Carnival Splendor Cruise Reviews - Reviews

The ship was nice. There was plenty of entertainment and the cruise director was AWESOME! The dining staff was equally impressive. The only issue some of the people in our group had on our trip was with the stateroom service. Two of us did not get our rooms cleaned for the first 2 days. They even left notes that said they did not want to disturb us and would be back later. The only problem was, no one was in the rooms when they left the notes. All the cruises I have even been on have cleaned the rooms twice a day. We were told they could only clean the rooms once a day and had to pick if we wanted them cleaned in the morning and evening. Personally I was okay with this, the problem was that it didn't happen everyday. Other than the stateroom issues, the trip was Great.

Nice ship but there was not as many things to do as I was expecting from other ships. Most of the events where trivia and listing to the ship band. Over all for an older ship it was nice and the crew was great.

Before getting on the cruise i was approached and was told I couldn't bring my iron on the ship, but i could get it when i came back, well I never did the iron was no were to be found. The iron was $35.00 and 4 months old. Not happy with that at all.

Favorite part of the cruise was good time with friends who were first time cruisers, and I enjoyed seeing them happy.

The food was less than average.  Nothing special other than typical american breakfast in the buffet in the Lido restaurant.  No good bread or rolls, no smoked salmons. 

The Lido restaurant only had 2 serving buffets, and that was too few for so many guests as 1800.  Therefor the lines were long and could take 30 minutes only to go through the lines at the buffet.

This ship did NOT have a special Grand Buffet or a special Formal Brunch Buffet in the dining room on sea days.  They did have brunch in the dining room, but it was not a buffet and nothing special.

I have come to expect this on a cruise.  That is what makes a cruise special.

The Dining room served average food.  The service in the dining room was poor.  They rushed us through the dinner and at 2 occasion took the unfinished dinner plate from us.  I think this was because the cruise line had made them encertain  the guests by dancing on tables after the meal while we were having desert.  I can understand they do it once at a formal dinner, but they did this performance 3 or 4 times during the cruise, and it became boring.  Would rather be able to finish our meal.  There could have been entertainment like live piano player or soft dinner background music performed by musicians.  The servers in the dining room should be given sufficient time to do their job.  I had the impression that they would dance on tables perhaps to get extra tips.

The ship had very good deserts and cakes.

 When we first arrived in to our state room I noticed a build up of dust collection on the tray and the glasses where the drinking glasses were sitting.  There were also an estimated 3 or 4 weeks's  collection of dust on the counter under the mirror and on the cabinet doors.  I could not accept dirty glasses as I am depending on having clean water and glasses daily to take my medications in the stateroom.  So I would suggest people bring their own glass or cup to use for water in the stateroom.  I had to report this and the manager had the stateroom cleaned.

The entertainment was good on this ship.  The singers and dancers and the actors were good.  The steel band were good and they  played caribbean beat daily.  The young woman who played the  steel drum was good.

The other band and their singer was also very good.  They played daily in the evenings in the atrium.

The cruise director was also good.     

My favorite part of the cruise was our port in George Town, Grand Cayman. It was an unforgettable experience. However our port stop for Jamaica was Montego Bay instead of Ocho Rios where we suppose to port. Didn't have enough time to do what we originally plan was since it was 2 hours away now. We really we dissapointed in our stop to Jamaica. And our port in Cozumel, our excursion got cancelled due to weather. So had to figure out something else after wasting 2 hours of our time to eventually tell us it was cancelled. Ship experience overall was ok. Not a lot to do on this one and the shows weren't the greatest. You really need to improve on your drinks. We didn't but the drink package but bought a couple and they were horrible. So glad we didn't buy it cuz would of been a waste of money. Between our steward, waiter, and port in grand cayman was the highlight of our cruise. I'm not sure if we would go on another cruise. First time was little disappointing. 

the food was really great and we found there to b many options and choices, we liked the variety of food and selection and taste was impressive, we did sometimes feel that when we came back to the ship around 330 from the islands the buffets were closed. That left extremely long lines at the pizza or burger area,

the lines seemed long in the buffet zones alot of the time.

more emphasis should maybe be placed on hand sanitization, maybe some one who stands at the entrance with hand sanitizer

servers were great, happy and pleasant

the night time dining was excellent and we loved every meal we were served

Our Stewart, Heri, was great although he seemed to be a little overwhelmed. The fridge in our room didn't work so he brought us buckets of ice daily. My spa experiences were poor. First appointment I waited 20 minutes before I finally gave up and left. They called to reschedule with promise of 20% discount on services to make up for missed appointment, but then refused to give it after service. The wait staff seemed to be frantic and in the past, they could anticipate your tea/coffee etc. but not on this cruise. A friend purchased their soft drink package but couldn't seem to find a waiter to take her order. Had the Excursion from hell on La Romana although Carnival did give us a partial refund (30%). Rethinking Carnival. 

As always I found the Carnival people to be upbeat and fun loving. My wife and I are ready to plan our 6th cruise with Carnival Cruises. This was our  5th cruise with carnival and it was about as good as I could ask for in a vacation. Starting with our room Stewart Dnasas that kept our room in perfect condition at all times. Then our waiter Ryan by the second night had our drinks at the table as soon as we arrived. He also made sure I had lemons for my water at all times.

The excursions were a great times at each port. We booked all through Carnival and were not disappointed with any, and our guides were just superb.  

First, I will recommend the cruise for the ports of call.  I had never been to the Turks & Caicos (does this "fake" port count?), Dominican Republic (would like to go back and do more exploring), Curacao (very charming place, plan a lunch at the fort behind the wall towards the sea; we were late to find it), and Aruba (our favorite island, we may go back for a timeshare week).

That being said, I was disappointed by Carnival and the Splendor.  We had a spa room.  The Thalassotherapy pool is always great but the steam rooms were all broken (fountains of water on the rocks and the two showers).  The showers are special if they work and have multiple jets and ceiling jets.  Never worked and no explanation.

The food is OK but overall quality of everything has slipped over the years as they try to cut costs and stay competitive.  Now if you want a good steak during the cruise you must pay $35 and go the steakhouse.  Other examples, they used to have a sushi bar every day before dinner freshly made, and that is long gone.  They used to have a "welcome back party" for you even if a GOLD member and that is long gone.  The slots are very tight (don't believe me, play 'em).  The chocolate in your room each night is gone.  Turn down service must be requested or they only come in the morning.  The list is long but the result is the same.  Carnival has slipped to the point that I have cancelled my credit card and do not plan on sailing with them again.  It is too bad but it is no longer the "fun ship".  Newbies are impressed but those of us that built the company up know the truth.

Overall, we enjoyed the cruise. Most of the ports were nice, wasn't too fond of Dominican Republic (La Romana). The worst part was the noise in the room. It was right above the theatre, and when they had the shows going, it vibrated the entire room. It was OK during the day (wasn't in the room) but at night when you're tired and trying to sleep, it was ridiculous!!

We really had a good time on our cruise, but the Splendor did not meet up

very good with the rest of the Carnival Fleet. We have been on many Carnival

ships, but was disappointed in the Splendor.  On previous cruises we bought

liquor on the islands and checked it in with the boat.  They bought it to our room

the morning we left, but the Splendor we had to stand in line for over an hour to

pick it up.

We enjoyed the nightly shows, the 3  late- night comedy shows were great as well, the food was enjoyable.....

Decor of the ship was kind of busy- lots of circular designs all over the place and they reminded me of Dunkin' Doughnuts with pink icing....   I was surprised that the cabin steward only comes in once a day to clean for you.....it was my understanding that they came to tidy up not only early in the day but in the evening as well so you'd find your cabin neat at bedtime.......I suppose Carnival is cutting back on those services.... we found the cabin surprisingly  spacious with plenty of room for storage in drawers  and closets.

We had been to each of the  3 ports - Montego Bay, Cayman Island, Cozumel on prior cruises but we still enjoyed some of the newer shopping areas that weren't there before....      the crew was friendly and helpful.

Embarkation and disembarkation could have been a little smoother and faster as compared to other cruise lines we've been on...

All in all this was a very enjoyable cruise, it met our expectations for a Carnival  cruise.....   it was inexpensive but it gave us plenty of value for the money.

My favorite part was how wonderful our servers at dinner were and I loved how every crew member was so sweet and how diverse they all are!! I was disappointed that our first choice excursion for Jamaica was cancelled but the next one we did was alright. Overall a great experience for a first time cruise.

Excellent services throughout the whole cruise. Rooms were cleaned everyday with all things kept neatly and sanitized by my room Stewart Evangeline, even knew our names, which gave a personal touch and made each one of us feel cared for. Dinning room services like Ryan, I Made, Natasha and were very attentive, polite, and always with a smile on their faces. Cruise director Chloe very informative, socializing, talented, beautiful, energetic, just plain fantastic. The band Funkology fantastic, and the shows done by the group that I can't remember the name, did the 70, 80, shows etc were professionally done. Each one had so much talent and were all excellent. Food was fantastic. In all I can't complain, just keep up the great job!!!! 

As a first time cruiser I didn't know what to expect, I knew the boat would be large and there would be a variety of activities but I never imagined how thought out and wonderful it could be. The night before we got a list of activities for the following day broken down by hour, I was amazed by all of the options. I was very pleased and so was my 12 year old daughter. Carnival didn't disappoint and I hope others would agree.

Having previously sailed with both Royal Caribbean and NCL it was interesting to see how they compared. They pride themselves on being a "fun ship" and on the whole it was . The Entertainment overall though was poor and also the food in the main dining room and buffet dining was poor compared to both RCI and NCL. I chose this cruise because of the itinerary which was great. Embarcation and disembarkation were the usual. The majority of passengers were from the US and they were a real fun crowd. Would I travel again with Carnival, food and entertainment could have been better but we had a great time.

This was my first cruise so I might be a little bias but I'm being completely honest. I enjoyed the cruise so much from the service of the staff, the food and especially the entertainment. The ship is extremely big so it did not become very crowded in one area at all. The first night I did suffer from sea sickness so I had to purchase medication on board which was really inexpensive so please walk with medicine if u are prone to being sea sick. The buffet had a huge variety of food to enjoy at breakfast and dinner for lunch I would get something from off the grill which entailed burger and fries or I just indulged in a personal pan pizza. I attended the fine dining restaurant every night it was such an experience the menu had amazing dishes and the wait staff was extremely friendly and helpful. The ports were very enjoyable their were alot of activities to choose from i did not purchase any of the carnival excursions because it was too pricey. I purchased my excursions at the port which was a huge price difference and I extremely recommend. The activities on board was great as well you get a program in your mailbox every day so look out for it. Embarkation and Disembark was not that crazy like I was expecting so that was great. I purchased WiFi on board because I have an instagram business that I needed to constantly check on that was a waste the WiFi is horrible it was 30 dollars for the 8 days that I was on board but the service cut in and out so many times I which I would of saved my money for something else like a drink. The drinks were great as well too bad the all inclusive drinks option was too expensive. My 8 year old also attendes the trip with me and she had a blast there was so much for her to do as well. All in all my trip was great I definitely will cruise again. 

The cruise service staff was friedly and very accommodating. The food on the other hand was not as good as the other cruise we taken. I enjoyed the cruise shows and destinations the most. Our family looked forward to Guy's burgers and other food choices that were not present. My Recommendation is undecided.

I wasn't sure what to expect on a Carnival ship.  I've experienced Holland America, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean before.  There were four of us travelling together, 3 with dietary restrictions!  One vegetarian, one dairy-free, and one gluten free.  There were choices at all of the buffets and the sit down dining for all of us, every meal.  The staff were all very accommodating and friendly.  The food was better than on other lines we have been on.  The cabins were roomy and spotless.  Our steward was great!  My only minor complaints...The ship was TOO COLD!  Even with sweaters on in the dining rooms, we were freezing.  And the entertainment was mediocre.  They did bring in a real magician one night who was awesome, and there was a band that played every night in the Promenade called Funkology who were excellent.  The excursion choices were a little weak in my opinion.  Overall, I will definitely look at other Carnival cruises in the future.

The best thing about this cruise are the employees.  Our stateroom attendant, Joemar made us feel at home.  We had our "personal" cocktail server, Wayan.  Can I say amazing?  He made sure our drinks stayed full and our bottles of red were chilled as requested during our dinner. Martin, our server knew excactly how we like our steaks after the first visit and his suggestions were spot on.  The staff at Carnival Splendor deserves recognition because they all went above and beyond and made us feel very welcomed. We learned a lot about them through our conversations and I feel like we became part of their families.  I would go on this cruise again just to see them.  The reason why I gave this a three star is because when it was time to pay for the cruise, I had to pay with multiple debit cards because I had a major purchase I hadn't planned on.  I bought my husband a Tag Hauer watch and I told the salesman I needed to pay with two cards and he said to put it on my sign and sail card because he wouldn't be able to split it but I would be able to when I pay the bill for the whole cruise.  I did just that only to find out after the cruise they had charged it all to the wrong cards causing 3000.00 worth of pending transactions each on all cards and ended up  posting on wrong cards,  I called Carnival cruise line to tell them and even though it was their mistake (customer service admitted it) they couldn't do anything about it until I could give them bank statements to prove it was posted on my accounts.  I realize, this whole problem started with my request to use multiple cards but if it was difficult, they should've told me in advance.  I would've just transferred money into one bank to prevent this mess from happening.  I'm still dealing with this mess.....