The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Carnival Splendor Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern
8 Night Southern Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)
Sail date: June 04, 2016
Ship: Carnival Splendor
Cabin type: Inside
Cabin number: 1039
Traveled as: Family (older children)
Reviewed: 8 years ago
Review summary
What was good?
The La Romana Ziplining excursion...very professional, great super swing & ziplines, and everyone working each zipline was focused on SAFETY FIRST! I checked every line we were connected to, so I felt confident that they were all properly attached and appropriate for the loads being held (construction experience). The beaches of Aruba...the softest white sand and bluest, most calm waters I've been on since Grand Cayman. We got our tan on while we enjoyed some buckets of their cute little home brew (Chill Lager). The 70’s Show, from the Carnival Troupe…a perfect blend of dance and song, covering all the best funk & disco we could remember. Consuela Ivy…WOW…that’s the best way to describe how fantastic a singer she was. Not only did she have a great range, she had an uncanny ability to sing like the the artists she covered…Diana Ross, Patti Labelle, Donna Summer, & Whitney Houston for the finale…finally, she was SUPER funny, which made for a very complete show. The Spa…the most redeeming factor of this older ship is the spa, which is the biggest of all that Carnival offers, plus a very relaxing Thalassotherapy tub, Lancomeum, and Aromatherapy Steam room!What was Bad?
The 80’s Show, from the Carnival Troupe…everything that the 70’s Show brought, this show failed to do. The dancing wasn’t as good, and it seemed like these songs didn’t fit most of the singers…to top it off, this show failed to follow any theme, besides being music from the 80’s. The Service…besides our room steward, and one Dining Room Head Waiter, this ship’s service was just not that spectacular...it looked like everyone didn’t really want to be there, and it showed in their service.What was Ugly?
The City of La Romana. The port looked fantastic, all segregated from the rest of the world. The city beyond the gates, however, looked like the remnants of a world trying to exist in desperation…trash and crumbled buildings everywhere. A couple we talked to said that they went on a market excursion, and had to be escorted by Dominican Police…the police then set up a perimeter around a market circle to make it safe for them to shop?!?! So sad.Just Meh…
The Food…hit and miss all trip. Grand Turk…just nothing there, and what was there was dirty.Conclusion
This was our 2nd Carnival cruise. My wife and I enjoyed our time, for the most part, but feel that we would like to try another company…one that would step it up a bit more on the overall package. Even though this was a tamer cruise, kid-wise, we would also like to try something out that was cater more for adults.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom