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1st time Carnival Cruiser - Splendor Review - Aug. 24th to Halifax & Saint John

Travel R

By Travel R,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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Travel R

Travel R

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It’s been two long years since the Travel R family last tried on their sea legs and dived into a vacation upon a mighty ship of the seven seas – the cruise ship. A land-cruise vacation was originally in their plans – a trek up to the wondrous falls of Niagara, the Northern cosmopolitan town of Toronto, and a trip back in time to the faux beginning of baseball at Cooperstown, all with the magnificent sight of Canada and New York State as their backdrop. Although the planning had begun in earnest, a last minute deal came about for a cruise to the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, maybe not to the original intended location, but still visiting our neighbor to the North.

 

Each year the Travel R family undertakes at least one journey with their close friends, the MKs. The idea was pass onto them for approval, and within the span of only three days, the two groups had booked their reservations upon the Carnival Splendor. Although it took but little time to decide, there was some internal discussion as to its pros and cons. You see, the cruise was upon Carnival, which comes with a reputation, although this stature may be fact or fiction, it is still there nonetheless. The fact that the DW had partaken upon a cruise on this line many years ago, and had experienced being on a ship which was like a big frat party, did not weight in well in favor of this cruise. But, that was many years ago, and she was willing to see if this cruise line had changed for the better. [You can see for yourself by the end of this review whether their reputation holds true - - or not.] There is also mixed reviews upon these very CC threads that throw negative comments about the ship – but being on CC for these many a year, I take all reviews (excepting my own, and a few select writers) with a grain of salt. All parties were in favor of partaking in this journey, especially due to the price and the additional fact that it left out of the easily accessible port of New York.

 

Booking of this cruise was performed with ease over the Internet. Although the booking was easy, subsequent research was not as easy as other line’s websites when attempting to locate information. The lot of available staterooms was slim, and the guaranteed inside stateroom deal seemed the best, and most cost-conscious option. A little less than a month before the cruise the stateroom number was release, it was room 1301, to be precise. However, Travel R kept a vigil, watching over the fares each day, and a the following Monday, there was an unexpected price drop, and for a few dollars more, he quickly expedited to upgrade to an Oceanview cabin (without notifying the rest of the Travel R family) [with very friendly customer service on the phone]. Interestingly, the price drop only lasted but a few hours on that Monday morning, and by mid-afternoon had jumped back up to its previous amount.

 

As of late, it has been an extremely busy time at work, as well as with other matters, so this was a great time to go on vacation for everyone. However, this lack of time made preparing that much harder. This included the obtaining of information for excursions, or to do it yourself at the ports, or even for purchasing items to bring on vacation. Travel R found the use of the Carnival.com website for research a bit clunky compared to its competitors, but most of the answers sought were discovered between that site and Cruise Critic.

 

Of all the pre-cruise activities in making plans for the trip, one finds it difficult to understand why the Bottomless Bubbles (non-alcohol beverage package) cannot be ordered on the website itself, nor why the info on the page does not merely give you the phone number, but provides a link to yet another page to find further information. Travel R found the customer service rep to be helpful, but he still wondered why a call was even needed in the first place.

 

[Throughout this review I will be making a comparison between Carnival and RCI. Over the past few years I have continuously heard the mantra that these (all mass-pax cruise lines) lines are more alike than different. However, isn’t that the same for most things, but it is the little differences that create brand loyalty. Will I (and the rest of the Travel R family) find these differences insignificant enough to travel on Carnival again? Well, I’ll provide my final comments at the end of the review, but please come along with us on our trip on the Carnival Splendor and see for yourself.]

 

 

* * * *

Carnival vs. RCI:

Price = Carnival

Internet booking = Even

Research on website = RCI

Customer service/phone = Even

Ordering Beverage package = RCI

* * * *

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Travel R

Travel R

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Getting to Port (of New York) & Boarding

 

As the rays of the morning sun shone down upon New Jersey, Travel R had awakened after a night of restless slumber. He devoured an early breakfast, and made any final arrangements to prepare for the upcoming sabbatical. Due to a weekend away and a lapse of memory, their departure to port had to wait until he picked up items from the drugstore at nine o’clock in the morn, as opposed to departing for their destination at eight. Tension was thick in the air, and Travel R had already begun to feel the stress of leaving late – a quick stop at the blood pressure machine measured an elevated 158 over 88 – meaning it was not only time to leave, but time to stow away the worries of reality, and go on vacation.

 

The blueprint for getting to the ship was set. As soon as Travel R left the pharmacy, he would call his DW, who would call the car service to take them to their initial getaway point at the train station. But the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. The car that was initially sent was defective in that its trunk would not unhinge allowing for the conveyance of our luggage. After a few minutes of fighting with the metallic door to the rear of his automobile, another car was called, which arrived in only a few minutes time. The Travel R family quickly helped load their belongings into the vehicle, and hastily made their way to the railway station. Their gleaming metal stagecoach screeched into the station moments later, they boarded, took their seats, and had an uneventful jaunt into Penn Station, located in the center of the metropolis known as New York City. Having treaded this path many times over the years, DW took the reins of this expedition and led the travelers through the subterranean maze and onto yet another transport to bring them uptown. Once they made their ways to the surface, a tall looming statue of Columbus marked their location, like pin on a giant map. This was the starting point for their last leg of the journey towards New York Cruise Terminal. It was but a short twenty minute sojourn (mostly downhill) until they first glimpse the red tail fin of the place they were going to call home for the better part of a week. Visions of fun and fancy began filling their mind’s eye as they took each step closer and closer to the wonder that is a cruise vacation.

 

[Note 1: We found it very easy and comparably inexpensive to commute to the port via NJ Transit to the MTA subway system then walk. A cab from our house to the port ranged from $120-$160 dollars each way (the $160 price was actually quoted to one of our traveling companions that lives even closer to the port than we do). Driving into the City and parking would have been $40 a day, plus tolls and gas. Since my DW and I both have NJT monthly passes, and our DD10 is half price (free on the weekend return), the cost was very minimal. Also note, if I were to do this again, I probably would not have gone up to Columbus Circle, but used another stop a little further downtown.]

 

[Note 2: I specifically use the term “cruise vacation” above to differentiate it between land-based vacations. My family loves to travel, and we enjoy to vacation both via cruise and via other alternatives. There are plusses and minuses to each. We find cruise vacations to be much more relaxing, and we do get to see multiple cities/countries while cruising. However, a cruise only gives you a very small taste of what that city/country is really like, and is almost a tease – and if you stay on the cruise approved bus and only see the tourist approved sights, you are sometimes provided with a faux vision and clouded insight into what that place is really about. I also need to express my view that the term “cruise vacation” also has changed over the years. On our first cruise together in 1996 (my wife had even been cruising way before then) was such an epiphany to me that opened up a whole new avenue of adventure. Although my palate was not as refined at it has become over the years, all of the food, regardless of the meal (including those beautifully decorated midnight buffets) was extraordinary. The service was remarkable – and I, some young guy starting out in this world, was treated almost like a crowned prince. I dare not ever compare any subsequent cruise against that first one, for each one of them would fail to even hold a candle, but I am sure that in subconscious thoughts, that each year that initial cruise experience grows like the legend of Babe Ruth, from a great cruise, into one that I imagine as being Herculean in stature – and will still yet continue to grow in prestige over time.]

 

Once the Travel R family made their way through the post-rush hour speeding New Yorkers traversing on the West Side Highway, they walked with anxiously exuberant steps towards the large building upon the pier in which a Goliath of the seas, by the name of Splendor, was berthed. Outside the terminal, a member of the baggage personnel took our luggage, and we were provided instructions as to where to go [of course, I tipped the guy a few bucks]. An email that had been sent by Carnival stated to arrive at the pier between the hours of ten and twelve AM. It was now a few minutes after eleven, and I was expecting a horrific line that snaked back and forth around a nylon fence for miles and miles. It was a short walk to the line to register and the sight of a multitude of people did appear before me. However, once we were placed into our queue, our line moved rather quickly. It was not even fifteen minutes before we were face to face with a smiling and cheery person checking us in – all of our documents were in order, we smiled for the camera, and received our Sign and Sail cards in a few moments.

 

There was one issue of note that did occur upon registration that did need to be settled before the vacation could officially begin. It was told beforehand that Travel R had to telephone the Carnival Fun Shops to purchase the beverage package; however, no notification of this service was adhered to their cards. The lovely lady at registration said we need to go to Guest Services once they boarded. But first, they had to pass through one more obstacle before boarding the ship – Immigration. This was no hurdle at all, the process of dropping off the already filled-in declaration, and showing our passports took but a scant few moments, and in no time we were bounding up the gangplank to our awaiting cruise ship.

 

Guest Services, coincidentally, or maybe fatefully, was located just to the right of the door where they boarded the ship [on Deck 3]. There was no time to enjoy the glitz and color of the ship for now, there was no line at the desk, and they made their way as fast as a hare being chased by a hungry fox. Unfortunately, this was not going to be a quick drawback to unravel, and would require us to visit the Coffee Shop [on Deck 5]. The family, still waiting to begin their vacation, took the stairs down to Deck 5 and made their way through much of the ship, and widespread casino (and even stopped to say hello to a CC Roll-Call member, who was detected by the Hawaiian shirts being worn by themselves and their partner), until they made their way to their hopeful terminus to this unforeseen side-journey. The barista was helpful, took our names, looked through her files, then told the Travel R family what they did not expect – although the beverage service was purchased (breathing a s sigh of relief), they could not give it to the children because their cards were not set up to receive any charges (exclaiming an inaudible huh?) [which was done intentionally – although the children could be trusted, it was done as a safety precaution]. Although, it was explained, a trip to Guest Services was needed, we should try to call them and have it set up over the inter-ship phone system. We did this, and within a few minutes we went back to the barista [I believe her name was Onya – she was very nice.] and everything was right in the world – the Travel R vacation has now officially begun!!!

 

By the time they had finished with this process, Travel R’s in-laws (whom have children) had also arrived at the Coffee Shop for exactly the same reason. Moments later, the travelling companions of Travel R also had arrived to also obtain the beverage sticker on their cards, as though this was some type of much desired treasure. Everyone subsequent to the Travel R family, however, were not as lucky. Guest Services would no longer make the change over the phone, and they needed to go back to the deck three counter (and wait on line, if there was one).

 

[Note: Although it was a pain to have to run around at the beginning of the cruise to get the beverage stickers, it was really a fairly minor annoyance, and one that was forgotten as soon as we moved to our next location aboard the ship.]

 

While they were waiting for everyone’s beverage issues to be resolved, Travel R and his DD15 walked into Club O2 [for teens 15-17] to see what it was like. The area was nicely decorated, with many mirrors, and shiny decorations – reminiscent of a disco from the 1970s. As they were making their way through the room, another teen (with her father and sister) also walked into the room. After some small talk, they made tentative plans about meeting up again there in the evening, and we left to join our cruising compatriots and begin enjoying the amenities on board – but the first stop was to be the Lido Buffet [Deck 9], since all parties were hungry.

 

* * * *

Carnival vs. RCI:

Boarding = Mostly Even (both quick & smooth with one exception on RCI a few cruises ago)

Registration = RCI (having to run-around to set up the Bottomless beverages was a pain)

Service (during check-in) = Even (everyone so far has been extremely nice, as we had found on RCI ships)

* * * *

 

Coming up next . . . the first afternoon and evening aboard the Splendor (highlights include the first lunch at the Lido Buffet, the Spa Tour, time at the Casino, the Welcome Show, and looking for a late night snack – and the first evening of the game – can you name my room steward?

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Travel R

Travel R

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Can't wait to read the rest of your review, I'm on this cruise on Sept. 6th! Never sailed Carnival, but will be comparing to NCL and HAL... thanks!

 

I am not sure if I will be done with writing this review by the 6th, however, if you have any questions please let me know.

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Travel R

Travel R

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Looking forward to your review. Trying to decide which cruiseline for next trip.

 

Deciding upon a cruiseline is tough. There is a cruiseline fore everyone, but not every cruiseline is for everyone. As mentioned, although the mass market lines are more the same than not, it is the small differences that will make one preferable than another.

 

On the other hand, some people find the differences mostly insignificant, and chose their cruises purely for the port they embark, the price, and the itinerary. Although I have only been on a handful of cruises, if you look at my signature below, all of my cruises have left from different ports, and have sailed different itineraries.

 

Do your research, chose one that seems like a good match for you and your family, and as long as you do not expect the vacation to be perfect, you will enjoy whatever cruise/cruise line you decide taking.

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nybumpkin

nybumpkin

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Thanks for posting - Looking forward to the rest of your review! We've done 7 of the Canada cruises but haven't since 2012 - the limited schedule Carnival presently has doesn't fit our schedule.:( BTW, as to Cooperstown - I once read an article in the Dallas newspaper that stated, "if baseball wasn't invented in Cooperstown it should have been." It's a gorgeous little town, Otsego Lake is nice, and the Hall of Fame is a must-see.:cool:

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Travel R

Travel R

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Thanks for posting - Looking forward to the rest of your review! We've done 7 of the Canada cruises but haven't since 2012 - the limited schedule Carnival presently has doesn't fit our schedule.:( BTW, as to Cooperstown - I once read an article in the Dallas newspaper that stated, "if baseball wasn't invented in Cooperstown it should have been." It's a gorgeous little town, Otsego Lake is nice, and the Hall of Fame is a must-see.:cool:

 

I agree - I love Cooperstown, and have visited there a number of times over the years, although it has been too many years since I last visited the shrine to baseball. As you mentioned, the area around the town (and the town itself) is also beautiful.

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I am looking forward to your review, as well, and I hope you have a great time! DH and I are doing this cruise in one month, it is also our first experience with Carnival.

 

Thanks. I should have the next part of my review up later today. I'll have the parts of my review that include the ports of Saint John and Halifax up in a day or two.

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Our First Afternoon and Evening Aboard the Carnival Splendor

 

A Quick Stop

 

The Travel R family responded to the call of hunger and made their way to the Lido Lunch Buffet [Deck 9]. They did not go directly to the Lido, they decided to first pay a quick stop to their cabin. Although it was not easy to keep the secret, Travel R had not let it slip that they were in an Oceanview instead of the inside cabin they had originally booked [it is not a balcony or suite, but it is still an upgrade to a larger cabin space (30 sq. feet) and a window]. DW and the DDs were all very pleased at this development, and the DDs made their claim on which one would have the top bunk. Travel R was pleased himself when he saw the cabin, it was fairly spacious [the last cruise (RCI Legend) was a cabin with a balcony, but the 191 sq. feet of the cabin made it seem cramped inside]. It did not look like they were finished cleaning our room, so we withdrew to find some food and quench our increasing appetites.

 

Lido Buffet – First Impressions

 

The buffet venue turned out to be much larger than they had expected (as compared to prior cruises), and had more of a glitzy feeling than they had also expected. They quickly found a table, and most of the party left to pick their way through the buffet line. The three ladies of the group chose their dishes carefully, being finicky eaters, their plates were not too full. When it was time for Travel R to return to the table, he brought with him a compliment of almost all of the tastes that the buffet had to offer. Since DD10 did not like what she had selected, Travel R took her to the Grille, where they absconded with a burger apiece (with fries, of course), and a few of the toppings they had to offer. The general consensus was that the buffet was, and I quote “so-so.” It fulfilled its purpose, but there were no dishes that really stood out. Salad is salad, and there were nothing out of the ordinary to add to it, the burritos were okay, the Italian food was nothing great, the roast beef at the carving station was almost tartare; the highlight was the grilled chicken dish, which was fairly good. As to the burgers from the Grille are concerned, they are a vast improvement over the soggy burger pucks served at the Windjammer (RCI’s buffet), but they tasted like the frozen boxed patties one would purchase at a supermarket when there was no time to make from scratch. The fries, however, were good (albeit very salty), and Travel R took a large portion of the cooked onions as a topper (which, although are pretty easy to prepare, was one of the better tasting items on the entire buffet).

 

As stated, the Lido area, and seating was much larger than the Travel R family had experienced on their previous cruises on RCI. Open tables for seating were found fairly quickly, and the tables were even cleared of dishes in a timely manner (one of their few complaints during their last RCI cruise).

 

[Note: When I first began doing research for this cruise, I looked at the various food offerings. I was under the impression that the Grille, Deli, Pizza Pirate, Burrito Bar, Tandoor, Rotisserie, and Mongolian Wok were all separate venues from the Lido Buffet. I was surprised to see that they are all part of the same buffet area, but they are just separate stations. The Grille and Pizza Pirate are located outside the doors before passing into the interior section of the buffet area from the Lido pool. The Deli and Tandoor are similar in that they are also outside the interior section, but located towards the aft of the ship near the aft pool (Liner pool). There are three sections of buffet food (I always found the middle section to have shorter lines). The Rotisserie is located upstairs near the most aft section – and here’s a big tip: There was always plenty of seats and empty tables up there. The Burrito Bar is located directly in the middle of one of the buffet sections (you would hardly even know it was a separate area), and I never did see the Mongolian Wok (it was probably in the most forward buffet section which I never really bothered with, or completely missed).

 

For those that might argue that since the Grille, Tandoor, etc. are “outside” the doors of the Lido Buffet itself, they are separate food venues. However, through the actions of an agent of Carnival (one of their staff members) showed differently. There is a rule that people “in the Lido Buffet must wear shirts.” While I was online to get some food from the Tandoor buffet, a staff member walked over to another pax (and adult) behind me and asked him to put on a shirt, citing this rule. The staff member also told a kid towards the back of the line to also put on a shirt for the same reason. So following this reasoning, venues like Tandoor are part of the Lido buffet and their own separate venue. I have probably spent too much time on this topic J]

 

Our Spa Tour

 

Traditions. It has been a tradition for the Travel R family that at some point during each cruise DW would make use of the spa services, while Travel R chilled out in the cabin, order room service, and eat while watching a movie on the TV. On the first afternoon, prior to leaving port, the Spa [Cloud 9 Spa, Deck 11, forward] provides a free tour of their facility with a “demo” spa treatment at its conclusion. In addition, all tour participants are entered into a drawing to will up to $500 in prizes towards spa services. The four members of the Travel R family took part in this free tour. They did find the spa to be large in size, well maintained, and offered a nice variety of services. Some of the facilities in the spa included [comments are from Travel R himself]: tranquility pool [not for me]; exfoliating lotions [I was volunteer – did not like]; aroma steamroom [pretty cool]; steam room [now that was hot]; tile room [not bad – I could lie her for a while]; acupuncture [not for me]; Stomach wrap [the guy lying there has a cool job]; seaweed wrap [looks relaxing – I should have volunteered for this]; fitness center [very large – will make use of it]; and Demo massages – roller, hot stones, aroma puff bag [was not really impressed with any of these].

 

At the end of the tour, DW did the unthinkable; she declined to receive any spa treatments (and cited various reasons). However, they did sign DD15 up for one of the services – so the tradition does continue, at least within the family [Travel R did get his movie and room service later in the cruise].

 

Afternoon Relaxation

 

As the Travel R family exited the Spa, they bumped into the teen (and her younger sister) that they had met earlier at Club O2. The girls started talking, and DW said, why don’t you (all the girls) go off together – a request in which they cheerful complied. Travel R and his beautiful wife then went to the cabin once again, which was now ready (although the luggage was not yet present – which they did not really except until later that afternoon). The couple then dropped off a few items in the room and left to explore the ship and just sit in the sun/shade to enjoy being on vacation, which they did on the lounges at the aft of the ship on Deck 10.

 

Ship’s Décor, A Few Words

 

Although the ship’s décor was not the norm on RCI cruises, or even the Majesty cruise prior, it did not make them want to regurgitate (or “throw-up” as one CC member had once bluntly posted). It was different, with a variance of pink color tones, which did provide for a non-regal atmosphere, but it was not a turn-off. In fact in reminded Travel R of some hotels in Las Vegas, and a “trendy” hotel in South Beach which they had once stayed in. The only décor that Travel R did not find pleasing, and this is purely a subjective opinion, were some of the artwork they had displaying for sale. The graphics and murals were pleasing to them, including the scenes painted onto the walls in the cabin hallways, but the artwork was a detractor to his eye (and a reason he said no to attending the auction when asked by his MIL later in the cruise).

 

 

Safety Briefing

 

It seems as though safety briefings are always during the warmest hour of the entire cruise. At approximately 4 PM, while Travel R and DW were relaxing on the lounge chair, an announcement was made for guests to make their way to their muster area. They made their way to the area and on Deck 4, and looked for their children as they approached the area. Although they were ordered into place, DW went up and down the line looking for them. One woman even gave Travel R a look when he said that they could not find their DDs (to which he stated, they are old enough to take care of themselves, but it would be nice to know where they are). DW had noticed them standing towards the back of the line with their in-laws (luckily, or DD15 is very tall). The briefing was fairly short, and the crew member went over all of the usual stuff [make sure you pay careful attention, especially if this is your first cruise].

 

[Note: On our last RCI cruise, they took an actual attendance of everyone to ensure that everyone showed up. On Carnival, they merely took numbers with a hand clicker. Although it took much longer on RCI (especially since they have to wait until every person is accounted for – and it did hold us up an extra 20-25 minutes), I felt that it was a more secure system to assure that everyone is safe. Although they had done away with bringing your safety vest to the muster long ago, it does make it easier, but it did make for some great pictures with everyone wearing the vests – and I kind of miss that.]

 

After the safety drill, they made their way to the Kid’s Club orientation meeting. Having sent our children to these clubs before (albeit on RCI), they decided to go to see if there was anything different. The most interesting thing about the meeting is that they were told that there were over 1100 children under the age of 18 on the ship. The meeting lasted a little more than a half hour, so Travel R went back to the cabin to take a shower, and DW returned to the spa to see if she had won the raffle for the $500 in spa treatments (which were given in smaller denominations to various passengers for a total of $500).

 

Dinner on the First Evening

 

The Travel R family shared a 10-top (table for 10) at the early seating with their friends who were recently engaged (whom shall be referred to as the MJs), with them, was M’s son (DS10), and J’s nephew (DN13) and niece (DN10). They had arrived at about 6:05, with the MJs arriving a few moments later. The aesthetics of the dining room were nice, although a bit garish, although it was evident from the decorations on the walls and ceiling as to why it was called the Black Pearl dining room. Their table was in the back of the room near the rear exit and bussing station. This was not an ideal location [in the opinion of Travel R], but the room was packed so it would probably not have been possible to move, even if they had asked. The other tables were already beginning to be served when the MJs arrived, and Travel R overheard the waiter whisper to one of the assistant waiters (not quietly enough) his annoyance at our table being late. This may have set the mood for service during the remaining evenings, even though the Travel Rs and MJs were much more punctual going forward.

 

Besides not having to shop for food, cook the food, serve the food, and clean up the dishes after the food was consumed, Travel R had always enjoyed the service received in the MDR on cruise ships. Although the waiter service would have been considered adequate for a land-based restaurant (even a good one), it did not meet the level of service that Travel R had expected. It did not matter that it took four nights until the waiter remembered most people’s names without looking at his cheat sheet (while talking to us), but after the first two nights of ordering sodas, have them ready and on the table for us when they arrive, and if members of the table usually ask for a refill half-way through the meal, be ready to give it to them within a reasonable time after the glass is empty (or almost empty) [on our last cruise, they did this beginning the second night, in fact I had the assistant waiter during a lunch in the MDR, and he even remembered to do this]. M always ordered mushrooms with his steak, you would think that by the last night, the waiter would remember? Although there were no mistakes on the first evening, during subsequent meals some dishes were forgotten (and they had forgotten to bring the kids their drinks on the first evening for almost 25 minutes after the adults were broght theirs). Although the waiter need not hover over the table, do not disappear for a long while and only come by when serving the table the next course (which sometimes was the waiter or one of the assistant waiters – who one night also took our orders). We also did not get out of the restaurant until almost 8:30 that first evening. Some might say “what do you expect, they are there to take your orders and bring you your food – nothing more.” Travel R would respond by stating that he could get that at any average restaurant on land, he has always gotten more on a cruise ship, and expects a much higher level of service.

 

[Note: before I receive some heat on this, I would also like to say that I do not think that it is entirely the fault of our wait staff (although some are better than others). The head waiter and his assistants were all hustling their butts off in a section that mostly had 10-tops. I believe that they were spread too thin with the number of stations/tables they had to serve. So in a sense I do blame it on Carnival itself – but some blame still rests on the wait staff, since other people at other tables said they received great service. However, I also really did not care for the head waiter in general. Although no one on my table loved the guy, no one really disliked him enough to go through the hassle of getting a different waiter (which may or may not have been possible on this sold out cruise). FYI – I did work in a (land-based) restaurant for a while, and although only a waiter for a short period, I do know good and bad service when I see it, not only from a customer’s point of view, but also from that of someone that was in the industry.]

 

The meal itself was okay. Nothing to rave home about, but it did hit the spot for the members at that table. Travel R had the following:

 

Appetizer 1: Cured Salmon and Candied Tomatoes – It was very good. It had a nice blending of flavors from the fish to the sweetness of the tomatoes, but a miniscule portion. Not sure why this was listed as a “didja ever”

Appetizer 2: Cream of Sun Ripened Tomatoes – This was okay. There was to much of the herbs and salt to really enjoy the taste of the tomatoes.

Entrée 1: Chicken a la Grecque: The chicken was prepared nicely and had some good taste, however, it was served over pasta which was too soft and did not enjoy the sauce. [Heart healthy]

Entrée 2: Sweet and Sour Shrimp: Although the sauce was good, the shrimp were deep fried and a bit greasy, but the fried rice served with it was excellent.

Dessert: Orange cake (diet): This desert was not full of flavor, but it at least provided some sweetness without the added sugar.

The rest of the adult diners were satisfied with their meals – especially the DW with her double order of shrimp cocktail appetizer (she did not eat much of her actual entre). However, none of the children were pleased with what they had ordered from the kid’s menu (or the DD15, whom ordered a cheeseburger).

 

[Note: As you may have noticed, either fondly or disdain, Travel R ordered two appetizers and two entrees. This was not done because he has an eating problem, but because of a few reasons: he is on the cruise to enjoy himself, and he enjoys eating; he enjoys trying out new things; and because the portions are small. If you notice, he had ordered a heart healthy entrée (which he will try to do throughout the cruise), and he will only order the sugar free or no-sugar added desserts – which is a compromise to eating double (and the other snacks throughout the day). Travel R actually is in very good condition (especially for his age), and does take care of his body through diet (most of the year), and exercise (which he even performed on this cruise). At times he did go a little overboard (e.g., with a half of a pastrami sandwich at 11 pm one night), but it is vacation, and feels no remorse for what he has done – especially since he is competing in a mud run the afternoon of the day he returns from the cruise.]

 

Due to the late hour at which dinner was completed, it was too late to take the younger kids to the kids camp, but DW brought DD15 to Club O2 – and like the Travel R’s previous cruise, they did not see her again until after 1 am. The kid’s clubs had an “open house” for parents to see, so no activities for the youngsters were being held, so the adults granted the pre-teens permission to “roam the boat” by themselves. The kids, and the adults had walkie-talkies in which to communicate, so although the kids were off on their own (a cruise is a great way to provide children with a sense of freedom), the adults could communicate with them at almost any time they desired [note: there are a few dead zones on the ship]. The children were given instructions to meet at 9:45 at a pre-assigned location, and they happily ran off to explore the ship (especially the arcade [Deck 5]).

 

Casino

 

The adults decided to visit the Casino [Deck 5] and to try their chances against Lady Luck. The ladies played the one armed bandits (J had a little luck), with none by DW. M lost a few bucks on the tables, and Travel R quickly gave away his money to the Joker Poker machines (which he can usually spend a while at without losing much or breaking even). The casino on this ship is rather nice, with a large number of machines and tables – almost like a mini Atlantic City. It had a very upbeat atmosphere, and the live band playing was pretty good. However, at 9:40, they left to meet the pre-teens.

 

[Note: Although there seems to be a number of people complaining about the smoke in the Casino, even though I am a non-smoker, I really did not notice it that evening, or during the cruise on my way to various other stops on Deck 5.]

 

The Welcome Aboard Show

 

The adults met up with the kids at about 9:45, and made their way to the big Welcome Aboard Show. Once again, just like food, the enjoyment and non-enjoyment of entertainment is pretty much subjective, however, the show was not enjoyable by any of the adults or pre-teens. The first part of the show included dance/singing routines by the Carnival performers. Except for the skimpy outfits (which the males enjoyed), the routine was amateurish. The Cruise Director (Kevin Donahue) did a sketch with some audience participation which was cute, but was really not that funny (unless you were participating). Both parties had left just as the comedian was going on stage, and from what Travel R heard, he sounded okay, be he was out the door before we heard anything but the first two or three jokes. This preview of entertainment did not entice anyone to want to see any of the entertainers that week, so they stayed away from any further shows (except for the comedians).

 

[Note: I gotta tell you, I really have never liked any of the ship’s entertainers or their shows, regardless of the cruise line. However, my DW usually likes them and I will usually accompany her to these shows, but even she was turned off by and did not want to attend any of their later performances. Others on the ship may have enjoyed it, but it was just not enjoyable for us.]

 

[Note 2: There seem to be columns in each of the venues that show entertainment – from the big Spectacular [Decks 3-5], to the Morocco Lounge [Deck 5], even to the MDR (main dining rooms) to see the waiters dance – so make sure you get to some of these venues early, or you will be continuously craning your head around to get a view of the entertainers.]

 

Pixels Photography

M wants to remember the cruise and his enjoyment of it with his friends and family. So when we passed by Pixels (where they display the ships photographs), he purchased every one that included himself and his family. Although he purchased a large number of pictures, the only negotiating he was able to do was get an extra cup out of them. The Travel R family took a few pictures with their own camera phones, and only purchased two pictures from them by the end of the cruise. M had made other Pixel purchases before leaving the ship before the last day of the vacation.

 

After Pixels, they all broke up and went their separate ways, including DW and DD10, whom went back to the room, and Travel R, who was hungry and made his way to the Grille, where he picked up two patties (no buns), and devoured them with a side of grilled onions. “Fault in Our Stars” was playing, but it did not appeal to him, so after devouring the carnivorous snack, he made his way back to his stateroom.

 

He sits awake in bed hooked into the head phones of once must-have technology, an i-Pod, listening to an eclectic mixture of tunes ranging from Pink Floyd to Bo Didley and from Judas Priest to Lois Armstrong, with even some songs from the Rocky Horror Picture Show mixed in. At a half-hour past midnight, his DD15 enters the room with a plea to say out beyond the 1 am time agreed upon. He tentatively acquiesces to her request knowing that she needs to enjoy her freedom, but at the same time he is snug in the knowledge that he has raised a good kid with the sense to know right or wrong.

 

Our Cabin

 

Travel R turns back to the book on Kindle he has been reading to make the hours pass more rapidly. But first he stops to look around the room and for the first time notices the contrasts of designs, colors, and angles worked into the décor of the room. He thinks to himself, that a picture of this room may be placed into an architectural journal under the heading “how not to decorate your room.” There is art nouveau mixed with modernism, mixed with the classic hotel wood finish. The colors “sort-of” match going with a salmonish undertone, but still a contrast to the stained wood. The curvatures and angles of the light fixture are also a direct contrast to the straight-lined angles carved into the moldings around the top-lighting. But for some reason, it all fits together. This eclectic combination of designs is just like the mix of songs Travel R is listening to – maybe apart they have no comparison, but once placed side by side, they all seem to come together.

 

[Note: Some thoughts about the room – Stateroom 1247, Oceanview (6B). At 220 sq. feet it was sufficient to hold my family of four, which included two adults, and a teen whom is taller than her mother. We did not spend a great deal of time in the cabin, so anything extra would have been nice, but not really needed. We also all woke up and went back to sleep at different times, so showering in the morning and during the day seemed to have always work out. The bathroom is also a decent size, and prefer the curtain to the glass of the shower stall, which provides extra room to stretch your body when getting dressed. Some minor complaints about the room is that the water in the faucet was always cold and took time to warm up (although the shower was always nice and hot), the AC cooled down the room a little, but never really made the room cold (luckily the weather was on the cool side), there is only one outlet in the room, luckily m buddy brought a multi-outlet (3) for each of us to use, and it came in very, very handy. Although I would have liked a balcony, we did not get one, but as mentioned, it was cool outside, and not sure if I would have used it as much as I had on my previous cruise – and interestingly enough, when I did sit on my buddy’s balcony one night, it did get cold and I asked if we could go back inside. MJ had suites and the in-laws had a balcony, and they were all very nice in size and appearance.]

 

Daddy-Daughter Late Night Snack

 

At about twenty minutes past one DD15 finally got back to the room. Travel R had remained awake so they could take a stroll for a late night snack, which was one of Travel R’s favorite memories from their last cruise. The only place open at 1:30 was the pizzeria and ice cream self-serve. DD15 had had enough pizza (which she enjoyed, and much, much better than RCI’s pizza) and ice-cream, which neither of them wanted, so they returned to their stateroom to a few hours of slumber.

 

[Note: one of the things I miss from RCI is that there was a 24 hour venue that had a selection of various things to eat (both food and snacks, including at least one type of sugar free cookie). The post 1 am offering were very slim on this cruise, and this was the first and only night Travel R and DD15 made a late-night snack rendezvous L.]

 

Have you guessed the name of their room steward yet? It is now early morning of the second day of their trip, and as of yet they have not met their room steward, so they too do not know his or her name. But at least I did not receive “the card” asking which services I did or did not want to receive from the steward while on this cruise [see: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2254630].

 

* * * *

Carnival vs. RCI:

Beverage Program = RCI

Stateroom = Carnival (good bang for the buck)

Buffet = Carnival

Spa Tour = Carnival

Ship Décor = Even (both different, but I like both looks)

Muster/Safety Briefing = RCI

MDR Food = RCI

MDR Waiter Service = RCI

Casino = Carnival

Cruise Line Entertainers = RCI (and only by a hair)

Ship Photography = Even

Late Night Snacks = RCI

Steward Service = Not enough data

 

* * * *

 

Coming Up: First Sea Day, Camp Carnival, Elegant Night, and lots of other things . . . . .

Edited by Travel R
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Travel R

Travel R

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Wow - awesome detail! I feel like I'm there on the ship with y'all! Can't wait to hear more :)

 

Thanks. Hopefully not too many details - don't want to bore anyone.

 

FYI - the details I write are hopefully painting a picture in people's minds and make up for the lack of photos posted. Although I took a bunch of photos, 99% are of my family and friends, which I would rather not post. However, I do have a few pics in the ports without family/friends in the foreground, which I may post when discussing Halifax & Saint John.

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Travel R

Travel R

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Thanks for writing. We go in a few weeks.

 

Hope you are enjoying the review. Myself, family, and friends, all had a delightful vacation.

 

I see from your signature, you are going in October - will you be headed North, South, or East (Transatlantic)?

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Travel R

Travel R

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I am enjoying your posts and can't wait for more. I also did the RCI to Bermuda. Just curious...Did you do go to The Quest on that ship?

 

Unfortunately, no, we did not do The Quest. We did not bring our kids on that cruise (I know bad parents), and wound up sitting at a table with three other couples that also did not bring their kids on that cruise (a whole table of bad parents). We had a great time on that cruise and the timing just did not work out for us - however, we heard the next day from a lot of people that it was one of the most fun activities some of these people saw or participated in. If I am ever on another ship with it, I will make a point of attending (and even participating).

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LeeloLovesStitch

LeeloLovesStitch

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Thanks. Hopefully not too many details - don't want to bore anyone.

 

FYI - the details I write are hopefully painting a picture in people's minds and make up for the lack of photos posted. Although I took a bunch of photos, 99% are of my family and friends, which I would rather not post. However, I do have a few pics in the ports without family/friends in the foreground, which I may post when discussing Halifax & Saint John.

 

You are definitely painting a great picture!! I was reading while on a car trip (I was not driving :) ) and when I was done, I looked up and was so disappointed to remember I was not actually on my cruise yet... :)

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MCFTJCH2V

MCFTJCH2V

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Can't wait to read. We enjoyed doing both stops years ago as a quick getaway, and then suddenly it was change to one stop, first Halifax and then St. John (forgive me I forget the correct spelling at the moment) and then lost interest. May have to try this again. Would like to get back to Halifax.

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