Just off Splendor 8day Southern

[marci4tony]

I am sitting at the terminal after going through customs. I will write a more detailed review later but a few important thoughts...

1) I like FTTF. Would I do it again- yes.

2) I LOVE the aft wrap balcony cabin! Deck is enormous! 6th floor was perfect. Our friends on 8th floor aft wrap had a LOT of pool/chair noise!

3) I loved the itenerary! Had great stops in Grand Turk, La Romania Dominican Republic and Aruba. Curaçao was NOT our favorite.

4) Chloe was a great CD - not annoying and extremely helpful.

 

However...

Ship is old and in disrepair and dirty. My balcony door had to be removed from the OUTSIDE and it took 3 people after the locking mechanism broke.

Service was ALMOST as subpar as the food. Food in the dining room was not up to the Carnival standard I have been accustomed to.

Entertainment was iffy - looked forward to Funkology after all the rave reviews. The piano entertainer was talented but not a good "entertainer".

Comedians were hit and miss - one was not funny but he sure thought he was.

 

I'm very dissppointed for bringing several first timers on this trip. I suspect we will be looking for a new direction in the future - thankfully the amazing ports saved the trip!

Edited November 13, 2016 by marci4tony
Posted before done typing

[seannyice81]

Curious about your thoughts on Curacao as I have not read many critical posts about the place.

 

I loved my time there in 2015. I was treated to a tour of the whole island by a resident, met some cool people, and had a delicious dinner near the footbridge.

 

Sometimes things don't gel I suppose.

[Cruisin 4 Ever]

I am sitting at the terminal after going through customs. I will write a more detailed review later but a few important thoughts...

1) I like FTTF. Would I do it again- yes.

2) I LOVE the aft wrap balcony cabin! Deck is enormous! 6th floor was perfect. Our friends on 8th floor aft wrap had a LOT of pool/chair noise!

3) I loved the itenerary! Had great stops in Grand Turk, La Romania Dominican Republic and Aruba. Curaçao was NOT our favorite.

4) Chloe was a great CD - not annoying and extremely helpful.

 

However...

Ship is old and in disrepair and dirty. My balcony door had to be removed from the OUTSIDE and it took 3 people after the locking mechanism broke.

Service was ALMOST as subpar as the food. Food in the dining room was not up to the Carnival standard I have been accustomed to.

Entertainment was iffy - looked forward to Funkology after all the rave reviews. The piano entertainer was talented but not a good "entertainer".

Comedians were hit and miss - one was not funny but he sure thought he was.

 

I'm very dissppointed for bringing several first timers on this trip. I suspect we will be looking for a new direction in the future - thankfully the amazing ports saved the trip!

 

Ship is old and in disrepair - that's disappointing to hear since it just went in a few months ago and was refurbished.

[bury me at sea]

Based on our last cruise on the Breeze, subpar may be the new norm, and so I suppose the new par.

 

Two nights I didn't order an entree. One night I had one bite of a dry, tasteless porkchop.

 

I did enjoy the appetizers and the cheese plate.

 

Glad you enjoyed parts of your cruise and thanks for the report.

[Miss Kellybean]

We were on the same cruise and I agree that there was a lot of attention to detail that was missing. Our first impression was that the Splendor lettering was on the side of the ship was busted and falling off but it looked good enough. And pretty much that was what my impression of the ship was. Busted but good enough.

 

We did like Curacao but didn't get enough of it. We arrived at 2pm Curacao time and it took an hour to get off the ship and get our car that we had rented. We drove to the North shore to Shete Boka and only had a little over an hour there before the park closed for evening. We were there for so long but it wasn't good timing. Most stores were closed as we returned from exploring. I would have preferred to skip DR and have a full day in Curacao. That is probably an unpopular opinion, tough.

[skrams]

We were on it in July, and agree about both service and food. Service in the MDR was bad enough that I had to complain to the maitre d and then guest services before anything improved. Stuff like, when I order something from the menu, if I don't ask for changes, I expect to get it as described, including accompaniments, I shouldn't have to ask and wait for them. And food items not being as described either (PSA, lamb shank comes on a bone, it doesn't look like stew.

 

Cabin staff were fine, it was the MDR was my big issue.

[riclop]

Curious about your thoughts on Curacao as I have not read many critical posts about the place.

 

I loved my time there in 2015. I was treated to a tour of the whole island by a resident, met some cool people, and had a delicious dinner near the footbridge.

 

Sometimes things don't gel I suppose.

 

Curacao is like a dump, we were very disappointed as well.

[Cruise-Crazy]

I was there, have to agree.

 

Chloe was a great CD, probably one of the best in a long time.

 

The food in the MDR was just "ok", nowhere what I have come to expect. I ate in the Steakhouse two nights, that was pretty good.

[Cruise-Crazy]

We were on the same cruise and I agree that there was a lot of attention to detail that was missing. Our first impression was that the Splendor lettering was on the side of the ship was busted and falling off but it looked good enough. And pretty much that was what my impression of the ship was. Busted but good enough.

 

We did like Curacao but didn't get enough of it. We arrived at 2pm Curacao time and it took an hour to get off the ship and get our car that we had rented. We drove to the North shore to Shete Boka and only had a little over an hour there before the park closed for evening. We were there for so long but it wasn't good timing. Most stores were closed as we returned from exploring. I would have preferred to skip DR and have a full day in Curacao. That is probably an unpopular opinion, tough.

 

Add me to the unpopular bunch then, I would have given up DR for more time in Curaçao. :)

[Cruise-Crazy]

Curacao is like a dump, we were very disappointed as well.

 

The places I went were nice.

[marci4tony]

Dominican Republic was a FAVORITE!! We did the river tour and had more fun than humanly possible! Kayaks, water fights, swinging ropes, dance lessons, amazing food, incredible tour guide/hosts and it was sooooooo beautiful! A stark contrast to three days of beaches!!

 

Our cabin/steward was spot on! We opted for morning service only - and aside the broken door and the crap on the deck that ignorant people threw over the back of the ship... Cabin was great. We did have a lot of soot and the shaking from the engines going in/leaving port dang near shook my fillings out

[Cruise-Crazy]

Only said I would skip DR because I have been there a few times... it is a nice place.

[BoDidly]

I also would have given up DR for more time in Curacao ;). In DR it's best to do excursions . The locals will harass you to death and if you go into the city you are expected to use one of their tourism guides, for a tip of course. Very fair review OP.

[BlondieB]

I am sitting at the terminal after going through customs. I will write a more detailed review later but a few important thoughts...

1) I like FTTF. Would I do it again- yes.

2) I LOVE the aft wrap balcony cabin! Deck is enormous! 6th floor was perfect. Our friends on 8th floor aft wrap had a LOT of pool/chair noise!

3) I loved the itenerary! Had great stops in Grand Turk, La Romania Dominican Republic and Aruba. Curaçao was NOT our favorite.

4) Chloe was a great CD - not annoying and extremely helpful.

 

However...

Ship is old and in disrepair and dirty. My balcony door had to be removed from the OUTSIDE and it took 3 people after the locking mechanism broke.

Service was ALMOST as subpar as the food. Food in the dining room was not up to the Carnival standard I have been accustomed to.

Entertainment was iffy - looked forward to Funkology after all the rave reviews. The piano entertainer was talented but not a good "entertainer".

Comedians were hit and miss - one was not funny but he sure thought he was.

 

I'm very dissppointed for bringing several first timers on this trip. I suspect we will be looking for a new direction in the future - thankfully the amazing ports saved the trip!

 

 

 

(2) Our friends had the aft corner on 6 opposite of you. That is a HUGE balcony. We were midship on 6 and i made the critical mistake of booking above the casino...right above the singer apparently so late afternoon naps were a craptacular maritime disaster

 

3) I loved the itenerary as well and I'm super glad we made it out of curacao (which we LOVED), although a few hrs late, and onto Aruba since all but GT were new ports for us.

 

4) completely agree on Chloe. She's a doll.

 

I completely agree with you on the cleanliness of the ship as well as service and food. There was gum stuck above the pull down bunk, dust around the carpet edges as well as on the silver tray on the counter and i don't think our cabin steward, while nice, ever swished a brush around the toilet the entire trip. The food and staff overall were just kinda meh. Not your typical Carnival happy staff. We had late dining in the Gold Pearl aka fried egg boobie ceiling dining room and Joseph from St. Lucia and Oleh from Bulgaria were the bright spot and we adored them but they were still a bit scattered because it seemed their lead, Bonnie, lived in a constant state of confusion.

 

The air filtration in the casino is the worst I've ever witnessed and even as a smoker, it was hard to tolerate (I hate the smell...yes, I know how weird that is). It even wafted up to the 6th floor midship elevator area. It was AWFUL!

 

Like another poster, the Breeze was our last ship so Slendor had a lot to live up to, and failed in every category. We had a great vacation and made the most of it, but I can't see going on the Splendor again.

Edited November 14, 2016 by BlondieB

[DKane]

We were on it in July, and agree about both service and food. Service in the MDR was bad enough that I had to complain to the maitre d and then guest services before anything improved. Stuff like, when I order something from the menu, if I don't ask for changes, I expect to get it as described, including accompaniments, I shouldn't have to ask and wait for them. And food items not being as described either (PSA, lamb shank comes on a bone, it doesn't look like stew.

 

Cabin staff were fine, it was the MDR was my big issue.

 

Was on the ship for a B2B end of June into July and the service we experienced was excellent most nights. The nights that it was subpar was when we arrived later than we usually did for our YTD and was seated on the opposite side. We saw a huge difference over there.

 

It all depends on your wait staff. We had stellar service most nights and we got to experience the subpar service on the other side for a couple.

 

Would sail on the Splendor again. Had a fabulous two weeks.

[CJinFLA00]

lol, Curacao is awesome. Our second time there and we loved it. DR is not so nice to put it nicely. Give me 2 days in Curacao over the DR anytime. Altos de Chevon is nice but the rest of that port, no thanks. The ship is not Carnival's best but we thought it was OK. We had great service in MDR (late dining).

[BlondieB]

My group of 14 booked a private sunset yacht sailing in Curacao so our time to see everything was limited but what we did see, we thought was very pretty. The buildings all looked new and were painted bright Caribbean colors. A lot of $ has been poured into the immediate area. I think it's the prettiest and most safe feeling port areas we've ever visited. Walking back to the ship after dark, we always stay aware of our surroundings but we never felt like we needed to constantly look over our shoulder. If I was going to be in any port after dark, that would certainly be the one.

 

DR we went with the all inclusive at Dreams La Romana. While the grounds were BEAUTIFUL...the drinks, service and food were not. Which was surprising given the rating Dreams has. Getting into the ocean there it quite rocky as well. You have to cross over a rocky area to get to the tiny sandy entrance to the water.

[evandbob]

My group of 14 booked a private sunset yacht sailing in Curacao so our time to see everything was limited but what we did see, we thought was very pretty. The buildings all looked new and were painted bright Caribbean colors. A lot of $ has been poured into the immediate area. I think it's the prettiest and most safe feeling port areas we've ever visited. Walking back to the ship after dark, we always stay aware of our surroundings but we never felt like we needed to constantly look over our shoulder. If I was going to be in any port after dark, that would certainly be the one.

 

DR we went with the all inclusive at Dreams La Romana. While the grounds were BEAUTIFUL...the drinks, service and food were not. Which was surprising given the rating Dreams has. Getting into the ocean there it quite rocky as well. You have to cross over a rocky area to get to the tiny sandy entrance to the water.

 

I've spent a week at Dreams LaRomana and knew it was in the lower ratings of that chain. Sunscape and Now are just below Dreams; rated higher are Breathless, Secrets and Zoetry. These ratings (and room rates) by the way, are from the parent corporation of these hotels.

 

One of the nice things about staying at a resort over a day pass, is that one has time to explore a bit. I found lots of sandy beach there.

[afergvip]

So disappointing to hear. We are doing a 6 day in June. I just came off a 4 day and was just blah. The excitement factor has just left for me with Carnival. It's just same ole same ole. Luckily on this trip the 6 day we are in port every single day except for the last which is a sea day so we will be off the ship more than on the ship. Just wish Carnival would pick it back up a little.

[jstrutton]

We were on the original Splendor when it was a new ship. Granted it had some issues, but overall it wasn't in bad shape.

 

Embarkation was Ok. We were put in the premier section and boarded first, so we avoided the mass of people at the buffet.

 

Our room steward (room 7232 - Roland) was the best. He never asked us whether we wanted morning or evening. He just cleaned our room every day and evening without any issues. We called him once for some new pillow cases and he immediately responded.

 

In the MDR, our waiter staff of Juan and Andrew were the best staff we have ever had in the MDR. The food wasn't had at all. We didn't have anything that was bad enough to send back. They had the American menus.

 

Chloe the cruise director was really good.

 

Negative: The shows were just OK. The male singers especially the tall black singer was really good. The ladies were hit or miss. They miss the notes on many songs, but they continued to perform.

 

Overall a very good cruise and would still recommend the Splendor.

[marci4tony]

Our steward, Agus, was awesome! He was like the silent Mr. Clean - the only issues we ever had in our cabin was the soot on the deck and the food and trash that idiots had thrown over the back and landed on my deck.

 

My kids had an interior cabin on deck 8 and it took their steward 4 days to replace bloody/dirty sheets - and that was only after her Dad went to customer service with her. The first time they went down, no one seemed to care.

 

I wonder if the type of cabin matters? Suites, Premium Balconies vs cheap interior? Just wondering...

 

Our waiter was sick the first two nights we were there - our sub did as best job as he could, but we did not even get a dessert choice on formal night. We just ALL got creme brulee... One of us at our table of 10 had something cold each night. We came to really enjoy trying the appetizers more so than the main courses.

 

I am a musician, and was looking forward to being in the audience.... Well, not so much. Funkology sounded good, but had no show, no energy. The piano bar person was very talented, but rather than having a "set list" to work from, he kept asking for requests that he either didnt know, or wouldnt play because he was "saving them" for the following evening. The comedians were hit and miss - one of them thought they were funnier than they really were - a little annoying. The shows, we only saw 3. The first night was cancelled for a technical issue, but they did it on the last sea night. Was ok. The male singers certainly out shined the females - high energy, but a little loud for that little theater.

 

Did some dancing lessons - that was fun. The Latin group that was playing every night near the Gold Pearl dining room was awesome. I was always doing the salsa standing in line waiting for dinner!

 

The cooking demonstration - 1st sea day - they give out SAMPLES!! Pretty awesome!

 

The BBQ upstairs, deck 10 - served on tin plates, was a nice surprise as well. Good Mac and Cheese.

[sfaaa]

. The male singers especially the tall black singer was really good. .

 

Yeah, dude can sing and dance. A bit like MJ back in the 80's before the later gone off the cliff.

[Cruisin 4 Ever]

Dominican Republic was a FAVORITE!! We did the river tour and had more fun than humanly possible! Kayaks, water fights, swinging ropes, dance lessons, amazing food, incredible tour guide/hosts and it was sooooooo beautiful! A stark contrast to three days of beaches!!

 

Our cabin/steward was spot on! We opted for morning service only - and aside the broken door and the crap on the deck that ignorant people threw over the back of the ship... Cabin was great. We did have a lot of soot and the shaking from the engines going in/leaving port dang near shook my fillings out

 

Did you opt for once a day service because that is your preference or were you asked which you prefer?

[Cruisin 4 Ever]

(2) Our friends had the aft corner on 6 opposite of you. That is a HUGE balcony. We were midship on 6 and i made the critical mistake of booking above the casino...right above the singer apparently so late afternoon naps were a craptacular maritime disaster

 

3) I loved the itenerary as well and I'm super glad we made it out of curacao (which we LOVED), although a few hrs late, and onto Aruba since all but GT were new ports for us.

 

4) completely agree on Chloe. She's a doll.

 

I completely agree with you on the cleanliness of the ship as well as service and food. There was gum stuck above the pull down bunk, dust around the carpet edges as well as on the silver tray on the counter and i don't think our cabin steward, while nice, ever swished a brush around the toilet the entire trip. The food and staff overall were just kinda meh. Not your typical Carnival happy staff. We had late dining in the Gold Pearl aka fried egg boobie ceiling dining room and Joseph from St. Lucia and Oleh from Bulgaria were the bright spot and we adored them but they were still a bit scattered because it seemed their lead, Bonnie, lived in a constant state of confusion.

 

The air filtration in the casino is the worst I've ever witnessed and even as a smoker, it was hard to tolerate (I hate the smell...yes, I know how weird that is). It even wafted up to the 6th floor midship elevator area. It was AWFUL!

 

Like another poster, the Breeze was our last ship so Slendor had a lot to live up to, and failed in every category. We had a great vacation and made the most of it, but I can't see going on the Splendor again.

 

Jeez, we are boarding the Splendor in a couple of weeks so I'm hoping that was just a bad week.

In February we sailed on the Splendor and loved her. The food and service were great. We did a side by side and boarded the Breeze next and it was very bad service all around and the food was not as good.

[afergvip]

Dominican Republic was a FAVORITE!! We did the river tour and had more fun than humanly possible! Kayaks, water fights, swinging ropes, dance lessons, amazing food, incredible tour guide/hosts and it was sooooooo beautiful! A stark contrast to three days of beaches!!

 

Our cabin/steward was spot on! We opted for morning service only - and aside the broken door and the crap on the deck that ignorant people threw over the back of the ship... Cabin was great. We did have a lot of soot and the shaking from the engines going in/leaving port dang near shook my fillings out

 

Do you remember the name of your excursion. We are looking for something more adventurous when we go in June. This sounds great!