philbast

I'm really glad to read these reviews. My son is very mature and outgoing and will be turning 13 on the second day of our Carnival Splendor cruise. He's the kind of kid that at 12 is closer friends with his friends'' 16-17-yo high school siblings than he is with the friends themselves.

We last cruised on Carnival two years ago, when he had just turned 11. He HATED the kids club, as it was ages 3-11, and described it as preschool HELL. He had sign-in/sign-out privileges and lasted less than an hour their the first day. He spent the rest of the cruise somewhat bored, entertaining himself mostly hanging out at the pool or doing the trivia and game-show activities (sometimes with us, sometimes on his own).

He's really looking forward to being in the 12-14 club, though he'd be even happier if he could hang out with the high school kids. The "club-as-a-meeting-place" to then go hang out with friends on the ship sounds perfect for him. The very things the OP cites as issues sound like features to me (no offense intended to OP). I would like nothing more than for him to find a group of friends to hang out with during the cruise. Sounds like he'll have a blast! (We have a very bright and responsible good kid. I completely understand that this level of freedom might not be appropriate for every teen.)

We did the chef's table on the Carnival Miracle a couple of years ago. As a dedicated foodie, I must say it was too over-the-top, unfortunately to the meal's detriment. Each course had three or four competing flavors and although everything was expertly prepared, nothing was harmonious and everything felt rich for the sake of being rich.

The current menu posted in this thread looks a lot more restrained/refined, and a lot better.

We're doing Chef's Table on the Splendor in a couple of months. I'll post back afterwards to share how it was.

Does anyone remember if wine pairings are included (or available) with the meal?