1st time Carnival Cruiser - Splendor Review - Aug. 24th to Halifax & Saint John

[aztekpm]

Just found this review and enjoying it. You're right, it's all in the attitude of the review whether you'll get pushback. Now if you had said all food was disgusting, everyone went hungry, hated every moment of your cruise because it was on Carnival and RCL is the only good line out there, ;) it might have been different.

 

I like the comparison, realizing it's all subjective and that everyone see's things differently, but, by giving your honest and fair opinion on your experience, does make it fun to read and doesn't invite criticism.

Edited September 27, 2015 by aztekpm

[Travel R]

Enjoying reading your review, as I am thinking of booking the Splendor for my little family. Like you, it would be our first time with Carnival and have heard the same negative comments.

 

 

Thank you for all the detail you put into each and every post!

 

:-)

 

If the itinerary and price are right, go for it. You are not going to find out for yourself until you do it for yourself. As with all reviews, take mine with a grain of salt. Although I did not care for the service I received, my SIL/BIL that sailed on this same ship two weeks prior to us and said they had fantastic service (it was their first cruise on any ship).

 

I do not know if there is any truth to it, but my MIL, whom was on the ship with us, was supposedly told by her waiter that most of the crew had been replaced the previous week, and most of the staff was brand new.

[Travel R]

Enjoying your review very much, since we have done this same cruise many times, though not on the Splendor. Your narrative is excellent, and your attention to detail is superb! Carry on!! :)

 

Thank you. That means a lot coming from one of the master review writers on CC.

 

I am writing my review of the last sea day, and hope to have it posted soon. It was a great weekend of friends, family, and food, and did not have much time to write.

[Travel R]

Just found this review and enjoying it. You're right, it's all in the attitude of the review whether you'll get pushback. Now if you had said all food was disgusting, everyone went hungry, hated every moment of your cruise because it was on Carnival and RCL is the only good line out there, ;) it might have been different.

 

I like the comparison, realizing it's all subjective and that everyone see's things differently, but, by giving your honest and fair opinion on your experience, does make it fun to read and doesn't invite criticism.

 

Thank you.

 

I try to give my honest opinion (even if is that I do like the decor of the Splendor) . I have read too many reviews where people come on CC to rant, then are never to be heard from again. I hope to help others when I write my reviews, and if I am not honest, it will not help anyone.

[Travel R]

Final Sea Day on the Carnival Splendor

 

Dolphins

 

 

Travel R awoke late on the last full day of his cruise vacation. The beautiful blue sky looking in upon the room as he lay awake in bed relaxing and contemplating the day to come. Wait - - - beautiful blue sky? After the past few overcast days, the clear sky was a welcoming sight to see. After a little while Travel R took a shower, and while looking towards the window caught something that looked like it was splashing in the water.

 

[Note: For the first and only time during the cruise, he used one of the robes in the cabin, just to say he used them. It was a nice perk, but since I did not due much swimming, not did I lounge around the cabin often (busy doing things most of the days and evenings), robes were not much of a benefit on this particular cruise. This is a “perk” that Carnival offers that RCI does not, but in our case, it really did not have any personal impact. I used them because they were there, but could have easily dried off with a towel in the bathroom, and gotten dressed.]

 

He took a longer gaze out the window; at first did not see anything but the deep blue waters, the white foam of the waves, and the sporadic clouds floating in a backdrop of light blue. Then he observed the splashing again a little bit to the right – and thought it might be a school of fish breaching the water. Another splash, and at closer look he saw that there were dolphins riding the waves alongside the ship. He awakened the rest of his cabin mates and everyone came to the window to see these aquatic sea mammals playing alongside this megalithic sea vessel. The show lasted about ten minutes, and although he could not catch them in a photo, he was able to shoot a short video of them frolicking around.

 

[Note: as to the bathroom, I have read that there are some people that hate the curtains around the shower. Personally, I really liked it. I am only slightly above average in height, but I have a very long arm reach. In cruise cabin shower stalls that are usually too small and have the Plexiglas walls, I keep on knocking my elbows into them. With the curtains, when I hit them, they move to provide me with additional room. From what I remember, this bathroom seemed to be larger than of my previous RCI cruises, and there was plenty of room to put away all of our toiletries and medicinals.

 

Speaking of medicinals – We are very good at packing, and very rarely overpack things like clothing (if you know how many days/nights you are going to be away, and know the general weather, I am not sure why so many people say that they overpack), however, when it comes to medicine while on a cruise vacation, especially when with kids, I always make sure I have more than enough, from sea sickness pills to aspirin to cold n flu tablets (all for both kids and adults). Unfortunately, my seasonal allergies started to go into gear after visiting Saint John – I guess because the season changes earlier up north, but luckily I had allergy pills and decongestant. It did not really affect the enjoyment of our cruise (although possibly contributed to making me a little more tired), but did impact my effectiveness the mud run that coming Saturday.

 

This also brings me to the topic of Hand Sanitizers. I was perturbed that during a number of occasions at different times and locations, the hand sanitizers were empty. It is a good sign that people are using them, but they need to be more routinely refilled.]

 

 

Last Breakfast in the MDR

 

 

After the Travel R family was all dressed for the days activities, they brought their DD15 to the Spa for her treatment, then the three of them made our way to the MDR one last time for breakfast/brunch. There was a little bit of a line that wound down the stairs when they arrived. The venue did open on time, but it did take about ten minutes to get to the front of the line and get seated (and once again, they asked everyone for their room numbers). They were not asked about a table preference, and were brought over to a booth towards the side of the room. [There was a panel between where we sat and the window, so we could not look out onto the ocean, but I did not realize that until afterwards, where it would have been too late to move. It is just my opinion, but the focus of a cruise ship should be outward towards the ocean, and while this dining room (unlike where we ate dinner) had windows to provide such a view, there were too many obstructions of this view.] The assistant waiter came by to take their drink order fairly quickly, and the waiter came by soon afterwards. This waiter had a friendlier disposition than their regular waiter, but he did not come back to our table until much afterwards. The adults soon received their coffees, but DD10 had to wait another ten minutes for her hot chocolate. Although it was stated earlier in this that Travel R thought there was not enough variety in the breads they provided during breakfast, there was even less of a selection on that morning, since no one ever came around offering bread.

 

For breakfast on that morning, Travel R ordered (and served by the Assistant waiter):

 

 

• Special K Cereal with fat free milk – You can’t go wrong with cereal and milk
  
• Pork Loin – This was nice and tender and was not bad at all.
  
• Steak and Eggs – The piece of steak was noticeably smaller than the first morning, but this dish was as good as remembered.
  

 

 

Although they forgot the side of bacon (which Travel R really did not need anyway), and also forgot DWs Bagel and Lox (which they went back and got for her after waiting a little while (she ordered the bagel & lox and a cereal for breakfast)) as far as enjoying his food, this was probably the best meal he had eaten in any MDR on the Splendor. But service was not much better. Some of the complaints include: not seeing the waiter again; no bacon; and no bread (which Travel R also did not need as well), besides the fact that it took a very long time for anyone to refill the coffee, even after being asked. However, it was still a nice unrushed meal where they did not have to cook, serve, or clean up the meal, and they got to just sit, talk, and relax.

 

[Note: Just a note about myself – while on vacation, I go into vacation mode. If this were the “real world” I would have insisted on sitting by the window and made a very loud point of getting the bread and getting the coffee served sooner. However, while on vacation, unless there is going to be an injury to yourself or someone else, you have to just go with the flow. The service was not good, but it was what it was.]

 

Animal Towels - Everywhere!!!

 

 

After finishing with their morning nourishment, they made their way up-top to walk around before picking up DD15 from the spa. On their way they passed by the Lido deck, and to the surprise almost every lounge chair and counter space was covered with cute and lovable animal towels. They were everywhere, and it brought a huge smile to the face of DD10, as well as to Travel R and DW. It was a perfect setting for pictures. [Now I know where my animal towel went the night before, and that night as well, since they did not make it back to my room.] We picked up DD15, but she was off again to meet up with her friends, so the rest of the Travel R clan made their way back to their cabin to change into bathing suits.

 

Having Fun Around the Ship

 

 

 

Once in their bathing wear, they made their way back up to the Lido deck and saw that the oversized chess set was open, so Travel R and DD10 played a game of chess. It was slow going with the large pieces, so they decided to reset the pieces and play two games of chess. For a ten year old, DD10 has a very good grasp of strategy. They had fun playing, while DW watched from the nearby lounge chair, all enjoying the beautiful day.

 

After chess, they made their way up to the slide. Travel R had even attempted to go down the slide once. He had discovered that it was made for much smaller bodies, since he could not pick up any speed while winding his way down the tube. Once was enough for him. Then they went over to the whirlpool for a few minutes, then since they were already near the buffet, and they were getting hungry, they went inside to gather some lunch.

 

 

Lunch on the Lido and a Nice Nap

 

 

Lunch in the lido that day included their chocolate bar. Travel R decided to play it safe and take the diet chocolate cake, which was not bad, but ate it while waiting on the overly long line for the Tandoor section [by the end of the cruise many other pax must have also discovered that this was where the best food was]. The food was eaten outdoors on that afternoon, and soon afterwards they went back to the cabin. DW took DD10 to their nieces, and then she took a book and went on deck to sit on a lounge to read and relax. Travel R decided to close his eyes for a quick nap, but was not awakened until two and a half hours later, when his SIL called the room asking if he could pick up DD10 so they could get ready for dinner. [i had not intended to sleep that long, but it allowed me to find the sleep I had lost over the previous few days.] When DD10 was brought back, he took his shower while she watched TV, and the other members of their stateroom also came in to get ready for their final evening aboard the Carnival Splendor.

 

[Note: I have read, more than once, people stating that the beds on Carnival were more comfortable than other cruise lines. It might just be me, but I have not felt that any ship had more comfortable beds than others.]

 

 

Last Dinner in the MDR

 

 

Dinner was the usual story, with the Travel R and MJ parties talking, eating, and enjoying themselves. The wait staff was no better, nor no worse. For this evening’s meal Travel R had the following dishes:

 

 

 

• Appetizer #1: Crab Cakes – Although I had ordered only one, he wound up giving me three different orders (spaced out). They were not bad, a little too much salt and celery.
  
• Appetizer #2: Portobello Mushroom Soup Salad – On the bland side, and with most appetizers, to small.
  
• Appetizer #3: Baked Sweet Potato Soup – I guess the waiter got confused again, since I never received the soup. I guess someone else got my soup and I got their crab cakes
  
• Entrée # 1: Mahi Mahi – I, for some reason, did not write any notes about it, so I do not remember if I liked it or not. However, it was not a standout either way, so it was not horrible, nor was it fantastic.
  
• Entrée # 2: Panki Crusted Shrimp – Tasked like deep fried shrimp you could have at a street fair – decent, but greasy. I was not impressed.
  
• Dessert: Since I had the dessert during lunch, I skipped dessert for this dinner (and the chocolate diet cake was not on the dessert menu).
  

 

 

[Just a quick note, the dija that evening was frog legs, which out of all the dijda items, was actually something really out of the ordinary. However, I have had frog legs on a few occasions (including the original Nathans in Coney Island, which used to make them really good – but from what I heard, they had discontinued serving them a few years ago), and just did not fell like it that evening.]

 

After dinner the Travel R crew bid farewell to the MJ crew, making tentative plans to meet up with them at the comedy show later that evening.

 

 

Adult Comedy Club

 

 

They got back to the room and changed (I just changed from long slacks into shorts), and packed up most of their stuff. Afterwards, they went to the 18+ comedy show (DD10 went off with the MJ kids). Travel R and DW arrived a few minutes early and waited on a fairly long line before the doors opened for entry. [From the line you could see into the disco, and there was only one woman dancing by herself. Maybe it picked up later on, when I was asleep?] MJ had arrived there later, saw the line and decided to do something different. The George Lopez intro is kind of cute [I happen to like George Lopez], and the same comedian that we heard at the beginning of the first night’s show got up on stage. He was not bad, and he was funny. Not rip-roaring, fall off your seat kind of funny, but definitely entertaining for the 45 minutes he was on stage. Unfortunately, the topic was cruise comedy, and after hearing any comedian or Cruise Director after a few cruises, you get to know all of the standard jokes, and he told all of them. Some of his interactions with (making fun of) the crowd was okay, but Travel would have preferred more of an actual comedy routine. [We used to go to comedy clubs all the time in our yoot back in NYC, so it was nice to re-live something of my younger days with the woman I love.]

 

After the show we picked up DD10, went back to the room, watched a little TV, and we were asleep by 11:00 (with a short awakening at 1 am, when DD15 arrived back at the room after her last night hanging out with the other teens she met on the ship).

 

* * * *

 

 

 

Carnival vs. RCI:

Robes in Cabin = Carnival

Bathroom = Carnival

Hand Sanitizer availability = RCI

Spa = Carnival

Breakfast/Brunch MRD Service = RCI

Parade of Towel Animals = Carnival

Oversized Chess Set = Carnival

Bed Comfort = Even

Comedy Show = Carnival

 

* * * *

 

Coming up next . . . our last morning, disembarkation, final thoughts and final RCI vs. Carnival comparison, and some final thoughts (i.e., things i did not do)

Edited September 30, 2015 by Travel R

[Travel R]

Three Certainties of Life – Taxes, Death, and All Vacations Are Always Too Short

 

New York, New York, A Wonderful Town

 

Travel R awoke very early that morning. At about a quarter of five he got up and looked out the window to be greeted by the Verrazano Bridge, welcoming him back to his homeport of New York. He was glad to see the majestic bridge span above him as the ship made its way towards its final destination. First the view of a sleepy Brooklyn filled the window, followed by the sparse illuminations of the streetlights of the now awakening Island of Manhattan (or that portion that does not sleep). Although he did not really miss a balcony during this cruise, this was one of the times where it would have been enjoyable – feeling the early morning breeze while watching the NY Skyline passing by.

 

[Well, five nights and parts of six days have passed, and we never got to meet our room steward. Did he clean our room, yes. Did he do a great job – no. For instance, DW had a mostly empty cup of coffee she left on the little table in the room. It was left out when we went to dinner. When we came back to the room after dinner, the beds were turned down, but the cup was still there. She decided to leave it out the next morning to see what would happen. When we got back to the room at some point after it was cleaned, the cup was still there. She left it out one more day, and then threw it into the garbage can herself. (Yes, we could have thrown it out from the start, but it just became a test to see how good/bad this steward was compared to those of previous cruises.) He made the beds and changed the towels, so he was not “bad,” but did the minimal. I would have liked it if he would have put away the upper bunk bed each day, and it would have been nice to get towel animals the last two nights of the cruise. This did not ruin my cruise, but these are some of the little things that differ for me between a cruise experience and a stay at a hotel.]

 

Debarkation

 

Everyone in the cabin was awoken by six am to get dressed and finish with their packing. Since they were going to self-embark, they did not need to leave their bags outside their rooms on the prior evening [It would have to be outside your door by 8 PM From what I saw, there were not many bags outside in the hallways.]. By seven o’clock they were all dress and packed and headed up to the Lido Deck for some breakfast. They selected the usual items, but travel R had a meager breakfast of plain scrambled eggs and toast, since he did not want to get too filled up before the run later that day. They called their floor for to self disembark at about 7:35

 

[Note: Self-Debarkation was called in the following order:

Spa Deck 11

Lido Deck 9

Riviera Deck 1

Panorama Deck 10

Main Deck 2

Verandah Deck 8

Empress Deck 7

Upper Deck 6

I am not sure that this is the same for all itineraries, but figured I would copy it for everyone’s info.

 

Breakfast options for the final morning are as follows:

Splendido 6-9

Gold Pearl 6:30-9

Coffee Bar 6-9

Lido Bar 6-9

 

Also as an FYI – if you choose a “relaxed” debarkation, you can stay in your stateroom until 8:30, and you can put your kids into Camp Carnival from 7:30 to 8:30. The Lido and Promenade areas are open until everyone is kicked off the boat (I mean disembarks). ]

 

They were still in the Lido Buffet when they called their deck, but they leisurely finished their breakfast, made their way back to their room, got their backs (and checked to make sure they did not leave anything behind), then made their way easily off the boat. [Travel R carried the bags up the two flights of stairs to avoid any delay in the elevators.] The disembarkation and going through customs was very quick and easy [customs declaration was filled out and ready to display with their Sign and Sail card and Passport]. There was a person ahead of them that took the relaxed option, and tried to leave the boat without any luggage, but she was stopped and asked to go back inside and wait until her zone was called after the self assist pax were off the boat. Travel R’s DF met us about a block from the pier and we made our way back to our home traffic free.

 

[Note: I made it back home with more than enough time to change into my running gear, and get all of my things together (and even rest for a few minutes) before my buddies picked me up to go to the event. Although this was not one of the tougher mud runs I have run, we finished first in our wave and even passed other people in the wave ahead of us – and even stopped to help a 70+ year old women up a mud hill (I was impressed with her; I hope I can still be doing this at 70 – or even 60).]

 

* * * *

Carnival vs. RCI: Room Steward = RCI

Debarkation = Even

 

* * * *

 

 

Coming Up Next: What I didn’t do, a summary review, a few final comments and my final comparison of Carnival vs. Royal Caribbean

[momof3cruisers]

Either everyone agrees with my opinions, or not many Carnival Cheerleaders are reading this review. I think I have been pretty honest and as unbiased as possible in writing the review so far. I have provided my opinions regarding what I liked and disliked about Carnival and the Splendor.

 

Although I have not slammed Carnival, I would have expected a few people to "defend" their cruise line or the ship when I mention the things/services I did not find acceptable, or when I ranked RCI above Carnival in particular categories.

 

I think you are being very balanced and fair. Although, I am not one who is loyal to any cruise line in particular. Seems like the ones people get all hot under the collar about on any board are those that continually slam the cruiseline without even explaining their opinion. IMO it's always good to hear the good and the bad. For me, I found it interesting that your dining room service was not very stellar. We had the most appalling service ever on Allure. And then in the other direction, thought the Marketplace was far superior to the Lido buffets we had seen at that point. (Hadn't experienced Guy's or Blue Iguana yet.)

 

I chuckled at your daughter's reaction to the kid's club. That was exactly what my boys said. The older one was willing to do things like the scavenger hunt and pizza party, but after the first two tries, the younger one refused to go. Not that we tried to make him LOL. His opinion was that you got in trouble for not having fun but the "forced" activities weren't fun. All three of our kids much preferred the teen clubs on Royal. (The youngest was 12 by that pint so I don't know about the kid clubs.)

[Ms. Fun Bunch]

Enjoying your review. I love Carnival but I do agree on a few of your comments. I have only been on two RCCL cruises. Loved both ships, the entertainment on them but I feel that the activities on Carnival are better.

[Travel R]

I think you are being very balanced and fair. Although, I am not one who is loyal to any cruise line in particular. Seems like the ones people get all hot under the collar about on any board are those that continually slam the cruiseline without even explaining their opinion. IMO it's always good to hear the good and the bad. For me, I found it interesting that your dining room service was not very stellar. We had the most appalling service ever on Allure. And then in the other direction, thought the Marketplace was far superior to the Lido buffets we had seen at that point. (Hadn't experienced Guy's or Blue Iguana yet.)

 

I chuckled at your daughter's reaction to the kid's club. That was exactly what my boys said. The older one was willing to do things like the scavenger hunt and pizza party, but after the first two tries, the younger one refused to go. Not that we tried to make him LOL. His opinion was that you got in trouble for not having fun but the "forced" activities weren't fun. All three of our kids much preferred the teen clubs on Royal. (The youngest was 12 by that pint so I don't know about the kid clubs.)

 

Thanks. I agree, it would be nice if the kids went to the kids club, but it is their vacation too, and don't want to force them to do something they would hate. This is our second cruise with kids. Although cruising is a great family vacation, it is also strange in that your whole family can be at different parts of the ship at any given time, and only see each other on excursions and dinner, but still call it a family vacation (luckily, we do spend time together (between their activities) and go away together throughout the year.

[Travel R]

Enjoying your review. I love Carnival but I do agree on a few of your comments. I have only been on two RCCL cruises. Loved both ships, the entertainment on them but I feel that the activities on Carnival are better.

 

As I have mentioned, I am basing this review on my one solo cruise on Carnival. Next time I try carnival I will probably be on a different ship, with a different itinerary, and my experience may be completely opposite. Although my cruising history is not expansive, we usually go based on itinerary and cost. If it is between Carnival and another line for a very similar itinerary and even if the other line is a little more expensive, to be honest, I would probably go with the other cruise line. On the other hand, if there is a huge price difference, or if Carnival has a great itinerary that other lines do not offer, I have no issue going on Carnival again. In the not too distant future we are planning to go on an Alaskan cruise. Although not Carnival, her bigger sister, Princess (Ruby Princess), is near the top of the list.

[Travel R]

Closing Thoughts

 

Reviews – I guess, after sailing on RCI all these years I found it strange that I did not get a review card at the end of the cruise (but then again, it did not come with the wait staff begging for us to give them all excellent marks on it either). When someone does something good on a ship, you should let their superiors know about it as well as let them know when service (or anything else) is sub par. I did get, and fill out, the generic email review they sent me a week later, but it just did not seem the same, it was more generally about the cruise in general than about the specific service I received for my stateroom and MDR service.

 

Nationalities of Crew Members – On three separate occasions, the nationality of the cruise staff was called into question. During our one conversation with the person at the Coffee Shop, we asked her about where she came from, her answer was different than what was on his pin. When my buddy asked her about it, she gave an excuse that the place on the pin was where she had lived years ago. Although I am well travelled, my buddy has visited a much greater number of countries than I, so when he was talking to the person at the photo booth about Rumania (which it stated on his pin), he seemed clueless about his own country, and to his luck, brought over a co-worker who happened to be from Rumania to answer the questions. The third occurrence is from what my DD15 said. One of the organized activities she did take part in was a scavenger hunt to find people from as many different countries as possible. When her group asked one of the workers where he came from, he said California, but his pin said something else. This is hearsay, but according to her, this guy said that the cruise line asks you to chose a foreign country if your own country is not exotic enough.

 

Alcohol Onboard – There ain’t nothing wrong with drinking (unless you have a drinking problem), in fact I was just Grillmaster for a steak and beer pairing not long ago, and there was a time where the price of the package would have actually been good for me due to the amount of liquor I drink. However, I did not drink anything on this cruise. Part of it is that alcohol, especially wine, which has been by drink of choice as of late, gets me tired. I am tired enough from work, and all of the activities during the cruise add to me being tired, if I drank, it would just put me to sleep – and if I wanted to sleep, I could just as easily stayed home (and saved money). My DW did have a few mixed fruity drinks during the cruise and she said she enjoyed them. Also, since this was a family trip, with the kids being around, I would rather not drink as much anyway.

 

Smoking – I have read a bunch of reviews that talked of smelling smoke throughout the ship, especially near the places that are earmarked for smoking. To tell you the truth, I never really noticed the smell of smoke anywhere, including the 5th floor in or near the casino.

 

Smells – People have reported strange smells on this ship, especially on the 1st and 2nd decks. We were on Deck 1, and no smells to be reported by us.

 

Music – I vaguely touched upon this in my review. I am someone who enjoys music, and usually loves to listen to the live bands on the pool deck while reading a book and enjoying the cool breeze. Unfortunately, I did not get to go to any of the lounges. Since I did not drink (see above), I kind of felt a bit strange about going to them, also the timing did not work out. The one band I heard, in the casino was not bad. However, listening to the stuff from the DJ on the Lido was not enjoyable (to me, but this, like many other things, is objective).

 

WiFi – I personally did not use it, however, our travelling mates did purchase the (new) plan due to having to keep in touch with business, and had no complaints.

 

Things I did not do on Carnival Splendor:

 

• Go to the lounges – See above
  
• Go to the sports bar – I did get all of the updates on the news channels
  
• Use the laundry service – No need, have packing down to a science
  
• Visit doctor – and let’s keep it that way
  
• Mongolian Grill – I never saw it, or maybe did not notice it (since it is just one section of the entire buffet and not, in my opinion, it’s own separate venu)
  
• Alexandria Library – I did pass this by a few times, but never went in to check out a book
  
• Big Shows – I only attended the first “big show” and was not impressed, so stayed away from the remainder. Also the long dinners hindered us from attending some, even if we wanted.
  
• The Board Conference room – no need to go there
  
• Formalities – did not see it, and from the looks of elegant night, probably very rarely used
  
• Basketball court – could not fit it in, it also rained during half of the cruise
  
• Taste bar – I think I may have seen where it was once, but never went there for a tasting
  
• Dancing – I guess it was long days, we were tired, and were with kids, but did not do any dancing on this cruise.
  
• Public bathrooms – did not use them, so cannot comment on cleanliness
  
• Bridge/ship tour – did not take the tour
  
• Liner Pool – I did not hand out in this area since it was always very crowded – there were much emptier lounges on Deck 10 above the Lido Buffet area
  
• Serenity Adult only area – In my objective opinion, to me, this area did not look serene and relaxing. Maybe it is because I have kids, but the area just did not feel comfortable for me. Once again too many people – and strange place to put it right next to the areas where kids go to (mini golf, sled, etc.
  
• Running track – way too short to enjoy a run “on deck”
  
• Fun Shops – I took a very quick walk into the stores with my DW and DD, and my DD did buy something small, but it was only because we had some time to waste.
  
• Internet Café – took advantage of WiFi spots in port, did not need to use it onboard, and did not want DDs to use it while onboard
  
• Loyalty & Cruise deck – not needed
  
• Photo/Pixels Gallery – I did not purchase any pictures, although separately, my DW did purchase two or three. I did spend a few minutes there when my buddy purchased a number of pictures from them
  
• Pools – they were all too small to do any swimming, the weather was also not cooperating with us on this cruise
  
• Mini bar in room – I do not think we used it at all, I do not remember even opening it
  

 

I have written (and submitted) a much shorter overall review of the cruise for the “official” review pages. I shall add the link to a subsequent post, when I have it (and please feel free to comment on it). But in sum, I would like to say once again, that we had a really enjoyable vacation, but were disappointed by the service we received, especially in the MDR. Not that it really impacted our overall cruise, but it did not enhance it either. I do not know if it was the passengers on this ship (mostly families – 1100 kids under 18), but the cruises did not seem more “FUN” than on previous cruises I have taken, no matter how many times they tried to say/write the word “FUN.” Although the passengers were the same, the overall feeling of the cruise was more “casual” than that of RCI.

 

I hope you have enjoyed my review and that it was helpful to people in planning their next cruise.

Edited October 8, 2015 by Travel R

[cruiseclues]

Liked your review...Haven't been on the Carnival Splendor. :):):):)

[Willow45]

I totally loved your review. I am in a situation similar but very strange as we haven't even travelled yet.. I have planned an amazing 50th birthday for my husband and we are going on Explorer of the Seas in Jan, 2016 to New Zealand. Due to what date and where we wanted to travel decided on us going RCI. Two months planning we are having an amazing trip. BUT then my brother contacts me to say he is planning his 50th and he is going on Carnival to the pacific islands.. What there is another cruise line out there..

[Florings]

TravelR, thank you for the great review. I really enjoyed reading it.

DH and I are booked on the Splendor next year, so it is great to glean all the ideas and info from your review.

 

Thanks for taking the time!

[Travel R]

Liked your review...Haven't been on the Carnival Splendor. :):):):)

 

Thanks.

 

I like your motto": "We cannot change the direction of the wind... but we can adjust our sails" - unless a person is able to roll with the punches, how can they ever be able to enjoy their vacation?

[Travel R]

I totally loved your review. I am in a situation similar but very strange as we haven't even travelled yet.. I have planned an amazing 50th birthday for my husband and we are going on Explorer of the Seas in Jan, 2016 to New Zealand. Due to what date and where we wanted to travel decided on us going RCI. Two months planning we are having an amazing trip. BUT then my brother contacts me to say he is planning his 50th and he is going on Carnival to the pacific islands.. What there is another cruise line out there..

 

Sound like to wonderful itineraries - are you going to go on both?

 

We enjoyed the Explorer of the Seas, even while it rained for most of the cruise, including sailing through a Hurricane. Have fun!

[Travel R]

TravelR, thank you for the great review. I really enjoyed reading it.

DH and I are booked on the Splendor next year, so it is great to glean all the ideas and info from your review.

 

Thanks for taking the time!

 

Glad you enjoyed the review. Every review shines a different light upon the ship, and I was able to provide my own perspective. It may not have been my favorite cruise, but we still had a great time.

[sgttami]

I love Splendor..Was on her 5X last year including the Canada/New England.

 

Very disappointed to say the least that there is no more Splendor from NY.

 

I was also a big RCI fan for many years but I also like Carnival now too (lol). Can't compare any other Carnival ships as I've only sailed on Splendor and was lucky enough to have the same cabin steward 3 cruises in a row!

 

Wonderful and fun filled times on all five!

[Travel R]

I love Splendor..Was on her 5X last year including the Canada/New England.

 

Very disappointed to say the least that there is no more Splendor from NY.

 

I was also a big RCI fan for many years but I also like Carnival now too (lol). Can't compare any other Carnival ships as I've only sailed on Splendor and was lucky enough to have the same cabin steward 3 cruises in a row!

 

Wonderful and fun filled times on all five!

 

Five times - you must really have enjoyed her!!!

 

The same steward three times (if they are good) is a major plus - they already know your likes & dislikes.

 

Splendor will be in dry dock next year, and will give you a reason to travel to see her and lave from a different port.

[Travel R]

My "official" Cruise Critic review has been posted and can now be seen on the Splendor Review Reviews at: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=514934

 

It is fairly long for one of those types of reviews, but provides enough details as to why I have provided each specific rating. I have also left a link to this thread so that readers could actually comment on the review.

 

If anyone has any other comments or questions, please let me know. I'll be coming back daily for the next week or two, then will probably only be checking back sporadically until we have another cruise in the works. Although we love cruising, it is an extension of our love of traveling, so wherever we go and however we get there is usually secondary to just going.

[CruisingObsessed]

"Nationalities of Crew Members – On three separate occasions, the nationality of the cruise staff was called into question. During our one conversation with the person at the Coffee Shop, we asked her about where she came from, her answer was different than what was on his pin. When my buddy asked her about it, she gave an excuse that the place on the pin was where she had lived years ago. Although I am well travelled, my buddy has visited a much greater number of countries than I, so when he was talking to the person at the photo booth about Rumania (which it stated on his pin), he seemed clueless about his own country, and to his luck, brought over a co-worker who happened to be from Rumania to answer the questions. The third occurrence is from what my DD15 said. One of the organized activities she did take part in was a scavenger hunt to find people from as many different countries as possible. When her group asked one of the workers where he came from, he said California, but his pin said something else. This is hearsay, but according to her, this guy said that the cruise line asks you to chose a foreign country if your own country is not exotic enough."

 

Not true--the crew IS from all over the world, Carnival doesn't have to pretend they are and no one is asked to make up something more fun. But remember, people who live on a cruise ship may not have been to their homelands for more than a week or two a year for years. It would be easy to find they are very out of touch as to what life is like there, especially in countries such as Romania where much has changed in the last few years. He may have just been summoning a co-worker who was newer to ship life to help you with that. Also, many immigrate from one place to another--either country to country or state to state.

 

That being said, I appreciate your review and observations, thanks for taking the time to write it!

[Travel R]

@CruisingObsessed: I am not saying that there are not a wide number of staff members from a large variety of countries - there are (it is obvious by just listening to the staff talk). It is just my observation that not everything is as it appears.