Carnival Splendor just back today (10/4/09)

[tea4ular]

A brief (ha!) review of the Carnival Splendor 9/27 through 10/4….Embarking was a bit crowded however my friend uses a cane and we were whisked right out of the line and handled specially and quickly. The staff on the shore were lovely.

We were on the ship by noon-thirty, and headed to the cabins, but were asked (nicely) to not go to them. So we went up to Lido deck (deck 9), found a lovely window table and enjoyed people watching and a leisurely lunch of Mongolian BBQ (yummy) and salads. Again, the crew (staff) we came in contact with were pleasant and friendly. The ship was spotless.

At 2 we made our way to the cabin (10th floor, Spa Balcony). Our room was laid out very nicely and we all felt like there was more floor space than our cabin on the Elation last year (which we also loved). We immediately found the bungee cord to prop open the balcony door (best packing tip we received!!) unpacked, and hid our luggage under the beds. We wanted no sign that we did not actually live on the ship!

We met our steward (Zoran from Croatia) and his assistant (Jefri from the Philippines). Very friendly, courteous, and ready to do anything for us (without being clawing). We had 3 to the cabin and noticed only 2 deck chairs, so asked for a 3rd. Within moments it arrived. We were home…for the next week anyway.

We took a stroll around the decks, and a few things that I noticed along the way…

1. The library is minuscule. As in ti-ny! I have grown fond of the libraries on ships as they tend to be very quiet and have plenty of comfortable seating and lots of windows. I was disappointed. (not a deal breaker)

2. Every crew member we saw said hello and had a smile. (as a stockholder that makes me happy)

3. There were many smaller (smallish) public rooms “hidden” throughout the ship.

4. The on-deck band was not playing the same 5 Calypso/Reggae songs over and over again (hooray!).

5. There seemed to be twice as many elevators as several other ships I’ve been on.

6. “Everyone” talks about the pink color all over the ship, we simply say Carnival’s madcap decorator was at “it” again!

After our stroll, it was time to set sail, and we opted for our balcony for sail off. We couldn’t have been happier.

We had early dining (6 pm), and I say this every time….6 pm comes mighty early on a cruise ship. Then again, I can’t see myself eating dinner at 8 or 8:30, so I just take 6 and smile. We shared a large table with 5 others (8 total), and yes, Carnival managed, again, to match up similar traveling groups. I do not know how they do it, but they seem to get it right every time. Our dining companions were fun and lively. Dinner was good, with some items being exceptional. Of course we had “warm melting cake” among other desserts which my friends and I shared. We were in the Gold Pearl dining room, and had waiter Bobby and his assistant Jose, who we all fell in love with on the first night!

We passed on the evening entertainment, choosing instead to pop in to the Cloud9 Spa which was included in our fare (as we were booked in a Spa cabin – otherwise this area costs $35 a day or $250 for the week…per person…I think it’s too expensive). In this Cloud9 area there is an indoor Jacuzzi (they call it a Thalassotherapy Pool) that is the size of a small swimming pool and the temperature is warmer than the other “Jacuzzi’s” on the ship. There are also 4 relaxation rooms that are connected. 2 are steam baths: an aroma steam bath (pure heaven) and an “oriental steam bath” (hotter than the aroma steam room), as well as 2 “dry heat” chambers which felt cool to us (after steams) but which had these AMAZING heated lounge chairs made of iridescent glass tile. Each of these rooms had floor to ceiling windows overlooking the ocean. Wonderful. There were also a couple of cold water multi-jetted showers as well as a relaxation room with comfortable canopy beds that overlooked the ocean. The ambiance was nice and I only wish that some people understood that part of the joy of a spa experience is the quiet and serenity. Some people talked in their normal voices while still others got even a bit carried away. One thing that was a bit of a disappointment was that these were co-ed (unlike prior ship experiences), so bathing suits were mandatory (I prefer to steam/sauna au natural or with only a towel). One other thing I noticed was that some people tended to leave their towels in the steam/sauna rooms. Gross. Please take your towel and put it in the “soiled” linen basket…they’re in every room. Oh well, didn’t stop ME from relaxing!

The locker room was great (ladies side, I had no “gent” to scout that side) and even had 2 huge private showers. Very nice. And lots of lockers that you program with a code.

I hit the gym 6 of the 7 days, and it was well equipped but lacked an area for floor exercises/stretching. Bring headphones and you can plug in to individual TVs on the equipment, or attach your iPod to it. There was an aerobics/spinning room, but I didn’t use it. I looked at the beauty salon and massage/treatment rooms, but didn’t partake. They looked nice though.

The rest of the week was similar, although we did see two shows…the first a basic revue, was ok, the female lead (Ling-Ling) was far more talented than her counterpart – whose name escapes me, and we saw Vroom, which we though was entertaining…we also caught one adult comedy show (with a comic named Seth Buchwald – he was quite funny). We really cannot comment on these items too much, it’s not really our cup of tea. We were disappointed that another comic “missed his flight” and didn’t make it.

We spent many a night on our own balcony just chilling out (the weather got warm very fast as we headed South), listening to the sea, and watching the stars.

We tried to watch a movie on the Lido deck (huge screen) but there were too many other sounds in addition to needing a better sound mix. It was muddy sounding and we simply could not enjoy the film. We were thinking it would be great if there was a way they could figure out how to use a head-set system like the airlines do, while utilizing the big screen.

The pools and Jacuzzi’s were open until very late (nearly midnight) every night (the spa closed at 10), and people took advantage of that. The kid’s water park closed between 4 and 5 nightly. It sure looked like fun!

There was plenty of space to curl up with a book, iPod, game or just nap, both indoors and out. The serenity decks were nice and we even saw a small school of dolphin one afternoon from it (and a couple said they’d seen a whale from the Gold Pearl dining room early at breakfast). We also saw dolphin & tons of flying fish & barracuda from our balcony.

The kids onboard were all well behaved, and we had no tantrums, football playing, or playing of tag. The chair hogs did not seem to be around and even if they were, there were plenty of other chairs to lounge in.

We all commented that while the ship was at full capacity (3000 passengers) it never felt like it. Even in the big theater there were always plenty of seats available. And Carnival even did a cool thing…they set out “reserved” signs in several rows mid-theater for wheelchair guests and their family’s/friends. That was really great to see.

Public restrooms were everywhere but often tucked away and you might not find one if you didn’t ask.

I’d read that some folks were unhappy with food lines. We didn’t experience anything negative. Omelets cooked to order take longer (but they did have 4 omelet stations going at once, with 3 pans being cooked by each chef), and Mongolian BBQ cooked to order takes longer too (but they had 4 chefs each handling 3 woks at a time). The chicken Rotisserie cafe was delicious (although somewhat hidden), the Tandori café had a good selection, and the deli sandwich makers seemed bored (unlike the guys at the Mongolian BBQ – especially Rodante, who was so into the show of what he was doing!), but they made some good sandwiches!We never made it to the sushi bar, or the tapas bar, but did see the spread at the tapas bar, and it looked great. We never made it to the made to order burrito bar either, although I did get some black beans, chips, guacamole and salsa from there and they were good.


Someone on a cruise bulletin board mentioned that she couldn’t find feminine hygiene products anywhere on board (including the gift shop). We’ll they’re there now. There is a machine in the ladies room (25 cents) by the Spectacular Spectacular showroom, as well as they sell them in the gift shop in small packages.

What we did in the various ports…

Puerto Vallarta – we booked (online, not through Carnival) the zip line “canopy tour” with Los Veranos (you can find them online). This was the highlight of our trip. We are 3 women, 51, 59 & 70. It was exhilarating and so much fun! We would do it again in a minute. The entire crew there was delightful and made the day a blast. As a “bonus” you get a bus ride for about 45 minutes from town into the “jungle” and that was great too. On the way back we asked to be dropped off in town, and visited Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, several small art shops and enjoyed a meal on the water at the Malecon (boardwalk). I also found internet access for $1 an hour, just off the ship, next to the pharmacy (near the flea market); they had phone service to the US for 35 cents a minute as well.

Mazatlan – we booked (again, online) 2 ½ hour massages at AromaSpa in downtown (not far from the ship). This is not a fancy, schmancy “spa” or hotel spa, this is a well run, clean and great place if you want to get the kinks out! The price can’t be beat at under $40 (tip not included) for a 2 ½ hour massage. They have other services too; one of my friends enjoyed a facial as well as a massage.

Cabo San Lucas – we stayed close to the ship as we had very limited time there, and didn’t jump off right at docking. I found internet access (very hard to find in Cabo, close to the ship) in a small liquor store, one computer, $4 an hour. It worked for my needs. I think someone could do a great business in Cabo with a decent internet cafe.


All in all, these are our scores:

Carnival Splendor: 5 smiley faces

Service: 5 smiley faces

Things to do on the ship: 5 smiley faces

Food: 5 smiley faces

Zip Line (Los Veranos): 5 smiley faces & 3

Massages (AromaSpa): 5 smiley faces

Cabo: 3 smiley faces (not enough time)

Feel free to ask any questions, and we’ll answer as soon as we can.

[jobster71]

I thank you for taking the time to post a review. Do you happen to have any pictures of the balcony?

[tea4ular]

Originally Posted by jobster71

I thank you for taking the time to post a review. Do you happen to have any pictures of the balcony?

I do. I have never posted pictures here before, so i have to figure out how to do that. If you know, could you write me some instructions?

[arizonacruzr]

We're on the Oct 11th sailing- can't wait!!!
Three in our group are doing Los Vernos booked independently also. I had never considered the drop off in town but maybe we will. I have many questions, so here goes:
Is there an appropriate dress code to enter the church? We'll just be coming back from ziplining so not sure if we can go there in shorts and t-shirts?
Is this far from the Malecon, within walking distance, or did you need a cab from the cathedral to the Malecon and another one back to the ship?
Ziplining-
1) Did you use the provided water stations? I'm a little nervous about drinking their provided water.
2) Advice on taking your own camera or video- I think I remember you must have a fanny pack or something not tied around your neck?
3) Recommendations on footwear?

Sorry for so many questions. Glad you had a great trip!

[tea4ular]

Originally Posted by arizonacruzr

We're on the Oct 11th sailing- can't wait!!!
Three in our group are doing Los Vernos booked independently also. I had never considered the drop off in town but maybe we will. I have many questions, so here goes:
Is there an appropriate dress code to enter the church? We'll just be coming back from ziplining so not sure if we can go there in shorts and t-shirts? We wore capri's and t-shirts. No one gave us dirty looks (although we were disheveled from the zip lining!). Just shoulders must be covered.
Is this far from the Malecon, within walking distance, or did you need a cab from the cathedral to the Malecon and another one back to the ship?
Ziplining- The cathedral is one block away from the Malecon, no cab required. From the Malecon back to ship cost us $3 ea (there were 3 of us)
1) Did you use the provided water stations? I'm a little nervous about drinking their provided water. We did not. We simply did not drink on the actual zip lining. When it was over they offer a can of soda (various flavors), which was very welcome. It was included. Do plan on a decent tip ($15 to $20 per each of you zipping) as these guys work their butts off for you. It's worth it!
2) Advice on taking your own camera or video- I think I remember you must have a fanny pack or something not tied around your neck? We all had cameras. I kept mine in my fanny pack and at one point I pulled it out, set it to video, put the strap around my wrist and let it capture what it will. It's upside down, but the video is AMAZING!
3) Recommendations on footwear? We all wore sneakers. They must be closed toed, and not be able to just fall off (like those half sneaker half sandal).

Sorry for so many questions. Glad you had a great trip!

Your questions are perfect (because I can answer them all!)
You're gonna love zip lining, especially at this place.

[boaterette]

Thank you for the review. I really like this itinerary. I have sailed the Pride three times. I am still deciding if I want to go on the Splendor.

[inotdown]

Thank you OP for the review.

The one part that I wanted to ask you a little more about was the Cloud 9 Spa. You mentioned that you and your party had Spa Cabins which allowed you access to the Cloud 9 Spa and that you took advantage of. I was thinking about planning on getting a Spa Cabin on the Splendor in the future and overall was thinking it was worth it.

Questions that I have:

1. How were the crowds at the Cloud 9 Spa? You did mention the noise and the lack of quiet and serenity at times but did you ever feel overcrowded?

2. Was your purchase of the Spa Cabin worth it overall? Do you feel like you got your $$$ worth given the Spa access that comes with the Spa Cabin?

3. How did you find the "isolation" and "distance" of the Spa Cabin rooms to the rest of the ship? Was this a problem or hindrance for you and your party?

Thank you again for your post and info shared.

[Chacooe]

Originally Posted by boaterette

Thank you for the review. I really like this itinerary. I have sailed the Pride three times. I am still deciding if I want to go on the Splendor.

I like this itinerary also and was on the Pride, but now I wanted to see the difference in the size of the ships and this is the way to do it. Go ahead and book on the Splendor, you may just enjoy it, like they say, you never know until you try it.

To the OP, I loved your review of the Splendor, I am booked for Jan 2010 because I have always watched the whales while they migrated north and south, now I want to see where they go and see the babies. I use to live on the coast in Oregon and would watch those magnificent creatures migrate every year and I use to say to myself "One of these days I am going to go and visit them in the area that they migrate to." and now I will be able to do that. The last time I went to Mexico was on the Carnival Pride last year, but the whales had not arrived yet, so I did not get to see them , but I will be able to this time. Again thank you for the wonderful review.

[tea4ular]

Originally Posted by inotdown

Thank you OP for the review.

The one part that I wanted to ask you a little more about was the Cloud 9 Spa. You mentioned that you and your party had Spa Cabins which allowed you access to the Cloud 9 Spa and that you took advantage of. I was thinking about planning on getting a Spa Cabin on the Splendor in the future and overall was thinking it was worth it.

Questions that I have:

1. How were the crowds at the Cloud 9 Spa? You did mention the noise and the lack of quiet and serenity at times but did you ever feel overcrowded? The ONLY time the Cloud9 spa was crowded was the last day at sea - seems everyone took advantage of the cooler weather as we headed North and enjoyed the spa. Otherwise it was rather empty.

2. Was your purchase of the Spa Cabin worth it overall? Do you feel like you got your $$$ worth given the Spa access that comes with the Spa Cabin? Worth it, yes. But we got an amazing deal on it. It was actually less expensive than the original "regular" balcony cabin we had booked. The price on the spa balcony dropped significantly so we requested a change. The price shot up the next day and stayed high for the next 7 months (we booked in Feb.). We all 3 got our $ worth on the spa. It's something I love to do (although I admit, I think the extra is insanely high). If you build it into the cost of the cabin, and you actually utilize the spa, it's worth it. It would be very hard for me to sail that ship again and not have access.

3. How did you find the "isolation" and "distance" of the Spa Cabin rooms to the rest of the ship? Was this a problem or hindrance for you and your party? There's no real isolation, but I will say this, you have fewer people walking past your cabin at all hours of the day or night!

Thank you again for your post and info shared.

You're welcome.

[tea4ular]

Originally Posted by Chacooe

I like this itinerary also and was on the Pride, but now I wanted to see the difference in the size of the ships and this is the way to do it. Go ahead and book on the Splendor, you may just enjoy it, like they say, you never know until you try it.

To the OP, I loved your review of the Splendor, I am booked for Jan 2010 because I have always watched the whales while they migrated north and south, now I want to see where they go and see the babies. I use to live on the coast in Oregon and would watch those magnificent creatures migrate every year and I use to say to myself "One of these days I am going to go and visit them in the area that they migrate to." and now I will be able to do that. The last time I went to Mexico was on the Carnival Pride last year, but the whales had not arrived yet, so I did not get to see them , but I will be able to this time. Again thank you for the wonderful review.

We love whales too, and hope to see some in Alaska in early May 2010. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

[cheri]

We went to alaska in may, first ship in and all wild life was still sleeping. Hope your luck is better than ours, enjoy

[Winterstale]

tea4ular - thanks for your great review -- we'll be on her in a few weeks in an inside Spa cabin and we're really looking forward to relaxing in Cloud9 Spa!

We also booked Aroma for some massage in Mazatlan -- is it easy to get to from the ship? Knute -- the guy I emailed about our massages -- said to just grab a cab and they'll know where to go if we ask for "Aroma Spa" or "Aroma Massage" -- hopeing that's true

[tea4ular]

Originally Posted by Winterstale

tea4ular - thanks for your great review -- we'll be on her in a few weeks in an inside Spa cabin and we're really looking forward to relaxing in Cloud9 Spa!

We also booked Aroma for some massage in Mazatlan -- is it easy to get to from the ship? Knute -- the guy I emailed about our massages -- said to just grab a cab and they'll know where to go if we ask for "Aroma Spa" or "Aroma Massage" -- hopeing that's true

It's true. We simply stepped out to the road (after being driven in a shuttle to the terminal from the ship (open air trolley - about 3 minutes), asked a cab driver how much to AromaSpa, and within moments were driving through the streets (cab took less than 15 minutes to AromaSpa). After, if you don't find a cab already sitting out front, Ana (receptionist) will call a cab for you.

The area around AromaSpa is very European feeling and looking. We adored it and only wished we weren't so relaxed after so we could have walked around a bit...it was all we could do to be upright and get back to the ship!!!! Next time!

[Winterstale]

oh that's good to know!! We may do a little exploring!

[jimbo5544]

Very nice review. Glad you enjoyed your cruise. We were on the Splendor in August and enjoyed ours as well.

[Blueliner1]

Going 11/8 would love to see some pics. Its our first cruise and would like some other ideas about things to do.

Thank you,

Originally Posted by tea4ular

I do. I have never posted pictures here before, so i have to figure out how to do that. If you know, could you write me some instructions?

[jobster71]

Hello, thanks for any pictures you can post.
As you are replying to the tread, go all the way down the page and click on manage attachment. then go to your pictures and click on the picture you want to share then upload and submit reply.


thanks

[tea4ular]

Originally Posted by jobster71

I thank you for taking the time to post a review. Do you happen to have any pictures of the balcony?

Thanks to the person who gave instructions. Perfect!

2 views of the balcony....

[jobster71]

Thanks, one of this days my hubby will let me book a balcony. He likes to sleep in on our vacations and would rather have it totally dark. Plus he is cheap!!!! ha ha .

[tea4ular]

Originally Posted by jobster71

Thanks, one of this days my hubby will let me book a balcony. He likes to sleep in on our vacations and would rather have it totally dark. Plus he is cheap!!!! ha ha .

Good thing he wasn't with us! We slept with the door open at night. The sound of the water, the warm air...heaven. Never slept better. Really.