Even though I prefer the smaller, Fantasy Class ships, (with smaller crowds,) I chose the Splendor for several reasons: 1) It was NOT on the list of ships that serve "American Table" in the Main dining rooms - Oops, it had it. No table cloths, minimal flatware set, (you don't even get a spoon unless you "need" one,) less extensive menu. The wait staff had more tables than I remember from "the good old days." 2) All smokers to some extent, and SPECIFICALLY cigar smokers, have been herded into less favorable locations. Cigars may be smoked ONLY at the very rear of deck 10, outside. I don't need to annoy non-smoking passengers throughout the ship, but really? We tried to have a smoke and play some cards. Good luck with that. These "negatives" are about Carnival. though, not about this ship.
I guess I'm spoiled, but they did it. My first Carnival cruise in 2002 ruined me, I guess. Then, I was treated like a king: FULL table service at dinner, seemingly constant presence of room Stewart, great shows with REAL musicians. I'm platinum with Carnival and that's real nice, but I may do more shopping before I cruise with them again.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation in Miami is smooth. This is "home" for Carnival and it's obvious that they try to make a good first impression - successfully.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Even though I prefer the smaller, Fantasy Class ships, (with smaller crowds,) I chose the Splendor for several reasons, including that this ship did NOT serve "American Table" in the Main dining rooms - Oops, it had it. No table cloths, minimal flatware set, (you don't even get a spoon unless you "need" one,) less extensive menu. The wait staff had more tables than I remember from "the good old days." I guess I'm spoiled, but they did it. My first Carnival cruise in 2002 ruined me, I guess. Then, I was treated like a king: FULL table service at dinner, extensive menu at every meal, ample wait staff.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
The Cruise Director was FUN, as good as any I've ever seen. MarQ was a show all by himself. The ship itself is very nice, clean (including public toilets!) easy to navigate. The smaller music groups were very good. There were regular "games" and contests being played, and Erica from America is s shining star. There was a Vets Appreciation program one afternoon that was VERY well received by those who served and those who love and support them.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Main entertainment in the evenings was pretty good, but I do miss the live musicians that used to enhance the experience.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
The individual people are ALWAYS friendly and eager to please. The only now is that, I think, there aren't enough of them.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship was very clean, even including the public toilets. The decor is, well, funny. The dining rooms are called the Black and Gold Pearl. It took us quite a while to figure out that the "fried eggs" on the ceilings were supposed to be oysters with pearls in them.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Adequate. No problems. We don't spend much time in the cabin, so don't expect anything special.
Ship tip
Get the Carnival HUB app on your phone to find out what's going on that day and ship deck plans to help you find the stuff.
We like Nassau. It wasn't supposed to be a stop on this cruise but the hurricane season got more votes than the planners did. Unlike Mexico, the Bahamians will back off when you tell them you're not interested in whatever they're selling. We ALWAYS Cliffie's for a hair cut when we're there!
We were looking forward to Grand Turk but were not impressed. Sadly, the hurricane season did a double slam on them, and it shows. Perhaps a future visit will live up to my expectations. They DO recover from those things.
We were on the Splendor in January, my 4th one with them. I agree, the waitstaff in the dining room seemed spread much more thin than in the past. They did a good job, but they seemed stressed. It took 2 hours to eat dinner every night so we missed all the shows but 1. I couldn't get them to bring enough cream for our coffee to save our lives!
Pretty much everywhere you go you're going to get the same treatment with cigars, not just Carnival. Every cruise line, every hotel, every restaurant, sometimes even cigar bars. Just the sign of the times. As for American Table, that's the sign of the times too. Less formality, more casual.
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