Rare arxcards Posted July 8 #1 Share Posted July 8 (edited) 1 - Arrived and had breakfast in the dining room, got ready to go ashore, 2 - Captain announced it wasn't safe to tender, 3 - Anchor was raised and off we went, 4 - Watched a rainbow 🌈 form in front of us while we were departing, 5 - Laughed at the masses sitting at their favourite pokies for 90mins awaiting the opening of the casino. Apart from a partial miss of Tracy Arm fiord because of excess ice, this is our first port miss, so we are pretty thankful for the $100 OBC and future cruise credit. Edited July 8 by arxcards Forgot a word 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiliburn Posted July 8 #2 Share Posted July 8 25 minutes ago, arxcards said: 1 - Arrived and had breakfast in the dining room, got ready to go ashore, 2 - Captain announced it wasn't safe to tender, 3 - Anchor was raised and off we went, 4 - Watched a rainbow 🌈 form in front of us while we were departing, 5 - Laughed at the masses sitting at their favourite pokies for 90mins awaiting the opening of the casino. Apart from a partial miss of Tracy Arm fiord because of excess ice, this is our first port miss, so we are pretty thankful for the $100 OBC and future cruise credit. That looks more like a swarm Rhinoceros beetles than a rainbow. Ripped off again Geoff,what ship was that ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare arxcards Posted July 8 Author #3 Share Posted July 8 3 minutes ago, Chiliburn said: That looks more like a swarm Rhinoceros beetles than a rainbow. Ripped off again Geoff,what ship was that ? Splendor. Carnival can't afford Rhino beetles. Bit like Lelepa though - so near, yet so far away. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiliburn Posted July 8 #4 Share Posted July 8 1 minute ago, arxcards said: Splendor. Carnival can't afford Rhino beetles. Bit like Lelepa though - so near, yet so far away. I think we have more of a chance of going to Tangalooma than Lelepa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MicCanberra Posted July 8 #5 Share Posted July 8 If the weather wasn't nice, the obc would be a much better outcome anyway. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Mycruiseobsession Posted July 8 #6 Share Posted July 8 What is the ship like? As Gawdy as people say? I've never been on Carnival so genuinely interested in your opinion. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare arxcards Posted July 8 Author #7 Share Posted July 8 8 hours ago, Mycruiseobsession said: What is the ship like? As Gawdy as people say? I've never been on Carnival so genuinely interested in your opinion. The ship is fine. It is only marginally over the top with styling in the public areas. The cabins are quite tastefully fitted, and I love the nostalgic poster art wallpaper in the corridors. It lacks the faux timber of Princess and the muted tones of P&O, but your eyes will adjust soon enough. They do offer sensory packs for those that may be a bit anxious to their new surroundings. Food is subjective. This time, the dining room meals were excellent and full of taste. I could eat eggs benny every morning (no eggstra charge), and they had a couple of other varied egg dishes such as shakshuka. In the main, dining room service was slick. The dinner menus change each night, with plenty of choice. The app worked well for reserving your table as you were heading for the dining room, but they need to find a way of educating new cruisers with it. Some would book a table as if it were the buffet, and others assumed their assigned early/late dinner table was also their breakfast & lunch table. It is a bit strange when a Karen is accusing someone of stealing their table. On day 3, we had run out of pineapple juice (maybe someone told that Demo joke), and the apple juice was watered-down to stretch it out. It was ghastly. As for the buffet, burgers, pizza etc - the queues are long. For Guy's burgers, there was a line of passengers 15mins before opening. Maybe there were plenty of first-time cruisers and they didn't know any different - it just looked weird to me. 555 steakhouse was top notch. Drinks are expensive, and the bars are not as slick as I would expect. Great service, but they ran out of some basic spirits, and certain types of glasses. It was really weird drinking a martini from a wine glass, but that was the only chilled glasses they had. Embark/disembark went without a hitch. In general, I find the ship to be very busy/noisy. OK, we were on a short cruise, in winter, in ordinary weather, in school hols. The rainy weather would have placed a higher number of passengers indoors than would be the norm and there were plenty of those ingredients that could have made it horrible, but it was far from it. In many ways it is on par with what P&O used to be. Can't be unseen. Ahh, the adult retreat at sailaway. The great view of the aft decks with a backdrop of the harbour bridge. Look down a little, and it was rub-a-dub-dub, 6 mullets in the spa tub. Happily drinking away and given a wide berth by every female in the area. 4 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Mycruiseobsession Posted July 8 #8 Share Posted July 8 1 hour ago, arxcards said: could eat eggs benny every morning (no eggstra charge), That is my favourite part of your whole post! Love it!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Mycruiseobsession Posted July 8 #9 Share Posted July 8 1 hour ago, arxcards said: In general, I find the ship to be very busy/noisy. OK, we were on a short cruise, in winter, in ordinary weather, in school hols Okay that makes sense. 3 dayers are usually filled with 1st timers and rowdy party goers. 1 hour ago, arxcards said: Look down a little, and it was rub-a-dub-dub, 6 mullets in the spa tub Hands down the most hilarious comment on the internet today!! 🤣 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare arxcards Posted July 8 Author #10 Share Posted July 8 1 minute ago, Mycruiseobsession said: Okay that makes sense. 3 dayers are usually filled with 1st timers and rowdy party goers. Hands down the most hilarious comment on the internet today!! 🤣 4 nighter. Not a whole lot of rowdy party goers on this one. Certainly lots of 1st timers, and it feels more like a pub than the P&O RSL. I expect Carnival Splendor is a bit more conservative on a 7-to-10-night cruise, but I am not sure I will find out for myself any time soon. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windsor26 Posted July 9 #11 Share Posted July 9 46 minutes ago, arxcards said: 4 nighter. Not a whole lot of rowdy party goers on this one. Certainly lots of 1st timers, and it feels more like a pub than the P&O RSL. I expect Carnival Splendor is a bit more conservative on a 7-to-10-night cruise, but I am not sure I will find out for myself any time soon. Yes the 7 plus nights do have a different vibe but still happy and plenty to do (or not do) as you choose The only problem we have found on Splendor every time is the long wait for tenders I hate having to get up early to get a ticket for a reasonable time or face not getting off till lunchtime 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare arxcards Posted July 9 Author #12 Share Posted July 9 12 minutes ago, windsor26 said: Yes the 7 plus nights do have a different vibe but still happy and plenty to do (or not do) as you choose The only problem we have found on Splendor every time is the long wait for tenders I hate having to get up early to get a ticket for a reasonable time or face not getting off till lunchtime Well worth looking at "Faster to the Fun" packages if tendering is important. Otherwise you need to be platinum, diamond or in a suite to get priority boarding/tendering. For a QLD coastal, it would be reasonable value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruiser3775 Posted July 9 #13 Share Posted July 9 3 hours ago, arxcards said: The ship is fine. It is only marginally over the top with styling in the public areas. The cabins are quite tastefully fitted, and I love the nostalgic poster art wallpaper in the corridors. Carnival Splendor gets a bad wrap on this forum, but I enjoyed my first cruse with her last year. The worst of the over-the-top decor is in the Atrium and the lift lobbies, with iridescent pink donuts everywhere. The cabins are quite subdued. I enjoyed the food choices. The buffet was large and had much more choice than some other cruise lines, and the cakes were particularly good. The dining room choices were sometimes hit and miss, but that happens on most ships in this mid price range, I think. I enjoyed the Indian food at Marsala Tiger and dinner at a speciality restaurant. The wine list was better than on Princess, and the prices were better, too. Given that it is marketed as a "fun ship", with lots for children, including the huge waterslides, I will be avoiding short cruises and school holidays. I'm booked on a Singapore to Sydney cruise next month on Splendor, so will report back after that. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Mycruiseobsession Posted July 9 #14 Share Posted July 9 3 hours ago, arxcards said: 4 nighter. Not a whole lot of rowdy party goers on this one. Certainly lots of 1st timers, and it feels more like a pub than the P&O RSL It must be the extra day that kept them tamer 😂 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare arxcards Posted July 9 Author #15 Share Posted July 9 40 minutes ago, cruiser3775 said: Carnival Splendor gets a bad wrap on this forum, but I enjoyed my first cruse with her last year. The worst of the over-the-top decor is in the Atrium and the lift lobbies, with iridescent pink donuts everywhere. The cabins are quite subdued. I enjoyed the food choices. The buffet was large and had much more choice than some other cruise lines, and the cakes were particularly good. The dining room choices were sometimes hit and miss, but that happens on most ships in this mid price range, I think. I enjoyed the Indian food at Marsala Tiger and dinner at a speciality restaurant. The wine list was better than on Princess, and the prices were better, too. Given that it is marketed as a "fun ship", with lots for children, including the huge waterslides, I will be avoiding short cruises and school holidays. I'm booked on a Singapore to Sydney cruise next month on Splendor, so will report back after that. No complaints on the wine from us either. We tried a bottle of something different, and also had the wine pairings with dinner in 555. Even for a short winter holiday cruise, most of it stacked up really well. It was only a couple of quirky ***** moments, like a shortage of chilled glasses, watered-down apple juice, and a lack of screening entrants into the dining room at breakfast & lunch. The rest comes down to the demographic these cruises are pitched to - most of whom will be missing from your cruise. In the end, we spent too much money for 4 nights of cruising. On that note, Princess Plus suits us better, and we can ignore the wine in favour of spirits, martinis & cocktails. My preferred drink is $16.50 on Princess, $22 on Carnival (identical ingredients). We can do without internet on a short cruise, but not for anything more than a week. Princess plus includes it; Carnival is $25.50 per day for whole of cruise. Throw in mini bar, priority boarding & tendering, laundry etc. Splendor is perfectly OK to cruise on, and Carnival in general, but our personal circumstances land us with Princess - for now at least. As for a winter cruise from Sydney, that isn't an option I have a good friend on the Singapore - Sydney cruise. I suspect it was a cheap casino offering. The ship is in a generally OK condition but the carpets at the lift foyers have needed replacing for a year, and the mattress in our cabin was lumpier than a camp bed There was a business card on the bed on the last day, suggesting we could buy a bed just like that one - I tossed it in the bin. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Mycruiseobsession Posted July 9 #16 Share Posted July 9 1 hour ago, cruiser3775 said: Carnival Splendor gets a bad wrap on this forum, but I enjoyed my first cruse with her last year. Well so does P&O and I have managed to have a good time. I just like hearing all the good the bad and the perceptions. I hope you have a wonderful cruise next month! Looking forward to your updates! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare arxcards Posted July 9 Author #17 Share Posted July 9 2 minutes ago, Mycruiseobsession said: It must be the extra day that kept them tamer 😂 Winter, cold & wet, latte sipping weather. There were some, but Princess has more of them drinking x15 with their fare each day. No chairs were harmed during this cruise but are few were load-tested in the buffet. 1 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Mycruiseobsession Posted July 9 #18 Share Posted July 9 6 minutes ago, arxcards said: On that note, Princess Plus suits us better, and we can ignore the wine in favour of spirits, martinis & cocktails. On our last cruise my husband and I had the P&O Premium drinks package included in the sale but we barely used it, the flavours of the mixers, the brand of spirits just didn't cut it. Even the inluded internet wasn't really great. I think we were spoilt after having a Princess Plus package 6 months earlier. I haven't been on Carnival yet so can't compare so I can only assume it may be similar. Nonetheless we will still end up on Carnival next year as they will cater to our teens better than Princess. We have decided when they go to university or whatever they choose, we will book another Princess just for ourselves. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mr walker Posted July 9 #19 Share Posted July 9 1 hour ago, arxcards said: There was a business card on the bed on the last day, suggesting we could buy a bed just like that one - I tossed it in the bin. The card or the bed?? 😮 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare arxcards Posted July 9 Author #20 Share Posted July 9 1 hour ago, Mycruiseobsession said: Well so does P&O and I have managed to have a good time. I just like hearing all the good the bad and the perceptions. I hope you have a wonderful cruise next month! Looking forward to your updates! I had a choice between Pac Advenure and Splendor - same itinerary three days apart. I am more than happy with the choice we made, despite loving the old Golden Princess layout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ceeceeDee Posted July 9 #21 Share Posted July 9 2 hours ago, arxcards said: No complaints on the wine from us either. We tried a bottle of something different, and also had the wine pairings with dinner in 555. Even for a short winter holiday cruise, most of it stacked up really well. It was only a couple of quirky ***** moments, like a shortage of chilled glasses, watered-down apple juice, and a lack of screening entrants into the dining room at breakfast & lunch. The rest comes down to the demographic these cruises are pitched to - most of whom will be missing from your cruise. In the end, we spent too much money for 4 nights of cruising. On that note, Princess Plus suits us better, and we can ignore the wine in favour of spirits, martinis & cocktails. My preferred drink is $16.50 on Princess, $22 on Carnival (identical ingredients). We can do without internet on a short cruise, but not for anything more than a week. Princess plus includes it; Carnival is $25.50 per day for whole of cruise. Throw in mini bar, priority boarding & tendering, laundry etc. Splendor is perfectly OK to cruise on, and Carnival in general, but our personal circumstances land us with Princess - for now at least. As for a winter cruise from Sydney, that isn't an option I have a good friend on the Singapore - Sydney cruise. I suspect it was a cheap casino offering. The ship is in a generally OK condition but the carpets at the lift foyers have needed replacing for a year, and the mattress in our cabin was lumpier than a camp bed There was a business card on the bed on the last day, suggesting we could buy a bed just like that one - I tossed it in the bin. Oh, Geoff, you missed a golden opportunity. How could you pass on buying the bed!? I'm sure you'll regret it next time your least favourite relative comes to stay with you. 🤣 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare arxcards Posted July 9 Author #22 Share Posted July 9 56 minutes ago, mr walker said: The card or the bed?? 😮 I left the bed for the next poor person, and they have it for heaps more nights than us. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now