Splendor Mini Review

Just back from the 6/24 sailing on the Splendor to the MR.

Family of six.....ages of kids.....4, 16, 20 and 22

M & D - 47, active professionals, travel extensively....cruises (CCL & RC) numerous A's and resorts throughout the Caribbean.

From Philadelphia area.....went out week prior to cruise and did the SoCal thing then boarded the ship.

Reviews and comments regarding CCL and the Splendor had us worried we made a bad choice.

First off, I must give the entire experience a 5 star rating....embarkation, disembarking, food, service and overall ship. Many of the negative comments regarding cut backs, food quality, etc. simply did not apply in any way shape or form. I know we all come from different places and have our own unique expectations but CCL provided us with a cruise experience that will have us back again.

a few brief items.....

Anytime Dining....absolutely the way to go...never waited and typically got the same table and staff every night.

Food.....if you think the MDR food is on par with an Applebee's you are in need of an serious attitude adjustment!! Food was great and choices to please (most) everyone. Other food choices (i.e. Lido buffett, pizza, burgers, deli, sushi, grill, etc.) were plentiful and also outstanding.

Crowds.....big ship with lots of people.....if you have any sense you will avoid the popular times and hence the crowds.....common sense. Always a place to sit and eat.....except if you're looking for a table six feet away from the end of the line!

Deck chairs.....again, unless you must sit poolside (most popular spot for many) there was always open chairs on upper decks.....never a problem for us with six people. Chair hog issues were not even an issue.

Past cruise Party.....got invited to an hour event with free drink and food....had a blast plenty of each....CCL made us feel like we were special (sounds corny but true) been on RC numerous times and the past guest events were awful, nothing special.

Ports.....liked Cabo alot, PV just OK....we have done the zip-lining, booze cruise, typical port activities in the past so we just found a nice resort in each port and hung out at their beach and pool.....all the places are more than happy to accommodate as long as you buy a drink, eat lunch, etc. No need to book thru CCL.

Ship Movement....I've been on numerous cruises and have stayed forward, mid and aft....never saw much of a difference.....you are on the Pacific ocean on a 1000ft ship.....you will feel the movement on different days....if this bothers you don't cruise or see a doc for a patch....

Drinks.......yes they are a bit pricey....$6 for beer, $8 for mixed but really not that much different from any land restaurant or bar. We brought on three bottles of wine and I purchased a $20 bottle of vodka for $60 from Bon Voyage.....yes pricey but well worth it as I sat on my balcony in late afternoon and mixed a few drinks in my room.

Hope this helps those of you who, like me, saw some of the posts on CC and were second guessing your choice.

If you have any further questions please ask.

Thank you so much for your review. I am one of the many that when I see a horrible review, I do not believe it. People tend to complain....guess it makes them happy or they think the cruise will be comped. LOL.

What kind of cabin did you have and where?:o

I've got to say the above review fits perfectly with my experience on Splendor.

Looking forward to the Splendor arriving in NY.

You are the kind of cruiser I want to sail with. Too many whiners out there!

forgot to mention cabins....we had adjoining rooms 8225 and 8221 forward on the starboard side. both had balconies and are located on the Verandah deck....very convenient to Lido (one floor up) and spa (3 floors up)....rooms are spacious and have plenty of closet and drawer space.

Oh and by the way....the ship is easily navigated and yes, it has a lot of pink and could be described as glitzy....but could this decor seriously detract from your cruise?? again if this type of thing bothers you I have to wonder ;)

forgot to mention cabins....we had adjoining rooms 8225 and 8221 forward on the starboard side. both had balconies and are located on the Verandah deck....very convenient to Lido (one floor up) and spa (3 floors up)....rooms are spacious and have plenty of closet and drawer space.

 

Oh and by the way....the ship is easily navigated and yes, it has a lot of pink and could be described as glitzy....but could this decor seriously detract from your cruise?? again if this type of thing bothers you I have to wonder ;)

Sooo excited and cannot wait. (still 6 months away). Thank you for all of the info. (I LOVE PINK..LOL)

Just back from the 6/24 sailing on the Splendor to the MR.

 

Family of six.....ages of kids.....4, 16, 20 and 22

 

M & D - 47, active professionals, travel extensively....cruises (CCL & RC) numerous A's and resorts throughout the Caribbean.

 

From Philadelphia area.....went out week prior to cruise and did the SoCal thing then boarded the ship.

 

Reviews and comments regarding CCL and the Splendor had us worried we made a bad choice.

 

First off, I must give the entire experience a 5 star rating....embarkation, disembarking, food, service and overall ship. Many of the negative comments regarding cut backs, food quality, etc. simply did not apply in any way shape or form. I know we all come from different places and have our own unique expectations but CCL provided us with a cruise experience that will have us back again.

 

a few brief items.....

 

Anytime Dining....absolutely the way to go...never waited and typically got the same table and staff every night.

 

Food.....if you think the MDR food is on par with an Applebee's you are in need of an serious attitude adjustment!! Food was great and choices to please (most) everyone. Other food choices (i.e. Lido buffett, pizza, burgers, deli, sushi, grill, etc.) were plentiful and also outstanding.

 

Crowds.....big ship with lots of people.....if you have any sense you will avoid the popular times and hence the crowds.....common sense. Always a place to sit and eat.....except if you're looking for a table six feet away from the end of the line!

 

Deck chairs.....again, unless you must sit poolside (most popular spot for many) there was always open chairs on upper decks.....never a problem for us with six people. Chair hog issues were not even an issue.

 

Past cruise Party.....got invited to an hour event with free drink and food....had a blast plenty of each....CCL made us feel like we were special (sounds corny but true) been on RC numerous times and the past guest events were awful, nothing special.

 

Ports.....liked Cabo alot, PV just OK....we have done the zip-lining, booze cruise, typical port activities in the past so we just found a nice resort in each port and hung out at their beach and pool.....all the places are more than happy to accommodate as long as you buy a drink, eat lunch, etc. No need to book thru CCL.

 

Ship Movement....I've been on numerous cruises and have stayed forward, mid and aft....never saw much of a difference.....you are on the Pacific ocean on a 1000ft ship.....you will feel the movement on different days....if this bothers you don't cruise or see a doc for a patch....

 

Drinks.......yes they are a bit pricey....$6 for beer, $8 for mixed but really not that much different from any land restaurant or bar. We brought on three bottles of wine and I purchased a $20 bottle of vodka for $60 from Bon Voyage.....yes pricey but well worth it as I sat on my balcony in late afternoon and mixed a few drinks in my room.

 

Hope this helps those of you who, like me, saw some of the posts on CC and were second guessing your choice.

 

If you have any further questions please ask.

very happy to hear a positive review... Thanks ! Can't wait until September !

After 'being away' for a while from Carnival, I was slightly hesitant on going back, HOWEVER, your review has taken away any doubts that we might have had! We're due to be on her in Oct., we can't wait!! Thanks for your review!

I enjoyed reading your mini-review. I can finally say NEXT month we're going on the cruise...ya whoo!! Positive attitude is everything, we plan on having a terrific time:D

Again, Thanks!!!!!

November can't get here fast enough.:D

In my opinion, your review is spot-on regarding Splendor. Don't know what it is about Splendor, but I've yet to encounter the dreaded chair hog, or had a bad MDR experience, etc. Thanks for the review. ;)

Review is spot on for me, been on the Splendor many times and have always had a great time. No complaints from me, I will miss her, take good care of her east coast. It's a vacation, roll with the punches as well as the seas, it sure beats work, right?

Finally, a refreshing, positive person on CC. I will board her on Sunday (July 8) and cannot wait. Thanks for the review. Any must do's on board in your opinion?

We were blessed with fabulous weather so we spent a lot of time on deck sunning, reading, splashing, etc. ....the water slide is pretty good/fun....the poolside activities provide a nice afternoon diversion and made me laugh.

At night we hit a few of the comedy shows, enjoyed a long dinner and danced....the main lobby/atrium had a asian couple singing to piano, a salsa band played one night.....a festive atmosphere and all (young and old) were up on the dance floor.

I'm not a big gambler but had a blast playing blackjack with my son and daughter at the $6 tables.....again had fun, met some interesting folks and thankfully walked away at the right time.

There are also various shows to catch but we pretty much just hung out, relaxed and enjoyed the time together.

As far as MUST do's......relax and enjoy.....it's very hard to avoid!

Totally agree with your review , we have been on the splendor 4 times and have 2 more booked before she leaves to NYC. We will miss the splendor and hope we like the miracle when she comes to the west coast but i have my doubts because the pictures so far are disappointing.

We were blessed with fabulous weather so we spent a lot of time on deck sunning, reading, splashing, etc. ....the water slide is pretty good/fun....the poolside activities provide a nice afternoon diversion and made me laugh.

 

At night we hit a few of the comedy shows, enjoyed a long dinner and danced....the main lobby/atrium had a asian couple singing to piano, a salsa band played one night.....a festive atmosphere and all (young and old) were up on the dance floor.

 

I'm not a big gambler but had a blast playing blackjack with my son and daughter at the $6 tables.....again had fun, met some interesting folks and thankfully walked away at the right time.

 

There are also various shows to catch but we pretty much just hung out, relaxed and enjoyed the time together.

 

As far as MUST do's......relax and enjoy.....it's very hard to avoid!

Do you remember the name of the lobby/atrium duo? Was it summer breeze???

I just looked at the Fun Times....the asian duo was called Take Two.

Just remembered a funny item....we were at a lounge one night listening to a rock band play some classic rock (they were pretty good) and I'm looking at the lead guitarist and trying to remember where I have seen him before.....turns out he was our muster station captain! Hope he drives a life boat as good as he played!

Thanks for the refreshing perspective on your Splendor cruise. I have also found that it is all about timing to avoid the crowds on the ships we cruise on. Would you mind sharing which resorts you went to in the ports and some more info on them?

Thanks for a good review. I've heard a lot of good about the Splendor as well, haven't tried it yet, but I might!

Thanks for the good review. We will be on her for the second time in December. I know this one will be much better.

Thank you for the nice review can't wait to board the Splendor this Sunday. We would also like info on resorts you enjoyed.

In Cabo we went to a place called Pueblo Bonito....it is on the beach right across from where the ship anchors.....it is large and white...you need to take a water taxi (think Normandy landing) they had a great pool, restaurant and beach. Just walked right in and made ourselves at home....no problems.

I can't remember place we went to in PV....got off ship took a cab...basically just asked to be taken to a nice resort...same deal...nice pool and beach...I'll post the name once I check with wife.

Wow, positivity on Cruise Critic? Is that allowed?

How was embarkation? What time did you arrive at port?

So glad to read your happy review...going on her for our first cruise in just a few weeks now...the excitement mounts! :)

Nice to have a reminder that most people just have a grand old time on a cruise. We leave on the Splendor two months from today, and we plan to have a grand time too.

Jim