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Splendor "review" and comparison to the Miracle

xitappers2bx

By xitappers2bx,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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xitappers2bx

xitappers2bx

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I've seen a few threads asking about comparison's between the Splendor and the Miracle. Having just been "kicked" off the Splendor on Tuesday, I thought I'd offer a hybrid review/comparison. I don't have a ton of photos, which is really unlike me, but I'll add them where I do have them.

 

My daughter (9) and I have cruised a bunch of times, but twice on the Miracle and now once on the Splendor. After it was announced the Miracle was leaving NYC and being replaced by the Splendor I lost interest in cruising from NYC. Up until this cruise I thought the Spirit class ships were by far the best, and the bigger size of the Splendor turned me off. I booked this cruise (March 17-25) in January, jumping onboard along with my parents, and my sister and brother in law.

 

About a week before we boarded, a trio of balcony's opened up next to each other, and we switched our staterooms to the three in a row. It was great being next to each other, the doors aren't magnetic on this ship, so we had to improvise, and we hung paper from a magnetic clip from the door frame so we could keep up with the whereabouts of each other.

 

I only have two real complaints about the ship, the 'dead space' on Decks 3 and 4 by the two dining rooms (but after the second time, going up to go down and going down to go up it's easier to remember and I don't think we made the mistake a third time) and the way that the divider between the staterooms opens. Every divider can be opened, but on some rooms, they open against the door, so if you open the divider to have access for the whole group, someone looses access to the balcony. Shoddy design, the dividers shouldn't have the option to open that way. It would have saved a lot of frustration had the design been better thought out.

 

We live outside of Philly, so getting to NYC is pretty easy. I didn't want to drive, so we take the train from Trenton to Penn Station, and it's about a $10 cab ride from Penn Station to the cruise terminal. Due to the snow that was looking to be a nuisance Monday morning, my daughter and I did that "Name Your Price" thing on Priceline for a room in Times Square Sunday night and got a great room at an unbelievable price at ROWNYC. The rooms are small, as all hotel rooms in NYC are, but the hotel was clean and well kept, and we both said we would stay there again. The location couldn't be more perfect--one block from the center of Times Square, a block from Broadway, across from a Shake Shack, and next to a subway station. It was a surprise find, and about a quarter of the price of the Intercontinental across the street. On our next cruise from NYC we will go up a day early, stay there, and see some of the sights.

 

Monday morning. It was St. Patricks Day, so I was expecting some craziness, and was shocked that Manhattan was just NYC busy and not much else. My family had left super early thanks to the snow on the ground, and arrived in Manhattan about 9:30. My daughter and I checked out where Good Morning America is taped (our favorite AM show) and then hailed a cab to the cruise terminal. With a very generous tip (the cabbie was so obviously sick, and I felt really bad) it was $16.

 

Next up... Embarkation

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xitappers2bx

xitappers2bx

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I've been fairly spoiled in that when we've cruised on Carnival, it's been in a suite so check in is pretty simple, find the VIP line, have them usher you through security, ushered into a private room, given something to drink, a comfy couch to sit, and then checked in and onboard in less than 20 minutes. Stress free, quick.

 

My daughter and I got to the cruise terminal around 10, which is earlier than we usually get there, and waited for my family to get into the lot (lots of traffic). We helped them unload the car and carry all our stuff downstairs, and started the check in process. While much longer than I was expecting, the process wasn't too painful, albeit stressful.

 

We got through security pretty quickly and then were given Zone 1 cards and got into line to check in. We all checked in online, so we only had to give them our boarding pass and passports. My parents and Sister/BIL were able to check in with no problem, our persons' camera was having issues (user issues more likely) but finally after what felt like forever (but was probably 10 minutes) she managed to get both of our photos taken. She then retrieved our sign and sail cards only to realize my card was not in the envelope, and instead someone else's card was with my daughters. She had to seek out some help, and finally (after my very concerned mom came to make sure everything was okay) I was told to take a seat by what looked like an IT gathering place and once the IT folks from onboard got off board she would have them reprint me a new card.

 

I sit down in the little area, which happened to be near my family and patiently waited, and then got nervous. Around 11:30/11:45 I finally had my card and they started boarding. This was by far the latest we've ever boarded in NYC. We were onboard by about 12:15/12:30, when in the past we have been on board around 11/11:30.

 

In all the cruises we've been on, only once have I met someone onboard I've become friends with, and wanted to spend time with. We've traveled many times together since, and get together once a year or so. This cruise the stars aligned and we met another family that we got along with fabulously. This family is no replacement for our good friend, but they have a daughter the same age as my daughter and it was fabulous. The family walked over to where we were, sat down, and this little girl came up last, plopped down next to my daughter and said "I love My Little Pony's too!!!" And it was a BFF forever moment. They were nearly inseparable the entire duration. This was by far the highlight of embarkation.

 

Once VIP, special assistance, etc all were onboard, it was time for Zone 1. We gathered up our belongings, and started the trek to the ship.

 

Now this is where I do actually have a few photos, and no patience to deal with photobucket. I'll get them up tomorrow.

 

Now some comparing... compared to the embarkation we did on RCI (the only other time we haven't been in a suite) the process was much, much better. Comparing this to embarkation in Baltimore (and we were in a suite) it was much better. But when compared to getting onboard on the Miracle, I felt like it was a slower process, not quite as efficient, and everything was much later than what we had experienced in the past.

 

I so also have all of the Funtimes and the Camp Carnival 9-11 activities, and will post them as each day goes by.

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Tink35

Tink35

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I am looking forward to your comparison review. We have cruised on the Miracle twice as well and will be aboard the Splendor in June. We also love the layout of the Spirit class ships so I'm very interested in what you thought.

Looking forward to reading more! :)

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Lisa0719

Lisa0719

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I too have been on both ships . . .the Miracle 8 times, and in May, it will be my 4th on the Splendor . . . hands down, I prefer the Miracle mostly due to Serenity layout . . .

 

Enjoying your review and can't wait to read the rest and see your thoughts.

 

By the way . . . I too am from Philly-ish . . . actually Bucks County and take NJ transit and cab to port . . .

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DisneyNutMary

DisneyNutMary

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Following your review. We are cruising the Splendor in August, and have cruised the Miracle out of NY and the Dream out of Port Canaveral. The Miracle holds my heart so far, but I'm hoping the Splendor can compare or beat the experience.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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SAM527

SAM527

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After being on the Miracle 3 times and loving that ship more so than the other Carnival ships and sad to see it go, I was a bit apprehensive about the Splendor especially with the pink theme I heard so much about, but after a few days I hardly noticed it.

 

I have to say the Splendor is my new favorite ship. It also combined the layout, design and floors of the Miracle, Dream and Glory which I thought was interesting. I agree with the others that have said the dead ends are annoying and Serenity isn't much of anything and in a bad location compared to the Miracle.

 

While the Miracle was looking pretty worn compared to how new the Splendor looks, I just hoped that they fixed the leaking inside Lido on the Miracle before they shipped it to CA. We were on it 13 months apart and the same thing, almost every night they had to put towels on the window ledges almost the entire inside length and blowers to dry the carpet. That I thought was embarrassing.

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cathyoo

cathyoo

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I am a lover of the Spirit class ships. I've sailed the Miracle, the Legend and the Pride (3x). Going on the Splendor in July so I am really interested in your comparision review.

 

I have also sailed on the Inspiration and the Liberty. But they could not compare to the Spirit ships. When I am on the Spirit ships I feel like I am at home.

 

thanks for taking the time to share your experiences.

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Crusin Karen

Crusin Karen

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There is no comparison the Splendor is a much nicer ship.

I like the Splendor, but I LOVED the Miracle. Loved the retractable roof over the pool on Splendor which was especially great sailing from NY in the winter. Serenity on the Splendor is a JOKE. Miracle is awesome. Getting to the MDR on the Splendor you have to figure out where to go and then commit it to memory. Miracle is easy peasy. Speaking of which...everyone comments on the PURPLE GRAPES in the Miracle MDR, but we were in Black Pearl for YTD on Splendor and it has absolutely NO personality...ugly room IMO. Liked the casino bar on Splendor better because I like to sit there and watch casino action, all the people going to and fro and they have a band there every night too. We sail exclusively from NY because terminal is 20 minutes from our house, so that is why we are sailing Splendor now. If BOTH ships were here we would sail Miracle, but I have no complaints sailing Splendor. Doing her for the 3rd time in May! ;);) Oh, and Miracle has chicken fingers at the Grill...Splendor doesn't! :(:(

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xitappers2bx

xitappers2bx

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So I'm currently not having much luck with photobucket, and i'm getting over what's been a miserable sick, so I'm just going to go ahead, and when I have the patience to deal with internet sites and that stuff, I'll catch up with the photos.

 

Following embarkation and an attempt to check out if our rooms were ready yet, we headed up to the Lido for lunch.

 

I really cannot stress enough how much up until this cruise the Miracle was our favorite ship. This would be my first real time to experience that onboard, "oh wow, it's better here" sentiment. Ever since I've cruised on a not Carnival ship I've felt that the Carnival buffets are set up weird, although I do prefer the spread out seating when compared to Royal's massive, and overwhelming, seating areas.

 

The six of us had no trouble finding a table to hold us and our carry on stuff, and then it was off to explore, with my sister and I very interested in the Mongolian Wok. Now, I have some issues with this amazing buffet addition, but essentially it boils down to one thing--rude and inconsiderate people. Everyone has to wait, it's the nature of the beast, and waiting wouldn't have been so bad if people weren't getting 2, 3, 4 bowls of food for their family/friends who couldn't be bothered to wait in line. It was unbelievably frustrating. And really poor manners.

 

Otherwise, the Mongolian Wok was fantastic, even with the wait. There are three choices for sauce--black bean (mild), thai bbq (medium), and schechwan (spicy). The meats changed daily, but ranged from the standard beef, chicken, and pork to clams, squid, and other sea foods i'm not familiar with and didn't try (because I don't eat any sea creatures).

 

The rest of the buffet, albeit too spread out, never seemed to get crowded or overwhelming with too many people. Along with the wok there was the panini area (never tried, it tends to be a disappointment), the pizza shop (which i personally loved the location of), the grill (also by the pool), the carvery (which everything offered was delicious), and a line that offered varying options. There also was a burrito bar, but I never tried it. The rotisserie was upstairs in the Lido area, and the first sea day was Indian food I think, so it was a little confusing, (they change the signs up). One last lido buffet complaint-- the rotisserie, which was AMAZING, and the Mongolian Wok, also pretty amazing, were only available from like 12-2:30. And that was a bummer. I'd have much preferred these for dinner options too.

 

 

After we ate, it was time to explore. My sister and BIL had to do something at guest services, and it was surprising how quickly they were able to get through the line. After this it was well past the time of the rooms being available and we went to check out our staterooms. We were midship (more aft), rooms 6421-6425, which ended up being a superb location. Close enough to the midship and aft elevators, but not too close. We were supposed to be in the 6220's, near the midship elevators, and I would have been disappointed at the noise and cigarette smoke that seemed to waft from the casino right below that area. Not that the people in the stateroom next to my sister and BIL were any better, but you can't control your neighbors, just your location.

 

Our room steward was Juan, and his assistant was Henri, but Carnival must have a new "schedule" for the stewards, because in the evening, Henri was with the other assistants on decks 6-10 cleaning up from the days activities there instead of doing the staterooms. I thought they both were quite nice, and Juan would go on to become a source of conversation on a wide range of topics from baseball to politics to books which was very nice and refreshing.

 

 

One of my biggest concerns was the stateroom bathrooms. Having always travelled in a suite on Carnival I was really stressed out about not having the tub, not having the dressing room and the extra storage, and not having a huge shower area. All of my concerns were unfounded. The balcony stateroom is more than adequate enough for 2 people, I could even see there being enough room for 2 adults and a kid. My only real complaint was the lack of storage. All of my daughter's clothes (thankfully) fit into the three drawers, and my clothes fit into the shelves, but had there been a second adult with us, space would have been at a premium. The bathroom was small, but organized well, and all of our shower stuff fit into the metal shelf and wasn't stuck on the floor like I was afraid. We used clothes pins to weigh down the shower curtain, but I never have a problem, being a bit larger I was very afraid the curtain would do the awful "cling" i've read about before. It never happened. Thankfully.

 

To be perfectly honest, I loved the shower. The water pressure was great, the adjustable shower head height good for me and my short person. And I didnt have any problem with water sloshing all over the floor (but that didn't stop me from lining the bathroom floor with towels the first night just in case).

 

Our stateroom set up with two single beds, but I asked Juan to push them together and make the sofa bed up for my daughter, she's 9, it's comfortable and I wanted the larger bed for myself. Having the beds pushed together made the room feel a little bit bigger too, although having the cushions between the bed and the curtain was a little annoying, but nothing worth getting upset about.

 

Muster Drill...

 

I'm sure everyone already knows you don't have to bring down the life jackets anymore, which is nice. We had two adult and two child sized life jackets in our stateroom though. The drill is the same industry wide.... for the most part everyone was dressed warmly (it was 22 degrees!) and unlike the Miracle where muster is actually an open deck, on the Splendor the life boats are above you, and its a somewhat protected, albeit outside, area of the ship. The wind wasn't penetrating, which was good in that weather. It took about 40 minutes, because they were announcing everything in English and French. I've never been on a ship that has done it bi-lingual, but it was nice to know if there's enough people they will do it in the specific language.

 

Sail Away... being so cold outside (although the roof over the pool was closed) I just decided to unpack and then go to the theater to sign my daughter up for Camp Carnival. We watched from our balcony's for a little white, but this was our third time sailing from NYC, and it's much more beautiful when it's sunny and hot.

 

Dinner... Our table was 309 Gold Pearl, 3rd floor and it was a six-top, off to the side. This dining room by far is my favorite on any ship, with the exception of the Westerdam. I think the shimmering pearls were much nicer than the grapes of the Miracle. Our server was Muhammad, and his assistance was Jose, and there was an adorable, young man helping them whose name I cannot remember right now. They made sure to ask us each our name, and after that always addressed us properly, even when we sat in different seats. I forget what dinner was that night, but after the long day we had, my short person was exhausted, wanted to check out Camp Carnival, and wasn't at her finest when it came to restaurant attitude so that's a dinner I'm trying to forget.

 

Having seen the welcome aboard show, and having been tired from the day, instead of going to the show, I relaxed in the room and once my daughter was done playing with her new friends, called it an early night.

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xitappers2bx

xitappers2bx

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I think both ships have qualities that make them better or worse than the other.

 

 

I do still love the Miracle. I was just so certain I wasn't going to like the Splendor, that I was really shocked at how much I loved it.

 

But hands down, getting around the Miracle from the moment you step on board is a lot easier. But each ship has their own positives.

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cathyoo

cathyoo

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I think both ships have qualities that make them better or worse than the other.

 

 

I do still love the Miracle. I was just so certain I wasn't going to like the Splendor, that I was really shocked at how much I loved it.

 

But hands down, getting around the Miracle from the moment you step on board is a lot easier. But each ship has their own positives.

 

I hope you feel better. Thanks for coming back. I will wait anxiously for the rest of your comparision review. I am really enjoying it.

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cv322

cv322

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I've cruised on the Miracle 6 times, and so far 3 times on the Splendor. and while I like the Splendor, I love (& miss) the Miracle ;). Thanks for taking the time to write a review...I'm enjoying it.

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