Carnival Splendor true feedback

[gamecockinnc]

Hi,

 

We were looking for a last minute cruise for spring break and came across the CCL Splendor but the reviews are not great and I read that the Splendor doesn't have the upgrades like Guys Burgers. And its referred to as the pink ship because of its unusually bright color scheme even for Carnival I guess it's bright. Can anyone shed any light on their thoughts on this ship?

 

Thanks,

T

[mumtopugs]

The Splendor is getting some 2.0 upgrades in March so it depends on when your Spring Break falls. There's speculation but no confirmation about what upgrades will be installed.

[ja_martin]

Hi,

 

We were looking for a last minute cruise for spring break and came across the CCL Splendor but the reviews are not great and I read that the Splendor doesn't have the upgrades like Guys Burgers. And its referred to as the pink ship because of its unusually bright color scheme even for Carnival I guess it's bright. Can anyone shed any light on their thoughts on this ship?

 

Thanks,

T

 

I've been on this ship a couple of times and I have a long trip on her coming up.

 

No 2.0 upgrades yet. She goes into drydock on 3/6/2016. Right now, no Guy's, but she does have the Mongolian (my personal favorite).

 

Yes, she is pink, but I wouldn't say bright pink. Some of the pink decorations look like doughnuts to me. Once you get past that, you won't even notice it. At least I didn't.

 

I personally like the ship, the food was very good and the crew was awesome, as they always are on a Carnival ship. Enjoy whatever you choose.

[JohnSpo]

I have been on Splendor 3 times. Twice out of NYC and once out of Miami. it is a really nice ship. It is clean with a great crew. Splendor might not have Guys but it still has the grill which I prefer because Guys burgers are too greasy. Splendor does have the Rotisserie on deck 10 above Lido. The EL Mohito bar aft on deck 5 is really good. The pink is different but it is not too bright so you will get use to it quickly. Enjoy Splendor.:cool:

[b714210]

We were on the Splendor last spring break and we loved the ship. Yes, the atrium was a pink color, but not hot pink. Kind of a brown tinted pink. We loved the art work in the halls, the dining room was lovely. Thought the ever changing food selection was fabulous. Easy to find your way around, friendly staff. The only time it felt crowded was the line for the comedy shows intermingled with formal night photographers. I would sail the Splendor again in a heartbeat.

[Dork42775]

I sailed the Splendor followed by sailing the Breeze 4 months later. I preferred the Splendor much more. Keep in mind that me and my wife have no children and only use the pool a few times a cruise so someone with children would probably like the Breeze better.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

Sailed Splendor once. Our least favorite ship. Still had a great cruise but wouldn't book it again.

[BattyL]

Sailed Splendor once. Our least favorite ship. Still had a great cruise but wouldn't book it again.

 

Agree with this- that cruise was the worst we ever had. I kept reading all the reviews on this ship and was totally disappointed. Would never book it again.

[Jamman54]

Not our favorite Carnival ship, but we sailed on her three times and enjoyed them all. I have links to our reviews in my signature.

[Indytraveler83]

I'd discount a lot of recent reviews. I just went through the same thing with the Dream. Holiday cruisers seem to be quite a bit less content than the rest of the year.

[cntrydncr1]

I've sailed her twice and really like her. Yes the decor is gaudy but who cares?

[JohnSpo]

Agree with this- that cruise was the worst we ever had. I kept reading all the reviews on this ship and was totally disappointed. Would never book it again.

 

Just out of curiosity, why was it the worst cruise?

[BattyL]

Just out of curiosity, why was it the worst cruise?

 

Some of the reasons- the mattress was so worn out, we could only lay in one spot all night. The steward put a foam topper on the bed and it still didn't help. I think we thought it was such an awful cruise because we were so tired from not getting a good night sleep. I wasn't impressed with the food either, and didn't like the Tandoor grill. I think I was so disappointed because I read such great reviews on this ship. Another cruiser was offered a free or discounted cruise and didn't take it because she didn't like the ship either. We did enjoy the itinerary though and booked the same itinerary on the Sunshine this year.

[pirate4me2]

Sailed Splendor once. Our least favorite ship. Still had a great cruise but wouldn't book it again.

 

I agree. We had a great cruise on her in October, but of the ships we have sailed she's our least favorite.

[chrislo]

We just sailed on her in November and really enjoyed our cruise. The lack of 2.0 upgrades didn't detract from the experience for us. I read many of the same reviews as you and didn't have any of the negative experiences. If the price is right and you like the itenarary I would recomend taking a chance.

[lisajm]

I was on the Splendor in March and have booked her again for this March. I honestly would not let pink decor (or any other decor for that matter) distract me from having a great cruise.

 

With the exception of the Breeze, all the ships that I have been on are kind of "kitschy". Like a floating Las Vegas.

 

I always read reviews prior to my cruises as well. This is what I have discovered: Reviews vary from "the cruise from Hell" to "the best vacation I have ever had!" Note this will be about the same ship, the same cruise.

 

Take everything with a grain of salt. Go in with a great attitude, enjoy the sights, strike up conversations, engage in activities that you enjoy, and try new things. Don't get boggled down with ensuring that you will have a "perfect" vacation. As with all things if you have extremely high expectations more than likely you will be dissappointed!

 

Kick back have a DOD and enjoy your cruise

[jazm2011]

Granted, it's been 6 years since we've been on the Splendor - but even after our recent Breeze cruise, Splendor still ranks as one of my favorite ships. (Something I didn't expect to say). So as long as you have an open attitude, I wouldn't stress about hating it before experiencing it for yourself.

 

And although there's a lot of pink, it's definitely not bright pink.

[georgiacruizer]

We enjoyed our cruises on the Splendor. There was an odd buzzing noise coming from up in the ceiling in our cabin. It took a couple of visits from different maintenance personnel, but it was fixed the first day.

 

I really like the layout of the Lido deck pool area. While the Splendor is similar to the Conquest class ships, it doesn't have the tiered deck areas with the lounge chairs going up to deck 12. Most of the time these lounge chair areas are monopolized by chair hogs and sit empty with nothing but a towel or flip flop on them. On the Splendor, its completely different. There is a covered deck on deck 10 with a hot tub on each side - very nice if you like to be out of the sun. There are also tables and chairs there that overlook the Lido pool.

[NCTribeFan]

Apparently you've already read some reviews. Not sure what sort of responses you're looking for.

 

I'd click the ship's name at the top of the page and just do some more reading. And it's very easy to Google for photos of the ship so you can see for yourself.

 

I'm guessing most everything people have posted has been "true." Asking for "true feedback" implies that the other things you've already read have been untrue. I don't think that's the case.

 

I've written two thorough threads about Splendor. I write reviews of all my cruises; I hope it isn't necessary to state that I've been honest, or objective, or that my comments were true. ;)

 

You do need to realize that even if there were a dozen review threads written about every sailing (and usually there isn't even one per sailing), that it's a teeny, tiny sample size.

 

Every single person has a different experience. I enjoy reading reviews, but I really don't pay that much attention to the highlights or low points. It's just one person's perception of their cruise. The people next door probably had a totally different experience, based on the choices they made during the cruise, their past experiences, and their expectations.

 

In other words, none of what any of us says should really make any difference!! Go and have a good time. :D

[L&J]

We sailed on Splendor last Feb. It wasn't the prettiest ship we've been on, but that didn't matter in the least. The staff was great and the experience was like all our other trips. One big benefit of this ship for a spring sailing is the retractable roof over the pool. It keeps it nice and toasty in that area, so you can enjoy the deck time in the evening without being blown away!

Have a great time!

[k2excursion]

I liked the decor of the ship, even though it wasn't my favorite. I don't know what all the complaints were about. I liked that the ship didn't have any of those 0.2 "upgrades". I thought the ship was amazing just like she is!!! She was my 2nd favorite ship of all that I've been on. I actually prefer the options we have with non-0.2 ships, as 0.2 took a lot of things away. But as mentioned, your Spring Break might fall after the Splendor's drydock, when she will unfortunately get some 0.2 stuff.

[Princess Nancy]

You don't say who is traveling and I think that can make a big difference.

My husband and I went in the Splendor in Feb. It was an Anniversary. Trip. No KIDS. We had a Spa room and Loved our cruise. I really liked the retractable roof because we had rain on Super Bowl Sunday.

 

There were no super slides etc. That might change with Drydock. Serenity deck is super quiet, but doesn't have a pool. Might be why it is so quiet.

 

I would sail the Splendor again.

[lisajm]

You don't say who is traveling and I think that can make a big difference.

My husband and I went in the Splendor in Feb. It was an Anniversary. Trip. No KIDS. We had a Spa room and Loved our cruise. I really liked the retractable roof because we had rain on Super Bowl Sunday.

 

There were no super slides etc. That might change with Drydock. Serenity deck is super quiet, but doesn't have a pool. Might be why it is so quiet.

 

I would sail the Splendor again.

 

There is a small pool between the 2 hot tubs on the serenity deck.

[riclop]

Hi,

 

We were looking for a last minute cruise for spring break and came across the CCL Splendor but the reviews are not great and I read that the Splendor doesn't have the upgrades like Guys Burgers. And its referred to as the pink ship because of its unusually bright color scheme even for Carnival I guess it's bright. Can anyone shed any light on their thoughts on this ship?

 

Thanks,

T

 

We love the Splendor and have been on her 5x, guys burger is nothing but over rated grease bombs and is the color pink going to deter you from sailing on a ship???

[RHilla619]

Sailed her this past August out of NYC. Absolutely loved the ship, crew, food, etc. Was a good size, not too big but not too small, the adults only aft pool was great. Would absolutely sail on Splendor again.