end as we did not have to fly out that day and the CD came by and said" I called the last number you should be getting off". His tone was not that of a joke, but we are choosing to think he was just harried and meant it that way!

I felt that the décor was no way near the garish description many had given. I found it kind of interesting.

 

 

We were also on the cruise and I agree it was a GREAT cruise - one of my best! I loved the Splendor and like Gusandgidgetsmom found it a lot easier to get around than I thought it would be. Of course, I had the deck plans memorized by the time our cruise rolled around, so that might have helped :D

 

We had great service in the MDR, but we had late seating. I think people either did early seating or ATD/YTD because we had a lot of empty tables in our area. We also had 3 people sitting at a table for TEN! I don't know where those other people were. Our waiter said there were supposed to be people there. Needless to say, they were VERY attentive :D

 

About the 4th day they moved 2 ladies to our table from a table they weren't happy with. They were very nice and we enjoyed their company. We still had more wait staff than people!

 

Embarkation and debarkation were both very smooth and very quick.

 

I can't wait to sail on the Splendor again!

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cathyoo

cathyoo

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Thank you Cruise Luvr for sharing your experience with us.

 

I'm loving all these Splendor reviews. I am sailing on her next year with my family. My son, his wife and their 3 children will be first time cruiser and it took a lot of persuading for them to give it a try. So I anxious. I hope to read a lot more in the next year.

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maurinsky2

maurinsky2

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Like others here, I am going to be on the Splendor in the future (280ish days or so...seems a bit far out to start a countdown, but I'm counting down nonetheless).

 

Thanks for your review! Reading about my ship (which is how I'm thinking of it these days) makes me more excited about our cruise next year.

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sailorJo

sailorJo

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Thanks for the review!

 

Doing the single digit dance :D

 

I'm doing the single digit dance too. Whoohoo!!! :p:p:p (I'm starting to sound like Malcom, the Splendor CD other posters were talking about :eek:)

I see we're on the same sailing. I hope those clouds move out of the area by next week and that we have sunny skies all the way! Have a great cruise!

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