The good the bad and the ugly from my adventures on the Carnival Splendor

[F27TW]

Can't even tell you how much I am enjoying your cruise report! You write just as if you were telling it to me in person ... you rock!

Your pics are terrific too .. can see that you are having a great time ... and it's very clear (listen up, those who were being critical earlier) that you are not the type to let some little hiccups ruin your enjoyment .. my partner and I are the same way .. you seem like you'd be a blast to cruise with!

Oh .. and I like the way you firmly slapped that tacky waiter down at breakfast ... very well done ...

And keep the story going! I'll be disappointed when it's over!

[lovelearnteach]

After lunch we have a nice leisurely walk back to town, passing Junkanoo Beach, where we do some shopping. Then back on the ship and the cabin to rest up for dinner.

 

We really enjoyed our day on Nassau, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I'm sure the gorgeous weather had a hand in it, but overall a nice island and city :).

[lovelearnteach]

Well we got ditched for dinner as our friends Sherry and Jacob decided to go try the steak house tonight. I guess their allowed :eek:;):p:rolleyes::D. We had a yummy dinner without them, but I know from experience their having an even better dinner ;).

 

I started with Potage Saint Germain, very good. Then I also tried the Beef Carpaccio, which was also very good. For an entree I had Grilled New York Strip Steak from Aged American Beef, very yummy. For dessert I had WARM MELTING CHOCOLATE CAKE and yes it's that good I have to shout it. It's positively orgasmic, this time I get it with strawberry ice cream, could it get any better, oh yes it can. Chocolate and strawberry were made to be together, a match made in heaven!

 

[lovelearnteach]

Yes I'm going to show every pic of our little friends left every night for me, their cute and I love 'em :p:D:).

 

Well minus breakfast we had another excellent day. Lesson learned we will no longer sit at a big table, as we now see the trick is to sit by yourself, despite the fact that we like to sit with others :(.

 

At least we won the waiter lottery for dinner as our dinner staff is marvelous, and gave consistently great service. We always knew we could look forward every night to a good experience for dinner, which is a nice way to cap off an evening :).

 

Well I can't believe here we are, over the hump of our vacation. We have been having a blast savoring every special moment we have been blessed to have :).

Edited January 4, 2014 by lovelearnteach

[lovelearnteach]

Dec. 24, 2013

 

Today we are in Freeport, Bahama's from 7:00a.m.-3:30p.m. I have an excursion booked through CCL for Cooking on the Beach & Beach Time. We are to meet near the dock area at 8:45a.m.

 

We have breakfast in the MDR, no we are not gluten's for punishment :D, and have fine service at a table by ourselves. I also told the hostess why we wanted to sit by ourselves and she acted as if she knew this was going to be an eventuality, which I surmised from her knowing little smirk she gave :p;):).

Edited January 4, 2014 by lovelearnteach

[lovelearnteach]

After breakfast it's back to the cabin grab our stuff and head off. Terry is just going to hang around the port area and shop some and then hang out on the ship and enjoy it with every one off in port.

 

I head off to my culinary adventure and beach time. The driver of the shuttle bus to the beach, was a real hoot, and made the ride quite enjoyable and quick.

 

We're dropped off and told we will be picked up at 2:00p.m. We're then escorted to our cooking spot, where Chef Yolanda is waiting for us. There are 2 to a station and I end up sharing my table with a very nice lady from PA., I feel terrible I can't remember her name, but I'm terrible with names. Her husband didn't want to do it, so she was here alone too. I ordered a Bahama Mama.

 

We start off making Peas and Rice, then we make Conch Fritters, then we make Cracked Conch. We put our stuff in a heated banquet server and then head to the beach to watch a young man make fresh conch salad. It was delicious, then it was back to the shack we cooked in and they had lunch ready for us.

 

They had made some potato salad, which was awesome, to go with the stuff we had made. They had also made us some sauce to dip the fritters and cracked conch in, and it was really good. I loved the cracked conch we made, I also liked the fritters, but felt the cracked was better.

[lovelearnteach]

After our culinary lunch we had the rest of our time to spend however we liked, so I headed for the beach. A beach chair and use of a kayak were also included in the excursion. I did not use a kayak myself, but people looked like they were having fun using them. I alternated between baking myself and swimming in the ocean. It was cold, but felt fine once in.

[lovelearnteach]

The shuttle was a little late picking us up, and we get back about 2:45p.m. It did start to drizzle. There is a bit of a line, but again it moves pretty quickly.

 

I get a little irritated that the buffet is closed now, knowing people are just getting back from a day in port :mad:. I get a cheeseburger and fries and go back to the cabin to chillax after eating it.

 

Terry comes in and said he enjoyed his day, swimming in the pool and getting in a hot tub.

 

 

[lovelearnteach]

Really great review. We are due to sail with Carnival doing the same cruise in April. It will be our 5th cruise and have previously sailed with Princess, RCL and P&O (we are from the UK). I have enjoyed every cruise I have done so far and for us it is definitely a case of itinerary over cruise line as I am doing 2 nights in NY prior to the cruise (I want to see as much as the world as I can for the right price so cruising is the ideal way to see it).

 

Looking forward to reading more :-)

Thank-you so much :)!

 

I'm right with ya sister, I love to travel and want to see as much of this great big wonderful world as I can while I'm still on it, and of course at the best price ;):).

[lovelearnteach]

Can't even tell you how much I am enjoying your cruise report! You write just as if you were telling it to me in person ... you rock!

 

Your pics are terrific too .. can see that you are having a great time ... and it's very clear (listen up, those who were being critical earlier) that you are not the type to let some little hiccups ruin your enjoyment .. my partner and I are the same way .. you seem like you'd be a blast to cruise with!

 

Oh .. and I like the way you firmly slapped that tacky waiter down at breakfast ... very well done ...

 

And keep the story going! I'll be disappointed when it's over!

Thank-you so much :)!

 

We love to travel with people we meet here on cruise critic. As a matter of fact I'm jealous you have a cruise coming up to Bermuda. Our friend Sherry as well as ourselves have Bermuda on our bucket list :(;):).

 

Happy cruising, maybe we'll end up on the same cruise some day ;):).

[karinvt]

[quote

 

I started with Potage Saint Germain, very good. Then I also tried the Beef Carpaccio, which was also very good. For an entree I had Grilled New York Strip Steak from Aged American Beef, very yummy. For dessert I had WARM MELTING CHOCOLATE CAKE and yes it's that good I have to shout it. It's positively orgasmic, this time I get it with strawberry ice cream, could it get any better, oh yes it can. Chocolate and strawberry were made to be together, a match made in heaven!

 

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You are seriously making me soo hungry:D

[Crusin Karen]

I am really enjoying this review. As you can see in my sig, we cruised on Splendor in May and we are booked on her for 2/21. We live about 20 minutes from the port of Manhattan, so we always cruise from here. Just a hop skip and a jump from doorstep to gangway! One thing I DON'T agree with you about is the potato salad at the hamburger/hot dog lunch grill. I think it is OUTSTANDING, but I think potato salad is an individual taste! Oh, LOVE CMC and what a great suggestion to have it with strawberry ice cream. I have to remember that!

I am intrigued about the excursion you did in Port Canaveral. Can you give me the name and/or website so I can check it out?

Thanks for sharing your cruise with us and happy belated birthday!

[lovelearnteach]

For starters at dinner I had Cream of Garden Fresh Broccoli, very tasty and Baked Eggplant with Mozzarella Cheese, it was okay. For an entree I had Chateaubriand with Sauce Bearnaise, very good. To finish, for dessert I had the Baked Alaska, it was so-so, I've definitely had better, and I've had worse.

[lovelearnteach]

[quote

 

I started with Potage Saint Germain, very good. Then I also tried the Beef Carpaccio, which was also very good. For an entree I had Grilled New York Strip Steak from Aged American Beef, very yummy. For dessert I had WARM MELTING CHOCOLATE CAKE and yes it's that good I have to shout it. It's positively orgasmic, this time I get it with strawberry ice cream, could it get any better, oh yes it can. Chocolate and strawberry were made to be together, a match made in heaven!

 

[/size]

 

You are seriously making me soo hungry

I know I'm making myself hungry, I started yelling out WMCC with strawberry ice cream please, but none never came, go figure, darn it I guess you have to be on a CCL ship to get some :eek:;):rolleyes::p:D:)!

Edited January 5, 2014 by lovelearnteach

[lovelearnteach]

I am really enjoying this review. As you can see in my sig, we cruised on Splendor in May and we are booked on her for 2/21. We live about 20 minutes from the port of Manhattan, so we always cruise from here. Just a hop skip and a jump from doorstep to gangway! One thing I DON'T agree with you about is the potato salad at the hamburger/hot dog lunch grill. I think it is OUTSTANDING, but I think potato salad is an individual taste! Oh, LOVE CMC and what a great suggestion to have it with strawberry ice cream. I have to remember that!

I am intrigued about the excursion you did in Port Canaveral. Can you give me the name and/or website so I can check it out?

Thanks for sharing your cruise with us and happy belated birthday!

Thank-you :)!

 

Your totally right about potato salad, if I smell and taste vinegar first thing I get turned off, but I know others may love it :).

 

Here is the link for the tour we took; http://www.islandboatlines.com/daily_eco_tours.html, we did also consider a swimming with the manatee's tour but it is a 2-hour drive on the other side of the state in Crystal River.

 

You have to get the strawberry ice cream with the WMCC, it's simply divine :)!!!!!!

 

Thank-you so much, that's so sweet :)!

[lovelearnteach]

Love our little friend waiting for us tonight :)!

 

We had another great day, both of us enjoying our separate activities.

 

I actually go out tonight after dinner, to the casino, to play some Blackjack. Didn't win, but had fun playing for awhile :). Our waiter also told us about a midnight Mexican buffet, in the buffet. I went, wasn't all that hungry, but it was well attended and the food was good.

Edited January 5, 2014 by lovelearnteach

[Crusin6]

On my last cruise I did a couple of Celebrity tours that were CHEAPER than a comparable tour booked privately.

 

On our princess cruise we found that full day tours of Istanbul and Athens were better priced than private tour ops. Princess included food admission and a few other extras that private ops did not. Plus I paid by credit card which eliminated carrying about 1500 extra cash euro for my family of 6

 

Also princess got us into the topkapi on a Tuesday when it is closed to the public

 

I like private tours and use them but the price and itinerary of the 2 princess tours were incredible bargains so no fool am I We took them. Approx 30 pax per tour and we were not treated like cattle.

[lovelearnteach]

Dec. 25th, 2013

 

Today is Christmas Day, Merry Christmas everyone :)! Today is a sea day, as we are heading North back to NYC. We go to the MDR for brunch. Since we are red members we use our free drink coupons and get Mimosas. We of course sit at a table for 2 and get good service this way again.

[lovelearnteach]

After breakfast we just kinda mill around, at noon there is going to be a Chocolate buffet in the buffet that I just can't miss. We head up about 10 till noon, and there is already a line so I get in it. OMG this is a don't miss on the Splendor, it was really good I thought. The only thing that I tried that was not to my tastes at all was the chocolate wonton. It was yucky in my opinion, but the fried banana and chocolate almond cake was so yummy, as was the frosted ginger bread man sugar cookie. I seriously went into a sugar/chocolate coma and loved every second of it :eek::D!

[lovelearnteach]

After all that sweet it's time for some savory, so I head for the Burrito Bar. CCL scores with this one, loved being able to see and chose the ingredients going into my burrito. With some salsa verde on the side, it was delicious, but I worked on it for a good hour. I was so stuffed but that darn burrito was so good I didn't want to waste it so I had to pace myself :eek::D:).

[Crusin Karen]

Thank-you :)!

 

Your totally right about potato salad, if I smell and taste vinegar first thing I get turned off, but I know others may love it :).

 

Here is the link for the tour we took; http://www.islandboatlines.com/daily_eco_tours.html, we did also consider a swimming with the manatee's tour but it is a 2-hour drive on the other side of the state in Crystal River.

 

You have to get the strawberry ice cream with the WMCC, it's simply divine :)!!!!!!

 

Thank-you so much, that's so sweet :)!

 

After breakfast we just kinda mill around, at noon there is going to be a Chocolate buffet in the buffet that I just can't miss. We head up about 10 till noon, and there is already a line so I get in it. OMG this is a don't miss on the Splendor, it was really good I thought. The only thing that I tried that was not to my tastes at all was the chocolate wonton. It was yucky in my opinion, but the fried banana and chocolate almond cake was so yummy, as was the frosted ginger bread man sugar cookie. I seriously went into a sugar/chocolate coma and loved every second of it :eek::D!

Thank you for the link! Oh, that chocolate extravaganza....I have to take a handful of Advil before I go! Definitely worth it! CCL used to have this at midnight, then years ago they switched it to last day lunch dessert which is so much better IMO. Anxious to read the rest!

[lovelearnteach]

So we waddle around for awhile to walk off our over indulgence :o. Dang why couldn't have those desserts tasted nasty, why oh why did they have to be so tasty, mmmmmmmm chocolate :eek::D:).

 

At 3:00p.m. there is a Micheal Jackson trivia I want to go to, by the lido pool. We go but get there a little late and miss the first 4 songs. We play along but aren't keeping track or anything, it was fun, love me some MJ :)!

 

[lovelearnteach]

After the MJ name that tune trivia it's off to the theater for the Holiday Show.

 

Loved it, every minute of it, we sat up in the balcony for this show. The CCL dancers and singers did a fine job and the Camp Carnival kids were just to adorable for words. The Captain came out and spoke and introduced Santa Claus. Anyone that wanted a pic was asked to line up near the stage, well you can imagine the line so we headed back to the cabin for some rest before dinner.

[lovelearnteach]

I run down to the taste bar and get the taste for the day, which is Nona's Meatball, okay and Hand Whipped Ricotta Bruschetta, not very good to my tastes.

[lovelearnteach]

Tonight is the 2nd formal night, and we get our pix taken with the Christmas background, both together and separate.

 

We then head to dinner and I start with the Yukon Gold Potato Soup, very good. Then I had the Pumpkin Bisque, which was really quite good! For an entree I got the Clove and Maple Syrup Marinated, Baked Virginia Ham, the ham was awesome, umm the ham was awesome. I also got a side of Oven Roasted Potato's being offered with another entree, they were good glad I got them. For dessert I got Carmel Praline Creme Brulee, freakin awesome! I also got the Spiced Pumpkin and Gingerbread Pate, not as good as the creme brulee.

Edited January 5, 2014 by lovelearnteach