Bigger Isn't Better

Carnival Splendor Cruise Review to Canada, New England, New York

JEB0114

Contributor Level: Second Mate

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Reviews: 4

Helpful Votes: 86

Overall rating:

1 out of 5

7 Night Canada & New England (New York Roundtrip)

Sail date: September 13, 2015

Ship: Carnival Splendor

Cabin type: Suite

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 9 years ago

Review summary

My wife and I booked a New England and Canada cruise on Carnival Splendor, after enjoying a Caribbean experience on Carnival Pride. We were attracted by the relatively low price as well as the itinerary: New York to Boston; Portland, ME; Halifax, Nova Scotia; and St. John, New Brunswick; back to New York. The ship itself is large and negotiates the water easily- a smooth ride. Our suite, OS class, was very good, and cabin stewards are great. But we found food dismal in the Black Pearl restaurant (same menu as the other restaurant, just open seating). The buffet areas on Lido deck are very crowded and noisy. We did not try the steak house (Pinnacle) based on a bad experience in the steak house on Pride.

Search johnbatchelordiningandtravel for full review.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

1 out of 5

Miserable. Low quality ingredients.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Service and Staff

3 out of 5

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

Ports of call

New York, New York

3 out of 5

Boston, Massachusetts

3 out of 5

Portland, Maine

3 out of 5

Halifax, Nova Scotia

3 out of 5

Saint John, New Brunswick

3 out of 5

10 Comments

shantae 9 years ago

you can order anything from the mdr for room service?

Thumbs Up 0

Flag

SonjaLyn 9 years ago

Pinnacle steakhouse is awesome but I have to agree that the food quality is not as good as it used to be.

Thumbs Up 0

Flag

Sungold 9 years ago

Unless you got food poisoning, your rating of 1 star seems unfair, especially since you stated that you enjoyed other amenities that the cruise offered. But thanks for responding!

Thumbs Up 0

Flag

Sungold 9 years ago

I have to say I've never encountered low-quality ingredients in the dining room. Vegetables, fruit and seafood is always fresh, and the prime rib is very well prepared. I will say that the steak I've had in the dining room has been rather bland and under-seasoned. But the desserts are always delicious! What I mean is, food is just one aspect of a cruise.

Thumbs Up 0

Flag

Sungold 9 years ago

There is also room service available if you wanted privacy and quiet. During dinner hours you can order anything that the dining room is serving. You were in a suite, which you mentioned was very nice, and the ride was very smooth on the ship. You didn't mention anything at all about the ports you visited. Did you even enjoy the scenery from your balcony? Did you see any shows or live music?

Thumbs Up 0

Flag

SweetCherryFly 9 years ago

Definitely being overly judgmental. You're missing what a cruise is about, where do you expect to put 4,500 people on a boat. They all need to eat too. Was this your first cruise?

Thumbs Up 0

Flag

JEB0114 9 years ago

If I can't enjoy the food, I can't enjoy the overall experience. And the food in the restaurant was some of the worst I have ever had. Low quality main ingredients. Hence 1 star overall. If we had been able to skip restaurant and eat casual buffet, it would not have been as bad, but buffets are not open during restaurant hours. Pizza is good, but I can't eat pizza seven nights!

Thumbs Up 1

Flag

noname111 9 years ago

Thank you for posting your review. I am trying to understand the one-star rating though. Your comments were helpful but it didn't sound like you had a poor overall experience. If you revisit your review, perhaps add a few clarifying comments.

Thumbs Up 0

Flag

kcox8 9 years ago

this is person that thinks the entire ship is there for just them. and should conform to what they think it should be. gives a bad review for a something minor and makes people think that the cruise was worst than it was.

Thumbs Up 1

Flag

Sungold 9 years ago

What horrible experience caused you to give it only one star? Just how dismal was the food? FYI: the Lido Deck is nearly always crowded and noisy, on any ship. Not sure what type of experience you were expecting.

Thumbs Up 0

Flag

Other reviews of this sailing

40th anniversary cruise