Live from the Splendor: Sunday, Dec 13th - Sunday, Dec 20th; PV, Mazatlan, and Cabo.

[mathgeek1978]

Hey everyone! This is my first report. I will first talk about embarkation.

Embarkation

It can be summarized in 2 words: Organized and efficient. We arrived the terminal around 12:45PM and saw literally hundreds of people. We thought it’s gonna take forever. Not!

The entrance into the terminal (which is the ex-Spruce Goose) was split into multiple lines with ushers everywhere to direct people to the appropriate lines. We were asked our cabin number, and were directed to a certain line. There were NO zones.

It took about 10 minutes in that line to get our passport and Fun Pass checked, after which, we were inside the terminal.

Getting through security was a breeze. The alcohol check is completely random. The last 2 times I was told to open my carryon to show them my bottle, which was a bottle of wine, which was allowed. This time I had a bottle of wine, one blood mary mix and a one-liter bottle of tonic water in my carryon but was not asked a thing. I could have carry a bottle of vodka with me! Getting through security took no more than 5 minutes.

The line to the check-in counter was long but then there were 16 windows open. We waited not more than 15 minutes before our turn to check in. We got a warm “welcome-back” and the whole process was very efficient. We were on board very promptly afterwards.

We went to the buffet and there were a lot of people there already. However, I would not say it was crowded. It took us 5 minutes to find a booth by the window on the starboard side, looking out at the Queen Mary. I had the beef and spinach lasagna which was very moist and tasty. I also had a small piece of chicken breast which was ok, slightly overcooked. DW had the grilled tilapia which was VERY good. The roasted potatoes were just awesome. Overall, lunch was very good.

We then went to our cabin, a Cat 8B balcony on the starboard side. The bottle of Absolut that I ordered through the Bon Voyage Dept. was already delivered in a gift wrap with a beautiful ribbon.

We finished the “Safety Briefing” with NO life jackets, and ETD will be 6:15PM because they are still loading some supplies.

So much for now…

[crzndeb]

I didn't catch you before you left to tell you about the Rotisserie on deck 10, aft...very few know about it when they are boarding and everyone heads to buffet. When my daughter and I were on the Splendor end of Oct, luckily I had read about it CC and we headed there...there wasn't another person up there...LOL! so, don't miss it...great mac and cheese. Also, the Tandoori station out by the aft pool is marvelous if you like Indian food.

[mathgeek1978]

Our Cabin

We have a Cat 8B balcony cabin on the starboard side. So at the terminal, our balcony was facing the Queen Mary, the gangway to the ship from the dome, as well as the Long Beach shoreline. It’s an awesome location and we took plenty of pictures and videos which I will post as soon as we return.

The safe uses a keypad. You will punch it 4 digits, which will be displayed on an LCD screen. You can check and make sure that’s what you want to enter before hitting the lock button. The code is then displayed one last time. This avoids locking yourself out with a typo: Say you want the code to be 1234 but typed in 1243 by mistake.

There’s a mini bar which is also the fridge. Upon request, the room steward will empty out the bar for you. I used it to store the mixers that I brought.

Our luggage arrived very promptly, around 4PM. We unpack our stuff and got things organized. Contrary to some other reports, there are plenty of hangers – I counted 22 of them. Plus the one dozen of hanger that we brought ourselves, we had plenty.

At around 3PM or so, someone was knocking on our cabin door. It turned out that it was our cabin steward introducing himself to us. He asked about our dining time and dining room and gave us directions to get there. He also told us how he could be reached and asked whether he could offer any assistance. So far, the service has been impressive.

More to follow soon…

[shakwurst]

Very interested to hear what everyone is doing in PV, since it is a long day there. We aren't sure what to do. Enjoy!

 

 

senor frogs for sure

[mathgeek1978]

Welcome Aboard Show

Our Cruise Director is Goose, who seems to have an energetic personality and can get a show going. I don’t know whether any of you have seen this before, but his “Daddy Bear, Mommy Bear, Baby Bear,…” story with audience participation was absolutely awesome. This is something that you really don’t want to miss. He did this about 15 minutes into the show.

The comedian tonight was Tom McGillen, and I would have to say the review is mixed. We were seated at the back of deck 5 (the main theater is 3-deck high, from deck 3 to deck 5) so we can see the entire audience. Less than 5 minutes into the show, there were a slow but steady stream of people leaving. However, there were also many who cheered loudly and seemed to really enjoy the show.

Personally, I think he did nothing more than picking on the Australians first (they speak English but I can’t understand a word), then followed by the Irish, then Arnold Schwarzenegger and his fellow Eastern Europeans, etc, etc. The show lacks creativity and, in my opinion, was average at best.

We rarely leave a show early because we think it is impolite and disrespectful, so we stayed till the end -- not because we really enjoyed the show, but as a courtesy to the performer.

More to come soon, so remember to check back often…

[mathgeek1978]

First Night in the MDR

We have always preferred traditional dining and late seating, and this time was no different. We were seated at a table for 8 with 3 other couples, who were all very friendly and sociable. We had a nice conversation going throughout dinner. It appeared that we would have some nice tablemates this cruise.

The service was good, although a bit slow at times. However, it was understandable since the dining room was quite full. Also, they had only one cocktail waitress serving many tables so it took more than 15 minutes for us to get our drinks.

For appetizer, I had a salad and DW had the soup. Both were very good. The lettuce was crispy and fresh and the soup was very tasty. We were not too hungry tonight so just one appetizer was enough.

My main course was a flat iron steak, and it was cooked to perfection – tender and juicy, and medium rare just like I ordered. A slight disappointment was that the steak was barely warm, evident that it had been standing for a few minutes. DW had the sautéed tilapia which she said was good, although she didn’t like the sauce.

Carnival always serves the best desserts and tonight was no exception. The black forest cake was close to perfection. I also forgot to mention earlier that the chocolate cake that we had for dessert at the buffet was also excellent.

Overall, dinner tonight was very good but with some minor disappointments.

More to follow soon… Please feel free to ask me anything…

[mathgeek1978]

Does anyone know the locations of any internet cafes near the terminal in PV, Mazatlan or Cabo? Thanks in advance.

[True North 23]

I am loving your review. We have an 8B Splendor Starboard side next month. I am sitting here looking out at the snow. Imagine my excitement when I read your words...

How warm is it today? Are you rocking?

[slabeaume]

Does anyone know the locations of any internet cafes near the terminal in PV, Mazatlan or Cabo? Thanks in advance.

 

The internet cafe in PV and Mazatlan are right there by where you get off the ship. The cost in PV was $4 for 30 minutes (as I recall) and $2 for 15 minutes in Mazatlan (in the building they shuttle you too from the ship). In Cabo, we came upon an internet cafe on a side street near Cabo Wabo with internet for $1 for 15 minutes. Note that in PV and Cabo, the keys were somewhat different for things such as (@). They have a separate key at the bottom of the keyboard and to the right with something like PR on it. To get the @ sign for email accounts, you have to hit the PR key and the 2 key. That was noted on the computer at PV, but not at the cafe I found in Cabo. Fortunately I remembered that much. Also I didn't see a shift key on the left side for capitalizing letters with your right hand and I didn't see a ' key. I'm sure they were there, but I didn't spend much of my 15 minutes looking for it.

[slabeaume]

BTW---we got off the ship as you got on it. It'll be interesting to see how your trip compared to ours. We had a great time.

 

As for the question about spa fees----it was $150/person. I think they discounted it to $250/couple.

 

As for the tea in Lido---it is free, but it's made from a concentrate. For a better tea, make hot tea and add ice. I always take a large cup with a lid on cruises since their "glasses" are so small.

 

Do remember about the rotiessarie (sp) if Lido is crowded. It's right above the lido and was never crowded the whole time we were there.

 

Also---they have a Mongolian grill at lunch which we thought was very good. But be prepared to wait in line a LONG time for it as they only cook 3 at a time.

[True North 23]

Will they still sell you a one day pass to the spa?

[Elationismyship]

Was football on the big screen on the lido deck when you boarded? Asking for the DH.

[slabeaume]

Will they still sell you a one day pass to the spa?

 

I saw in one of the capers that a daily fee was $35.

[mathgeek1978]

Monday, Dec 14th

Breakfast at the Lido Buffet

We were tired this morning so we decided to sleep in a little bit. We went to the Lido buffet around 9:30AM. At first sight it looked crowded, but that was only because most people wanted to sit in the main area, near the buffet stations. If you walked a bit further down on either side, there were plenty of booths available. We easily found a booth by the window with a gorgeous view.

There was no line at the omelet station (surprise!) so DW had a nice mushroom omelet. The regular buffet line was not bad – about 10 people ahead of me. I was in line for only about 5 minutes. I grabbed some eggs, sausages, sautéed mushrooms, and potatoes. The sausage served today was called “sausage medley” with about 4 – 5 different types of grilled sausages. It was delicious.

Breakfast was nice and very relaxing.

Fun Ashore Talk

CD Goose hosted this show at 11:00AM that introduced all the excursions that are available. There were plenty of slides and videos: Dolphins, whales, scuba diving, snorkeling, canopy, horseback riding, just to name a few. If you have no idea what you want to do and want to explore all the options available, this show is a must see.

Cloud 9 Spa

All the spa services are available everyday, including sea days. To answer a specific question: The Thermal Suite and Thalassotherapy Pool service is $149 for one person and $249 for two. I have the complete price lists of all the services and will post them when I return.

Ship Time Vs Local Time

We will change to ship time tonight, which is one hour AHEAD of Pacific time but one hour BEHIND PV time. Hence 8AM in California = 9AM ship time = 10AM PV time. Hopefully this answers the question that several posters had asked.

So much for now… I will answer the above questions later today.

[ABcruisers]

Monday, Dec 14th

 

 

 

Cloud 9 Spa

 

All the spa services are available everyday, including sea days. To answer a specific question: The Thermal Suite and Thalassotherapy Pool service is $149 for one person and $249 for two. I have the complete price lists of all the services and will post them when I return.

 

 

Excellent! Thanks for confirming that price for us, MG. Sounds like everything is going great so far.

 

Let us all know if you do any excursions as the group we're travelling with is still undecided.

[mathgeek1978]

The internet cafe in PV and Mazatlan are right there by where you get off the ship. The cost in PV was $4 for 30 minutes (as I recall) and $2 for 15 minutes in Mazatlan (in the building they shuttle you too from the ship). In Cabo, we came upon an internet cafe on a side street near Cabo Wabo with internet for $1 for 15 minutes. Note that in PV and Cabo, the keys were somewhat different for things such as (@). They have a separate key at the bottom of the keyboard and to the right with something like PR on it. To get the @ sign for email accounts, you have to hit the PR key and the 2 key. That was noted on the computer at PV, but not at the cafe I found in Cabo. Fortunately I remembered that much. Also I didn't see a shift key on the left side for capitalizing letters with your right hand and I didn't see a ' key. I'm sure they were there, but I didn't spend much of my 15 minutes looking for it.

 

Thank you!

[mathgeek1978]

Was football on the big screen on the lido deck when you boarded? Asking for the DH.

 

No, no football on the Lido big screen last night. I will check whether thay have Monday Night Football later tonight. Will let you know.

[mathgeek1978]

This is where the confusion is, if you get canned tea, then they charge you a soft drink price, but the Iced Tea in the Dining Rooms or on the Lido Deck are FREE.

 

Exactly. This is now confirmed. Case closed. :D

[rigs32]

So excited to follow this thread! We're sailing on the Splendor in May with a big group and the only dailies I could find were over a year old. Enjoy!

[mathgeek1978]

Monday, Dec 14th. Continued…

Tandoor Indian Food

We’ve heard a lot of good things about the Tandoor Indian Food and decided to have lunch over there today. It was located on the aft of the Lido deck, near the Liner Lido pool and hot tubs. It’s a self-service buffet with salad, vegetarian, fish and meat entrees.

The food served was classic Indian food and it was excellent. The beef stew was very tender and was cooked in a spicy curry sauce. The chicken tandori was traditional, and the bread was awesome. If you have never tried Indian bread before, you may want to try it at least once. You eat it with your fingers -- tear off a small piece, dip it in a curry sauce, and YUM!

Lunch today was great – above expectations!

The Weather

We had some morning clouds but it turned mostly sunny throughout the day. Temperature was in the low 80’s. As we sail further south tomorrow, we are expecting sunny weather with temperatures in the mid to high 80’s.

It was a beautiful day on the Lido deck and we spent most of the afternoon there, relaxing, and filming a lot of videos. Late in the afternoon we returned to our cabin, took a nap in the balcony, and then shot more videos, including a spectacular sunset.

Lido Big Screen

Sorry to disappoint the football fans, but there will be NO football on the Lido Big Screen. It will be showing the movie “Duplicity” tonight at 8:00PM and 10:45PM.

Up next, the first Cruise Elegant Night…

[mathgeek1978]

Will they still sell you a one day pass to the spa?

This is now confirmed: Day passes are sold on PORT DAYS ONLY.

[mathgeek1978]

Will they still sell you a one day pass to the spa?

This is now confirmed: Day passes are sold on PORT DAYS ONLY.

[notme2]

Hi! I have a quick question.....I wanted to take my laptop with me, how much is the internet connection? Did you sign up through Carnival for wireless connection? (can you get wireless connection in your room??)

 

Thanks for all the great information you have been sharing!!

 

-Notme2

[mathgeek1978]

Hi! I have a quick question.....I wanted to take my laptop with me, how much is the internet connection? Did you sign up through Carnival for wireless connection? (can you get wireless connection in your room??)

 

Thanks for all the great information you have been sharing!!

 

-Notme2

Yes, there is wireless Internet connection in my cabin, and pretty much everywhere on the ship. The prices are here:

 

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/FAQs/On_Board_Internet_Cafes.aspx

[mathgeek1978]

Monday, Dec 14th. First Cruise Elegant Night

Maybe it’s the 7-day cruise. Maybe it’s the late seating. Well, maybe it’s getting close to Christmas. Whatever the reason, most people were very well dressed tonight. I would guess that over 95% of the guests at the MDR tonight met the minimum dress code, and the vast majority of men wore tie and suit (or jacket) and most women wore dresses.

Before the late seating there was a duet playing classic rock at the deck 3 lobby bar. The duet was highly energetic and they really got the party going. The music was awesome and many couples were dancing. It was an absolutely elegant scene: Gentlemen in tie and suit and ladies in cocktail or evening dresses were swaying like colorful butterflies to the rhythm of rock music. It looked like the beginning of a wonderful Cruise Elegant Night.

DW had the stuffed mushroom for appetizer and the shrimp and lobster for her main course. The mushrooms were perfect and so were the shrimps and lobster. I had a fruit plate for appetizer and the duck for main course. The duck was very tender and the sauce was very tasty – slightly sweet but not overwhelming. While the food was great, the service was again a bit slow, especially toward the end of the meal. However, it was a very minor issue and it really didn’t bother us at all.

The dinner would end with the servers performing the beautiful L’amore (spell check please) and inviting all the guests to dance. More than half of the couples were dancing, including DW and I, and all our tablemates. It was truly a romantic scene.

Main Show: The Beat

At first it started out just like one of those musical shows that you would expect. The mostly white costumes in the beginning of the show made it look overly conservative.

However, about 15 minutes into the show, when the theme changed to Latin music, the tempo began to pick up and the costumes were more colorful and delightful. The momentum of the show certainly picked up from this point onwards.

Many musical themes followed – from Big Band to Rock N Roll to country. Then there was this amazing extravaganza near the end, complete with a laser light show and various percussions from different cultures. This portion of the show was highly original and creative.

The finale of the show was climatic, and had a little surprise. What is it? I am not going to spoil it for you. I’ll let you find out yourself when you get on board the Splendor. This show should be on the list of “shows that you’d like to see.”

Up next tomorrow… Fiesta Latina and the highly anticipated Rock N Roll Deck Party!!!