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All Things Splendor

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viaggi_per_mare

viaggi_per_mare

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Posted

RC and BV:

Terrific review!! We are going on the Splendor and loved your unbiased view of everything.

 

 

......maybe you can get Angel Dorothy to hover over the casino when we are there.....we rarely do very well, and figured others must have a secret.....now we know;)

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Inklight

Inklight

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Just returned from the Splendor a week ago and have been writing a review. I had no idea what a process it was and now that I've begun it seems it's more of a travel diary with personal reflections than an objective overview.

 

My question is....What would the readers here like to read?

 

I've included, below, the beginning of my diary, so to speak. I'm new to this whole posting on a forum so do, please, bear with me.

 

Let me know what you think.....

 

 

 

I enjoy reading all of the ship reviews, whether I'm booked on the cruise or not. I have read many different styles and formats ... and I have to say that none are wrong, and I have found helpful information in each. I think what makes Reviews so great is that they come from your specific point of view ... with that said I think that whatever format you choose to tell your tale will be perfect.

 

So far, I think your review is fabulous, I like your format and it shows us a little about you. Plus, reading about someone's cruise vacation is as close to being on one as we can get (until, of course, we actually go!).

 

Thank you for taking the time to write it, for sharing your experience with us and for allowing us to go on a virtual vacation through you. I'm looking forward to our MR cruise soon on the Splendor and can't wait to read more!:)

 

P.S. We are looking forward to our first balcony on the Lido deck ... your details were VERY helpful!

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Brian2204

Brian2204

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Posted

Thanks for the encouraging words!!

 

Here's the actual first day properly titled...

 

Day 1 - Rediscovery

Our first full day at sea began with an easy, laid back morning enjoying coffee and pastries on the balcony. This is the first balcony room either of us has had and I can assure it will not be the last. Not only was it perfectly suited for our needs size wise but was an excellent respite from the activities and hubbub around us when needed. Since we hadn’t gotten used to the coffee yet after dressing we decided to take a stroll around the ship and stopped at the specialty coffee shop for a cup of joe. Disappointment waved it’s ugly head yet again once we both realized that the coffee here was not much better than our room. Settling in on our perch at Deck 10 Aft the rest of the morning and early afternoon was spent people watching. Around 1ish or so I was feeling peckish and went down one deck to the Tandori BBQ for a shared plate of lunch. Now I have very limited experience with Indian food but from all reviews this was a Don’t Miss pit stop. I must say I wasn’t disappointed with the tadziki, hummis, tomato relish, pineapple relish, tomato and feta cheese salad, saffron basmati rice and nan and flakey bread. Though the hummis was a bit plain for my taste the tomato relish more than made up for it. I don’t know what’s in it but I could have eaten a whole bowl of it. RC sniffed around my plate and took a taste here and there and decided that wouldn’t satisfy his hunger so off he went to the Rotisserie for a plate of baked chicken, potato salad, mac-n-cheese, small baked potato, corn bread and a capreese salad (almost a carbon copy of yesterday…he doesn’t have as an adventurous palate as me I guess). Again, all of it very good. After lunch it was decided that some sun time was in order which required a cabin/pit stop to change into our sunning attire. Up to the Serenity Deck for a couple of hours and matching cocktails. Tea was scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in the Gold Pearl. Tea was something I had always wanted to check out but never got around to till now. We were seated at a large table with several others along with a gentleman in a motorized wheelchair. The waiters and waitresses were all very attentive as each of them presented either hot water, tea bags, savory treats (cucumber and butter sandwiches, open faced salmon sandwiches…all finger sized, of course) or sweet confections (there were many tried…all tasty with the scones filled with cream being the standout). The wheelchair gentleman indicated to the waitstaff that his wife would be along shortly as she was. After being seated for a few minutes she looked at me and asked if my name was BV. I’m sure the look on my face read as utter shock that someone would know me by name on this huge ship. Upon answering that that was indeed my name it dawned on me that she was a fellow poster on a popular website where I had gleaned a lot of my pre-cruise hints and tips. It was really great being able to meet someone with whom I had chatted with and who shared a passion for cruising as I. We had hoped to meet up at some point for a drink but alas we weren’t able to hook up for that. (Hey Suzi and Fred!! Rain check??)

Now that we were full of tea and crumpets it just seemed that a nap was in order. So it was off to our room where RC counted his sheep and I took what was to become to be known as my “daily balcony time”. These would be periods where I would listen to some music, maybe have a glass of wine or a cocktail, play a video game or write down what we had done or what we had eaten. (Every time I take a vacation I promise myself that I’m going to keep a travel diary and of course once I arrive at my destination I never want, or feel the need, to log my every movement, not to mention where I would keep all that info…Problem solved on this trip!! I used the cover of my dalily “Fun Times” to jot down little notes and reminders throughout the day or during my “balcony time” which I knew would come in handy as I had planned on writing a review upon my return.).

Once revived from our rest we dressed in our fancy duds and headed to the El Morocco Lounge. This was the first formal night (of two) and the Captain’s reception was being held just prior to dinner that evening. This was a very low-key affair with a small combo playing and couples dancing. Bailed on that after 15 or so minutes and strolled the Promenade deck to have our photos taken then off to the Black Pearl for dinner. I had the pumpkin soup, stuffed mushroom cap, duck, DESSERT and cappuccino. RC had tiger shrimp app, caesar salad, lobster and prawns, WCMC and coffee. Nothing to jump up and down for but all very good. My entrée had been delayed for some reason. When Rudy placed my dinner before me there were 4 pretty good sized pieces of duck on the plate. I don’t know how many are usually included but I suspect this was as a make up for being tardy. I ate, maybe, half of one piece of duck. I don’t have much experience eating duck and thought I would try it. I know that duck is supposed to be served rare and this was but I guess duck just isn’t my thing. Full from dinner we decided to make it an early night and retired to our cabin.

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DrivesLikeMario

DrivesLikeMario

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Posted (edited)

Great review. Thanks for writing it and I look forward to the rest of it.

 

Three things I just have to mention that I totally agree with you about:

 

1. Quiet in the hallways!! - Why do people insist on yelling down the hallway or letting their kids run down them from one end to the other? It is incredibly rude.

 

2. Singing in the dining room - You used the word "sophomoric" which perfectly described this attempt at entertainment. It seems so contrived and it's so obvious that the majority of the waiters really don't enjoy doing it.

 

3. Forced "fun" feeling - Again, another thing I don't like shoved down my throat. I can decide on my own if I'm having a good time and I don't need anyone to tell me that, or that I'm on vacation.

 

These are a few reasons it's been a few years since I've been on a Carnival cruise, (although in fairness, #1 happens on every major cruise line). I sure hope the good points of this ship and the crew will outweigh the negatives.

Edited by DrivesLikeMario
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tea4ular

tea4ular

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Posted

RC and BV - love the review so far. I was on the Splendor in Sept '09, and loved it enough to book again for Jan '11. However in Sept I (and my 2 friends) splurged on a balcony, no dice this coming trip. I especially love a balcony on a Carnival trip as I am sort of over the rowdy crowds, and as you've stated, the private balcony is a great escape. Oh well.

 

Can you tell me, on the serenity deck were there hammocks? There weren't in Sept, but I've heard rumors that there are now.

 

I'll be on the lookout for part 3!

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rosecruise

rosecruise

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Posted (edited)

We enjoyed ourselves, but it was pretty chilly for all of our days at sea around 60-65 degrees and not sunny. The ship seems to be set up similiar to the Conquest class ships so it was not difficult for us to navigate. The one thing I did miss was the large atruim in the lobby. They now have rooms in part of that section on floors 6, 7 and 8. However with that said our room was one of those inside rooms and it was really spacious. We were not sure of having a room on an inside corridor, but would book again there in a heartbeat. There was not a lot of traffic since it was a hidden hallway. We sat at a 4 person booth in the Gold Pearl Lower which is the larger of the 2 dining rooms. I prefer the larger dining rooms as opposed to the smaller mid ship ones. It seems more lively to me. We like to have the late seating so we do not have to rush after being in port all day to clean up. The food and service at dinner was really good. We were on the Fantasy in March and the food was terrible. The room stewards were so nice as well. I actually saw them more this cruise than any other cruise before. We took photos with them. :) They did away with the debarkation talk and tell you to watch channel 6 to find out what to do to when you arrive in Long Beach. I felt the talk on the TV could have been done better and my husband and I were not impressed with the CD. We understand you click with some and not others. It won't prevent us from booking another Carnival cruise in the future.

Edited by rosecruise
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itzkaren

itzkaren

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Posted

Brian....GREAT review....as others have said, I appreciate your detail and the format of the info. We are sailing the Splendor August 1st...just a few weeks and counting!

 

Did you eat at the Pinnacle Restaurant? Also, did you make a table req w/the Maitre 'D? We would like to request a table for 3...did you see any tables w/just 3 people? Just this time...we would like to spend time w/our daughter...have always enjoyed company of others at dinner...want to try to have 'time together' in the MDR this cruise.

 

I look forward to spending some time in the Casino too! Jan 2008 on the Spirit...I had great 'luck'....however, the best part was the staff and players were lots of fun to be around!

 

Thanks again for your info....any & all is helpful!

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Brian2204

Brian2204

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Posted

itzkaren...Yes, we did eat in the Pinnacle...That will be on Thursday...and what a story!!

 

Esmeralda131...I'd love to post some pix if anyone has any hints on how to get them to post.

 

I've also got a great PDF that won't upload either (size I'm guessing) that has each day's Fun Time with my notes and assorted pix.

 

Day 2 at Sea – Reflection

Both of us woke early this morning. I’m afraid I was suffering from a bit of mal-de-mer. I suspect it was from the too rich duck the previous night but couldn’t be completely sure as the ship did have some movement throughout the night. After a leisurely morning with coffee and croissants on the balcony it was time to pursue my first objective of the day; Find the “hidden door” and check out the view. With camera in hand, I headed to the port side of Deck 9 Forward. Sure enough there was a nondescript door. Looking around to be sure I wasn’t alerting the entire hallway to my sneakiness, I proceeded through the first door and the second to be greeted by a wondrous view of the bow of the ship and beyond. Needless to say I was the only person on this deck at the time. Each side of the deck provided a great side view of the ship as this is the deck directly above the bridge “fly-outs” (I think that’s what their called). Steps leading up to Deck 10, again deserted, also had wonderful views. I made a mental note to visit these decks again at some point during the trip. My next stop was to try the “Frappachino” that I had heard tell about. Now this is not something you can buy but make yourself. With an insulated mug filled half way or so with soft-serve vanilla ice cream, a couple shots of coffee (believe me when I say this was the ONLY way to drink the Lido coffee) and a few ice cubes shaken up I could have sworn I was at my local Starbucks!! What a nice treat!!

Now it was time to stop back by the cabin to check on RC. He was ready for the day with bathing suit on and a bag full of his sunning supplies; CDs and player, reading material, and sun screen. We found our way to our usual perch at Deck 10 Aft Starboard and set up camp. RC started with a double bloody mary and I sipped on my frap. Not content to sit around too long, soon I was off taking photos around the ship. There was a cooking demo in the Pinnacle at 12:30 p.m. that I made sure to attend. The demo was on the side of the restaurant where the chefs cook and was filled to capacity. ACD Stephanie was the host/narrator as the chefs prepared the various dishes. Once again Stephanie disappointed me as it was evident she knew absolutely zero about cooking. I held my tongue when she informed us that clarified butter was what was skimmed off the TOP of melted butter. I was surprised that one of the chefs didn’t correct her but they were busy with their own preparations. First up was a Mushroom Cappuccino (mushroom soup). Toward the middle of the demo several wait staff appeared with trays of tiny cups filled with the soup. Killer!!! We were going to be able to try all the demos. In effect I was having lunch in the Pinnacle (a fact you know I just had to rub into RC). Next up was a baby spinach salad with homemade dressing followed by a pan roasted chicken breast (all very yummy!!) The side dish was potato and mac and cheese. Of course I had already tried the ship’s mac and cheese on the advice of others and found it to be terrific. As we walked into the Pinnacle for the demo we were handed a pamphlet with various recipes EXCEPT for the mac and cheese so I was very excited to learn the recipe. Poor Stephanie…just couldn’t seem to get the ingredients right as the preparation was being explained so a mental note was made to dash up to the Chef once the presentation was over to get it all written down. We finished up with tiramisu. All in all it was somewhat informative and quite delicious.

Now, for those of you who want to try, here are the ingredients for the cheese sauce. I wasn’t able to get the measurements but with a little practice I’m sure you’ll be able to finesse it and make it your own (I’ve not tried yet but soon will!):

Sautee minced onion and garlic in butter; deglaze with white wine; add fresh heavy cream, mascarpone, grated Swiss, sour cream, brie and just a dash of parmesan; salt and pepper to taste.

This was RC’s day for reflection. So many thoughts of his late father, two brothers and now his dear Mother seemed to occupy his mind between bloody marys and the change of a CD. But as we all know too many cocktails and too much sun results in “too much fun”! On about 3:00-ish or so it hit him like a ton of bricks. All those emotions came bubbling to the surface with the help of all that sun and “fun”. You know how that is…one moment your fine as peach fuzz and the next….well, suffice to say it was a good thing we were right next to the Deck 10 Aft tables that were in the shade as Nurse BV retrieved cool towels and a bucket. After a short while he was ready to attempt the LONG walk from Aft to Forward. Knowing that stairs were out of the question, remember he has a bad knee not to mention too many double bloody marys, we took the elevator down to Deck 5 Promenade and teetered our way to the Forward elevators, up to Deck 9 and just a short distance to our room. Definitely nap time for RC, and I took the opportunity for a little balcony time.

This was the afternoon for the Past Guest Reception held in the Spectacular Lounge. I arrived about 15 minutes tardy to find many couples on stage dancing to a young blond female singer. This was Adrian the featured female singer for most of the shows. Waiters were coming around with pre-made drinks but I was staying sober, remember Nurse BV, and ordered a club soda with a squeeze. Upon arrival the waiter refused a tip which I thought was a nice touch. At this point Adrian had already dismissed the dancing couples and was looking for someone to dance with her as she sang her next song. Being the ham that I am (did community theatre for 40 years) and since no one else was bounding up to the stage, I jumped up and decided to give her a helping hand…or foot as it were. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m no stranger to the stage or performing in front of an audience but apparently I lost all my stage presence when I got up there. I couldn’t tell you what song she was singing but I was trying to do the Hustle and just couldn’t keep the steps in the right order. Poor Adrian was trying to following along but finally gave up. So her song finishes and she tells me to stay there cuz I’m gonna teach everyone the Electric Slide! Oh crap….I can barely stumble out the steps to a dance I KNOW let alone one that has about a hundred variations. Luckily by this time there were a bunch of others on the stage, some of whom grew up on this particular dance, so I just fell into step and followed along. The entire reception lasted about an hour, was well attended and provided an almost a private show as there were less than 200 people in the room. Do check it out if invited and have nothing pressing. A brief stop at the casino for a smoke then back to the room to check on my charge.

More balcony time and a decision that room service would be the best way to go for dinner tonight. I placed a call to RS at 7:00 p.m. for two NY strip sandwiches, cole slaw, veggie sticks with dip, caramel crème and a carafe of hot water. Dinner was delivered at 8:00 p.m. At first blush I thought that was a very long time to wait but upon reflection understood that it was “rush hour”, so to speak, so was fine with the delay. As to the sandwich…well it was more of a roast beef sammie than a steak sandwich but all in all everything was good and gave RC the sustenance he needed without having to go out.

“Fiesta Latina” was the big show tonight. RC was still in a low-key mood so I ventured out by myself. I got to the theatre with about 10 minutes to spare. Of course the place was packed but I was able to find a seat in the balcony in the first row. Just a hint though to those of you who like to stroll in with few minutes to spare…see all those empty seats? They’re empty for a reason! In my case it was behind a pole. No big deal really since I was a loner in a two seater so I could crane my neck any which way without intruding on anyone else’s space. The show itself was fun, energetic and colorful if not a bit confused in it’s content; I mean Jamacian music passed off as Latin? That’s just quibbling though because as stated the production was very entertaining. After checking on RC and grabbing my camera I wandered over to the Rock-n-Roll party at the Lido Pool. Again arriving fashionably late the party was in full swing with the Splendor Dancers just finishing up a routine. As stated I’m not one much for crowds so I meandered up to Deck 10 around the periphery of the pool for a great vantage point of lots of people dancing and enjoying themselves. Ordered a cocktail and just observed for a while before I was off again, this time to get some night-time photos of the ship. It was now approaching 11:30 and seemed like a good time to turn in, so it was off to the cabin for the night.

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Brian2204

Brian2204

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Day 3 – Puerto Vallarta – Relaxation

This day began in our usual way; coffee and croissants on the balcony, albeit earlier than usual as we had an excursion planned. Now before all of you cost conscious vacationers scold me for paying the inflated prices for a Carnival sponsored excursion, consider this…Peace of mind that the ship will wait for ME should any unforeseen circumstance happen is worth the extra cost. That plus the fact that we’re not traveling with passports…I’ll pay the extra bucks.

We had booked the Exclusive Resort Getaway and were onboard a full size bus by 9:30 a.m. We were taken to the Paradise Village Resort in Nuevo Vallarta, a 20 minute or so drive. From the size of this joint we only saw a fraction of the complex, including a small zoo with tigers, on our way to the beach. Once deposited at the main entrance to the hotel, we were given wrist bands that would allow us all the food and drink (local alcohol only…no imported brands) we could consume while we were guests. We were herded to an open area for a brief run down of the general area then let go to explore on our own. We headed straight for the palapas(?) on the beach. These are the thatched “umbrellas” that line the beach. There was a towel station where you could check out a towel by leaving your ID. Once suitably situated, and looking very much like a Corona commercial, shortly there was a waiter who ambled by that took our Margarita orders. A short walk away was an open air kitchen where I ordered us Beef Quesadillas and Nachos. Not long after receiving our beverages here came the beach vendors. Now keep in mind that these are not your typical street vendors that constantly bombard you. These sellers are authorized by the resort as evidenced by their credentials hanging around their neck. Nothing really appealed to us until a gentleman with blankets happened upon us. One of his blankets matched our front room décor and art work ideally so the negotiation game was afoot. HINT: LOW BALL OFFERS Don’t be embarrassed to offer less than 50% of any asking price. That’s what this game is all about!! Lunch was delivered right to our little slice of the beach. This was the most delicious, juicy, moist skirt steak I’ve ever eaten. That combined with the nachos and a second round of Margaritas (strawberry this time) made for a great luncheon. After a couple of hours we decided to check out the Adult Pool. We gathered our things and headed that way passing the family pool along the way where there was a lot of activity and raucous joyousness in the air. We found ourselves a couple of loungers in the shade (remember all that “fun in the SUN”?) and proceeded to set up camp. I could have stayed here all day!! The water in the pool was just tepid enough to be refreshing without being jarring. Swim, relax, sip a cocktail, repeat. Before we knew it another two hours had passed and it was time to board the bus for the trek back to our temporary home. If I had any complaint about this excursion it would have been that it was too short. Six hours would have been ideal. Once back to the port, the walk from the parking lot to the ship have vendors set up on each side under pop-up tents. One of these vendors was blowing glass. Always on the lookout for a unique flamingo (one of RC’s collections) we asked if he had any. The answer was no BUT he would custom make one for us. RC placed his order and we headed up to our cabin for a short respite. In Puerto Vallarta there is a Wal Mart and Sam’s club directly across the street within walking distance. RC needed some supplies so ventured out to the store and to collect his collectable. While he was gone I got a hairbrained idea to send him a message. I had brought a roll of masking tape with me for whatever masking tape might be good for; I found it’s purpose. Ever try to identify YOUR balcony room amongst row after row of glass partitions?? Here’s the trick; I taped a “message” on the balcony glass facing the port. Naturally RC didn’t even notice on his walk back but once onboard I disembarked to take pix of the outside of the ship as well as our messaged balcony. (Point of note…for those of you who like to hang out on your balcony in the au natural while in port….the glass on the balcony is NOT opaque). Once both of us were on board and settled I went to the buffet and made an anti-pesto plate of various cheeses, meats and breads to nosh on on the balcony with a bottle of wine we had brought with us. Another wonderful way to spend an early evening.

Once dressed for the evening we took a ship stroll then proceeded to the Black Pearl for dinner. We both had the Asparagus Soup and I tried the Veggie Tortellini appetizer. RC’s main course was Snapper and mine was the Mahi Mahi. Dessert was the WCMC and coffee. All of it very delicious!

Now here was my biggest complaint of this port-of-call. In PV a Mexican dance troupe is brought aboard for a one-time only show. This show is at 9:00 p.m., so if you have late seating you’re pretty much SOL. That’s a bummer because I did hear that this production was very well done. We did peek in to the theatre after dinner, around 9:30-ish, but there was no way we were gonna get a seat so we wandered around a bit and made our way to the “hidden deck” to watch as we departed. Remember how I said it was deserted before? Not so now, as others had obviously found the “secret”. Not bad really though…only about 20 or so people. It would have been better if some people would have informed their progeny that this was a “quiet area”, but nonetheless it was a great vantage point to watch the ship maneuver. Another early evening as we made our way back to the comfort of our cabin.

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stay_or_go

stay_or_go

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Posted
So when is the earliest I can check in and get on the boat as a non-platinum/VIP? I want to get on as early as possible but not stand around outside with my 3 and 4 year old.

 

We got to the port at 11:30 or so and were in zone 4, we were on board at 1:05. By the time they were loading zone 4, the line to check in was quite long.

 

If you get there early enough, I am sure you can get zone 1 check in, but you will still need to wait until they start boarding.

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