This was my first cruise and it far exceeded my expectations. It was undoubtably one of the best vacations I've ever had. In fact, I had such a good time I have book three more cruises over the next two years and am looking to book a fourth.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation at the new Long Beach Cruise Terminal was a breeze. Fast, organized, and with the staggered boarding times, no lines.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The food in the main dinning room was excellent, however, the Lido Buffet, was a dissppointment and the burger grill was just OK. The BBQ on Deck 10 (above the aft buffett) is a jewel though. Also the aft deli is pretty good for lunchtime sandwiches. Overall... Splendor needed the 2.0 upgrade a long time ago, but she's going to get it next year before she moves to Australia.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Activities are what Carnival is all about. This was a family vacation with three adults and our kids from 2 to 18. All the kids were so contantly involved in their youth clubs that we hardly saw them, except for our required dinner gatherings. Needless to say they had a wonderful time and were ready to go again as soon as we disembarked. As for the adults... well it takes a good planner to make it through this cruise. There is so much to do. There is always something going on, so we found ourselves constantly having to make choices about which fun to go to. But we did make time to just relax by the pool with a drinks in hand and a smile on our faces. We had fun playing minature golf on the Sun Deck and a relaxing massage at the Spa, but our favorites were the nightly shows in the show lounge and laughing at the comics at the Punchliner. Steve from Canada was a wonderful Cruise Director. I hope to cruise with him again someday.
My most memorable moment, however, was "Groovin' for St. Jude". With Steve's leadership, the ship raised a record $6800 in donations for this wonderful charity.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship was clean and well maintained. I especially liked the convertable roof design over the Lido Deck Pool. It made it very comfortable for some bad weather we had on the return trip North.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
The cabin was just fine except for the bathroom faucet. It would not give cold water, only warm to hot water. I complained to my steward who reported it to maintenance, but I was told it could not be repaired at sea. I have worked in construction all my life and I know this is not true. A simple change of the faucet is all that was necessary to fix the problem. However, my steward, Pablo, was very apologetic and supplied me with ice and bottled water for the cruise. This being said, it should have been repaired, not put off!
Everything else was fine with my cabin, and Pablo was a true gem and took very good care of me.
Ship tip
Skip the Lido Buffet and check out the good BBQ on Deck 10, above the Aft Buffet. Also the breakfasts in the Black Pearl are far superior to the buffet and no lines.
*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.
