Customer Service Nightmare Mars Week of Vacation Bliss
Carnival Splendor Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
7 Night Western Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)
Sail date: December 27, 2015
Ship: Carnival Splendor
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 1071
Traveled as: Singles/Friends
Reviewed: 8 years ago
Review summary
I love cruising and enjoy Carnival, so they were my 1st choice to bring in the New Year. The itinerary was good, a stop in Grand Cayman, instead of Costa Maya, would have been a better choice, since there was very little to see or do in the latter. Food, housekeeping, waitstaff, and the Spa techs were all outstanding. My issues began w/the initial check-in. 40 minutes for security, another 15 for passport review and then over an hour to get to the actual check-in counter. This is unacceptable!!! We stood like cattle w/o benefit of even a cup of water. This process should be streamlined, if you did online c/i, have your docs in order, you should be allowed to board from security. I u/s Carnival now wants to charge people to expedite the process, but since everyone on this fully booked cruise already paid a premium in excess of 30%, this was just poor service. It along w/the lack of staff made this an unforgettable start to the cruise. Additionally, forcing people to pay a mandatory tip for a drink, coke or lukewarm coffee was insane. I had no problem w/tips for waiters, stewards & such, but I don't tip folks in Starbucks. 50 cent tip for a glass of soda is outrageous and this process needs to be ended immediately. The rest of my trip, especially ziplining in Honduras was outstanding!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
on fully booked cruises, all hands need to be on deck!
Ports of call
Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras