Carnival Splendor - bad?

[serene56]

Well, we just found out our room is WAAAY in the back of the boat, #2472. According to the deck plans, its in a corner, and it has a somewhat odd shape. From what I am thinking, it looks to be a little bit bigger room, but anybody stay in here? Have any pics to share of the room? And how was staying back there? I heard the noise from the engines can be a problem at times and is the dining room noise from above an issue? Let me know your thoughts..

 

 

Its not the engine noise-- its the vibration / shuddering that COULD happen when entering or leaving a port.

 

I guess you booked an oceanview guarantee.

 

Dining room is NOT an issue since it is carpeted.

 

2473

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=43898030&postcount=12

[shipty2]

We have been on 12 cruises since 2007, all with carnival, and just got off Splendor 4 weeks ago - The Splendor was by far our most favorite ship!!

 

 

I have been on 20 cruises and the last one on Splendor was my fave too!!!We are actually breaking our rule about not repeating ships because the staff were awesome.

[Crusin Karen]

Well, we just found out our room is WAAAY in the back of the boat, #2472. According to the deck plans, its in a corner, and it has a somewhat odd shape. From what I am thinking, it looks to be a little bit bigger room, but anybody stay in here? Have any pics to share of the room? And how was staying back there? I heard the noise from the engines can be a problem at times and is the dining room noise from above an issue? Let me know your thoughts..

 

Its not the engine noise-- its the vibration / shuddering that COULD happen when entering or leaving a port.

 

I guess you booked an oceanview guarantee.

 

Dining room is NOT an issue since it is carpeted.

 

2473

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=43898030&postcount=12

We had a cabin 2 doors down from you on the other side of the ship, and yes, there is vibration/shuddering as Serene pointed out. Didn't bother me, annoyed DH a bit, but the location is great. I would book the cabin again!

[Crusin Karen]

I mentioned the Cheers program because others have reported back here (several times) that they were NOT able to purchase a round for others using their S&S card. Real experiences, not what Carnival says (because we all know they don't follow their own rules). ;)

 

I've always found that any little thing I might need attending to has been taken care of with a simple post-it note left on the bathroom mirror if related to the steward. If not, a word with the service desk (Maitre D for dining issues) and it's been remedied. Being proactive rather than letting things go and stewing about them seems to work best for me.

 

Apparently some people think Splendor is old and outdated. She's the newest Carnival ship I've sailed! But I don't feel compelled to sail the newest, biggest, most bells-and-whistles ships. I sail primarily for the itinerary

 

Yes, I'd rather have a Fish and Chips upstairs than the rotisserie but many people love that section. I prefer the Serenity Deck on the Conquest-class ships that have it. I prefer the open aft pool area on Splendor over the Conquest-class. Yes, I'm even a fan of the Fantasy class! They all have their own personalty. And I believe the CD has quite a lot to do with a ship's personality.

 

What one person thinks is great about a ship may be something someone else doesn't like (I personally hate the big TVs blaring constantly).

 

Again, OP, what's important to you may not be what's important to anyone else here. Seems like every time I read about how terrible a ship is, I sail her and have a great time. I refuse to board a ship looking for problems. If they find me, I deal with them as soon as possible.

BRAVO! My sentiments exactly except I liked the rotisserie better than the fish and chips, tho the fries at F&C on Liberty were to die for! :p;)

[davemcdee]

We had a cabin 2 doors down from you on the other side of the ship, and yes, there is vibration/shuddering as Serene pointed out. Didn't bother me, annoyed DH a bit, but the location is great. I would book the cabin again!

 

Well, wife actually moved us to the bottom floor, but midship..still OV though. We aren't picky, just didn't want the vibration unless i used quarters....

[Crusin Karen]

Well, wife actually moved us to the bottom floor, but midship..still OV though. We aren't picky, just didn't want the vibration unless i used quarters....

:D;):p:eek::cool:

[frito58]

I laugh at most of the of the reviews of ANY ship . Most are JHO . Its all in what they think it should be . Yes reviews are helpful in hotels and restaurants but cruise ships are so different . The crew is always changing the week of weather is never the same , the itinerary is always different as in what excursions people take. Its all crapshoot.

 

For what its worth we were on the Splendor in 11/1/14 loved it . Wonderful time great crew. The food was Carnival food . Some good some not so good but who could go hungry on a ship LOL. We leave on The Liberty on Sunday have read horrible things on it about vibrations that will are terrible by some , then some say never felt a thing really . Not That I care Just saw it in passing we will have great time going with great friends and family. Just hope for great weather only thing we cant control.

[Cyber Kat]

The Splendor is my favorite ship! I don't find the decor any more garish than any other Carnival ship I've been on. I love the Lido pool area - 2 decks high with a retractable roof. It never felt closed in. And it's mostly an aqua color - not pink!

 

I thought it was one of the cleanest ships I've been on and the crew were all great. We've sailed on her twice now, the last time being 9/1/14.

 

Our steward kept our ice bucket and one of those buckets you get the beer in (we had wine and water in it) full twice a day.

 

As for the layout - decks 3 & 4 don't go all the way bow to stern, because of the Black Pearl dining room and the galley. Go to any other deck and you're good to go.

 

I love the Rotisserie area - not so much for the food, but because you can ALWAYS get a nice table up there. I love the Mongolian Wok and wouldn't want it replaced with a Guys. If they want to add a Guys someplace else, that's fine. They do have a Burrito Bar and an Indian Tandoori.

 

Lido buffet and MDR food - was Carnival food. Some of it great - some not so great. We ate in the steak house 3 times and loved it all three times!

 

So there you have it - an alternate view :)

[Crusin Karen]

I laugh at most of the of the reviews of ANY ship . Most are JHO . Its all in what they think it should be . Yes reviews are helpful in hotels and restaurants but cruise ships are so different . The crew is always changing the week of weather is never the same , the itinerary is always different as in what excursions people take. Its all crapshoot.

 

For what its worth we were on the Splendor in 11/1/14 loved it . Wonderful time great crew. The food was Carnival food . Some good some not so good but who could go hungry on a ship LOL. We leave on The Liberty on Sunday have read horrible things on it about vibrations that will are terrible by some , then some say never felt a thing really . Not That I care Just saw it in passing we will have great time going with great friends and family. Just hope for great weather only thing we cant control.

Read the same things about the Liberty just before we sailed. We were on her for 16 days and NEVER experienced anything anyone said! Not that THEY didn't experience it, it just didn't happen to us, so don't worry about most of the things you read. Also, Liberty had the new American Table menus. I was NOT a fan, but TONS of people LOVED the change. It just DEPENDS ON STUFF. And I always found something I liked and definitely DID NOT go hungry, so no big deal. You will have a GREAT CRUISE I'm sure.

[Warm Breezes]

Well, wife actually moved us to the bottom floor, but midship..still OV though. We aren't picky, just didn't want the vibration unless i used quarters....

 

I had to laugh at this. We had a back of the ship vibrating room on the Ruby Princess. We only felt it when we were in port and one of the days DH was taking a nap and when he woke up I told him how bad the room had been shaking....he couldn't believe it because he slept right through it and didn't notice a thing.

[JohnSpo]

I've been on Splendor 3 times in the last year. I was on Splendor last month on the Jan 25th sailing out of Miami. This cruise was great as was the prior 2. It is a very clean ship with a great crew with good food and entertainment. I look forward to sailing on Splendor again when she returns to NYC my home port.

 

I am surprised to read the negative reviews because I consider it a great ship. True Splendor does not have 2.0 but it has a lot to offer and it is not an old ship.

 

If people complain about what is offered on Splendor then it is their fault for not researching the ship. Carnival lists all the features of their ships on their website.

 

I try to rely on myself to have a good time. People should not feel so entitled to rely on the ship and the staff to ensure a good time. The staff is extremely busy and do the best they can. I will speak up if I need something and not stew over like someone else mentioned.

 

Yes Carnival has some responsibility in me having fun but I take most of that responsibility to have fun and not have little things ruin a cruise.:cool:

[Dork42775]

Being booked on the Splendor for the first time in a couple of months i focus on posts with information on this ship. I find it humorous to see the same people over multiple different threads post the same thing about their issues with this ship. There is like 2 negative comments for every 15 great ones. I can live with those numbers.

We get it negative people now move on...

[Maraprince]

Just booked my 6th sailing on the Splendor! While she isn't the newest ship afloat by no means can she be considered an "old" ship. Her deck layout is different from the rest of the Carnival fleet because she is the sister ship to the Costa Concordia. She was originally built for Costa but was transferred over to Carnival's fleet.

 

Just because RCCL may have new/larger ships afloat does not mean everyone feels that they are better. There have been numerous issues with Dynamic Dining, having to reserve dining times and show times prior to boarding, robotic bartenders, etc. Now, RCCL has added a "classic" dining option which allows for either a first or second sitting at an assigned table with the same people every night but on a rotational basis at all free dining venues.

 

Having a problem with the drinks program does not make a ship a bad ship. Not all wait staff is 100% on the mark nor can all cabin stewards excel.

 

Yes it is subjective as far as meals go, but Splendor has many, many choices. If some food choice isn't up to your standards, ask for something else.

 

There were many, many activities to choose from on sea days -- much more than RCCL offers. Having a retractable roof allows more passengers to be on the outside decks during all types of weather.

 

As far as the décor goes, IMO the Legend is much more over the top with urns everyway!:D

 

MARAPRINCE

[claybrookpunch]

We were on the Splendor in November and loved it? We had a great week. With that being said... We go on it again in May, can't wait!!

[Rock712]

We're booked on the Splendor in 5 weeks , so glad to see so many positive reviews. I've been reading a lot of reviews lately on different ships and frankly it blows me away that there are people actually choosing one ship over the other due to a hamburger. I mean it's a hamburger people. you'd actually miss out on all the other amenities , entertainment , ports , etc. , just because of a hamburger , or burrito , or anything like that.

Anyway , looking forwar to our upcoming cruise

[Crusin Karen]

We're booked on the Splendor in 5 weeks , so glad to see so many positive reviews. I've been reading a lot of reviews lately on different ships and frankly it blows me away that there are people actually choosing one ship over the other due to a hamburger. I mean it's a hamburger people. you'd actually miss out on all the other amenities , entertainment , ports , etc. , just because of a hamburger , or burrito , or anything like that.

Anyway , looking forwar to our upcoming cruise

LOL!!! :D You are SO RIGHT! Enjoy your countdown and have a BLAST on Splendor. She's a great ship! ;)

[Brooklyn Boy]

My wife and I sailed on the Splendor in Sept on a New England, Canada cruise.

 

The ship is in excellent shape. Don't worry about all the pink, you kinda get used to it after a couple of days.

 

The meals are typical Carnival fare, for the most part ranging from very good to excellent.

 

We only had one problem, and it was a major one. We always choose Your time dining, and on all our past Carnival cruise this has been great. Not so on this ship.

For one thing the part of the MDR they use for YTD is absolutely crowded. I am assuming that as YTD becomes more popular, they must keep adding tables. The tables are so close together that the waiters had a hard time going back and forth. Many times the trays they were carrying were above the passengers heads. Even worse than the crowding was the time involved. I don't know if it was because of the overcrowded MDR, or crew cutbacks, but it always took at least two and a half hours to serve a three course meal. On the worst night it took three hours just to get to the entree.

 

This experience was totally different from all our other Carnival cruises. Will we cruise Carnival again? you bet, we love that company and will sail with them in a heartbeat!

 

Will we cruise on the Splendor again? Never!!!!

[Crusin Karen]

My wife and I sailed on the Splendor in Sept on a New England, Canada cruise.

 

The ship is in excellent shape. Don't worry about all the pink, you kinda get used to it after a couple of days.

 

The meals are typical Carnival fare, for the most part ranging from very good to excellent.

 

We only had one problem, and it was a major one. We always choose Your time dining, and on all our past Carnival cruise this has been great. Not so on this ship.

For one thing the part of the MDR they use for YTD is absolutely crowded. I am assuming that as YTD becomes more popular, they must keep adding tables. The tables are so close together that the waiters had a hard time going back and forth. Many times the trays they were carrying were above the passengers heads. Even worse than the crowding was the time involved. I don't know if it was because of the overcrowded MDR, or crew cutbacks, but it always took at least two and a half hours to serve a three course meal. On the worst night it took three hours just to get to the entree.

 

This experience was totally different from all our other Carnival cruises. Will we cruise Carnival again? you bet, we love that company and will sail with them in a heartbeat!

 

Will we cruise on the Splendor again? Never!!!!

We never had that long a wait for our meals, but I agree with you about the crowding. We usually sat in the back area of the restaurant. I am small, but even I had to be very careful and kind of go sideways to get thru the aisles due to the tables being so close together. I didn't like the "black pearls" either. The room looked kind of depressing...I would sail Splendor again, but it was my least favorite MDR of all the ships we have been on.

[Cyber Kat]

I didn't like the "black pearls" either. The room looked kind of depressing...I would sail Splendor again, but it was my least favorite MDR of all the ships we have been on.

 

We had late seating in the Gold Pearl and I thought that MDR was fine. I can't recall being on a Carnival ship where the table weren't very close together.

 

I remember walking sideways through the Miracle and the Legend as well.

 

I guess I'm an oddball - I like the pink - the zebra stripes and the dots/doughnuts I could do without :D The pink reminds me of Bermuda and I love Bermuda.

 

We're cruising on the Pride in June and while I'm looking forward to a ship I haven't been on yet, I wish it was the Splendor. My sister is doing the planning for a family trip and they all live closer to Baltimore.

 

I don't get the whole Guy's burgers or I'm not sailing on that ship either. I love the Mongolian Wok - but I'm not picking a ship because of it.

[SoCalKJ]

My only concern is the YTD...I've ALWAYS opted for it, but the more I sail and the more popular that option becomes, the greater the chances of getting one of those lighted, vibrating waitlist devices...sometimes the wait has been 10 minutes, while other times it's been 30. I'm wondering if it might be better to pick Late Dining instead (early is just...too...early!)...hmmm....

 

Quality problems, eh? :rolleyes:

[Crusin Karen]

My only concern is the YTD...I've ALWAYS opted for it, but the more I sail and the more popular that option becomes, the greater the chances of getting one of those lighted, vibrating waitlist devices...sometimes the wait has been 10 minutes, while other times it's been 30. I'm wondering if it might be better to pick Late Dining instead (early is just...too...early!)...hmmm....

 

Quality problems, eh? :rolleyes:

We are "latecomers" to YTD. Started on the Splendor 5 cruises ago! We have never had to wait and have never had a buzzer, but we get there about 6pm. Only thing I don't like is the long lines to get in. But we are always seated promptly and have always had quick service. Elegant night is nuts, so if you don't want to wait, get there when the doors open. We always enjoyed early seating, but not having to rush and check our watches all the time is a nice bonus! :)

[EdmundXXIII]

We took the Splendor to Cabo and Puerto Vallarta and loved our cruise! :) I took a bazillion pics, so let me know if you'd like to see anything in particular.

 

 

I'm going on the Splendor later this year with family. Could you post a few pictures that you feel best communicate your experience cruising on the Splendor?

[Crusin Karen]

I'm going on the Splendor later this year with family. Could you post a few pictures that you feel best communicate your experience cruising on the Splendor?

My buddy Jamman posted a great review with tons of pictures. Put in search box: Our Splendid Splendor cruise (with pics) 8/13/13

[Jay Sam]

I was on the 11/1/2014 repo cruise. I really liked the ship. It didn't have the 2.0 upgrades but it was clean and the crew was fantastic, a live band at the shows!

Our cabin steward was fantastic, 2 of our 3 attendants in the main dining room were great and the steakhouse was fantastic. The hot tubs on the level above the Lido never seemed to be crowded and the Serenity area was always quiet. It was a port intensive cruise but we really enjoyed ourselves. The woman at Mojito remembered me after ordering my first drink! I would have loved for it to have been an Alchemy Bar, but I loved this cruise!

 

I took that same reposition cruise and had one of the best cruises ever, out of 11 total. Great ship, great staff as always on Carnival. That was such a nice experience for me. I traveled solo for the first time. The price was so good I could afford a balcony traveling alone. Met so many nice folks, and some I still communicate with.

 

Loved the port intensive itinerary. I am not a huge fan of a lot of sea days. The only port that was disappointing was Martinique, kind of a snooty attitude there. A lot of the folks on the ship felt the same way.

St. Croix was like stepping back in time. I didn't go to the other city center, but hope to next time for some duty free.

Grand Turk was a gem. Loved that the ship was only a 10 minute walk to the port area. All those loungers on the beach were great.

Took a shore excursion in Dominica to the waterfall. Great excursion and included rum punches at the stop. I had 4.

Hope to go to Grenada again sometime and catch a shore excursion there. Slept in that day after a late night.

 

Carnival does a great job placing solo travelers together in the dining room.

 

Maybe I met you on that cruise, or we passed each other during those 8 awesome days. If you would like to compare notes drop me a line at jsamuel2@tampabay.rr.com

 

Loved Splendor

[Jay Sam]

If you have been on Carnival Splendor within the last 6 months, is it really that bad???

 

I just read a few reviews, and I wondered if it is just some people are more "nit picky" than other people?

 

Last year we went on an older ship of Carnivals, and there had been a lot of bad reviews, but since it was my friends first time, I was not going to tell her about these reviews. We got on this ship, and had a wonderful time. I think these reviews depends upon the persons likes/dislikes.

 

I took Splendor on Nov 1st of 14 from San Juan to Miami on a repositioning cruise. I had a blast. Ship was amazing. Staff was super, just like on my other 4 Carnival cruises. Loved the cruise, loved the ship, loved the itinerary; 5 new ports for me. And an amazing price too.

 

Ship's layout was quite easy to navigate considering the size.

 

I am surprised to hear the negative comments of the ship. I thought it was great. Will always cherish the memories of that cruise, one of my favorites. Absolutely. Been on 11 cruises, 10 in the last 5 years and that one ranks up there in the top 3. Oh yeah.