Splendor Review 5/17-5/25/13

[sanmarcosman]

Thanks for your well written and informative review. A+

[sailfirst]

In April we had private pick up and we had to go across the street they made everyone, They told me over the summer you can get picked up at the terminal. We always had private pickup and April was the 1st we had to cross the street it really wasn't bad.

[Avril]

Thanks a lot of the review (and thanks to everyone else who was on this cruise for pitching in and offering to answer questions)!! I'm sailing on the Splendor with friends in October 2014 and will be reading anything and everything I can (and looking at as many pics as I can) about the ship from now to then!!!! :D

[bjinouno]

How many deck parties are there? and which nights? were they in the center pool or the aft pool area? Thanks for the info and the great reviews,,,, Can't wait till Aug 13th!

[pseudochicken]

How many deck parties are there? and which nights? were they in the center pool or the aft pool area? Thanks for the info and the great reviews,,,, Can't wait till Aug 13th!

 

There were two deck parties I believe, one of which I did not go to (white out party). Not sure which nights they were. I think the white out party was the last night and was more family friendly. The other deck party was basically a typical night in the Red Carpet, just moved up to the upper decks.

 

It was in the main pool area.

[chardee04]

There were two deck parties I believe, one of which I did not go to (white out party). Not sure which nights they were. I think the white out party was the last night

What is a white out party?

[Crusin Karen]

I was on the May 9th cruise. I have to say the debark was a total nightmare. We are also platinum and Zone 1. We were led to the theater I believe...truth be told it was so packed with people AND their luggage I have no idea where I was....everyone was sitting. As platinum zone 1 we were told to get at the end of the line in an aisle and we were bumping into everything on our long walk down the aisle only to have them announce that we could get off wherein everyone who was sitting got up and got off first. I think it took us about 45-50 minutes to get to the exit! :eek: It was MAJOR TRAFFIC JAM. If we hadn't been on line I would have just waited.

Nightclub: don't know if it was just our cruise, but there was a sign outside that you could not bring in drinks. I thought that was really weird...otherwise we had a fabulous time. I didn't think the lines were any longer that any other cruise I have been on EXCEPT at the wok and and burrito bar so we just never ate there. Not worth it to us to stand on line. I guess the best thing to do is get there a few minutes before they open and be the lst to be served. ;)

[pseudochicken]

What is a white out party?

 

Where you are supposed to dress in white, and the party has mostly black lights giving everything an eerie blue glow.

 

I was on the May 9th cruise. I have to say the debark was a total nightmare. We are also platinum and Zone 1. We were led to the theater I believe...truth be told it was so packed with people AND their luggage I have no idea where I was....everyone was sitting. As platinum zone 1 we were told to get at the end of the line in an aisle and we were bumping into everything on our long walk down the aisle only to have them announce that we could get off wherein everyone who was sitting got up and got off first. I think it took us about 45-50 minutes to get to the exit! :eek: It was MAJOR TRAFFIC JAM. If we hadn't been on line I would have just waited.

Nightclub: don't know if it was just our cruise, but there was a sign outside that you could not bring in drinks. I thought that was really weird...otherwise we had a fabulous time. I didn't think the lines were any longer that any other cruise I have been on EXCEPT at the wok and and burrito bar so we just never ate there. Not worth it to us to stand on line. I guess the best thing to do is get there a few minutes before they open and be the lst to be served. ;)

 

I don't recall if we were allowed to bring in drinks into Red Carpet.

 

If you can manage it, I highly recommend the self-assisted debarkation. As I mentioned in the review, it was the easiest and quickest debarkation I ever experienced. I was initially dismayed because the line was going up the stairwell, but then once it started moving it didn't stop. Customs was also a breeze.

 

The Mongolian Wok lines were absolutely ridiculous. My brother was patient and said the food was very good but I didn't care for that line. The buffet lines were pretty long, definitely longer than any lines I had ever seen before. Maybe it's specific to this class of ship?

[sailfirst]

When we got off the ship in April we did self assist which is usually a breeze this time it wasn't. I think most of the ship was doing self assist you could not get an elevator. we ended up doing the stairs which was hard. Then we ended up waiting outside for the rest of our group forever they couldn't get an elevator and wouldn't do the stairs. The lines were longer then check in lines.

[pseudochicken]

When we got off the ship in April we did self assist which is usually a breeze this time it wasn't. I think most of the ship was doing self assist you could not get an elevator. we ended up doing the stairs which was hard. Then we ended up waiting outside for the rest of our group forever they couldn't get an elevator and wouldn't do the stairs. The lines were longer then check in lines.

 

Yes. We had to use the stairs as well. In fact, people who used the elevators were forced to walk back up the stairwell where the line ended. That was actually a problem that I didn't consider when I said debarkation was easy. We used the stairs and just hoisted our luggage including our parents'. I suppose there's one benefit of having all sons...:rolleyes:

[bjinouno]

never experienced that mess, I hang out at the aft, watch the people all leave, that right off the ship, and finding my luggage is no problem, since everyone else already got theirs,,,, Only in a hurry to start my vacation, ending it doesn't come easy. LOL

[Crusin Karen]

never experienced that mess, I hang out at the aft, watch the people all leave, that right off the ship, and finding my luggage is no problem, since everyone else already got theirs,,,, Only in a hurry to start my vacation, ending it doesn't come easy. LOL

I would love to do that. We live 20 minutes from the cruise terminal. Absolutely no reason for us to rush, but we are zone 1 and DH is like let's GO GO GO...I am like, go to what? We'll be home in an hour and doing laundry and getting bills from the mail piled up. What do I want to GO GO GO for??? :eek::(:mad::confused:

[Catrin]

Thank you for the review!

We are going on the Splendor in July and I have been concerned about the crowds... we know cruising during the summer months will be a challenge no matter what ship!

 

We are debarking on a Monday.. and although we are Platinum, we have already decided to stay on the ship as long as we can..... no need to rush home and sit in Monday morning traffic. We may as well wait it out a bit and get off towards the end of the debarkation.

 

Or.... we leave FIRST and get on the road immediately and venture out of NYC against traffic.

 

Did they ever use the cover to cover up the Lido Pool area?

Catrin

[big_duck]

Thank you for the review!

We are going on the Splendor in July and I have been concerned about the crowds... we know cruising during the summer months will be a challenge no matter what ship!

 

We are debarking on a Monday.. and although we are Platinum, we have already decided to stay on the ship as long as we can..... no need to rush home and sit in Monday morning traffic. We may as well wait it out a bit and get off towards the end of the debarkation.

 

Or.... we leave FIRST and get on the road immediately and venture out of NYC against traffic.

 

Did they ever use the cover to cover up the Lido Pool area?

Catrin

 

It was closed when we boarded but they opened it later in the afternoon when things warmed up.

 

They often close it in the evening for movie nights - at least they used to.

[Catrin]

It was closed when we boarded but they opened it later in the afternoon when things warmed up.

 

They often close it in the evening for movie nights - at least they used to.

 

Thanks, Don!

I think that will be pretty neat.... watching movies with the Lido Deck cover closed.....but we will miss watching the movies with the stars out bright in the middle of the Caribbean.

 

It is the one thing that we will say "Oh... this IS different!". Being on another different ship ads to the excitement of cruising again.

 

Catrin

[pseudochicken]

[quote name='Catrin']
Did they ever use the cover to cover up the Lido Pool area?
Catrin[/quote]

The main Lido Pool was covered when we first got on, the first sea day, and the day we got back to NYC. A few other times it was closed for movies but it was mostly open during the cruise.