Easter Carnival Splendor review

[jpeso]

I have been a carnival advocate since my first cruise in early 2001, im 33 and use to be in love with cruising me and my wife. we just got back from a 8 day cruise out of nyc to the Bahamas during easter 3/31 - 4/8 and i am left with a bad taste in my mouth and stomach.

 

lets start with all the cutbacks, if im not mistaken carnival use to give free amenities inside the bathrooms including a tooth brush? well no more, they cut that and want you to pay some outlandish price at there gift shop. my room steward was no better he barely cleaned or changed the sheets. i had to beg my wife to stop cleaning. she was so infuriated that he wasnt doing it she decided to do it herself. the breakfast buffet was not good at all. the servers where not attentative at all to replenishment and quick to give attitude if they felt you asked for to much bacon. the breakfast sausages were horrible and changed daily. bangers what the hell is that? they had the round crispy hash browns one day and it was on the last day...they purposely held out to the last day on the best crispy hash browns. everything was always cold im not picky about my food except for my breakfast consider me a ron swanson man and i was not happy. the cheese doesnt melt right on the omelets. those buffet eggs are horrible, did i mention the pancakes and french toast were always cold? and they kept changing the dang sausages!

 

the dinners were not much better, i only went to 2 sit downs in the mdr out of the whole 8 days and it was ok. the buffet had hits and misses but my constant complaint was the food was always bland. it seems like carnivals food quality is not the best, just my opinion. also what happened to the chicken tenders that use to be served at the buffet at the grille? everybody doesn't eat beef. it may be tacky but put a microwave or two in the cafeteria to allow for reheating of food if need be. its nothing worse than cold buffet food and that was infuriating. only food you can constantly get hot was the wok but the line was around the bin every time. i will say the tuna sandwiches from room service were def awesome aswell as the pastrami cornbeef combo. that never went wrong. oh and the juices in the machines arent that great, they taste like knockoffs imo. had pizza that was horrible the first day but had it later towards the end and it was awesome.

 

me and my wife both got sick during the cruise on multiple occasions. we dont know if it was from the food or the rough seas at diff times but we tried our hardest to not let it kill or fun. my mother and son seemed to have the most fun cause they newbies lol but for us carnival is no where like it use to be when i first started cruising and now im thinking of giving the competition a twirl next time. its really a shame because i really wanna refer people but cant bring myself to do it anymore.

 

oh malcolm was awesome i really enjoyed him he's my friend in my head even though we never met lol

[asylum575]

Was it Woo-Hoo Malcolm?

 

We were on the Miracle last summer and definitely noticed cutbacks from our previous Carnival cruise which was in 2005. I know, it was a long stretch. Comparing a 4 day cruise with an 8 day cruise seven years apart is not really fair.

 

However, I believe all the cruise line have cut back on little things. I think the cruise industry is changing and the lines have to keep the profits up.

 

NCL just went public recently and will surely fall into the profit reporting problem. Investors want profits, passengers want freebees. How do they win?

[Rocky123]

Being a Carnival addict about 16 times I tried RC Explorer of the Seas out of Bayonne last Easter break and also this Easter break. The same week you were just on....

I loved the cruise!!! Everyone loved the cruise that I read on this site.

Trying a new cruise line is good for the sole.

It was very low cost also FYI....7 night to the Bahamas...

Rocky123

[4hunters]

I'm sorry you didn't like your cruise. You should check out the other cruise lines.

[ch27088]

Not sure what happened, but I do know that Carnival still has the little free toiletries items in the bathroom. I also know that each cruise line has cut back, so you really can't just blame Carnival. If the room steward wasn't cleaning the room like he/her should have, then I would have gone directly to guest services and voiced a complaint. If we have issues/problems while on a cruise, then it should be addressed right then and there on the spot. Maybe the person was having a bad day, forgot, or just didn't want to clean. Whatever the case instead of complaining when you get back, address it on the spot so that it can be taken care. Some problems when addressed can be rectified immediately.

[boaterette]

Sorry you didn't have a good time. But just to clarify something. Those freebies in the bathroom were samples provided by the manufacturers and they stopped doing them because of the economy. It had nothing to do with Carnival.

[Cyber Kat]

Sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy your cruise. I do agree about cold breakfast food on the Lido. I always mean to try having breakfast in the MDR where I can get hot pancakes, but I never remember until I'm sitting down to cold pancakes ;) I'm thinking I'm going to try and remember to try the Brunch this time.

 

I don't ever remember getting a toothbrush in the little bathroom basket - toothpaste maybe and a shaver. As someone said they have always been samples from manufacturers. Same with hotels.

 

I'm sailing on the Splendor in June, so I've been reading the reviews and the comments about cut backs. I've found that change is inevitable. Sometimes the change is for the better and other times ... not so much. Over the years, I've learned that if you fight the change - good or bad - and cling to the things you had before, you might miss something good in the new.

 

I saw this quote the other day "You can't reach for anything new if your hands are still full of yesterday's junk." I plan on setting sail on the Splendor in June with "empty hands." I've done my research. I know what to expect and what not to look for. It's new ship, a new day, a new cruise. I'm Columbus setting sail into the unknown ... adventure awaits ... Bring on that horizon!

[Rocky123]

Forgot to mention that RC also has cut back...Probably worse than most lines.

Our room was cleaned just once a day. So many other things to mention...

I still love Carnival and miss so much that the company has to offer. You can't beat the desserts, ice cream in the lido most or all the time, so much comedy etc.....

[goofycruiser]

Sorry you had so many problems on the Splendor. We were on the Miracle a couple of weeks ago and had a fantastic time! Yes, there are cutbacks but the cruise fare is still very good. We ate at the buffet and in the MDR and had no problems. The deli had hot and fresh food available all day. Pizza has really improved and is ready very fast because of the thin crust. The outside grill had chicken tenders and would cook a chicken breast on request. This took less than 10 min. There are so many choices that everyone should find something that they like. Punchliner's Brunch on sea days is a great option as well. We have only cruised Carnival so I have nothing to compare it to but we always have a great time. A cruise is what you make it!

[Bad Boy B]

Thanks for your review. Did you like the Ship or anything Positive to mention about bands or casino or anything??

[cruiserider444]

can I ask what the specific cutbacks are on Carnival that everyone keeps referring to??

[loxley]

can I ask what the specific cutbacks are on Carnival that everyone keeps referring to??

 

 

Everybody is convined Carnival has cut things back to the absolute min. Any change made is now a cut back.

 

I see them as changes. Some I like, some not so much. If I was a new cruiser, I would not even notie them.

 

I do agree they seem to have cut back dining room staff and that just puzzles me so much. Staff is such a low cost for them and the dining experience can enhance a cruise so much, but I guess when you are having to increase your profit every year, and your cost continue to rise, even little savings add up in the end.

[092306]

Thanks for the review and sorry that you didn't enjoy all aspects. We had similar feelings on our last Miracle cruise, though the staff was great and we didn't have any issues with our room steward. We're trying the NCL Breakaway after the Splendor to get a new perspective/experience.

[jpeso]

can I ask what the specific cutbacks are on Carnival that everyone keeps referring to??

 

 

thanks for all the feedback, i did excursions on all the island stops and cant complain. again i love carnival but things really stood out and i just wanted to vent i guess. i loved the spa and especially the showers lol the jacuzzis were awesome. i saw 1 show while my wife and mother saw a few. overall it left alot to be desired imo.

[Darlzee]

Sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy your cruise. I do agree about cold breakfast food on the Lido. I always mean to try having breakfast in the MDR where I can get hot pancakes, but I never remember until I'm sitting down to cold pancakes ;) I'm thinking I'm going to try and remember to try the Brunch this time.

 

I don't ever remember getting a toothbrush in the little bathroom basket - toothpaste maybe and a shaver. As someone said they have always been samples from manufacturers. Same with hotels.

 

I'm sailing on the Splendor in June, so I've been reading the reviews and the comments about cut backs. I've found that change is inevitable. Sometimes the change is for the better and other times ... not so much. Over the years, I've learned that if you fight the change - good or bad - and cling to the things you had before, you might miss something good in the new.

 

I saw this quote the other day "You can't reach for anything new if your hands are still full of yesterday's junk." I plan on setting sail on the Splendor in June with "empty hands." I've done my research. I know what to expect and what not to look for. It's new ship, a new day, a new cruise. I'm Columbus setting sail into the unknown ... adventure awaits ... Bring on that horizon!

 

Very well spoken!

[RRLLAL]

We were on the same cruise and had the exact opposite opinion on many things. Here is our review.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=218306

 

Sent using my Commodore 64

[boxersmama]

Can anyone tell me what the menu for the comedy brunch is or where I can look at a copy of it? Would really appreciate it thank you.

[ManyMore]

I cruise a few different lines and they have cut back to keep the cruise prices low so you can cruise. I have cruises Carnival since 1991 and there was NEVER a toothbrush. My last cruise had toothpaste and stuff in the cabin and as someone pointed out... these come from the manufacturer to drum up their own business, do you usually travel without a toothbrush and tooth paste expecting someone else to provide it for you?