Splendor Review: 10/30/16

[funinthesun1964]

I had made a reservation for a spa massage. There had been a woman on the Lido deck (just on the inside of the sliding doors under the big TV) that was trying to get people to sign up. I had wanted a massage today, so I signed up with her. They had a special called SPATOPIA. This included a 75 minute massage. You had your choice of bamboo, hot stone, and it came with a little facial massage at the end. I chose hot stone and my appointment was for 2:30, so I went back to the cabin around 2 to get a quick shower and head up to the spa.

 

Here was a friend in the cabin:

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3UCVBAV5p5XNzRXM0pOWnFFdDg/view?usp=sharing

 

Also, my husband had received a $50 gift card for a spa service, so I took the card with me, and then it only cost $99. Not bad at all!!

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3UCVBAV5p5XVTBaQ1lybFk3WVU/view?usp=sharing

 

The massage was fantastic! The hot stone felt so good and the therapist really did a great job. I absolutely loved it. I felt so refreshed when I was done. Worth the money, for sure.

 

I told my husband I would meet him back at the cabin at 4:00. It was a little after 4 when I left the spa, I found a house phone and called the cabin. I told him to meet me on 5, near the casino area.

 

I played a little in the casino, still winning. How long would my luck hold out?

 

For dinner, we went early....our friends had been out at the AI and we figured they were done for the night. I think we went shortly after 6, and we were sat at a table for 2. There was a younger couple that was seated near us (like within a foot) and they were from our area also.

[BlondieB]

I found the casino on Splendor to be very smoky, and worse than ever before, any other ship, either was worse, or I am getting more sensitive to it. But the smokiness aside, I did enjoy the casino, and found it quite generous, in spits and spurts. I did not win anything big or earth shattering, but found one bank of machines along the wall near the sports bar, that were call "Red Hot" or something like that, and if you lined up three red devils, you had a bonus. Those bonus's were quite frequent and fun. On my last afternoon I won 465.00 on one, so I managed to take it home with me:)

 

I'm a smoker and found the casino almost intolerable. I loved the Red Hot penny machines. They were fun and paying really well first and second night then kinda puttered out. They held the slot tourney on those and one of the people in my group got 2nd so they get a chance at the $100k one on the Breeze on April 9th with their $500 buy-in paid for and 25% off the cruise

[Rocknsoul]

I see why Fat Fish canceled and we should have taken that for what it was and just went back to the ship. Or maybe Royal Palms again and used their pool. Or Seven Mile beach and laid on the beach again. We were glad it was over and went to the ship and had lunch.

 

That sounds awful. I'm a swimmer & I love the waves, but not on a sandbar where you want to see animals! What a bummer that you didn't get to do Fat Fish. Despite the late notification (our driver was late too, and we had the same feeling of "are we in the right place?"), that excursion went down as our favorite of all.

 

So much so we're doing it again in a few weeks. I'm so excited! The first time I was really worried that we would miss Cayman altogether due to rough water. Turns out our itinerary is the same as yours, only from NOLA. Thanks for the ideas & info!

[SMSACE6]

I'm a smoker and found the casino almost intolerable. I loved the Red Hot penny machines. They were fun and paying really well first and second night then kinda puttered out. They held the slot tourney on those and one of the people in my group got 2nd so they get a chance at the $100k one on the Breeze on April 9th with their $500 buy-in paid for and 25% off the cruise

 

Yes, I am not normally that sensitive to smoke. I did smoke for many years, but gave it up about 15 years ago? maybe 18, anyway, I have never really been so bothered by the smoke in casinos as I was this cruise. Even last year on the Victory it was not so bad. Splendor must have a weak air filtration system. Yes loved those red devils. Wish my local casino had them:)

[SMSACE6]

funinthesun1964, so sorry that you did not get to do that stingray city tour properly. That company that took you out, should not have under those conditions. I am very much a water wimp, and worry about creatures in the sea, so a few years back, while cruising with friends, I went along on the tour, but was going to stay on the boat and watch them, but was dressed in my swimsuit just in case I got brave. Well I saw this little granny who claimed to be 86 go in, and thought I could also muster up the nerve. I am so glad I did, it was a real highlight for me that trip. Just something I would not normally do, but so glad I did. I hope you will get to it next time in Grand Cayman.

[BlondieB]

Yes, I am not normally that sensitive to smoke. I did smoke for many years, but gave it up about 15 years ago? maybe 18, anyway, I have never really been so bothered by the smoke in casinos as I was this cruise. Even last year on the Victory it was not so bad. Splendor must have a weak air filtration system. Yes loved those red devils. Wish my local casino had them:)

 

You could smell the smoke on deck 6 (where our cabin was) if you were waiting in the elevator lobby for the elevators directly behind the casino bar. They definitely need to fix that filtration. And I never considered the singer in the casino either. I've been on enough cruises to know better but I made the rookie mistake of booking midship on 6 above the casino....apparently DIRECTLY above the singer :(. Made for some crappy afternoon naps. He might has well have been standing on the end of my bed singing.

[funinthesun1964]

That sounds awful. I'm a swimmer & I love the waves, but not on a sandbar where you want to see animals! What a bummer that you didn't get to do Fat Fish. Despite the late notification (our driver was late too, and we had the same feeling of "are we in the right place?"), that excursion went down as our favorite of all.

 

So much so we're doing it again in a few weeks. I'm so excited! The first time I was really worried that we would miss Cayman altogether due to rough water. Turns out our itinerary is the same as yours, only from NOLA. Thanks for the ideas & info!

 

 

I hope that you have a great cruise! Have fun and may you be blessed with wonderful sunny skies and calm seas! :)

[funinthesun1964]

funinthesun1964, so sorry that you did not get to do that stingray city tour properly. That company that took you out, should not have under those conditions. I am very much a water wimp, and worry about creatures in the sea, so a few years back, while cruising with friends, I went along on the tour, but was going to stay on the boat and watch them, but was dressed in my swimsuit just in case I got brave. Well I saw this little granny who claimed to be 86 go in, and thought I could also muster up the nerve. I am so glad I did, it was a real highlight for me that trip. Just something I would not normally do, but so glad I did. I hope you will get to it next time in Grand Cayman.

 

Yeah, that was a bummer and now, hubs won't go out there again! Oh well. I'll have to do something else. As long as I'm on a cruise, it's all good! :)

[funinthesun1964]

That night was the Mexican Buffet. Although it was not called Mexican Buffet anymore, in the Fun Times is was listed as "snacks". Not that I needed a lot to eat, but we headed up there and I made myself a small plate. It was okay, many people were up there. We went to the main Lido area and there was the usual dances, etc. Lots of people. We didn't stay at the party long. We decided to go to the aft area where it was much quieter.

 

We saw a creature there who wasn't moving....not dead and we walked right up to it. A crew member said he was just "tired".

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3UCVBAV5p5XVF91ZVhNTzh1ejg/view?usp=sharing

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3UCVBAV5p5XaU1ESE15bzdMRVU/view?usp=sharing

 

And this was our view from dinner that night:

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3UCVBAV5p5XN1Y3YzNNTEpiZEU/view?usp=sharing

 

We went to bed by 12:30.

[funinthesun1964]

I don't like the last day of the cruise. I do, there is a nice day at sea (usually) to enjoy, but I know the end is coming. It is rather depressing.

 

We decide to go to sea day brunch. It was the only time we did on this cruise. Service was fairly decent, although no one came to ask if we wanted something from the bar.

 

We sat with 3 other couples. The couple next to us was very nice, they were diamonds and we had fun talking about our cruises. We were the last 4 at the table.

 

We went back to the cabin to get changed for the deck.

 

Our funnel hats sitting on the back of the sofa:

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3UCVBAV5p5XV2FsdEJRNmRpSXc/view?usp=sharing

 

A little collection I had of some friends:

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3UCVBAV5p5XT1NKRXk0enhKekk/view?usp=sharing

 

The last towel animal, well the usual heart:

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3UCVBAV5p5XbGlUbUEtMi1tQVk/view?usp=sharing

 

Hubs looking at Fun Times:

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3UCVBAV5p5XMEZ2ekdjc3NGbW8/view?usp=sharing

 

Here is our spot on deck, almost the same again

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3UCVBAV5p5XSEQ5Vkg3Yk9NQWM/view?usp=sharing

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3UCVBAV5p5XekcwcFVleVVyb3c/view?usp=sharing

 

Sun was kind of off and on, but it was better as the day went along.

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3UCVBAV5p5XUjFlNWh2ZUtpUjA/view?usp=sharing