This was our fourth cruise on Carnival and to be honest, we were thinking about looking elsewhere after the experience of our 2016 cruise on the Fascination -- which was saved only by the amazing ports we visited. But after the experience we had on the Splendor this time, our loyalty to Carnival is back to being as strong as ever.
The ship was immaculate, the food and entertainment were top-notch and the ports were great. But what really stood out was the amazing crew. From our waiter Gultekin, to cruise director Steve From Canada to Jeff the Fun Dude in the comedy club, the staff was visible and highly personable. We especially appreciated the way the staff at the aft pool and hot tubs strictly enforced the "adults only" rules, making the area a quiet and relaxing place for a couple whose kids are grown. The customer service was also second-to-none. We had two potential issues, one in the Golden Pearl Dining room on the first night of our cruise and one involving the Spa on our final day at sea, but thanks to the efforts of maitre d's Yuri and Kostyshyn, and Alexandra at the guest services desk, both potentially bad situations were resolved in a quick and positive manner.
All-in-all, we had an amazing experience that could only have been improved by a more organized embarkation/debarkation process at Port Everglades.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The menus in the formal dining room were varied and tasty. I especially enjoyed the jerk pepper steak and the filet mignon, which was melt-in-your-mouth tender. We also enjoyed the variety of options at the Lido deck buffet, especially the Mongolian Wok and BBQ stations.
One of the things that stood out was the tomatoes at the omelet station each morning. On our previous cruise, on the Carnival Fascination in 2016 , canned stewed tomatoes were used and they were terrible. This was a concern for us, because we took it as a sign that Carnival was starting to cut corners. I'm not sure what the problem was, but on this cruise it wasn't an issue because the tomatoes were fresh.
If I had one complaint -- and it's not really that big of one -- it's that the pizza could stand to be improved. It was more like a large cracker with a little sauce and cheese on it. But again, the variety of other options made this a very minor issue.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
There was always plenty to do, both indoors and out. The retractable roof that covered the Lido deck was especially good, since it allowed all activities to continue even when it rained.
Our most frequented activities were the adults only pool on the aft deck, the comedy club, casino and Dive In Movie, as well as the musical reviews in the Spectacular Theater.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
We're big fans of the Punchliner comedy club and loved the comedians. We were especially appreciative of club manager and emcee Jeff the Fun Dude, who did a full set of shows on the "dark" night. The musical revues were much far superior to those on our previous cruise and there was one almost every night, which was also an improvement from last year.
Another nice feature was the "Dive-in Movies." Although there was a problem one night with the projector, which cut off the show just before the end before finally being resolved, the movies were good, there were plenty of chairs and the popcorn was plentiful.
Children's Programs
We didn't have children with us
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
There were many ... but here are the ones that truly stood out and made our FunShip experience unforgettable ....
Gultekin ... he was our waiter in the Black Pearl Dining room. Not only is he an excellent waiter, but he has a magnetic personality that made him feel like a friend. He's also a very funny man who entertained us with his jokes and his dancing (while balancing a full glass of water on his head, no less!).
Jeff the Fun Dude ... He might only be the manager of the comedy club and the emcee of the Punchliner shows, but Jeff was the funniest comic on the ship. His routine about working on a cruise ship the night the regular comedians were "dark," was absolutely fabulous. He should be one of the headliners, not the warmup act. In addition to his duties in the comedy club, Jeff was a personable, friendly guy who we enjoyed talking to on several occasions. We saw him virtually every day, in a number of different duties and he was always cheerful, friendly and seemed to be enjoying his job and his interactions with the guests. He's the kind of ambassador Carnival should be very proud of.
Alexandra at the guest services desk ... As previously mentioned, her customer service was incredible. She went out of her way to make sure our problem was resolved in a quick and fair manner and seemed genuinely concerned about my wife's feelings.
Dewi ... she was the hostess at the Black Pearl Dining Room. Not only did she know our names and greeted us cheerfully as soon as we arrived each night (without having to look at our sign and sail cards or her computer), but she also knew to seat us in Gultekin's section.
Kostyshyn ... Not only was the the maitre d at the Black Pearl, he was an amazing singer and entertainer. His nightly songs added to an already romantic atmosphere and greatly enhanced our dining experience.
And finally, Steve Fromcanada ... Okay, so his last name isn't actually Fromcanada, but I loved the shtick. I also loved that he could be seen everywhere around the boat and really interacted well with the guests. It was a nice change from our previous cruise when the only time we saw the cruise director was when he was hosting a show or a competition.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship was immaculate and in good repair, which was a vast improvement from what we experienced on the Fascination a year earlier.
One thing I didn't like was the way cabins are serviced now. The "Cruising" sign for the door is gone, meaning that stewards don't know if you're in or out of your room now. I've always loved the fact that your room got straightened every time you leave it. But now, the stewards only come in and clean up twice a day -- once in the morning and once at night. I was also disappointed that the chocolates that used to be a feature of the turndown service have apparently been discontinued and the towel animals are now left in the morning rather than at night.
Over all, the Splendor is a much bigger ship than we've been on before, which was both good and bad. The good included the addition of a third pool, one for adults only, and the fact that activities were more spread out -- meaning that the public areas weren't as congested as we've experienced in the past. The bad is that there wasn't a stage area on the Lido deck and some places -- particularly the comedy club and the aforementioned adult pool, required a lengthy walk from the front of the ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
It was much roomier than we've had in the past. We loved having a couch to sit on, along with plenty of storage space. The bathroom also seemed roomier.
I'd have preferred to be a little farther back toward the middle of the ship, since we were right next to the elevators and it sometimes got noisy at night. But it wasn't a big deal, since it was the last cabin left that fit our needs because we booked kind of late.
Ship tip
The BBQ station on the Lido deck is upstairs from the other buffet stations. It's easy to miss if you don't know it's up there, so go up and check it out. It was one of our favorite food choices.
Also, get to the comedy shows early, because the line to get in can get long.
Skip Atlantis. There's just too much to do there in one day and it makes for a hurried, unrelaxing experience. Get a horsedrawn carriage ride around the downtown area, go see the Queens Staircase & fort, then take a $4 cab to Cabbage beach and enjoy the rest of the day there.
There are excursions and activities available, but it's best to save your money for the other ports and just enjoy a great day at the beach and good cookout food,
Options are limited here. Carnival owns the port and there's stuff to do there, but you don't really get a feel for what the Dominican Republic is really like. That having been said, skip downtown Puerto Plata. It's a very depressed area. Your best bet is getting an excursion to either the beach or one of the natural areas. But make sure you get what you pay for, because we didn't.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
