Carnival Spleandor May 8 (Mother's Day) Review

[islandcruisersnc]

Woo-HOO! Good job Chuck! Thanks for doing this review!:D:D

[capndinghy]

Great job Cap. It sure was a pleasure cruising with you. What a fine trip. I'm looking forward to the rest of your review.

 

I enjoyed it too Griz! I hope you are not too frozen up there on the North Slope. Lets do it again.

 

I will try and get more of the review posted tomorrow. Sorry I am so slow and thanks you to everyone for the compliments

[Cavners5]

I am loving this!!! We sail in 17 days, and are newbies:D. I love your pictures and am getting so excited.......you may continue now

[LWcalif]

Thank you everyone for the kind replys. I hope I am not boring you too much. I am attempting to show you the ship through our experience on it.

 

If you have any questions please ask away..and Betsy, feel free to chime it!

 

Great review & pics! Can't wait to hear more!

 

What time did you arrive at the port?

[JustCruizeIt59]

We are still waiting!

[capndinghy]

The next morning we were awakened by our Carnival Alarm Clock which is Room Service knocking on the door with our Morning Coffee. Our first day at sea dawned cloudy and just a bit chilly. Ever though we were steadily steaming southward the Pacific Currents are Chillier than Pat and I are used to where we Cruise in the Gulf of Mexico where it is Tropical almost year round.

Spleandor underway from my Balcony by capndinghy, on Flickr

We were up pretty early at 6AM because of the 2 hour time change to Pacific Daylight Time. I headed up to the Lido for Breakfast. There are basically two Identical Buffet Areas set up in the Lido Dining Area. One forward and one aft with an Made to Order Omelet Station in the Middle of each and they open at 7:30 AM. Since I was up early, there were no lines and few people mulling about. I found the omelet stations fast and was able to order with no wait to speak of.

 

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The same "omelet" chef was manning the station every morning and he would always give me a cheerful good morning greeting. One morning he smiled and asked me why I was always in such a good mood, to which I answered "because you take such good care of me". I guess a lot of his 'customers' must be gumpy in the morning. What a nice way to start each day out with such a nice morning greeting!

After breakfast Pat and I headed out for our customary morning Bloody Mary. These are “on special” every morning from 10AM – 12PM and are a great way to start the day out. As I recall they cost $4.95 (and are well worth it salt on the rim, celery stick and all).

 

Since it was chilly out we headed down to the main atrium so we could also sign up for an excursion in Cabo. Being ones who always do thing in a timely manner, we of course managed to sign up just in time for a Boat, Beach, and Shopping Tour for the following day in Cabo San Lucas. The Xcursion Desk was located in the Main Atrium handily right next door to the bar.

[capndinghy]

West Coast folks are a hardy bunch. Even with the cloudy skies and chilly winds there were many folks out at the pool and around the various decks.

Miniature Golf seemed to be a big Hit. I wonder how many holes in one were had?

Panorama Mini Golf by capndinghy, on Flickr

Needless to say the Water Works were a big hit. Of course Kids are too stupid to realize that HyperThermia is setting in so there was a line snaking up the ladder to the water slide/tube. Our friend Betsy never did get a chance to go down the slide. When it was her turn to finally ride the slide, the kid before her had so much fun he threw up in the pool and they had to close it down.

 

As our ship steamed southward, the sun began to shine and it gradually began to warm up. Folks headed outside to enjoy the warm sun beams.

Aft Pool and Hot Tub by capndinghy, on Flickr

The Splendor has two pools. The main pool located just forward of the dining room, is where the Drunk Macho Man Hairy Chest Contest takes place. This area is more enclosed than most ships, but the top does slide open (much like the Spirit Class of ships) and there is plenty of sun, noise emanating from the various musical venues.

 





 

The aft adult pool is located just aft of the Lido Dining Room. This is quite nice. There is a pool, hot tub, lots of Lounges, and it offers a much more relaxed atmosphere which I find quite conducive to my daily beer comsumption. Fortunately there is a bar nearby as well as the ever popular Deli on one side and Tandoor (whatever that is) food on the other. And the dreaded demonic smokers can lurk one deck above and enjoy their cigarettes as the enjoy the 'view'.

Aft Pool as seen from the Demonic Smoking Area by capndinghy, on Flickr

Looking down on Lido by capndinghy, on Flickr

The forward Lido Pool as seen here is where the action is. Ice Carving, Loud Live Music, Trivia Games, Giant Screen for Movies, and of course the Drunken Hairy Chest Contest.

[capndinghy]

The Serenity Section on the Splendor is located all the way forward toward the Bow near the Spa Area. It is quite nice with Lounges, Large Chairs, and a Comfy Table here and there. It is on both sides of the Ship, Clearly Marked Adults only and is a great place to Hide from Noisy Kids or Drunken Adults. Happily there is a Bar located on the Starboard Side where one can get happy Zonked while enjoy Peaceful Serene (and if a show girl is there) entertaining Surroundings.

Carnival Cruse #12 Spleandor and Teddy Visit 032 - Copy (2) - Copy by capndinghy, on Flickr

 

At 4 PM we had a Meet and Greet at the Aft Pool Bar. I was impressed with the nice turnout and really enjoyed meeting these nice folks whom I had been communicating with via Cyber-link. It was fun meeting in real life. Betsy did a great job of organizing this gathering. Eight couples plus Betsy (JustCruizeit59) and I (Capndinghy) attended. Brian, Betsy's other half was suffering from back pain and was laying low. Pat, my better half, was of course in the Casino making me lots of money. We had AlaskaGriz and his wife who live in (you guessed it) Alaska where he works on the North Slope; Spanisheyes a lovely British couple who live in Alicante Spain, Nblewett a great couple from Palmdale California who got engaged on this voyage; JSPQLD from Australia, another lovely couple who were on a 3 cruise sojourn; and Taragal, her hubby and young son from Vermont. I hope I remembered everyone. We all had a few drinks and got to know one another as we visited. We would of course see each other from time to time throughout the cruise as our paths would cross.

Plagurizer that I am, I found this post by JustCruizeit59 (Betsy) on the Roll Call so will borrow it and repost it:

 

 

Just wanted to name those who showed up at our little M&G and we got to know each other quite well throughout the cruise:

Spanisheyes, Siggy & Keith from Spain. and are expecting their first grandchild;

NBlewett, Nick & Elaine from Pamdale, CA who are now engaged

Jspqld, Joe & Caroline who will be on 2 more cruises before returning to Australia;

AlaskaGriz, Gray (who was always enjoying a cigar at the back of the ship) and his lovely wife Nora who loves hanging at the pool and reading her Kindle (best present ever from Gray);

Augustina, Ann and Jim from San Diego;

Taragal, Tara, Dave & Baby Gavin (who kept mom & dad busy) from Vermont;

Capndinghy, Chuck (retired airline pilot who always had good stories to tell) & Pat (who was always in the casino and I don't think the rest of the group met her) from Ft. Worth; and then there was me.

 

We had an amazing group and enjoyed getting to know you all. Hopefully we'll meet again.

 

 

 

I would like to thank everyone for their kindess in putting up with my vocal disability. Due to Cancer Surgery, when I talk I croak more like a cross between Kermit the Frog and Rod Stewart. It is very difficult to understand me and everyone was very nice and made the effort to visit with me.

Not Ded Yet by capndinghy, on Flickr

[lindzann]

Wonderful review so far. Your pictures are great and I look forward to reading/seeing more!

[capndinghy]

Great review & pics! Can't wait to hear more!

 

What time did you arrive at the port?

 

Hi Lwclif:

We arrived at the port around 11:10. Since we are platinum, we were issued out Sign and Sail by 11:30 or so. They began boarding right about 11:45 or perhaps Noon. We were literally whisked to security and then onto the Ship. It too perhaps 5 minutes to walk from Security through the maze and up the (long) gangplank. My advice is to arrive early. The sooner you are on the ship, the sooner your cruise starts.

Enjoy your trip!

[capndinghy]

Wonderful review so far. Your pictures are great and I look forward to reading/seeing more!

 

Thank you for the kind words lindzann!

[DANCING GRANDMOMMY]

Thank you so much for your time and the great pictures. When your review is complete I will send it off to my family. We have several cabins booked for a Jan cruise.

[glrounds]

Love your writing style also . . . still waiting . . . running out of time . . . sail in 2 days ! ! :D

[capndinghy]

Love your writing style also . . . still waiting . . . running out of time . . . sail in 2 days ! ! :D

 

Sorry I have been remiss in my review duties. Have a great trip!

[capndinghy]

The first evening at sea is of course Elegant Night. I am happy to report that I did not see any wife beater Tshirts, shorts, or flip flops. There seemed to be an even mix of Dress. Both Brian and Steve at my table wore their Tommy Bahama Shirts (which probably cost more than my complete wardrobe) while I wore docker slacks and a sport coat. Over all I would say everyone was dressed very nicely as we joined several thousand lobster tails for dinner.

Main Dining Room on the Splendor by capndinghy, on Flickr

 

 

As you can see everyone at our table looked quite spiffy. I was remiss in not having a Tommy Bahama Shirt to wear.

Betsy, Brian, and Marylynn by capndinghy, on Flickr

 

Our Matre'D Miguel was the best one I have ever seen. Everyone agreed he was outstanding. Miguel from South Africa was very out going; he stopped and visited and joked at every table. He would get up and lead the antics while dancing on a pedestal. Everyone really enjoyed his entertainment. He even explained to us that we left 2 drunks in Puerto Vallarta and they elected to fly home from there in their bathing suits. From what I could see the staff was very happy working with and for him. It was very refreshing to see this, since in the past my experience has been the only time you see him is “last night tip night”. It would be kind of nice if Carnival could Clone Miguel!

 

There were also the traditional Carnival Dining Room Entertainment. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the performances, and antics as

Miguel the Maitr D' led his staff in song and dance

Singing Waiters by capndinghy, on Flickr

[JustCruizeIt59]

I have to agree, Miguel was the best Maitre D we've ever had. So charming.

[DANCING GRANDMOMMY]

The first evening at sea is of course Elegant Night. I am happy to report that I did not see any wife beater Tshirts, shorts, or flip flops. There seemed to be an even mix of Dress. Both Brian and Steve at my table wore their Tommy Bahama Shirts (which probably cost more than my complete wardrobe) while I wore docker slacks and a sport coat. Over all I would say everyone was dressed very nicely as we joined several thousand lobster tails for dinner.

Main Dining Room on the Splendor by capndinghy, on Flickr

 

 

As you can see everyone at our table looked quite spiffy. I was remiss in not having a Tommy Bahama Shirt to wear.

Betsy, Brian, and Marylynn by capndinghy, on Flickr

 

Our Matre'D Miguel was the best one I have ever seen. Everyone agreed he was outstanding. Miguel from South Africa was very out going; he stopped and visited and joked at every table. He would get up and lead the antics while dancing on a pedestal. Everyone really enjoyed his entertainment. He even explained to us that we left 2 drunks in Puerto Vallarta and they elected to fly home from there in their bathing suits. From what I could see the staff was very happy working with and for him. It was very refreshing to see this, since in the past my experience has been the only time you see him is “last night tip night”. It would be kind of nice if Carnival could Clone Miguel!

 

There were also the traditional Carnival Dining Room Entertainment. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the performances, and antics as

Miguel the Maitr D' led his staff in song and dance

Singing Waiters by capndinghy, on Flickr

I agree with with you regarding Miguel. We told him that he was the best we had ever had. He was always so helpful and outgoing.

[capndinghy]

We arrived in Cabo San Lucas at 8AM the next morning.

 

Carnival has cancelled calling at Mazatlan due to the civil unrest and dangerous conditions there. As a result the Splendor was scheduled to spend 2 days in Cabo. The ship sailed out in the evening and steamed in a big circle so the casino could be in operation, arriving once again the Cabo the next morning. It is a beautiful entrance to the bay in Cabo with spectacular rock formations which the ship passed close to both coming and going.

capndinghy, on Flickr

Although Cabo San Lucas is primarily a sport fishing port known for some of the best Marlin Fishing in the World, it does not have a wharf capable of handling large ships. As a result all of the ships anchor off shore and use tenders to get back forth. I found the tender service worked quite well and the lines to get both off and back on the ship were not too long at all.

Carnival capndinghy, on Flickr

 

The first morning the Ship was anchored in rather close to the harbor which made for about a 10 minute Tender ride in from the ship. They used three portals for tendering so the lines were not TOO long when leaving the ship. In fact at the Aft most Tendering Portal (door?) they had a set up for a rather large capacity tendering boat.

Large Cabo Tender at Aft Station by capndinghy, on Flickr

As I said earlier Pat and I always wait until the last minute to book excursions. We decided to book a 3 way boat tour, lunch on beach, and shopping tour which cost I believe $65 or so. We went ahead and booked through Carnival while on the Ship during our frist day at sea. They had everyone from various tours (about 150 or so of us) meet in the rear Lounge and then marched us all down to the lower deck to board the largest tender. It only took 10 minutes or so and then away we

went.

At Anchor Cabo san Lucas by capndinghy, on Flickr

 

As you can see we were greeted with the ever familiar Senor Frogs upon our arrival at the Cabo San Lucas Marina.

Cabo San Lucas Harbor Marina by capndinghy, on Flickr

After arriving at the Cabo Harbor we boarded another boat for our tour of the entrance around Cape Cabo. The approach to Cabo San Lucas is beautiful with rock formations and caves set up a lovely beach. Although the water looks inviting enough, it is quite dangerous due to swift currents where the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez meet.

Cabo Caves by capndinghy, on Flickr

[capndinghy]

The tour boat was comfortable and had an upper open deck (as in roast in the hot sun while you have a great view) and a lower inside deck where one could view the formations in comfort as ceiling fans blew cool air.

Excursion Boat by capndinghy, on Flickr

 

We got an impressive view of the Splendor as she lay at anchor just outside the Cabo San Lucas Marina and just off the Cabo Point.

Splender at anchor by capndinghy, on Flickr

The Excursion lasted about 20 minutes as we passed the Point where the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean Meet. It is beautiful.

Cabo Rock where Sea of Cortez and Pacific Ocean Meet by capndinghy, on Flickr

After the scenic tour of Point Cabo we returned to the harbor marina and boarded a bus for the 10 minute ride to the beach area called Medrano.

 

Cabo Marina Area by capndinghy, on Flickr

This is a really nice area with lots of beach bars, restaurants, umbrellas, boats for rent, parachute rides for sale, beach chairs available and about any other sort of water activitiy one might think of. One can also reach this area from the Cabo Marina via Water Taxi, which is a boat for about 3 dollars per person each way.

Medrano Beach by capndinghy, on Flickr0

We had an excellent lunch on the beach. It was really impressed since previous tours I have taken that have included lunch left a lot to be desired. There was a Buffet set up with chicken, pork, and all the other mexican foods one would expect. Two (small) beers were included. Pat wanted a Rum and Coke (not included) and wouldn't you know it, it was her lucky day. It was 2 for 1 for the small price of $8.50. I suspect one rum and coke costs $4.25, but hey this is Mexico and hey we are on vacatiion.

Beach Bar by capndinghy, on Flickr

[JustCruizeIt59]

Thank you Chuck for your review. Keep it coming.

[capndinghy]

If I ever return to Cabo San Lucas I plan on spending more time in this area. There were lots of people there and they were All having fun.

Enjoyinig Lunch at Medrano Beach by capndinghy, on Flickr

We returned to the marina and boarded the tender for our ride back to the Ship. There was no line at all to reboard the tenders, which was a pleasant surprise.

MS Carnival Splendor - Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico by capndinghy, on Flickr

After a 10 minute trip we were bouncing off the ship (the boat tender driver made landings just like I did when I was an airline piolt)in a rough landing attmept. We docked safely on the second try.

Approaching Boarding Portal from Tender by capndinghy, on Flickr

Needless to say the airconditoning felt great after a day ashore in the warm clime. While Pat rested, I headed upstairs for a cold beer or 3. After returning to the cabin I headed out to the Balcony to partake in one of my favorite ship board activities. Which is doing nothing while sitting on the balcony relaxing and reading with a cold beer. Little did I know I was in for some....entertainment...one might say.

Chuck Waving Hello in Cabo San Lucas by capndinghy, on Flickr

 

As I was sitting doing nothing on my balcony our nieghbors returned. There were two fellows sharing the cabin next door. I suspect they had spent some time at Carlos and Charlies, Senor Frogs and a few other watering holes much like I had. However, how do I say this. These two fellows became rather amorous out on their balcony. (Yes...they were of 'that' persuasion) My eyes were wide open and I thought to myself "Oh My Gosh" as I heard their rather loud performance.

 

And to think many people complain about those damn smokers, smoking on their balcony. By the way, these two fellows were also smokers (of both tobacco and the other) but I could barely smell their 'demon smoke'. I wish I could say the same for my ears!

 

The funny thing is, that night at dinner I realized they were sitting at a table near ours because I recognized one's voice. Now I can put a face to a, err ahh ..sound. I now had some great dinner conversation material for my dining companions both on this and future cruises.

 

This is a Photo of me standing next to "the Neighbor's Balcony".

Cabo San Lucas and "The Balcony Next Door" by capndinghy, on Flickr

 

As the sun was setting our ship weighed anchor (pulled up the anchor for you non nautical types) and we set sail, I mean steamed, out of the harbor and out to sea where we would go into one giant all night holding pattern before returning to Cabo San Lucas for day two.

Sun Setting on Cabo San Lucas by capndinghy, on Flickr

[jackdis]

I am enjoying your review and your pictures so much!!! Thank you for sharing.....it looks like you are having a great time - noisy balcony neighbors and all!! :D

[whendoweleave?]

Another one of your reviews!

[jackdis]

Chuck,

I have to say again how wonderful your reviews are! I just read your Ecstasy review. We were in Progresso in 2008. We did the same tour. It was a pleasure reading yours and seeing your pictures.

I also liked your Behind the Fun Tour recap. We did that on the Sensation in '09.

I am now going to check out your other review. They are all so great!

Thanks again,

Jackie

[T&Fs1stcruise]

This is awesome. I followed a link here from the 11/6 roll call board to here and now I REALLY can't wait to go! :) I love Cabo and seeing it again and the fun you guys have had so far is just making me even more impatient! Thank you for the wonderful story so far. Looking forward to the rest of your cruise so I can live vicariously through you for a few days and maybe get through to November!