Splendor 4 Day Bahamas Review

[jam19872016]

The premiere slot tournament was at 8. I didn't make it off the first round, but it was free so nothing lost. After that we were off to the MDR for one final dinner aboard the Splendor.

 

Tonight's dinner menu.

 

 

 

 

For my starter I had the escargot and the honey roasted ham.

 

 

 

The escargot was good as always. The ham was something new for me and I enjoyed it. I have never really cared for ham but my taste buds are changing and I find myself liking it as long as it is not too salty. The slightly sweet sauce did a good job of taming the salt.

[jam19872016]

For my main I had lasagna and the penne mariscos.

 

 

 

Both were very good. M had the baked tomato and could only eat one bite. I will have to order it in the next time to confirm if it was that bad.

 

Dessert menu.

 

 

I ordered the cheesecake and one final wcmc.

 

 

 

I enjoyed both.

 

Dinner was very good and we had another night of great service. Dinner clocked in at just over an hour.

[jam19872016]

After dinner I packed (boo) and watched M play in the casino. I did not donate any more of my money. I received a drink coupon for being gold, even though this was only a four day cruise. I was not going to correct their mistake. I used it for a Rockstar from the coffee bar for the drive home the next day.

 

I turned in a little after 11 since I had to be up early the next morning. M came home some time later. She is better at the no sleep thing than me. I guess I'm old.

 

Debarkation:

 

With premiere we had priority debarkation so we made our way out with one of the first groups. On my previous cruise, those with the mobile passport app had a special line to use to get through customs. Knowing this I was prepared this time to avoid the god awful line I dealt with last time at this port. That line no longer exists. It took a while to get through it all but it could have been much worse and it probably was for those who did not get off as early. Ft.Lauderdale is a pain to embark and debark at.

 

Summary:

 

Dining:

 

The Splendor does not have the 2.0 upgrades that most ships have. Despite that, there are many other wonderful options to chose from. Although she does not have Guys or Blue Iguana, she does have a burrito bar and a grille serving up hot dogs and hamburgers. Not as good in my opinion but again, there are many other wonderful options to chose from.

 

Hands down my favorite on Lido is the Indian located all the way aft. This is probably the most authentic Indian food outside of India and it is absolutely delicious. It is a bit spicy and I find myself unable to tolerate the spices as well as I used to. That did not stop me from enjoying it a few times though :)

 

The BBQ place located just above Lido is also good, although if you are from someplace well known for BBQ, you may be disappointed.

 

The buffet was not good which is normal for Carnival. It is not that the food itself is not good, but rather at any given meal, there are only a few items to choose from with 90% of the buffet being salad and meats and cheeses. Not much in the way of real food. I don't expect fine dining, but at least on par with a Golden Corral would be nice.

 

I went to the deli once and enjoyed a nice tuna wrap. Splendor did not have the new deli menu when I sailed.

 

M ordered room service, but I was passed out by that point so cannot comment on it.

 

The pizza was good for a late night snack after a night of drinking. Expect to wait in line for a while though.

 

I did not try Mongolian Wok but many people seemed to enjoy it. Again, expect to wait in line for a while as it is all freshly prepared.

 

The food in the MDR was great. Service was excellent and it was nice to have the same waiter in YTD that I had last time. I do find myself reaching a point of boredom with the MDR menu however. This is not really a reflection of the menu itself, but I have been fortunate enough to cruise enough times, that it is getting a bit repetitive.

 

The brunch in the MDR was also wonderful. Make sure you do not miss out on the sea day brunch. If you have two sea days, go for the first one because you will most likely find yourself wanting to go again. The food here is very very good.

 

Public Spaces and Cabin:

 

This ship is pink! Like really really pink. I love it. If you are not a fan of some of the more wildly decorated ships, this may drive you insane. Pink doughnuts everywhere lol.

 

Everything was well maintained and clean. And bright :)

 

My room was 1276 on the Riviera deck. The room itself is a standard Carnival room and the location is really nothing to write home about, but for the price it is a great value. I sure did miss the room on Lido I had last time. But my next two cruises will also be on Riviera, so I might as well get used to being down below for a while.

 

Entertainment:

 

I did not catch the shows this time, however I have seen them before with this same cast on my last two cruises on the Splendor. I think it is generally accepted that their production shows have a lot of room for improvement.

 

There were many other activities going on at all times including comedy shows, deck parties, trivia parties in the atrium, live music all over, basically everywhere you turn, there was something fun going on.

 

MarQ was the cruise director and he was GREAT! I have sailed with him in May and July and he continues to shine in his role as the public face of the ship. I think he is quickly becoming one of Carnival's best CD's. You can really tell that he genuinely loves his job and was born for this role.

 

Service:

 

This is my third time on the Splendor and saw many crew members that I have seen before. It felt like seeing family again. Many people asked about my mom who was not with me this time. Overall the staff was very great and welcoming.

 

That being said, you could tell they were a bit wore out. They just came off a 7 day turned 11 day cruise, and we had a sea day followed by HMC (which might as well be a sea day for them) before they had a relaxed day (port day for us). They all gave it their best, but you could kinda tell they were tired.

 

Our room steward was Jesus. I requested twice a day service and received it all but once (when I slept in) with no hesitation. He was always very friendly and did a great job servicing the room. It will take a bit of getting used to getting the towel animal in the am, but that is no big deal.

 

Overall:

 

Overall this was a great trip. The weather could have been a little better, but Carnival literally has no control over that. I have said it before though, and i continue to do it: short cruises are a tease. This was a great little getaway, but it felt like I never really settled in before it was time to pack up and go home. I am glad I did it and I had fun, but really need more than four days! If you don't need the 2.0 extras with all the extra bells and whistles, I highly recommend this ship, you will absolutely love it.

 

Looking Ahead:

 

My next cruise is on the Carnival Glory November 4 2017. I will again be sailing with M. It will be a Western Caribbean cruise but what makes it very special for me is that it will be an Ultra Premiere cruise. This is like a Premiere, but a step up in the event levels. I am not sure how I got invited, but I am really looking forward to it. This will be the first Ultra of the year so I do not really know what to expect. I am hoping it is as exciting as last years' but do fear it may be watered down some if my level of play qualified for an invite. I am still very excited and can't wait!

 

Thanks everyone for reading along even though it took forever to finish :)

[Johnny60]

Thank you very much for the lovely pictures and such a detailed report about the Splendor. Really looking forward to our upcoming trip and have a great idea of where to go and what to do on the ship now. Thank you, and enjoy your next Carnival cruise in a couple of days.

[jam19872016]

Thank you very much for the lovely pictures and such a detailed report about the Splendor. Really looking forward to our upcoming trip and have a great idea of where to go and what to do on the ship now. Thank you, and enjoy your next Carnival cruise in a couple of days.

 

You are very welcome. Glad I could help you out. You will have a fantastic time she is a great ship.

[kupton]

Thanks so much. We have a 9 day on the Splendor in December and your review brings me there while I wait. Enjoy the Glory. We have sailed her twice recently and will definitely go again. It's a great ship.

[jam19872016]

Thanks so much. We have a 9 day on the Splendor in December and your review brings me there while I wait. Enjoy the Glory. We have sailed her twice recently and will definitely go again. It's a great ship.

 

9 days. Wow that sounds nice! Have a great time. I'm excited for the Glory, it has been in my top 2 choices a few times but then gets eliminated for the ship I end up choosing. It finally made it past the final elimination round :D

[aztekpm]

Thanks for the review ... I haven't been on the Splendor, but, my sister has and had a good chuckle when she first saw the elevators with the pink donuts.

[sanmarcosman]

It was fun reading about your cruise and the new casino in Nassau. I like the portobello mushrooms too and those almost never get mentioned here so that was good to see. M is nuts, the Parmesan cream sauce is tasty with the shrooms. :)

[jam19872016]

Thanks for the review ... I haven't been on the Splendor, but, my sister has and had a good chuckle when she first saw the elevators with the pink donuts.

 

For some reason in my head, when I see them I picture Homer Simpson running around the ship trying to eat the donuts on the walls :D

 

It was fun reading about your cruise and the new casino in Nassau. I like the portobello mushrooms too and those almost never get mentioned here so that was good to see. M is nuts, the Parmesan cream sauce is tasty with the shrooms. :)

 

Yes she is. I think I am going to order that again this week it was pretty good. I loved that new casino, I can't wait to go back there again.