Trip Report RCCL Spendour vs Carnival Ecstasy

[acurahotwheels]

Just wanted to do a comparison between RCCL Splendour and Carnival Ecstacy.

Please don’t think I’m bashing, I am only giving my opinion. To each his/her own.

I was just on the Splendour from Jan 16-Jan 20. Overall, the trip was fun. Who could ever have a bad cruise? I’m sure some of the folks would disagree with me because our first two days were pretty rough:eek: . We had seas 15-18 feet and that ship was doing some serious rock’n and roll’n. It was a hell of a ride but I found it very fun.

I was in the Viking Crown lounge the first night and there were only about ten people in there. At least half the folks on the ship were sea sick. If you are a bar person, look for Mario in the Viking or the Schooner. I believe he was supposed to change bars to the Schooner on the next cruise. This guy is from Peru and the most down to earth person you would ever want to meet. He is the kind of guy that would make any father very proud. Well mannered and respectful. What was best was that it wasn’t a front for the customer, it was sincere. I can’t say enough about him. You must look for him. There is another bartender named Andre from the Ukraine who also is a magician. This guy loves magic and he is still trying to master the art. He made a few mistakes but was very entertaining. You can find Andre in the Schooner. (Unless they switched him and Mario).

Gambling in the casino was not for me. I play Craps and they only let you take single odds:mad: . I have never heard of this in my life and I’m sure any dice players out there would agree with me. I refused to play with those rules in place. I don’t like slots but I ran about $15 through them and walked away. I didn’t want to leave my money at sea.

I got to meet BecciBoo and her husband on this cruise and they were very nice people. It was funny because I was on deck 4 watching the rough seas while speaking to her husband. BecciBoo then came up to join the conversation. After talking a few minutes, we discovered we were from this board. It was funny but I guess you had to be there. Happy 10th anniversary to them!! They really seemed to be enjoying themselves. I last saw them at an activity called Quest and this is a must see. Don’t miss it. It was hilarious. Be sure to get there early to get a good seat and you better bring your camera/camcorder.

I got food poisoning on Thur night :mad: . Probably from the shrimp cocktail. I was sick Thur night, all day Fri, and started to feel better on Saturday.

Let us now get down to comparison. I am not trying to offend anyone. This is just my personal opinion/observation. I sailed Carnival (Ecstasy) in November.

Food

RCCL:Main Dining, food was sub-standard. Windjammer was better.

Carnival: Food was excellent, almost unbelievable. Main Dining and Buffet.

Entertainment

RCCL: It seemed they had a bunch of filler stuff that wasn’t really entertainment. The main shows were horrible other than Quest which wasn’t really a show but was really cool to watch or participate if you play well with others. :D

Carnival Ecstacy: Excellent. Always something to do.

Ship

RCCL: Splendour was absolutely beautiful.

Carnival: Very nice but not as beautiful.

Room Steward

RCCL: Pleasant but only as a formality. (Possibly because of a language barrier)

Carnival: Excellent and very personable.

Bartenders

RCCL: I can’t say enough about Mario:) .

Carnival: I can’t remember anyone that made an impression but they had more “fun” bars to choose from..

Dining Room Staff

RCCL: They tried but it seemed they were new or inexperienced. I asked for Filet Mignon or Rib-Eye but they only offered sirloin which was overcooked and nasty. Never saw Lobster on the menu. One night I asked for a steak in the Windjammer and it was better than the dining room steak. The cornbread is a must. It was great!

Carnival: Treated like a King and had Filet Mignon whenever I wanted it. Steak was always perfect! Lobster was great.

Room

RCCL: Smaller but nice. I got upgraded to an ocean view!

Carnival: Bigger but not as nice. I like carnival rooms better.

Well that’s all I have for you now because I must retire to my bed. I work at night and I am a nocturnal animal. SUN …….UUUGGGGHHHH!!!!

Thanks for reading, and again, this is only my opinion. I’m not trying to bash. You folks have a great day!!!