Carnival Splendor review (Nov 9-17; NYC-Bahamas)

[jimmybuffet21]

Recently returned from sailing on the Splendor 11/9-11/17. Please note that this review is an expression of my opinion based on my experience. While we had an awesome time, my review will probably focus a bit more on what I was less-than pleased about.

A little about me- first time cruiser, in my (lower) 30’s, traveled with a large family group (ages ranging 1-60ish), also brought my husband (my age) & children (1 and 3 years old). Since I never cruised before, I was a bit anxious (I tend to expect a crisis always) and really had minimal expectations. Honestly, as long as I made it back to land safely, I knew I would be happy. Yes, I’m dramatic. I was nervous about how the vaca would go with the kiddos in tow, but they did wonderfully. Grandma and Grandpa came too, so I did get to enjoy some downtime as well.

I would say, overall, I will not likely cruise again anytime soon. I don’t think it’s for me for a few reasons. Mainly, I prefer to be on land. It was very rough when we were in the Bahamas and although it’s probably par for the course for many of you, I didn’t like large waves rocking the boat. Being a first-timer, I didn’t know how normal this was, and asked several staff members throughout the evening if this much rocking was “normal.” Some of them said no, some said yes. I spent half the night wondering if I was going to have to run to my muster station. To my surprise, the next day I found out that many people had also been asking staff the same question, hoping to have their nerves eased as well. I feel that staff (cruise director?) should really take charge during rocky waters and perhaps make an announcement informing cruisers that the rocky travel was normal. It would have calmed many of us and we could have enjoyed the previous evening a lot more. I’m sure there are many first-time cruisers on many of these voyages.

I also prefer to abide by own schedule. The stops at port were too short to truly fully get full value for any excursion, in my opinion. We did Disney at Port Canaveral and Balmoral Island (beach day) in Nassau. While both excursions were great, time was ridiculously limited and, especially at Disney, I felt overstressed in trying to cram in as much as I could. When you factor in wait times for park rides (40 mins per ride) and a break for lunch, you really don’t get to experience a whole lot at Disney, and you still pay full price admission. You also have to take a monorail/ferry back to the transportation center where you catch a bus back to port, so that also takes time away from your “fun.” We did all of our transportation through Carnival, as I wanted to be accounted for in the event I was running late or something (again, I plan for the worst!) Balmoral Island was great- but again, you are only on the beach for a little over two hours. We did the Deluxe version of this excursion, which includes lunch. It is worth the extra $10; actually it simply makes more sense if you are planning to eat on the beach, as lunch items run about $10-$12. In Freeport we simply got off the ship with no plans, and it was great fun. You can easily spend a few hours here just walking around. There is a Senor Frogs, small shops and a live band was playing the day we were there. It was nice to be off the ship and not feel stressed by time.

Here are the details that I feel are worth reviewing…

Cruising in and out of NYC –not a bad deal. I don’t like to fly, so the 4 hour drive to port was great for me. Waters and weather were not bad; pretty typical for this time of year. While embarkation day was easy, disembark day was AWFUL . It was crowded in customs, everyone wanted to throw down with each other, porters were scarce, etc. I also despised the fact that announcements on the ship started at 6:30am and I didn’t step off the gangway until after 10:30. My kids were cranky, I was cranky. I knew what I had to do Malcolm… you didn’t need to wake me up and explain it to me 12 times. I felt like cattle being herded into holding areas on the ship while waiting for my debark zone # to be called… It was a very “hurry up and wait!” day. I like dropping my room key in a box at 11am and walking out the door to my car when I check-out. This was a hassle. Again, first time cruiser problems.

Food- lots to say, but I’ll keep it simple. We are on a ship and abilities are therefore limited. This is also not Wolfgang’s private charter. With that in mind, I thought everything was fine. The hype of the restaurant was comical to me, because it was just the same food from the buffet but used in different ways. So putting on a prom dress to eat the same food the gal in a bathing suit on the lido deck was eating was funny to me, but I went with it and even got some portraits to prove it. It was nice to sit together with family and enjoy a meal. We only attended the sitdown a couple times though because the two-hour ordeal was exhausting to my kids most of the time. Oh and our server was FANTASTIC.

My husband got a piece of raw chicken from the Tandoor buffet. The deli was our best bet. I wish I ate there more. The burrito bar was good too, but lines were always long and they only have two burrito makers. Pizza Pirate was average. It filled you up. Room service was a nice perk. They could definitely spruce up their buffet menus easily. I don’t miss any of the food.

A sickness of some sort (rumors were rampid, so I’m not 100% sure what was really going on – we heard everything from GI problems to E Coli to death!) was going around for 80% of our cruise. Buffet servers had to serve you your food; ice cream cones and popcorn were taken away. Handwashing initiatives were forced down your throat via memos under your door, videos on on the movie screen, announcements, etc. (not really a bad thing). We saw piles of puke in various places.

My last major irritation was honestly the fellow cruisers. Not everyone, but a LOT of people were rude, pushy, abrasive, etc. FYI- if you want to eat at the buffet then, yes, you have to wait in line like everyone else!! We had people lining up behind our backs asking us to pass back food so they didn’t have to wait in line. Sure let me grab you a scalding hot hardboiled egg with my germy bare hand. We had quite a melting pot of cultures on our ship, and I think that was the explanation for some of the diverse differences/blunt misunderstandings. OH and if you are going to be what you think is sexy and have sex on your balcony, could you please keep your moaning, groaning and swearing to a minimal? There is nothing more repulsive than waking up at 3am to the sounds of someone’s excessive jiggle being smacked outside your window, followed by a-cat-might-be-dying moans. If I can take care of my man without the entire starboard of the Splendor knowing about it, you can too. I just feel bad because so many abruptly awoken people were making fun of your “sexiness.”

I thought Malcolm WOO HOO did a good job. Not really sure how someone has the time to get annoyed by hearing the words “woo hoo” a couple times per day, but it is part of his gig. He was out and about everywhere and seemed to be into his job. Can’t say enough about how hard the staff works. ALL of the crew members I encountered were AWESOME. Take a moment and talk with them, learn about their backgrounds… many of them have children that they haven’t seen in a year or so because of their job. It will make you appreciate the luxurious life you are living. They all paid such caring attention to my children. We tipped on top of our prepaid gratuity; every dollar given out was well-deserved.

I did get a Swedish massage (by Eva) at the Cloud9 spa- AWESOME! Worth it. Eva knows her stuff.

I didn’t spend a lot of booze. Spring for the rum runners and pack ‘em like a champ. Everyone in my group brought them and none got confiscated. Drinks are pricey. A miller lite was almost $7 and a cheap glass of wine was $11.

Our room – balcony, midship – was great. Large enough for my husband and I plus the two kids and all our belongings. We did get busted for our makeshift clothesline, but our friend strung up a hammock and enjoyed that.

Helpful Tips- yes, you will need a power strip to plug things in, but do yourself a favor and don’t watch all those “cruise tips” youtube videos. You don’t need to pack 98% of that stuff.

I think that’s it. I did have a good time, but I am a tough critic. Every single day was enjoyable in many ways for us, but my next vacation we will probably return to an all-inclusive resort on land. Happy sailing everyone.

[Keith1010]

Thanks for sharing your review.

 

Keith

[kcwingwalker]

Thank you for sharing your review and posting both pros and cons. Please don't give up cruising forever. Perhaps you and your family would be happier with another cruise line.

[ibcnusoon]

Thanks for the review and a little morning laughter! :)

[BroadwayGirl]

I was on the same cruise. I agree that the buffett was rather blah and lacking compared to past cruises. That's the only food complaint I could make. Burrito bar and omlette station were great though but slow.

 

Rumors of GI issues were true. One in our group of 9 had a 24 hr stomach bug the 3rd day. My boyfriend and I ended up with sore throats the last night. We got home Sunday and were both diganosed with Strep on Monday. This was even after the constant hand washing and purelling.

 

Faster to the fun was a great decision and well worth the money, especially for the very slow debarking that happened. However, it was still 920 when we got sent off the ship. They had estimated us at 845. We didn't think express walk off would last as long as it did and with zone 1 tags thought we would be off quick. Wasn't the case.

 

I agree with the poster who complained that Malcolm's annoucments started before 6:30 that morning and we're just annoying. They woke me up and went on every 15 mins it felt like.

[ViolaSwamp]

"OH and if you are going to be what you think is sexy and have sex on your balcony, could you please keep your moaning, groaning and swearing to a minimal? There is nothing more repulsive than waking up at 3am to the sounds of someone’s excessive jiggle being smacked outside your window, followed by a-cat-might-be-dying moans. If I can take care of my man without the entire starboard of the Splendor knowing about it, you can too. I just feel bad because so many abruptly awoken people were making fun of your “sexiness.”

This made me LOL!!!!!!!!! :D

[fire792]

My wife & I were on the same cruise and we didn't think it was rough at all in the Bahamas, I was on one cruise when if you walked down the hall you bounced off either side of the walls. As for excursions we stayed on the ship in Florida & Nassau as we have done them before and just wanted to lie on the decks relaxing, we did get off in Freeport and tour the island and did some shopping. We ate in the MDR all but one night when we went to the steakhouse which is well worth the extra $35 a person but probably not with kids. The Buffet does need a lot of sprucing up, and as for the fellow cruisers, there was a large group of Asians that are the ones that think they don't have to wait in line, I said something to a number of them and contrary to what they want you to believe they "DO" understand English. we also heard about an illness on board but never saw piles of puke anywhere. We had Faster to the fun so debarkation was very easy, we were one of the 1st ones off the ship and I was in the Lincoln Tunnel before 8am. We can't wait to plan another cruise and hope it can be soon

[jimmybuffet21]

My wife & I were on the same cruise and we didn't think it was rough at all in the Bahamas, I was on one cruise when if you walked down the hall you bounced off either side of the walls.

 

Where were you to calm my irrational fears?

 

I left out the part where I went into the bathroom (so the kids wouldn't see a terrified mama) with a bottle of wine and sat on the toilet praying the rough seas were "normal" while all I could envision was The Perfect Storm.

[jimmybuffet21]

Rumors of GI issues were true. One in our group of 9 had a 24 hr stomach bug the 3rd day. My boyfriend and I ended up with sore throats the last night. We got home Sunday and were both diganosed with Strep on Monday. This was even after the constant hand washing and purelling.

 

Actually, I have had a sore throat all week, and so have many people that traveled with us. I assumed it was due to the fact that I went from warm to cold weather and dramatically. Ugh!

[alymb03]

Sorry you have so much to complain about but thanks for the review!

[4merlurker]

Cruising isn't for everyone....but hey you tried it! Too bad the seas were a bit rough - that can definetly make for a less than perfect time. Maybe one day you'll try again but if not that's ok too. :) Thanks for your review and welcome home!

[jimmybuffet21]

Sorry you have so much to complain about but thanks for the review!

 

I really didn't want to come across as the unhappy chic :(- because, trust me, we really did have a great time. And I am generally easy to please. I have just had other vacation experiences that were better in comparison. And if I am being brutally honest, it was unfortunately the fellow cruisers that left the bad taste in my mouth.

[NYcruzzer]

Welcome home. Thank you for taking the time to write a fair and balanced review. I think if the seas were a little smoother your anxiety wouldn't have been so bad. After a few land vacations perhaps you will try cruising again.

[disneylynn]

I was also on this cruise and I agree with you about the pushy people on board

I was looking at rings at the sale in front of the duty free shop and a little old Asian lady came over and pulled it right out of my hand. After a few days watching them I couldn't help but laugh. I thought the seas were very mild for this time of year I really didn't feel the boat rock that much. I guess I'm a seasoned cruiser. I also thought the staff was wonderful.

Carnival knew we were not pulling out of Port Canavel until after 9 pm it's to bad they didn't let you stay in Orlando a few more hours.

The story about your neighbors had me cracking up, so funny!

 

Did you hear the code operation star-bright that went off on the last morning at 430 am

After that I never went back to sleep. It was on deck 10.

[MsTabbyKats]

 

The hype of the restaurant was comical to me, because it was just the same food from the buffet but used in different ways. So putting on a prom dress to eat the same food the gal in a bathing suit on the lido deck was eating was funny to me, but I went with it and even got some portraits to prove it.

 

Very entertaining review.

 

I love your take on the MDR (However, I think of it as putting on an old "maid of honor" dress)

 

Rough seas can really ruin a cruise. I did for me also about 5 years ago....I swore I'd never get on a ship again. But....I did. (50 mph winds & 50 ft waves!)

 

As far as the excursions......Disneyland while you're on a cruise is a waste of time. But...you live and you learn.

 

Now to the other passengers: Because Carnival offers inexpensive fares, it can attract a somewhat not very sophisticated traveler. The people on a specific cruise is "hit and miss".

 

Give it some time....and in a few years you may want to try again.

[dbsb3233]

Good review. We just booked the Splendor for Canada/NE next Oct and it's always good to hear what others have to say.

 

I can see how doing Disney World just wouldn't work well. WAY too much time required to do that right. A 1-day port stop just doesn't work for that. Something like the Space Center tour would be a better fit, but I can see why you tried Disney since you had small children with you.

 

We do a lot of cruises but we also do land trips when it fits better. It really starts with what you want to see, and how much time it takes. It's all about the itinerary.

 

We love cruising because it's so much simpler to check in once, unpack, and not have to worry about hotels and transportation (which take up a lot more time than it seems). Plus while part of the fun of traveling is eating out at new places, it's so much easier (and less time consuming) doing most meals on the ship.

 

But the trade-off is only 8-10 hours in each port, which limits what you can do. So again, it just depends on your itinerary and what you want to accomplish.

[jerseyralph]

Too, funny! We boarded the Splendor on 11/9 and have no memory of rough seas at all.

 

There were more than 90 toddlers on that cruise. In fact, dining room staff had concern about the number of toddlers and many people requested table moves at late seating because of the number of tired babies impacting their dinner experience. Staff mentioned it to us.

 

We did Magic Kingdom. We have done it four times off of cruise ships. It was crowded, but we managed to do Buzz, Haunted, Pirates, the train, the parade, we visited fantasyland Carousel and presidents. Even had time for a really nice sit down lunch, prearranged, of course. Then again I was not trying to do it with babies.

 

Nassau and Freeport were nice. It was windy and a bit chilly by the beach, but wonderful by the resort pool.

 

Not our favorite cruise. It is not the most attractive ship. On the other hand, a real band without the 2.0 upgrades was great. We avoid the buffet always, no matter which cruise line we are on. Only do it out of necessity. Love the brunch without the comics.

 

We had never experienced a cruise director telling people that self assist debarkation was the BEST thing to do until this 11/9 cruise. We are platinum and were in the theatre waiting patiently. We have been cruising for 24 years, since our honeymoon, and it seems to us that self assist just slows stuff down. It certainly did on this cruise!

 

Staff was wonderful.

Edited November 22, 2013 by jerseyralph

[moxie99]

We are seasoned cruiser and seasoned "all-inclusive" folks - given the choice, we would take a cruise over land vacations any day of the week. We fell in love with cruising the North Atlantic so rough seas never bother us.

 

Loved your comment about the balcony hanky-panky! We always do it on the balcony, wonder if neighbors hear us? oh well, my feeling is, I don't care! It's our cruise too!

 

We have reservations at the steak house for two nights so far, that's the wonderful thing about cruising, there are so many choices.

 

Can't wait for December 19th!

[JetJock_YHZ]

Hello fellow cruisers!

 

I, too, was on that cruise (09-17NOV) with my partner, all 3 brothers, Dad, mother-in-law, 1 sister-in-law, 2 nephews and 1 niece. It was in celebration of Dad's 87th birthday. 9 to 87 years of age and everything in between!

 

This was our 2nd Carnival cruise. Although the family get-together made it, I would not book a similar cruise with Carnival for just the 2 of us. Normally my partner and I cruise Regent, Princess or HAL.

 

The good... embarkation took just 20 minutes, as we had a suite with priority boarding. I thought the entertainment in the main theatre was more than expected and really enjoyed it. The food and service in The Pinnacle Steakhouse were excellent. We did that twice. The food in the Black Pearl was adequate, but good. We had 6:00pm seating and were booted out at 8:00pm every night (we are slow eaters and talk while we eat).

 

The bad... There was an outbreak of something on board. Fortunately, I came away unscathed, but several of my family members came down with GI problems, both on and after the cruise. I guess that whenever you put 3000+ passengers in a confined space from all over the world, it is inevitable, but Carnival dealt with it well. Hand sanitizing stations were abundant, but I observed several people not using them, or leaving the public restrooms without even washing their hand. A good offence is the best defence.

 

We rented a car in Port Canaveral and had a nice day at the Kennedy Space Centre. My 9 year old nephew enjoyed the visitor complex, but was bored on the 3 hour bus tour of the VAB and launch pads. I enjoyed it and so did Dad, but at 87, he seemed to be struggling with all the walking.

 

We just went downtown in Nassau to do some shopping with my mother-in-law. She found what she was looking for, but it took 3 hours. We went to a bar, had a drink, and headed back to the ship.

 

In Freeport, we stayed on board. It was nice to be on a mostly empty ship, as I felt crowded when everyone was on board.

 

We had a suite (7288). Compared to other cruise lines, the perks you get with a suite on Carnival are hardly noticeable. The room was nice and large, and I did enjoy the spa tub on several occasions. Our steward, Reuben was great!

 

This cruise had four sea days and I enjoyed each of them. There was lots to do, if one wanted, but I decided to just kick-back on our balcony and read a good book.

 

Disembarkation was very orderly and efficient. We left the suite at 8:45am, had a hot breakfast at the buffet and strolled off round 10:00am. We had to wait about an hour to get a taxi to LGA for our flight home.

 

Overall, like I said, our family get together made this trip for us. I especially enjoyed hosting our family at 5:00pm everyday in our suite for drinks before dinner.

 

Would I do Carnival again? After 15 cruises, not unless it was a family affair. My partner and I will stick with something a bit more upscale. It was good value for the dollar, for what it was.

 

Happy Cruising!

 

Carl

 

PS: My partner and I purchased the Cheers! program for drinks on day 2. It was well worth it, but your choices and quantities are limited. Also, you have to personally buy your own and cannot treat somebody else. See the website for more details. - CW :)

[happygran]

I think you were on the wrong cruise for you! They're not all the same.

[disneylynn]

Since you have small children maybe the Disney cruise would work better for your family.

It's the Disney experience at sea. If your family likes Disney world you would love it.

[jimmybuffet21]

I will likely die before ever even googling the words 'Disney cruise.' Kids! Screaming! Everywhere!

[Laurab23]

I was also on this cruise and I agree with you about the pushy people on board

I was looking at rings at the sale in front of the duty free shop and a little old Asian lady came over and pulled it right out of my hand. After a few days watching them I couldn't help but laugh. I thought the seas were very mild for this time of year I really didn't feel the boat rock that much. I guess I'm a seasoned cruiser. I also thought the staff was wonderful.

Carnival knew we were not pulling out of Port Canavel until after 9 pm it's to bad they didn't let you stay in Orlando a few more hours.

The story about your neighbors had me cracking up, so funny!

 

Did you hear the code operation star-bright that went off on the last morning at 430 am

After that I never went back to sleep. It was on deck 10.

 

We were on deck ten and I heard the announcement and some voices but did not want to be nosy so I didn't open my door and look.Hope everything was alright.

I thought the seas were calm but a first time cruiser would not know what to expect.

[Vitamin_Sea]

Since you have small children maybe the Disney cruise would work better for your family.

It's the Disney experience at sea. If your family likes Disney world you would love it.

 

We love Disney, no question. But when I can take 3 CCL cruise's to 1 DCL cruise, the love ends!

 

Hello CCL:)

[092306]

Wow, sorry this was your first cruising experience! Hopefully if you try another one you'll have a better time. Thanks for the laugh in the review and I agree about the pushy people. Unfortunately there's a lot of them because they were also on the Splendor when I sailed a couple of weeks before you.