My first review attempt!!! – Carnival Splendor May 12-20th w/pics!!

[cruisinbabs]

Loving your review. Thank you so much for taking the time to post it.

 

You are more than welcome. :D

 

 

Q: Where was the muster drill held; outside by the stations or inside public spaces?

 

A: We were on outside deck..

[windsbud]

see told you i would forget something out of order!!!

 

Also this we had our slot pull @ 10am which was a lot of fun too.. basically everyone brought 15 bucks, each person got 5 pulls at the wheel of fortune slot... we had a pretty large group and after the first round we were all up a $1.. so we all decided to go again!! lol... this next time around we ended up 6 bucks richer! no big win but it was a good way to pass some time and it was a lot of fun!

 

I think this day we had our first cabin crawl as well. Who needs cheers program when you can cabin hop and have drinks?? I felt pretty good during the afternoon. I also think Patrick took a nap this afternoon while mom and I were out doing our own thing until it was time to get ready for dinner.

 

---Woke up the bear for dinner

 

---Me and mom

 

---Thank you table mate Jennifer for taking our pic!

 

---Let's sing and dance!!

 

After dinner, went to casino and met up with Splendidos again, drinks, snack.. some more drinks... you get the picture...

 

We finally hit our wall and decided to call it a night since we would be on land tomorrow!!!

 

All in all we had a pretty successful day of fun! Open cabin door and this lil guy was waiting for us... super cute! I never get tired of towel animals.

 

 

---Yay!! Land tomorrow!!!!!

 

(Sorry for the blurry pics.. I really want to get a new camera but my lil nikon coolpix had to work for this trip as is... she is still a decent lil thing but some pictures i couldnt tell if they were blurry until I download them..... I do not have any of the cool equipment as some people have... )

 

FYI about blurry pics. Many times it's because there is simply not enough light. I have a multitude of camera's and lenses and experience, but if there isn't enough light….blur! Enjoying your review!

[cruisinbabs]

Great review! My daughter lives in NYC, so we go down to visit her quite a bit, but we've never cruised from there. It's on my bucket list!

 

 

thank you so much! :-) they take a lot of time to write and sometimes you wonder if people are reading and enjoying them or not. So i am glad to hear you are enjoying it..:D

 

you should totally go out of NYC.. sailing past the skyline and statue of liberty is something.

[cruisinbabs]

FYI about blurry pics. Many times it's because there is simply not enough light. I have a multitude of camera's and lenses and experience, but if there isn't enough light….blur! Enjoying your review!

 

 

thanks for the heads up... i am no photographer but i try to have a good eye when taking a pic.. that is one thing is our room is darker decor that i noticed as well. now i know! :-)

 

Thanks for following along!

 

i am hoping to do grand turk tonight after roller derby practice but we shall see how tired i am after coach gets a hold of us!!:eek:

[ibcnusoon]

Where are the good outdoor smoking spots on the Splendor? We are on deck 10, looking for something close and not windy!!

[cruisinbabs]

Where are the good outdoor smoking spots on the Splendor? We are on deck 10, looking for something close and not windy!!

 

 

you wont have to go far.... right aft of ship on deck 10... :D

[paulypride]

you can also go all the way Fwd on 10 through the Spa Cabins and there is a door that leads out on each side to a small deck up front.

[Rene2.5RS]

you can also go all the way Fwd on 10 through the Spa Cabins and there is a door that leads out on each side to a small deck up front.

 

Correct, but be ready for the wind up front!

[cruisinbabs]

Where are the good outdoor smoking spots on the Splendor? We are on deck 10, looking for something close and not windy!!

 

 

i am very excited you get to go soon on your first summer cruise!

[jtxo]

thank you so much! :-) they take a lot of time to write and sometimes you wonder if people are reading and enjoying them or not. So i am glad to hear you are enjoying it..:D

 

you should totally go out of NYC.. sailing past the skyline and statue of liberty is something.

 

I'm enjoying your review too! I am working on my first review, I'm like you - all the others helped me so much that I feel like I should write one now that we are back! But now that I'm working on compiling all the pics, uploading, etc - wow, they ARE a lot of work!! So thanks for doing it!!

[cruisinbabs]

I'm enjoying your review too! I am working on my first review, I'm like you - all the others helped me so much that I feel like I should write one now that we are back! But now that I'm working on compiling all the pics, uploading, etc - wow, they ARE a lot of work!! So thanks for doing it!!

 

 

yea i felt it was my cruiser civil duty to do one.. lol.. plus it helps with the PCD-(POST CRUISE DEPRESSION)... and hopefully some of my information might help someone... :-)

 

and welcome to cruise critic!

[Rene2.5RS]

Absolutely LOVING your review:D:D:D

We are just a hop, skip, and a jump away, in CT.

I just cannot bring myself to get past the "pinkness" of Splendor:o

Eventually, I would LOVE to cruise out of NY Harbor......

Keep it coming!!!!:D

 

Honestly, having been on the Splendor with the reviewer for 8 days, noticing the color was not something I paid any attention to. It is there sure, but I didn't even notice it, and really asked my wife after the cruise why it would bother people at all! Just enjoy the ship, what difference would it have made if it was blue or some other color?

[ibcnusoon]

i am very excited you get to go soon on your first summer cruise!

 

Thanks! We are super excited to be able to have warm weather when leaving and returning to New York! We froze our butts off last November during Thanksgiving week, staying out on our balcony until we passed the Verrazano! This time I can look at it from a lounge chair on the top deck, in my bathing suit and a frozen drink in my hand! LOL!

 

Thanks for the info guys about the smoking spots. I booked deck 10 spa and thought that once I come out through the doors to overlook the pool it would be outside (I'm used to Carnival ships like that ... Liberty, Victory) and was surprised after I booked it that deck 10, behind the jumbo screen, overlooking the pool, is covered! maybe I can just walk up to deck 11 (it's open air, right?) instead of going all the way aft or to the secret deck forward with the high winds!

Edited June 5, 2014 by ibcnusoon

[Rene2.5RS]

Thanks! We are super excited to be able to have warm weather when leaving and returning to New York! We froze our butts off last November during Thanksgiving week, staying out on our balcony until we passed the Verrazano! This time I can look at it from a lounge chair on the top deck, in my bathing suit and a frozen drink in my hand! LOL!

 

Thanks for the info guys about the smoking spots. I booked deck 10 spa and thought that once I come out through the doors to overlook the pool it would be outside (I'm used to Carnival ships like that ... Liberty, Victory) and was surprised after I booked it that deck 10, behind the jumbo screen, overlooking the pool, is covered! maybe I can just walk up to deck 11 (it's open air, right?) instead of going all the way aft or to the secret deck forward with the high winds!

 

For ease from your location you can:

1) Walk to the front of the ship from deck 10 and go out the forward doors to the open decks there. Now the only problem here is there are no butt cans to drop your cigarette in. But this is a great little secret place that most don't know about. Great spot to watch coming into a port from

 

2) Walk toward the upper lido deck, still on deck 10. When you get to the doors to walk onto the upper lido deck there are stairs to take you right to the open air deck on 11

 

3) Instead of going up to deck 11 from #2 continue to the upper lido deck and walk across it to the back doors and go out to the open deck 10

[cruisinbabs]

After 2 1/2 days at sea we finally get to see our first port of call... Grand Turk!

 

Mind you, I AM NOT A MORNING PERSON.. but while cruising... that's a different story. Set the alarm on my tablet so I could try and catch a sunrise...

 

 

---Loved the sunrays... anytime I see sunrays, I tend to believe it is my dad shining from above.

 

---Hubby enjoying the morning fresh sea air

 

---Time to style your hair mom

 

---Ready for the day now

 

---LAND AHOY!!!!!!! and who is our little friend off in the distance???

[cruisinbabs]

---Looks like it is going to be a beautiful day!

 

---Love watching us pull into port

 

---Don't mind us.. we are just going to park next to you..

 

---Can't help it.. love seeing whale tails!

 

---Docked with the Liberty for the day.. going to busy day in port!

 

---So pretty!

[Susie51]

---Mom/Daughter picture...... I love her tons!

 

Honestly, if you had not worded it Mom/Daughter picture (or ever identified your Mom in the begining) I would have thought you were sisters in this picture!!! :D

 

Love this Mom/daughter pic!

[Susie51]

Looking forward to more of your fun review and pics.

[cruisinbabs]

---Why thank you!

 

---Almost docked

 

Sidenote: We did eat breakfast at one point if you were wondering...

 

After we saw the ship almost docked we went back to the cabin to make sure we had everything we needed for our adventure.... Then we headed down to the gangway to start our day!

 

---Still amazed how big these ladies are!

 

We went to check in for our helicopter tour but we were totally too early, so they told us to go explore and check back in at 10:15.. fair enough & it works for me! So we wondered around and wanted to check out Margaritaville..

 

 

---9am and this place is already hoppin.. what time did the liberty get there anyways??! Who cares.. it's 5 O'clock somewhere!

 

---Mom's 1st Margaritaville, my 2nd

[cruisinbabs]

---CABANA!!! maybe my next GT stop I will get one of these bad boys..

 

---View from inside Margaritaville

 

---I think I have said the same thing as the middle one a few times....

 

So by this time we have made some time go by... we head back to the little kiosk for our tour. The gentleman checks us in along with two other small groups for the helicopter tour. He gives us a quick overview then we follow the driver to a van that is waiting for us, we hop in and drive approx for 5 minutes to the launch pad area... VERY SHORT DRIVE.

 

We get out and go into the screened in room they have made... they are still constructing stuff at this point because the tour has only been going since Feb 2014 and was finally loaded onto the Carnival website in April.. The people running the tour and that were in the check in area are SUPER NICE and are excited to be there. Again there is not much there.. YET.. but there is a outhouse if you need it so that was good!

 

We did our safety briefing and how to employ our personal flotation device if it came to that and we then waited for the two other groups to go ahead of us. In the meantime we decided to check out the piece of beach they have and will somehow develop at one point. It was pretty breezy and there was a guy out there windsurfing but I PERSONALLY would not go into the water on this side.. that's just me..

 

---undeveloped beach

 

---Oh lookey again.. double whale tails!!!... But this pic gives you the idea how close this tour is to get to.

[ibcnusoon]

Wow, Grand Turk at 9am is super crowded! I checked cruisetimetables and we are the only ship in port that day!

 

Looking forward to reading about your Helicopter tour!!

[Susie51]

Enjoy your pics. Can't wait for more.

[pirate4me2]

---Why thank you!

 

---Almost docked

 

Sidenote: We did eat breakfast at one point if you were wondering...

 

After we saw the ship almost docked we went back to the cabin to make sure we had everything we needed for our adventure.... Then we headed down to the gangway to start our day!

 

---Still amazed how big these ladies are!

 

We went to check in for our helicopter tour but we were totally too early, so they told us to go explore and check back in at 10:15.. fair enough & it works for me! So we wondered around and wanted to check out Margaritaville..

 

 

---9am and this place is already hoppin.. what time did the liberty get there anyways??! Who cares.. it's 5 O'clock somewhere!

 

---Mom's 1st Margaritaville, my 2nd

 

Lol we didn't get to Grand Turk too much earlier than you guys...I think we docked a little before 8. But Margaritaville was a hopping place!

[cruise pup]

Well, I'm sailing on Splendor tomorrow for 16 days (b2b), so I guess I won't see the rest of your review until I return. I've been on Splendor twice already, so it's no biggie but I love what I've seen. Keep up the good work!

[cv322]

:confused: :cool: