Worst Cruise Ever Experienced

Carnival Splendor was terrible.  The ship was not well maintained and stunk - literally.  Every corridor smelled musty and like a sewer.  The windows in every single area of the ship were so filthy you could barely see out of them.  The stair railings were greasy or sticky, as were all the lounge chairs.  The carpets were stained and filthy.  The ceilings had water stains everywhere and several times we were dripped on while walking (at least I hope it was water). The table linens were stained and dirty.  The chairs in the dining rooms were filthy - we were afraid to sit on them in light clothing.  Often food remnants were not brushed off the seats from previous diners and were left for us to clean before we sat down.  The food was inedible. I had 4 children traveling in my party who will eat anything and are bottomless pits.  Even they would not eat this food, it was that bad.  We sent the food back several times and received replacements which were same poor quality. The filet mignon could not be cut, let alone chewed.  It was fatty and grizzly, definitely not filet mignon.  The chicken was either raw or so overcooked it was impossible to cut.  Even the desserts were bad!  Everything on board was grossly overpriced.  $22 for one picture is obscene.  The shops "sales" were a joke.  Drinks on board were much higher than other cruiselines and very weak - we needed to ask for more alcohol to be added each time.  The entertainment was ok but nothing memorable.  The ship was dirty.  Besides the foul odors throughout the ship, the bed linens and towels contained other people's hair every day.  Each time we requested new towels and clean sheets the hair was still there.  There were fist fights nightly - between girls no less!  Security was needed to break up many fights.  We did not feel safe onboard.  Several passengers complained of getting sick from the food.  One member traveling with us (we were a large party) got sick twice and lost 3 out of 8 days due to illness.  Our complaints were dismissed with insincere apologies and the advice to please try another dining option if we weren't happy.  Unfortunately for us we had tried every dining option and none were even close to being edible.  The only reason this review gets one star was because of our waiters who went above and beyond trying to make us happy.  It's not their fault the quality of the food was so deplorable.  I've cruised several times on other lines.  This was my first carnival cruise and I will never return.  It was a complete disappointment.  Don't waste  your money on Carnival!