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Carnival Splender 7-day Eastern Caribbean Cruise Review

Moonstruck705

By Moonstruck705,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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Moonstruck705

Moonstruck705

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DH and I are just off the Splendor. We had such a great week! We booked through a casino deal and caught the right price (30 pp). We had an interior room (Room 2329).

This cruise was originally scheduled to go to San Juan, a port which was later canceled because of the hurricane damage.

Our ports were Ochos Rios, Amber Cove and Grand Turk.

I’ll discuss the ports, the spa and steakhouse, show a few pictures throughout, and then do a general list of pros and cons.

We didn’t book an excursion in Jamaica, opting instead to walk to Margaritaville for WiFi and drinks. We enjoyed Margaritaville itself. The pool was closed the day we visited.

However, we were constantly harassed walking even that short distance. Cab drivers and folks selling their T-shirt’s and such. It was really tiresome. The problem seems to be that many of the shops and restaurants are just outside the gates where you walk through and anyone can set up. Next time we will stay on the ship unless we book an excursion.

Amber Cove. No exaggeration — this is an island paradise. Amber Cove was one of my fave ports ever! In a few words, it’s all mountains and palm trees here. Gorgeous. We did an excursion to the Lifestyle resort for an all-inclusive beach day. The resort area was very nice. A small beach front was scattered with swings, hammocks, and lounger beds. We found a spot and enjoyed wonderful cocktails. In our experience, all-inclusive sometimes give you watered down rum punch — not here. The bar had several swings in lieu of seats. Drink menu was good. I had a passion fruit/whiskey concoction. DH swam, although it was a bit rocky for me. The lunch consisted of a buffet of beef, fish, rice, plantains, yucca, and assorted fruits. The beef and fish were delicious. Our time here flew by. We also enjoyed this port area — fun music and they had Christmas decorations up. Prices in stores were best I’d seen for handmade crafts. I could’ve stayed here longer. Beautiful areas in port to take pictures and just enjoy a drink.

Grand Turk - loved this port too. I am already dreaming of my return. This port was hit hard by the hurricanes and our ship was one of the first to return. The port was impeccable. They have an area dedicated to John Glenn and his space landing near the island. There’s also a little space gift shop. The beach here is free and just off the ship. Also there’s a pool in port. Gorgeous sand and clear, warm water. We grabbed a smoothie and did some shopping here. I recommend shopping here, they have some nice boutiques.

Cloud 9 Spa

DH and I bought the weekly pass for the thermal suites. We upgraded to include the Rasul mud bath session, which we enjoyed very much. I used the steam rooms almost every day. Loved this area of the ship. Good customer service. We also both had our own spa treatment. The prices are high, but if you watch the flyers they often have specials. It’s one of our vacay indulgences. I recommend the thermal suite pass very much!

Steakhouse

DH and I have dined at the Steakhouse on another ship and were smitten with it. On Splendor, though, we had mixed feelings. DH has the shrimp cocktail, spinach salad, and 9 oz filet and lobster w/mushrooms. I had the crab cake, spinach salad, and lobster ravioli.

DH loved his meal. My ravioli was poorly done. The pasta was more than al dente, perhaps because it was too thick. The lobster also had an overpowering lemon flavor. I was pretty bummed. For dessert we split the cheesecake, which was phenomenal. Overall positive experience but the quality was lower than I expected.

Pros:

Splendor is a nice ship. The decor always draws some criticism (pink donuts everywhere!) but I liked it. We never felt crowded or overwhelmed with people in any of the spaces. I would gladly sail on her again.

CD Matey — a pleasure all week! Cheer-io! One caveat: trivia was scheduled for a small-ish room with finite seating on a nearly adult-only cruise. DH and I felt like it was crowded and we had to get there super early if we wanted to play.

Great customer service. We had excellent service everywhere we went on Splendor. Without exception. Everyone made us feel welcome and it was obvious this crew (from top to bottom) works hard to keep guests happy. From the pizza pirate folks to the hardworking bathroom cleaners (bless them, what they must see), everyone was professional and cheerful.

El Mojito Bar. Go there. Meet Gede. He’s a pleasure and he’ll take care you. Tip him. His wife also keeps bar with him. They made our trip wonderful!

Lip Sync Battle finale. Hilarious and fun. I recommend!

Cons:

Most of my gripes are small things. Our vacation was fantastic!

Splendor has a lido deck cover and most areas are very enclosed. Without a balcony cabin, there were only a few places to get a nice ocean view. I didn’t mind too much, but it’s something to consider.

HUB app. Okay, so it was nice to be able to message each other on the app, so that convenience was a pro. Overall though, it made me feel tied to my phone, and to me, cruising is about disconnecting. More than once the app was wrong and wonky (showing wrong day in itinerary, giving incorrect info).

Shows: DH and I went to the first or second night - woof. Neither lead had a nice voice, and certainly not the range and power required to headline a show. Major disappointment. On other cruises we’ve enjoyed the shows and been impressed with the quality. Not this time. Also, moving away from Vegas style was a mistake IMO; the stage looked so empty! We watched from the upper balcony and it looked odd.

Cabin temp: We found the cabin to be nearly always too warm. In an interior, we had hoped to be cooler (no window/exterior door). Alas, not. This was true all week. Some interior areas of the ship were also always a bit too warm. Dining room and theater were chilly though.

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