Review - Carnival Splendor Southern Caribbean June 10 - 18, 2017- Lots of Pics

We decided on this trip for our youngest son’s Pre-Senior Year Vacation almost a year ago. 8 nights on a cruise to the Southern Caribbean sounded like a dream for a teenager. It was myself, my husband and our 17 year old son.

We are originally from South Florida but currently live in Texas. We decided on headed to Ft. Lauderdale a few days early to visit with Family and Friends before boarding the Carnival Splendor. Hubby wasn’t able to take off as many days so my son and I flew into Ft Lauderdale the Wednesday before the cruise.

DH got there on Thursday night and his flight landed no problem. We all flew on Spriit since it’s the cheapest way to get from Dallas to Ft. Lauderdale. We know ahead that we get what we pay for. We don't pay for any extras, it's just a way to get from point A to point B, thankfully in one piece. Several people complain about the things they charge for but if you read thru the website, you’ll know it advance how not to pay for extras.

Friday we visited family and friends and even then did more visiting on Saturday morning until we were ready to load up my sister's car and head to Port Everglades. We were all so excited.

We headed into Port Everglades and all had to hand over our ID and let them know what ship we were headed to. They gave us a hangtag for the mirror that is only good for that day. We got our clearance and headed on our way to dock 19. Before we knew it we had our first glimpse of our home for the next 8 nights.

My sister pulled up into the area designated for dropping off and as instructed by on duty law enforcement. We unloaded and porters quickly took our bags as we took our carryons with us and got in line to check in. Our check in time was 12:30 - 1:30 as per the information from Carnival. We got in line about 1 pm. I had printed off our boarding passes from the website but apparently they needed a barcode on them which they didn't print out with. I was taken over to a worker with a handheld printer and she reprinted our correct boarding passes. Just a note to double check your boarding passes to make sure yours have the barcode. The line was long and wound back and forth several times. No trouble though, everyone was in vacation mode and was patient and looking forward to boarding. Soon enough it was time to show our boarding passes and passports and make our way onto the Carnival Splendor. We were in cabin 7391 on the Empress Deck. We went ahead and left our beds as twins instead of pushed together as a king so the 3 of us would have more space. The top bunk bed isn't as cushy or thick as the bottom mattresses so the second night we asked our Cabin Steward Daniel if he could make up the bed with an extra comforter under the sheet to make it a little more comfortable. He did and our son said it made a difference. Just a tip if you have someone sleeping up top.

PAST CRUISES:

Discovery Sun 2003 Freeport Bahamas Day Cruise

Celebrity Solstice 6/26/09 Eastern Mediterranean

Carnival Conquest 08/10/10 Eastern Caribbean

Carnival Victory 06/10/12 Southern Caribbean http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1659913

Carnival Miracle 07/30/13 Alaska http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showt...8#post39476968

Diamond Princess 12/23/13 New Zealand/Australia http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2112413

Carnival Pride 11/23/14 Exotic Western Caribbean http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2135404

Carnival Splendor 6/10/18

Nice review so far! Looking forward to the rest :D

We collected our Sail and Sign cards from the mailbox outside our door, and dropped our things off and made up our way up top to grab a bite to eat and then head to the railings for sailaway.

It wasn’t long before we said goodbye to Ft. Lauderdale and headed out to sea.

For this cruise we had early seating for dinner in the Gold Pearl Dining room on Deck 4. Our main waiter was Atila. This was his second to last cruise for heading home for a much needed visit. He was great and attentive and always remembered our names. I will say, the dining was a bit odd though. The first night we sat at a long table , the 3 of us on one end and then a bit later we were joined by a man and two teen boys. Atila indicated to him that there was a mix up with the tables and it would be corrected by the following night.

I had the fried shrimp and then the much missed since our last cruise Chocolate Melting Cake for dessert.

We always find something we’ll like from the American Menu. There are plenty of choices to please. It was a bit different without tablecloths, but I get the expense of washing so many everyday. I just wonder about the cleanliness of the cloths they use to wipe down the tables after every meal. I wiped my silverware off on my napkin.

Enjoying your review and very nice photos!

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After dinner, our son headed up to Club O2 to meet people and get the schedule of events. He really enjoys the friends he has made on different cruises in the groups from Circle C up to O2 now.

At 10 pm, Hubby and I headed El Mojito for a 40+ Mixer but after waiting a bit, no one showed up. We decided to check out the Piano Baron Deck 5 Aft to listen to some music and relax our first night away. Skip was our Piano Man this cruise and he was fantastic. To quote the song “he was always quick with a joke”...... He had a great knowledge of lots of music and it was a great time.

That was the end of the first day. Next up was a sea day. We checked out the fun times left in our mailbox to get ready for what fun we wanted to join in on the next day.

Our first sea day I was up early and decided to take a walk around on the top decks and get some fresh air. Beautiful sight so early in the morning,

I had heard about the decor of the Splendor, but I don't think I was completely prepared for all the frosted pink donuts. I will say, it grew on me after a while.

After my walk around the ship, we went back to the cabin to see who was awake. We headed to the Lido Deck for breakfast and then at 10 am, we went to play our first round of trivia in the Cool Lounge on Deck 5 Aft. This morning’s topic was Cartoons. Luckily between him watching and me hearing the theme songs as our kids were growing up, we nailed it and walked away with a Splendor Gold Ship on a Stick. It was great to win a cute souvenir.

After enjoying our winnings, we went to check out the Robusto Bar on Deck 4 Aft to find a small table to play some cards. That is one thing we love about Carnival, there are always places you can find to sit and relax.

On our Facebook Roll Call page, we had set up a Slot Pull for the first sea day. We were to meet in the casino. Everyone put in $21 and in all I think there were over 30 people playing. Our winnings climbed and fell and it was all great fun. In the end, each participant got back $12 in winnings. Where else can you play in the casino for over an hour on $9. It was also a great opportunity to meet some new people and put faces to the names we’ve seen in the Roll Call all this time.

We had lunch and then met a few people from the roll call back in the Cool Lounge for more trivia. We played a few rounds but didn't quite make it to the winners circle. We played Movie Quotes, Golden Girls (which we were surprised how much we did actually know) and then Lord of the Rings. A girl playing by herself actually one the LOTR trivia. CRAZY!!!!!

The cool lounge is where we ended up spending lots of time.

After trivia we spent some time people watching around the ship and enjoy some lazy time on Serenity.

Tonight was our first elegant night so we all dressed up and headed to the Gold Pearl Dining Room again. When we got there, we found our table had changed. Now we were seated at a round table for 8 across from the long table we were at the night before. We love meeting new people and looked forward to chatting with others at our table. Sadly, no one else ever joined us. We sat sort of in the center at a table for 8 and it was just the 3 of us. It was awkward. Thankfully for the food was still delicious and we enjoyed ourselves.

We opted to just take a few pics ourselves tonight and had some good ones.

Tonight’s Showtime was “Studio VIP’ in the Spectacular Theater on Decks 3,4 & 5 Forward. It was your typical cruise ship performance. We were entertained and enjoyed the show. What made it more fun was that a couple friends from our Roll Call were pulled on stage and participated.

We went back to Piano Lounge for some more late night music after the show before calling it a night. Coming up in the morning was our first port day, Grand Turk.

We didn't have an excursion planned for Grand Turk, just figured on a good beach day. We brought our masks and snorkels from home and packed them and our beach towels and headed off the ship after breakfast on the Lido Deck. The buffet was a bit busier today with people up early to head off the ship after we were cleared. The bacon patrol was out with no need as the bacon was pretty soggy yesterday and today and I didn't want that much of it anyway. After breakfast we went up top to get our first view of Grand Turk.

We walked off the ship and down the dock into the shopping area. Turning left we walking past a small craft market area and Margaritaville to the beach. We passed the cruise center portion of the beach and headed toward the area of beach in front of Jack’s Shack. There we paid $10 for 2 lounges under umbrellas. We headed straight into the beautiful water without a care in the world.

I think I’ll just float around here for a while, please and thank you!

After a while we took a break to watch the fun underwater and on the shore.

Nothing like a cool beverage on a hot summer day in the Caribbean. Jack’s Shack has great choices of beverages and free Wifi in case you want to brag to folks at home while you’re here.

We went back on board. Hubby and son grabbed some lunch and I changed and went back to the port area to look around at the shops and grab some more views of the beautiful water.

All too soon it was time to get back on the ship and set sail. We went up top to take in one last look at where we spent the day , including Jack’s Shack.

Tonight we ate on the Lido Deck for dinner. Just something light since I ate a later lunch after getting back on the ship. We were sort of turned off about the huge table with no one but us there so we were fine with the choices at the buffet.

So brave are the folks who sing Karaoke on the ship. We checked out a few “acts” in the Cool Lounge after dinner. Some were really good, some I’m not sure if they had ever even heard the song they chose before. Some had dance moves, some look petrified. As a bystander I appreciated all who performed.

After karaoke, we headed back to Deck 4 forward to “our spot” in the Spectacular for the 80’s Pop Pre Show fun and then Showtime 80’s Pop To The Max. Again, typical show but with some cool effects. My favorite was “Take on Me” and the cartoon backdrop and moving stage. To me, that should have been the finale. The other songs just lacked quality in my opinion.

The Pomegranate Lemonade drink of the day was delicious and after the show I took it with me back to watch more Karaoke in the Cool Lounge. For some late night fun we joined others in El Morocco on Deck 5 Aft for something called Carnival Quest. The Fun Times listed this as 18+ and with good reason. Holy cow, lots of laughs, tattoos and body parts came out to play during this game. Be prepared. I have photos but to protect the identities of the innocent, I’ll just enjoy them myself.

Nothing wrong with a couple of cones before bed right? Swirls ice cream stations are open 24 hours on the Lido Deck, mid ship.

Tonight was our first elegant night so we all dressed up and headed to the Gold Pearl Dining Room again. When we got there, we found our table had changed. Now we were seated at a round table for 8 across from the long table we were at the night before. We love meeting new people and looked forward to chatting with others at our table. Sadly, no one else ever joined us. We sat sort of in the center at a table for 8 and it was just the 3 of us. It was awkward. Thankfully for the food was still delicious and we enjoyed ourselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We opted to just take a few pics ourselves tonight and had some good ones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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We were on a cruise once and seated at a table for 10. Out of 7 nights only twice did anyone show up except us. The one was formal night and the 4 other couples were very intoxicated . The other night only one couple showed. I guess they didn't like our company because they didn't come back! The assistant maitre d' usually ended up sitting at our table visiting! She got a tip at the end of the cruise !!

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Our next port day took us to La Romana Dominican Republic. I had looked into a Scuba Doo tour with Gri Gri Water Sports Center. The tour didn’t work out for us. We found out right before we left home, so we decided we would just wait and find something when we got there as is possible with other ports. Not really the case in La Romana apparently. We ended up paying $8 and taking a bus to Altos de Chavon. It is 16th century replica of a Mediterranean village perched high above the Chavón River. We had a nice day walking around and viewing the river and cliffs and the buildings. There was small museum that had displays of different artwork and history that I would highly recommend. When we first got there I was very impressed on how the place was so well preserved, I felt tricked almost because at that point I didn't know it was a re-creation. I was very disappointed when I found out it was only a replica. I would say still take a visit there if you’re looking for a relaxing day with pretty views and maybe a stop in one of the restaurants for a snack and cold drink. A highlight of the trip today was meeting a getting to know a great family from Louisiana. We had such a great time spending the day with them.

Got a glimpse of the whale tail thru the trees heading back on board. Its nice to have a day off the ship, but it’s good to come “home” too.

Back on board we found our way up to Deck 10 Aft and enjoy lunch at Ol’ Fashioned BBQ. They had choice of a few meats and baked beans and mac n’ cheese and hot rolls. There was also a choice a few different sauces to try as well. YUM! After eating, we watched as we sailed away from La Romana.

We were on a cruise once and seated at a table for 10. Out of 7 nights only twice did anyone show up except us. The one was formal night and the 4 other couples were very intoxicated . The other night only one couple showed. I guess they didn't like our company because they didn't come back! The assistant maitre d' usually ended up sitting at our table visiting! She got a tip at the end of the cruise !!

 

 

Thats a shame that it happens like that, but I guess they dont know who's going to show up and who isn't. Glad you at least got to visit and get to know someone new.

 

Connie

Loving your review and pics! I sailed the Splendor 5/21 and 5/27 and I needed a "fix" to bring back my B2B cruise memories!

Thanks :)

Loving your review and pics! I sailed the Splendor 5/21 and 5/27 and I needed a "fix" to bring back my B2B cruise memories!

Thanks :)

Oh wow, how awesome to sail back to back. Did you visit the same ports both times? I would love to book a cruise one place and then a transatlantic after. Glad you are enjoying the review to get your fix. LOL.

Oh wow, how awesome to sail back to back. Did you visit the same ports both times? I would love to book a cruise one place and then a transatlantic after. Glad you are enjoying the review to get your fix. LOL.

Nope...different ports - first leg was a 6 day during which I was joined by my newly turned 21 yo daughter then the second leg was an 8 day. My daughter departed and I was then joined by my friend and we celebrated my 50th birthday on that leg....It was a great 2 weeks!!

We had a lot of fun with Skip in the piano bar for both cruises - and I spent time chatting with him in the Casino bar several nights after the piano bar closed - it was nice seeing him in your review!

Who doesn’t love an exhilarating game of Yahtzee??? Neither of us won from our team, but we had a blast playing with huge dice and an oversized waste basket. Who knows what fun is to be had. We got to play with half of a great couple we met from Oklahoma. Our paths kept crossing and they were always so much fun.

After Yahtzee we stayed for Fact or Fiction trivia. No prize for us, but we did learn some stuff. A LOT about Watermelons!!!!!

The Fun squad does an amazing job and this afternoon was no different. We moved to the Splendor Lobby on Deck 3 Forward for TV and Movie Trivia. Cruise Director Steve from Canada hosted this along with the Fun Squad. Before we got started though, we had a little Family Feud Fun. I was a part of the ladies team and we won. Our question was “name something that can be used only one time”. Our answers included, Toilet Paper, Q TIps, Condoms. The answers on the board also included diapers. So fun. Each of us ladies won a medal.

After dinner we went back to The Spectacular to check out Viva Variety with Rich Purpura. The fun times advertised him as a mentalist. He was more self-deprecating than funny in my opinion. Someone in our showing tried to trick him and he revealed his trick to show that the guy was lying. The Carnival drink of the day , “Berry Blast” I had made it much better. This wasn’t a show I would go see again. Cruise director Steve advertised the Gender showdown and we stayed for that. Steve claimed that the ladies had one 18 times in a row, including the Family Feud in the Splendor Lobby earlier, but the guys ended up winning this time. It was fun to watch. From there we ended our night back in the Cool Lounge and Piano Bar.

Welcome to Wednesday and Welcome to Aruba. One Happy Island is what the locals say and we hope that’s true. We are looking forward to a great day. When researching what we wanted to do in Aruba there were a few things we definitely wanted to do and see. We ended up booking a private tour through Madi’s Magical Tours. Although she had pretty good reviews on Tripadvisor, I really couldn’t find anything about her tours here. I emailed a few times and we set up a meeting place and time based on the Splendor’s arrival in port at 2 pm.

We paid $60 per person for a 4 ½ customizable tour with Madi. In our communication we agreed to meet at the gas station just outside and down the block to the left after you exit the port area. We walked there and bought some snack and sodas while we waited a few minutes for her. Another family of 3 and another party of 2 arrived as well. Madi showed up in her vintage Willy Jeep ready for a great day. We all introduced ourselves and loaded into the jeep.

We made many stops during the afternoon. The first was to this beautiful church built in the 1940’s. Santa Filomena Catholic Church.

Pit stop for some Caribbean Stout and a soda. A cold beer and the summer breeze.

Next stop was at the Natural Bridge. There were a few tour groups there, but not as crowded as I thought. We were able to get there at a good time. It was also nice to take as much or little time as we wanted.

I had to get my Vitamin Sea and some to taste the rainbow all at one time. One of my favorite moments in Aruba.

Lovely review so far!!

Thanks for the review.

Lovely review so far!!

Thanks for the review.

Thanks so much. We had a great time and I enjoying writing about all we did and sharing photos.

Connie

We were able to visit a little natural pool area just north of the Natural Bridge. This was a quick visit to get us cooled off. It was beautiful but always be careful with the strength of the sea. Don't underestimate it. One person in our party got banged with the rocks as she was pulled out with the water. Luckily my hubby was able to grab her

In 1824, gold was discovered in Aruba, and eventually, the industry produced more than 3 million pounds of gold.We took a stop by the Bishiri Bana Gold Mine Ruins that once processed ore from nearby hills during Aruba's gold rush of the nineteenth century.

There was a great view from the top of the Gold Mine Ruins. Worth the climb up. The trickier part is to get down of course.

Next stop was Boca Mahos Natural pool. We brought our snorkels and masks and had a great time swimming here. If you are at the gold mine ruins look to the SE along the water and you will see two ladder prongs sticking up over a ledge. Take that ladder down and you will find a pool of water protected by big rocks. This water is crystal clear and runs under a cave. Make sure to wear water shoes if you have them because when climbing down, there can be some sharp rocks so be careful.