2/14/2010 Carnival Splendor Cruise Review

[Sailfish]

Carnival Splendor Cruise Review

February 14-21, 2010

 

I just returned from a cruise aboard the Carnival Splendor – the week of February 14, 2010, so while the cruise is still fresh in my mind, I thought I would write a review. Though we had a good time, I doubt we will cruise Carnival again in the near future. The old adage of you get what you pay for was true for us; like I said, we had a nice vacation, but an unremarkable cruise. I have also decided that Carnival simply isn’t for us. It had been a while since our last cruise, and I was optimistic that Carnival had incorporated a few changes, but it was the same as the Valor four years earlier.

 

Prior Cruise History

 

We booked the cruise with less than a month prior to the sail date at a bargain basement price and probably would do so again if given the opportunity (but I doubt one like this will come around again). We are in our 40’s and Platinum level past guests, with about 20 Carnival cruises – our last voyage was in 2006 aboard the Valor, so we are not new to Carnival or cruising. Our last cruise in November 2009 was on the Ruby Princess in the Caribbean.

 

Pre-Cruise

 

Our vacation began in Long Beach; we drove down from Northern California and spent the night at the Long Beach Hilton, a park and cruise package for around $100. Parking at the pier would have cost us $15 a day, so this was a more cost effective way to go.

 

Embarkation was uneventful – with priority boarding, we were on the ship by 12:30pm. We had a little something to eat up in the buffet and walked around the ship before going to our stateroom. Staterooms open up at 1pm, so by the time we got there, our cabin 1345 was ready to go.

 

Stateroom

 

We booked the least expensive inside cabin and got upgraded to cabin 1345 – a mid-ship outside stateroom on Riviera Deck 1. We had a great location and appreciated having a window, though we usually book a balcony and missed having one this cruise! Our cabin steward was excellent and our cabin per Carnival’s norm was large and comfortable. We did notice that on this relatively new ship, the bed linens were somewhat worn and not the usual high quality Egyptian cotton duvet cover and sheet sets we have become accustomed to seeing on Carnival. The bed was simply okay as well – not the comfy pillow-top variety I was expecting. I commented about this to our cabin steward who said that all replacement linens after the first batch last year when the ship had its maiden voyage were replaced with lower quality linens and towels. I guess that’s to be expected; I would imagine that high end suites and Spa Cabins still have the good stuff.

 

We had lots of storage space in our cabin and took full advantage of it! The bathroom was your typical cruise line bathroom, with one bar of soap and two dispensers containing shampoo and body wash in the shower. There was a bowel on the counter that had a razor, a tiny sample of toothpaste and an antacid pill. There was also a hair dryer in the vanity drawer in cabin that required you to hold down the button to make it work, so I was happy I decided to bring my own!

 

Food & Entertainment

 

The food was adequate, but nothing to write home about. We always found something that suited our tastes, and though we left the main dining room with a full belly each night, I wouldn’t say the cuisine was anything special. That being said, we also never had anything so bad that it had to be sent back, so in all, I would say the food quality was much like going out to Elephant Bar, Black Angus, Chili’s, etc. We don’t frequent these restaurants often, but when we do, we leave satisfied. I know how subjective food can be, so the best I can do is tell you my opinion, and leave it at that. I was sort of hoping for something more “special” – which we got in the Pinnacle, the $30pp alternative restaurant. Though the food there was far superior to that in that in the main dining room, paying $60 to eat there each night was not doable.

 

The food in the Buffet was okay – we seldom ate there, and when we did, always found something we liked. But it wasn’t anything to write home about. The main dining room is open for breakfast and dinner every day, and for lunch on days at sea.

 

We didn’t go to every show, but did go to a few, including the comedian, the hypnotist, and two production shows (which we didn’t see all the way through). The nightly entertainment schedule was structured around dinner – and dinner was either early or late seating in the main dining room. Because we have become accustomed to Anytime Dining on Princess, and having several entertainment venues to choose from each night, we often found nothing that looked good to us after dinner on the Splendor. Again, like food, entertainment is very subjective also. We met quit a few people who raved about the shows and entertainment, so please take what I say with a rain of salt.

 

I was surprised that the outdoor theater seldom had anything playing during the day. I wonder why the Olympics were not being broadcast; that would have been far more entertaining than the beach scenes they played over and over!

 

Daytime activities (that were not the revenue generating kind like bingo or the Casino) from what I could tell were minimal – there was trivia and a pool game now and then, but not much else. The ship had but one dance class, no interesting lectures, cooking classes, or outdoor sports activities. I guess most Carnival guests prefer to lay out by the pool during the day – at least that’s what I was told by a staff member. Please note that that we were definitely not at a loss in finding something to do – reading a good book, taking a nap or listening to some music while enjoying a glass of wine was just fine. But normally, we find so many things to keep us busy on a cruise, that it just seemed odd to me that we seldom found anything in the Carnival Capers that was of interest to us. Like I said earlier, others on this same cruise might have found more to do; this was just our experience.

 

 

Ports of Call

Our first port of call was Puerto Vallarta. We arrived after two days spent at sea. The first night, the ship’s clocks were moved one hour ahead. That still meant that PV was an hour ahead of ship’s time – something to note if you are making your own shore tour arrangements. We booked a sunset tour that was cancelled due to rain, but managed to go into town by bus on our own.

 

Mazatlan was our second port of call – on the same time as the ship. We booked a free Beer Factory Tour on our own – walked into town first then over to the Pacifico Beer Plant at 11am. In Cabo (also on ship time) we booked a snorkel tour through the ship. It was warm and sunny and a good day to go snorkeling. Though the weather had been pretty good until we got to Puerto Vallarta, it rained all day in Puerto Vallarta, so many passengers were not happy – we simply made the best of it. It was cloudy in Mazatlan, but dry, and by the time we got back to Cabo, it was warm and sunny. Our last day on the ship (at sea) was cold and drizzly. Since there wasn’t much happening on the ship, and it was too cold to be out by the pool, many people sat around complaining. We spent the morning packing up and the afternoon trying to use up drink coupons we got as a gift.

 

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

 

The Good

 

Clean Ship – very impressed how clean it was!

 

Great Staff – everyone we met was professional and friendly. Room steward and wait staff in the dining room did an awesome job.

 

The Bad

 

Drink Coupons - Because 90% of drinks sold on the ship cost more than the $5.25 value of the coupon, you had to make up for the difference with your sail & sign card or use more than one coupon! And most bars, I found, didn’t want to accept the coupons. I finally took my coupons – we had 24 of them – to guest relations and they told me I needed to ask for the $5.25 size of the drink I wanted – which was always made in a plastic cup that was a tad more than a shot!

 

Sea Day Activities – Too few

 

Ship Design – Hard to get from one end of the ship to the other. This is a minor inconvenience, and probably not even worth mentioning. But even on the last day of the cruise I found myself going up then down first to go from the bow of the ship to the stern.

 

Dancing Waiters – Not my cup of tea!

 

 

 

The Ugly

 

Fellow Passengers – quite a few rude and obnoxious passengers. Though I am sure you can find obnoxious people on other cruise lines, we saw many demanding and unreasonable people out and about on the ship.

 

Final Thoughts

 

Though Carnival might be fine for most who opt to cruise on its ships, I have come to the conclusion it’s not for us any more. As a platinum past guest, we got several nice perks, including free laundry service. I honestly thought that the low price we got on the cruise would make up for the decline in food quality and shipboard activities, and in some respects, it did. I had minimal expectations and though I wouldn’t say this was the best voyage I have ever had, it also was far from being the worst. I think this 7 night cruise is a good introduction to cruising – it will give you a taste of what cruises are about without breaking the bank. But for those of us who are familiar with other cruise lines, it’s hard not to compare or have a preference. I prefer less structure and more choice – which you will have to pay more for, unfortunately. I prefer fewer kids, a more adult atmosphere at night and slightly better food.

 

You will see a good cross-section of society on the Splendor – but unfortunately, there were also quite a few adults who lacked manners or tact. There were 1100 kids on board the week on Feb. 14, 2010 – they all seemed under good control. The teens in particular had a lots of activities and parties late into the night planned for them, so I didn’t see too many trolling the halls or getting into trouble. We shared a table with a nice couple and enjoyed going to dinner every night.

 

 

Please remember to take what is posted on the internet with a grain of salt. What I wanted to convey with this review is:

• We had a nice voyage and enjoyed our 7 day vacation
  
• Our expectations were in line with what we spent on the cruise, which wasn’t much!
  
• Food Quality has declined
  
• Service was good
  
• Ship was clean and very well maintained.
  
• Minimal shipboard activities
  
• Great introduction to cruising.
  
• Lots of obnoxious people.
  
• Good kids program.
  

[FireMonkey]

Good review. I sailed on the Splendor the week prior to you. I agree, the food quality has gone down. My prime rib - which I always look forward to - was very dry and had no flavor at all.

 

We took advantage of the $99 spa special while in Cabo. We somehow got "tricked" into buying one of their product packages at the end so instead of $198 for 2 it was $356! Will never use the spa again. Instead of asking if we'd be interested in buying products we were just handed a bag with 2 products and a brush. I should have fought it, but it was late and I didn't have the energy so it's my own fault.

 

Ship was difficult to get around with the galley being in the center. Had to go to deck 5, go forward through the casino and down to get to the photo area, to dinner (except had to go aft), etc.

 

We did have a great time, just not in a hurry to sail on the Splendor again.

 

I'm sorry the weather didn't cooperate for you. Sounds like you got the system in PV and Maz that they were predicting for us the week before.

[Sailfish]

Good review. I sailed on the Splendor the week prior to you. I agree, the food quality has gone down. My prime rib - which I always look forward to - was very dry and had no flavor at all.

 

We took advantage of the $99 spa special while in Cabo. We somehow got "tricked" into buying one of their product packages at the end so instead of $198 for 2 it was $356! Will never use the spa again. Instead of asking if we'd be interested in buying products we were just handed a bag with 2 products and a brush. I should have fought it, but it was late and I didn't have the energy so it's my own fault.

 

Ship was difficult to get around with the galley being in the center. Had to go to deck 5, go forward through the casino and down to get to the photo area, to dinner (except had to go aft), etc.

 

We did have a great time, just not in a hurry to sail on the Splendor again.

 

I'm sorry the weather didn't cooperate for you. Sounds like you got the system in PV and Maz that they were predicting for us the week before.

 

I don't go to the spa anymore on ships for this exact reason. I also was not happy that much of the spa was not open to the public without paying a fee. This is typical of new ships right now, but if our cruise was any indication, the spa pool was always empty. You just watch: the cruise lines eventually will open this area up to the public! I really missed the sauna and steam room!

[onthehighseas606]

I think your review of the Splendor was pretty much spot on. We have sailed other cruiselines, but I doubt we'll sail others until we reach platinum on Carnival...just for the small perks we get. We had a balcony cabin with the nice linens. Maybe it depends on where your cabin is and what linens you sleep on.

 

We found the food similar to what you found. However, we did enjoy the Pinnacle, but like you we probably won't spend the extra $60 to eat there again.

 

The worse was paying the $250.00 for the spa privilege. Definitely no worth the extra cost and we would never do that again or even recommend it to others. Save your money--it's overrated!

 

Like you, we probably won't cruise on the Splendor again. We didn't run into any rude passengers except for chair hogs, but that can be found on any ship.

[Sailfish]

This is the OP. Thanks for all the nice comments and here's hoping those of you going on the Splendor have an awesome time! Though we realize after many cruises that Carnival is not the best choice for us, the Splendor is without a doubt a beautiful ship.

 

We had a very nice, albeit somewhat sedate, cruise vacation, and returned from it refreshed and happy. It's nice to have a relaxing trip - one where you don't feel compelled to do it all! Remember, we are all different and stuff like food and entertainment is so very subjective!

 

Good Luck!

[BKozaki]

I was on the same cruise as Firemonkey. as it was our very first cruise we didn't have anything to compare it too or be jaded by.

 

I agree on most of the food reviews. We did have some really good stuff and other things not so much. The MDR got better as we went along. The buffet, mongolian grill, burrito bar and the chocolate buffet were just not good. You'd think being based out of SoCal they could figure out how to make a decent burrito or mongolian food. The best thing I had on the ship was the Tandoori grill and the Deli. Pizza was okay if it was fresh. The Pinnacle was very good. The appetizers and deserts rocked while the steaks were just above average. I was actually disappointed with the steaks. I still felt it was worth the money... but like you said, just not everyday.

 

Bar prices were crazy!!! No wonder I hear so much about people smuggling booze! $5.75 for a Budlight...

 

As far as onboard activities, we were just looking for a relaxing cruise so we didn't do too much.

 

We had a good mix of people. Only about 600 kids, average age seemed to be in the late 40's, everyone seemed to be on their best behavior.

 

All in all we had a great time!!! We will probably book with CCL again being that we are some of the people who cannot afford Princess. Or see the reason to spend that much more for a cruise.

[Sailfish]

I was on the same cruise as Firemonkey. as it was our very first cruise we didn't have anything to compare it too or be jaded by.

 

I agree on most of the food reviews. We did have some really good stuff and other things not so much. The MDR got better as we went along. The buffet, mongolian grill, burrito bar and the chocolate buffet were just not good. You'd think being based out of SoCal they could figure out how to make a decent burrito or mongolian food. The best thing I had on the ship was the Tandoori grill and the Deli. Pizza was okay if it was fresh. The Pinnacle was very good. The appetizers and deserts rocked while the steaks were just above average. I was actually disappointed with the steaks. I still felt it was worth the money... but like you said, just not everyday.

 

Bar prices were crazy!!! No wonder I hear so much about people smuggling booze! $5.75 for a Budlight...

 

As far as onboard activities, we were just looking for a relaxing cruise so we didn't do too much.

 

We had a good mix of people. Only about 600 kids, average age seemed to be in the late 40's, everyone seemed to be on their best behavior.

 

All in all we had a great time!!! We will probably book with CCL again being that we are some of the people who cannot afford Princess. Or see the reason to spend that much more for a cruise.

 

Cruise Vacations can be very economical or off the charts. A lot depends on what time of year you travel and what kind of cabin you book. The cruise lines have adopted a similar pricing structure to that of airlines - you can have 10 people book the same category of room on the same voyage and all ten will have paid a different price! We chose to sail with Carnival this time strictly for the price - but Carnival is not always the least expensive, so you would be smart to shop around. How far in advance of the cruise you book seems to make a big difference - Carnival usually has great early booking rates and last minute deals. But I have seen prices on Mexican Riviera cruises out of LA and San Diego on Princess and Royal Caribbean that have been less than Carnival, so you really have to shop around.

 

Drink prices were really high - much higher than what I see on other cruise lines. But that's the nature of the beast.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

I think your review of the Splendor was pretty much spot on. We have sailed other cruiselines, but I doubt we'll sail others until we reach platinum on Carnival...just for the small perks we get. We had a balcony cabin with the nice linens. Maybe it depends on where your cabin is and what linens you sleep on.

 

We found the food similar to what you found. However, we did enjoy the Pinnacle, but like you we probably won't spend the extra $60 to eat there again.

 

The worse was paying the $250.00 for the spa privilege. Definitely no worth the extra cost and we would never do that again or even recommend it to others. Save your money--it's overrated!

 

Like you, we probably won't cruise on the Splendor again. We didn't run into any rude passengers except for chair hogs, but that can be found on any ship.

 

Wow, is the spa privilege $250.00 per person? What does this include?

[Sailfish]

Wow, is the spa privilege $250.00 per person? What does this include?

 

onthehighseas606 can best clarify, but I do know that there was a fee well over $100pp for unlimited spa access for the week. The spa is comprised of a mineral bath type spa, some heated lounge chairs and aroma therapy steam rooms and sauna. Unlike other Carnival ships where the jacuzzi and steam room/sauna is available free of charge, on the Spelndor it's not. People who book spa cabins (which are more expensive and have this fee built into the price) also get unlimited access for the week. I asked one of the ladies working at the counter how much use these spa areas get, and the answer was not much at all.

 

I know other cruise lines have begun to offer special rooms access to these kinds of amenities. My next cruise will be on the Celebrity Solstice and I know that ship also has a similar feature.

 

Good Luck!

 

Suzi