TR: Splendor 2/8-28 New Caldonia & New Zealand

[KKB]

A bit delayed in getting to this...a hand slammed in the cabin door on disembarkation day, a 9 hour flight delay which led to a 24 getting home delay in addition to bizarre jet lag for a week...

 

FINALLY ready to do this!

 

This was only my 2nd Carnival cruise (40+ cruises over 20 years)...DH & I did 2 weeks to Hawaii in January & put the naysayers to rest that we wouldn't like Carnival after sailing most other mainstream lines. We liked it just as well as others!

This was also my first trip down under. Admittedly the 15 hour flight was daunting, but the desire to see the world prevailed.

Additionally, a casino offer of $100pp ($200 total for a solo traveler) plus taxes & fees less $200OBC...so as cheap as it's gonna get!

Solo, as DH does an annual golf trip in Februrary. Prefer to travel with him...but I'm not one to pass up a trip without him!

 

I did join a Roll Call here (all but dead from the get go) & elsewhere...were it was VERY busy.

I attended Meet & Greet Day 1, met a lot of people that way, many who did this cruise as a B2B as I did.

Actually, there were MANY people who were spending weeks & months on this ship!

 

I will do this TR by topics as opposed to day by day.

 

Let's GO!

Edited March 10 by KKB

[KKB]

Travel/Hotels To/From SYD

I was able to transfer points from either Chase or Capital One (can't quite remember...) to Qantas to book my flight. 

I'm not sure I'd do it quite that way again. 4 of my 5 flights were actually booked on AA. 

UNFORTUNATELY Qantas & AA don't play well together. 

I could do nothing regarding my AA flights thru Qantas & my AA flights did not show up on my AA.com account. 

I learned last summer that bulkhead seats are a fairly affordable way to travel on long haul flights, so I wanted those for the flights to/from SYD. With a bit of effort, I was able to secure those.

 

I traveled OMA-DFW-SFO-SYD. 

About 24 hrs of travel.

Luckily I have lots of lounges to choose from via several credit card perks so that eases the pain of long international travel.

 

The SFO-SYD flight was not very full (maybe 1/3-1/2). I had booked the aisle exit row seat...but the entire middle bulkhead row was empty! One of the armrests pushed up so I was able to create a semi-comfortable place to sleep. And managed on & off for about 8 hours (goal).

(this along w/ melatonin, Tylenol PM, earplugs & eye mask).

UNFORTUNATELY that arm rest that didn't push up was a struggle...and I SCREWED up my back getting that sleep. 

Luckily a massage in Sydney helped, but it took about a week to straighten out.

 

I stayed at the Intercontinental Sydney for 3 nights. Lovely room

BRILLIANT location...a block from Circular Quay where the ship ports. (I WALKED to the ship w/ luggage)

I walked down each day, trying a different restaurant along the water each time. 

Lovely way to relax & people watch. 

There are also stores--picked up snacks, wine & such.

 

On disembarkation day I stayed a night as I wasn't sure I could comfortably make an 11:15AM flight. 

This proved to be a mistake as I could have easily made it & it went off on time on the 28th.

It did NOT on the 29th...curse of Leap Year??!! More on that in a moment..

 

I had tried to cancel my hotel booking on the 29th & book the Intercontinental again as I loved the convenience off it. 

I had booked the Woolstore 1888 near Darling Harbour via Capital One & just kept getting an error message when I tried to manage the booking online or via the app. 

So eventually just gave up.

 

SO GLAD--Woolstore 1888 is a cool boutique hotel & it was nice to wander the Darling Harbour area.

They have a small restaurant w/ a fairly small menu & it was the BEST meal I had the whole trip!

HIGHLY recommend!

 

So I got to SYD at 8:30AM Feb. 29 for an 11:15AM flight.

I check my bag & the rep says "You realize this flight has been delayed 9 hours, right?"

WHAT??!! NINE hours??!!

NOPE. DID. NOT. KNOW. 

Seriously--why would I be there?

No notification? NOPE--not Qantas (still said original time on app) nor AA (remember they don't play well together)

 

Guess I'm lounge hopping & binge watching The Bucanneers today...

OH, and that means I will miss my LAX connection.

 

Check into the Centurian Lounge, call Qantas, book the same NS LAX-OMA flight for Friday & book a hotel near LAX. (Candlewood Suites LAX....meh, it was pretty tired; wouldn't stay again)

 

Also the Aspire Lounge & the Premium Plus Lounge (for a moment--it was very hot in there).

Usually there is a 3 hour limit (not sure anyone REALLY checks this)...but at the Aspire lounge they had heard of my crazy delay & said just come check in again after 3 hours.

 

Centurian was definitely the best lounge but Aspire was solid.

Food was remarkably similar across all 3 lounges & heavily gluten based (not great for a gal who is gluten sensitive). Rice & soup were really my only options. 

 

SYD-LAX was almost full. No exit row this time, but a decently roomy bulkhead.

Managed 8 hours (on & off) of sleep sitting up. 

Yet still had 3 days (not in a row...odd) the week after getting home of utter exhaustion.

 

Think I'll avoid LAX in the future...hot mess the morning I checked in.

AA kept trying to get people to check in via kiosk...half broken, half w/o printer paper.

Kiosks no good for me since it was a Qantas booking originally.

Crazy long line at CLEAR---was faster to just go straight to TSA Pre Check line.

Then LONG line to get bus to further terminal where my regional jet flew from.

Hadn't flown regional in years. Ended up w/ 2 seats to myself on a fairly full flight so no complaints.

 

 

 

 

 

[KKB]

DANG--that was a LONG 1st post...my apologies!

 

The Splendor

Reminded me of the Miracle w/ a bit less theming.

It has weird flow with a galley in the middle of deck 3? which meant often had to go up to go down & vice versa. Certainly got used to it eventually.

 

I had Interior midship cabins. Had to switch for the 2nd cruise, but just a couple doors down. 

Forgot how great one sleeps in an interior! 

Great location, steps from the stairs & elevators.

1st leg I had the Span of Satan next to me--screaming & bawling were their only ways of communicating. Met them in the elevator once--yes, 2 very young girls (4 & 6?), same loud voices there. 

Luckily quieter the 2nd, longer leg.

 

New Caldonia appears to be the "Caribbean of Australia"--there were A LOT of young adults & children on that cruise. Serenity was never serene. And watched (and applauded) a Fun Crew member have to ask some loud running children to be quieter on the upper decks when we were playing trivia on day in the plaza area..

Luckily the NZ leg was calmer.

[KKB]

Activities, Shows & Crew

The production shows were quite good--much better than on the Miracle!

 

Played a lot of trivia--did quite well even when it was just me. 

But edged out of the Ship on a Stick several times, darn it!

 

Spent some time in casino...did OK at video poker, horrible at Let It Ride & TX Hold em cash game & all but broke even at TX Hold EM Ultimate table game. 

Earned lots more points than last January...but offers aren't as good as before, go figure.

 

Music around the ship was OK; usually I find a group or 2 that really hits me but didn't this time.

 

Often sat reading up at Serenity when I could find a seat. 

 

The crew was terrific. Loved the Fun Squad...as with all cruises we have done, the crew was just terrific.

Edited March 10 by KKB

[KKB]

Food & Drink

 

I didn't get the drink package as I had free drinks in the casino & bought a 5 bottle wine package--a pretty good value.

 

Food was odd. A very different menu than on the Miracle.

Buffet was very repetative.

Hard to find healthy choices...salad bar was limited. Most meat processed, breaded or in pastry.

Veggies were typically the frozen pea/carrot mix or broccoli.

 

Coffee--nice cappuccino machine in buffet made as good as the paid for coffee. 

But there was ONE machine (the other said "being washed" for 20 days...)

 

Breakfast was better in the restaurant than buffet (which wasn't bad, just limited--remember, I avoid gluten)

 

Lunch: Guy's burger place (always solid), Mongolian Grill (great but be prepared to wait 30 min...embarkation day was best day to go), Deli (chicken salad on GF bread was my go to...especially as we had several rocky days when my tummy was off). BBQ one day--that was solid.

 

Dinner: Sucked that Guys closes at 5:30--I don't get this. 
I had early dinner & was able to get a table with others from the Roll Call the 1st week. 

2nd week one of the gals & I from that table were able to get on a larger table with a lovely Australian family & another American. It was a fun table all cruise.

Menu choices were odd. Not a lot of seafood; daily chicken choice was breaded. 

There were several nights not a single main course appealed to me (I'm not terribly picky), so would do soup, salad & an appetizer or 2. Lots of Indian (I like some, but not most). 

Elegant night menus were really no different than other nights. 

Kangaroo was good, as was alligator beignets. Creme brulee was SPOT ON. 

But I didn't go hungry!

 

I did eat at the Steakhouse one night. Luckily got a good deal before the cruise...cost me maybe $35. Barely worth that.

Stuffed mushrooms were breaded--odd. But not bad.

French onion soup quite good--not a lot different than what I got in MDR.

Filet & lobster were...OK. This is similar to what I would get on elegant night on most other lines.

I didn't even finish them...that's telling.

Side of sauteed mushrooms was DELICIOUS.

 

[KKB]

New Caldonia

We were supposed to go to Mare, Lifou & Noumea.

After booking, Mare decided no more cruise ships, I guess.

So we hit Noumea twice.

 

Noumea--reminded me me of a lot of Caribbean islands. 

HOHO bus was kind of a waste...very short route. 

Tchou Tchou train would have been a better way to see more of the island.

Nice beaches, but coral covered so wear beach shoes. No chairs or anything.

Aquarium was a nice visit.

A number of restaurants along the shore--lots of good choices to sit & have a drink.

Nice flea market on the weekend, but nice vendors at ferry station as well.

 

Lifou

Probably the most primative port I've ever visited.

Lovely sand beach, but a bit of a steep walk down.

There was a small market & a few food/drink vendors but not much else. 

Definitely book an excursion if you aren't interested in the beach.

 

[KKB]

New Zealand

Definitely some rockier days at sea.

Amazing to me how very different each port was!

 

Fjordland--was quite rocky that day.

Luckily I got up early (tho we ran late due to fog), and got some great photos while watching from deck 3. But by lunch I was in the room & hung out there the rest of the day.

 

Port Chalmers/Dunedin

I wandered Port Chalmers--a lovely little town, reminded me a lot of Alaskan port towns with a European flair. Discovered a hidden coffee & wine bar after a bit of shopping & sat outside in the warm sunshine for some time.

 

Wellington

While a bit smaller than my hometown of Lincoln, NE, it felt much more like a big city. 

Wandered around downtown & along the waterfront. 

 

Napier

Destroyed by an earthquake in 1931, so it is all rebuilt in Art Deco. 

Right along the beach. 

I did a Wine & Cheese excursion here.

The tour guide & the tour around the city, shoreline & surrounding area was the best part.

The wineries were lovely, but the wines were a let down for me.

NX Sauv Blanc is my fav wine...one didn't offer a Sauv Blanc at all!

One did have cheese & crackers but it ran out before we all got to get some & it was not refilled.

The 2nd winery had no food offered at all. 

 

Tauranga

A LOVELY resort town.  It had an Austin vibe.

I wandered all over the downtown area, checking out shops.

Had some of the biggest best sushi I've ever had.

Then stopped at a lovely restaurant with patio seating & watched the world go buy.

 

Bay of Islands

OK...8 hour stop. (8-4) With tender. And a shuttle to town. 

So that means WAITING.

And Carnival had the BRILLIANT idea that people should begin to pick up tender tickets at 6:30 AM the day of--ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!!

OK,  other lines give out tender tickets at least the day before.

Not a morning person here...so needless to say I wasn't getting off until 11AM. 

Let's factor in the tender line...time to tender...shuttle line...time to shuttle...

And all of that factored in on the way back as well. 

Figured I would get little time there so decided to stay onboard (I do enjoy a mostly empty ship).

Several people said "there wasn't much there" so I don't mind my decision.

It DID look like a good place for an excursion (which means you don't need to line up early for tender tickets either)

 

I wouldn't do New Caldonia again, but would love to come back to SYD & NZ to explore more!

[KKB]

Final thoughts

15 hours IS a long flight...but manageable if one is able to sleep a decent chunk.

But if I do it again definitely staying a month again...I cannot imagine doing it even for 2 weeks.

 

Met many wonderful people on this cruise from all over, both via social media but also just striking up conversations. 

 

Encountered more bizarre passenger drama on this cruise...luckily nothing that affected me other than entertainment!!

 

PS if you get to Sydney, go to Mr. Percy at Woolstore 1888 & try the Seasonal Tomatoes.

Sounds like such a simple dish...but it was AMAZING. I want to eat that dish every day for the rest of my life! 

 

[TrqoisWtrs]

I'm supposed to do B2B2B in August - Singapore to Sydney, then Great Barrier Reef cruise and then New Caledonia.  Just not sure if I'll be able to go with my dog and her issues.  Haven't paid anything yet but the AU$ deposits, which were super cheap, like US$68.  So not a huge loss if I don't go.  I'll be solo too.  I took notes just in case, thanks for sharing. 

[wynkys]

A comprehensive and genuine sounding review.

Thank you.

 

[pe4all]

Thanks for a great review - very concise.  Australia is on my bucket list - but after a 17 hour flight to South Africa I can't imagine doing such a long haul again, so it will have to wait until I forget the pain of that flight - just like childbirth - lol!

[groundloop]

On 3/10/2024 at 1:27 PM, KKB said:

A bit delayed in getting to this...a hand slammed in the cabin door on disembarkation day.....

 

Were you the medical emergency that came over the PA system on the last day?

 

I did a B2B on those same two cruises.

 

It's interesting to hear your take on Carnival vs. other cruise lines, I've done the majority of my cruises on Carnival (21) and only 2 so far on other lines.  My daughter has kind of bought into the BS she sees online about Carnival, plus we did have a pretty bad experience with our Carnival cruise Thanksgiving of 2021, but that was the exception.  

 

AND, in my most humble opinion, our cruise on Splendor last month was one of our best.

Edited March 12 by groundloop

[KKB]

4 hours ago, groundloop said:

 

Were you the medical emergency that came over the PA system on the last day?

 

I did a B2B on those same two cruises.

 

It's interesting to hear your take on Carnival vs. other cruise lines, I've done the majority of my cruises on Carnival (21) and only 2 so far on other lines.  My daughter has kind of bought into the BS she sees online about Carnival, plus we did have a pretty bad experience with our Carnival cruise Thanksgiving of 2021, but that was the exception.  

 

AND, in my most humble opinion, our cruise on Splendor last month was one of our best.

Nope. Got some tape & a splint at a pharmacy in Sydney. Its pretty good now...full range of motion.

 

Bet we met--where are you from?

[groundloop]

3 hours ago, KKB said:

 

 

Bet we met--where are you from?

 

West of Atlanta.

 

We spent about a week in Sydney doing things before the first cruise.  Went to the Blue Mountains, did a private behind-the-scenes tour at Taranga Zoo, visited Manly and Watson's Bay (and got pretty good at navigating Sydney's ferry boat system), took a tour of the Opera House & saw a show there, photographed kangaroos & wombats in the wild, etc. etc.  

 

We didn't stay with the group of back-to-backers on the ship, instead we chose to take a walk and do some shopping.

 

 

[KKB]

Just now, groundloop said:

 

West of Atlanta.

 

We spent about a week in Sydney doing things before the first cruise.  Went to the Blue Mountains, did a private behind-the-scenes tour at Taranga Zoo, visited Manly and Watson's Bay (and got pretty good at navigating Sydney's ferry boat system), took a tour of the Opera House & saw a show there, photographed kangaroos & wombats in the wild, etc. etc.  

 

We didn't stay with the group of back-to-backers on the ship, instead we chose to take a walk and do some shopping.

 

 

I hung out with a gal from near Atlanta most of both cruises...but she & her daughter hit Hawaii on the way over, but not that much time in Sydney--when I saw Atlanta I thought it was her!!