Splendor is an excellent ship.

This was our 10th Carnival cruise out of 14 total. The others being with RCL, Princess, Celebrity and Costa.

Cruising since our mid twenties and we live in Florida!

After reading alot of negative reviews on the Splendor, we were a little worried especially after their mechanical issues a couple of weeks ago. I do believe however that if anything goes wrong with a Carnival Ship it is highlighted and exploited especially on the media and the reviews. Mechanical faults happen and we were kept up to date all week before the cruise.

The ship was repaired on time for our cruise and even though our itinerary was not altered, we received additional entertainment with Chris Tucker live in St Thomas. I have never laughed so much!!

Boarding the ship was the easiest i have ever ever experienced. They now have zones and check in times. Ours was 1230. Arrived at the terminal, short line to the check in. Showed boarding pass and passport and then to our amazement were told to board the ship!!

I asked what about the sail and sign card? Answer...it would be waiting in our mailbox outside the cabin. I love this new system. Literally 5-10 mins after arriving at the port we were on the ship! Amazing.

The room was not ready, so we had lunch at the Tandoor. The indian food here is delicious, i wish all Carnival ships had this. We ended up having lunch here nearly every day. I really mean it, the the food was great. Forget about greasy burgers and pizza, stop at the Tandoor lido deck aft, you will not regret it, assuming your ship has it of course. I believe only 4 ships have it, dream class and the splendor and that does NOT include the Vista to our dismay.

Our balcony was a cloud 9 spa balcony. It was worth every penny!! We used the VIP only thermal pool every day. It was rejuvenating. I believe again very few ships bar the dream class and the Vista have this massive Thermal whirlpool. The saunas, relaxation rooms, rooms with heated lounge chairs were amazing. This was one of the highlights of the cruise, the Tandoor came a close second.

I read alot of comments about the ship being old and the pink decor. What are those people on about??? Too many cocktails?? The ship is fine, modern and the decor yes its pink, its fine, its a Carnival fun ship for crying out loud. BTW the spa balcony decks are not pink if color really makes or breaks your cruise! Some people you will never please.

The deck layout was easy to navigate. I loved the open lido aft, not many carnival ships have this anymore. Nice to be in a jacuzzi looking out at the sea. The main pool area, another thing i have read negative reviews about is absolutely fine. Don't let these grumpy reviewers put you off. The main pool area is fine, nothing wrong with it. Not completely open like most ships but when the roof is open its just the same. The roof closed one day in Grand Turk when it rained so we could watch movies on the big screen, a positive thing i believe.

No Guys Burgers which is ok with me. The off the grill was just as good, fresher i thought and the fries were better. With the Tandoor, BBQ pit on 10 aft, mongolian wok the burrito bar we had way better food options than on our other Carnival cruises.

The Mongolian Wok was delicious. BBQ incredible and you know how i feel about the Tandoor!! Every ship has to have the Tandoor....please Carnival.

MDR we had anytime seating. Service and food were great. Lobster, filet mignon, oysters, mussels whats not to like. Water filled quickly, warm bread, everything was superb. Im sorry but i read these negative reviews about the MDR and carival food and it really annoys me. Why are people so unhappy with life that even on a cruise they find something to complain about. Can you imagine those same people at home, going out to dinner giving the waiter a hard time, finding something just not right. Sad.

Entertainment apart from Chris Tucker Live was ok. Same 80s shows playlist etc. They should start changing them up or bring Chris Tucker on every cruise.

Disembarking just like arriving was a breeze. We use self assist. Up at 715am with room service breakfast. Out of the cabin and the ship by 800am and through immigration customs by 820am. Shuttle took us to our car 5 mins from port and home by 1130am in Sw florida!

Great cruise. Great ship. Great time. We will miss you Splendor!

Great to hear this, my wife and I will be sailing out from Ft. Lauderdale in July on Splendor. After coming off Breeze last year I was worried about the choice this year. Now seeing your review, I'm more please I did take the choice. We also have a Spa Cabin!

This is great to hear. We will be on her on July 2nd out of Fort Lauderdale. Thanks for the review.

Thank you for the concise and upbeat review. We consistently have a good cruise experience. :)

I still can't believe you didn't like the Tandoor! :confused::o:p

I agree. I loved the Splendor last year, and especially love the Tandoor. Also wish it was on more ships. I am sorry that Splendor is leaving Carnival's fleet, as it is certainly one ship that I would love to sail on again. Thanks for your review.

thanks for the good stuff - we are going on the Splendor in 2 weeks and I was starting to wonder because everyone carries on about the newer ships, and nit picks so much.

We are on the spa deck in an interior and can't wait! I will be sure to avoid the Tandoor at all costs - thanks for the heads up!

Going on her this Sunday. So I am happy to hear about it being nice. I can not wait for the Tandoor. That will be my first lunch...

I loved your concise, clear, cheerful review. On vacation I look for fun, food, and relaxation. Your experience sounds perfect to me.

Thanks for posting.

Great, positive review. Thank you for taking the time!!

Lol. You think i overstated how good it was? Probably right.

Tandoor in every Carnival ship....I'm starting a campaign! ;)

Going on her this Sunday. So I am happy to hear about it being nice. I can not wait for the Tandoor. That will be my first lunch...

So jealous! Have a great cruise!

Sailing on Splendor in May! So glad I upgraded to a cloud 9 balcony over the weekend! I Have no doubts about it now! Thanks so much for the great review. Do you know if they really offer discounted spa services if you are in a spa cabin?

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Thank you. Sailing April 2nd and can't wait. I was a bit worried when I first booked that maybe I had made a mistake so reading this it good news.

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Thank you so much for the great review - we will be onboard Splendor next! Will definitely try Tandoor - Mongolian Wok has been our favorite on other Carnival ships. Can't wait - thanks again!

Thanks for the review and yes we also love the Splendor, we have been on 5x and another 4 booked.

We also loved the Splendor - even with the mechanical issues our cruise encountered. I am actually thinking of booking her again for next February (#4 on Splendor). The crew is fantastic!

Does anyone have any idea why so many spa cabins are still available on the may 7th splendor sailing? I'm getting nervous that I made a mistake giving up my cabin on deck 8 mid for spa balcony on deck 10 front... hope it's not too bumpy! Ugh!!

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Glad to hear good things about the Splendor. Only after I'd booked for May 27th did I realize that it didnt have some of the upgrades. We've been on the Freedom and Triumph lately several times and I've always loved the Red Frog Rum Bar, Blue Iguana Cantina etc.

We don't eat much so food is not a big deal. I'll never get my wife near the Tandoori anyway. We just go for relaxation time together and the chance to visit new ports. Pretty much any ship can meet those goals.

I look at it this way, for 8 days we are on vacation with little to no responsibilities. I'm not going to be too picky about decor.

Can't wait!!!

Does anyone have any idea why so many spa cabins are still available on the may 7th splendor sailing? I'm getting nervous that I made a mistake giving up my cabin on deck 8 mid for spa balcony on deck 10 front... hope it's not too bumpy! Ugh!!

 

 

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Please dont take this the wrong way but giving up a Cloud 9 spa balcony on Deck 10 front for a regular balcony on deck 8 would be a really stupid decision which you would regret for a long time! Usually its the other way round..regular cabin to a spa balcony cabin.

My cabin was 1020. Quiet and certaintly not bumpy.

The spa experience on the Splendor is what makes this cruise.

Maybe the extra cost has something to do with the availability.

Enjoy your cruise.:)

Glad to hear good things about the Splendor. Only after I'd booked for May 27th did I realize that it didnt have some of the upgrades. We've been on the Freedom and Triumph lately several times and I've always loved the Red Frog Rum Bar, Blue Iguana Cantina etc.

We don't eat much so food is not a big deal. I'll never get my wife near the Tandoori anyway. We just go for relaxation time together and the chance to visit new ports. Pretty much any ship can meet those goals.

I look at it this way, for 8 days we are on vacation with little to no responsibilities. I'm not going to be too picky about decor.

Can't wait!!!

Not to get off topic here, but I am on the May 27th sailing of the Splendor as well. Are you in the roll call on social media?

Sailing on Splendor in May! So glad I upgraded to a cloud 9 balcony over the weekend! I Have no doubts about it now! Thanks so much for the great review. Do you know if they really offer discounted spa services if you are in a spa cabin?

 

 

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Yes they do. Up to 40% off. You also get 2 complimentary activities like body mass test etc. We also received special cloud 9 DIY scub kit, cloud 9 soaps, shampoos etc, slippers, robes. :)

Thank you for your honest and enlightening review! I'm cruising June 24 on the Splendor and cannot wait! Love reading all about her in the meantime!!

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[emoji4]

Calibra17.. you completely misread my post! I upgraded to a spa balcony deck 10 and gave up my deck 8 balcony. Guess I'm not that stupid after all! [emoji4].. happy sailing!

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