Carnival Splendor Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Excellent staff, the crew members were all extremely hospitable throughout the entire ship. Our room steward was exceptional. The only problem was that no one was regulating any of the "out of control" children on the lido deck. they were climbing the stair railings from the outside and none of the staff wanted to speak up and stop the dangerous behavior. this was very dangerous, one of them could have fallen from the railing resulting in an innevitable broken bone. The staff just watched or ignored. It got to the point that my girlfriend had to speak to the six children about their dangerous behavior after being struck by a giant "connect four" puck. Parents would stop by, cocktails in hand, tell the kids to sit in the sun chairs. Then proceed to leave the children unattended for another unacceptable amount of time. One of the pucks even struck the drum kit of the band that was playing on the lido deck at the time. Infuriated, we decided to leave before the parents of the children returned. If we would have stayed, a confrontation would have ensued. That was a big one for us. Children absolutely should never be left unsupervised. Not by their parents, and definitely not by the staff. The entertainment was great. However, the "Latin American" dance show I found to be a little offensive. The salsa band was great, the rock combo was outstanding, the piano bar performer was awesome and pretty funny actually. Speaking of funny, the comedians were hillarious, with the exception of Azzeem. That guy is a racist. I watch a lot of stand up shows in nyc. i know that they touch on racial stereotypes and i also enjoy it. but this fellow took it way too far, then spoke on how we need to eliminate racism, then proceed to unload a bunch of racially charged propoganda, and this was somehow supposed to be funny. Had he been a caucasian comedian, he would have been booed off the stage. Overall the entertainment was very good,and Jaimie the host was hilarious. The food at the buffet was usually better than the food in the dining room. The pinnacle steakhouse was well worth the $35 cover, the service was absolutely perfect and the chef even came out to greet us. That being said, the food in the pinnacle steakhouse was not very impressive. Our appetizers were very good, as well as the bread. The amuse bouche was unimpressive and though appreciated, I could have done without. My steak was just a bit under seasoned and a little undercooked. I ask for a rare steak, and received a steak that was under rare, meaning it was still cold inside. A proper rare is seasoned and allowed to come up to room temperature before it hits the fire. That way after searing, the steak remains rare and is also just warm inside. I notified my server and immediately she refired my order, which I received in a timely manner. The giant slice of cheese cake was the big let down. So big, so beautiful, so dry, so bland, so mealy. Still the meal was well worth the $35, and had I tried eating there earlier on in the cruise, would have return at least two times during the voyage. Porting in old San Juan, Puerto Rico was excellent, the city is gorgeous. Boasting colonial architecture throughout the tropical landscape, it provided us with many stunning photos. The locals were friendly and helpful. St. Thomas was out favorite port. We took a quick cab ride over the hill to Megan's bay and stent the entire day there. The water was perfect and the beach was perfect for laying out in the sun. The locals were all very friendly toward the tourist which made it that much better. My only regret is the we couldn't stay till the evening. The duty free shopping in st. Thomas was an obvious winner for us. The last stop before heading back to newyork city was Grand Turk. We got off the ship and were immediately funneled through a shopping center with various stores. I mean, I can take a hint, this was ridiculous. After passing through a bunch of souvenir shops, and through jimmy buffets "margaritaville" we finally made it on to the beach. This led to regret about not signing up for a shore excursion for grand Turk. The beach was lame and there wasn't really any town to visit and walk around. Overall, we had a good time. But, we will probably hold off on cruising for at least another 15 years. I don't feel like we fall into the appropriate demographic for cruising. I hope this review was helpful. I wasn't planning on writing one, but I keep getting emails about it. Cheers.

Stateroom was very comfortable, with enough drawer and closet space. Could have used a lounge in place of one chair on the balcony. Missed hearing announcements in cabin. Can you ban all balcony smoking? Service was perfect. Dining room was beautiful, but the quality of the food was irregular. Some items were perfect, while others were not. Surprised you charge extra for Capuchino. Some cruise lines bring in a local cook to prepare some authentic local dishes. The service personnel were great - friendly, courteous, attentive and knowledgeable. Your Lido buffets were excellent, good variety and very tasty food. Would have enjoyed some real sushi though. Really enjoyed the ship, but it was near chaos on the pier outside of the terminal. How about including some "free" trips for VIFP members who qualify? And, what about giving credit to those who PAY for the stateroom, rather than to those who OCCUPY the stateroom? Would we travel with Carnival again? Absolutely!

Carnival charges a 92 dollar "gratuity fee" directly to your credit card after the cruise is over... WITHOUT ASKING YOU FIRST. this is PER PERSON. The food service staff were great. The food was good quality.

This cruise was enjoyable. The Pros: Great check-in: fast friendly and easy Very clean ship The cabin was a good size and comfortable Security was evident in all areas Food was improved over previous Carnival cruises Plenty of food choices including Indian, American cuisine, a rotisserie, brunch, pizza, custom wok lunches/dinners Maitre D' was helpful in getting a table change so my group could sit together Pools and spas were plentiful Although there were a lot of people on board, there were only a few times when it felt crowded Staff are as always, polite, helpful and smiling The stops were excellent The Cons: I really miss the steel drum bands and calypso music All of the Lido deck big screen movies and some of the Lido deck DJ music was way WAY too loud There was a lot of down time when not much was going on, more activities would have been welcomed The cabin stewards seem to have more to do/more rooms to care for, although my room was always made up and clean, I rarely saw the cabin steward, which is different from previous cruises The stops were great, but a little short of time on land The biggest Con: Babies and young children in diapers were allowed in the spas and pools, no one ever asked the parents to remove the children from the water

For a first time cruiser, I was happy with the checkin process—fast! I was in my cabin within 45 minutes of first arriving curbside. The cleanliness of my cabin was impeccable. However, I wasn't surprised that cleanliness lacked in other parts of the ship. I would see empty drink cups around and other miscellaneous things as well. Additionally, and I know this is hard to combat at sea especially with a massive ship, but I did see a fair amount of rust in very visible areas. The Pool was my biggest issue. I know the pool is emptied and cleaned daily, however, throughout the day with the hundreds of people using it, it's inevitable that the pool will collect oils from sun screen, skin flakes, hair, and a variety of other contaminates. It would be great if the pool water could be filtered as the cruisers swim and lounge. Perhaps that's a long shot, but it's worth considering. Cabin: Our room steward Joner was amazing. He was extremely friendly, kind, and always smiled; being that he was one of the first people we saw before heading to breakfast, that in itself was/is always a great way to start our day. Well done, Joner. Food; Breakfast: The buffet was what it was; acceptable. We tend to eat healthy so we began our day with Yogurt, Fruits, egg whites, juices, and coffee. However, one day we ate sit-down brunch and the Eggs Benedict wasn't very good. The hollandaise sauce was cooked and shouldn't have been; aim for creamy. Food; Lunch: Same Food; Dinner; We opted to eat as a family every single night which was great. We sat in the Pearl restaurant on the 3rd deck and ate well. The food the first few days was not hot coming out of the kitchen, but we mentioned that to our waitress and afterwards, everything came out hot. Food; Everything else: snacking throughout the day wasn't hard, but the long lines were sometimes a deterrent—perhaps more stations of the same foods/sandwiches would have been helpful. Nightlife: decent night life. We wished there was an Irish pub on the ship, but you can't have everything. The shows were amazing. Broadway caliber. Well done. Safety: I never felt unsafe. I did lock up my valuables in my cabin, and my personal well being felt safe at all times, I did see quite a bit of security patrolling the last few days (the first few days I saw none). Decor: I wasn't a fan of the forced 80s decor, but those are my tastes. General comments: Overall we had a great time. Personally, cruising is not our mode of travel, but aside from that, we had a good time and were able to thoroughly relax without having to worry about anything—as long as we got back to our ship when in port ;) Ideas: Here are some ideas I had while on the ship: 1. It would be great if we could have rented e-readers on the ship with the option to download a library of books and magazines. 2. Wifi: I wasn't a fan of having to pay for wifi, however, I do understand satellite wifi can be expensive. Here's the idea: If Carnival offered a limited time (3-5 minutes) for free wifi so the cruiser can get a taste of the service, likely, you'd have more people signing on for more paid time. I'm just thinking of it from a marketing perspective. Think of free apps (in app stores) most people download the free app for a taste and then upgrade to paid versions—works extremely well. 3. TV: The TV was not HI-DEF, but that's not what concerned me. It would have been nice to see a better UI for all the onboard services. I thought I took a time machine back 20 years the way some of the graphics were designed: poorly. As a designer myself, all of the sales promotional material for Carnival is pretty good, but the on-screen graphics (on the TV) were terrible. Additionally, the on board cameras that showed the different Lido pool etc should be HI-DEF since Carnival is essentially broadcasting on board and not via satellite. More views of the outside (not just the front facing camera) would be great too. As for the map of the ship's location, water depth was always something I wanted to know and not just via a once a day announcement. 4. Apps: An iPhone app of the ship and the specific cruise ship the cruiser is on would have been great not sure why a general Carnival app doesn't exist.

I', traveling a lot but this was our first family cruise,since the beginning we felt like kings,the way people treat us the food the activities,music comedy everything went so well we are already looking for a new cruise.

Overall the cruise was good. The service in all areas was excellent, the food was good especially in the dining room. The musical shows in the theater were very professional and well done. We were disappointed in the comedians they were not funny. There was one incident at the aft pool on the Sunday before we reached San Juan when a group of 20/30 somethings were diving into the pool and creating a very dangerous situation to people in the pool and to themselves. One girl slipped on the bench around the pool and if she had fallen she would have cracked her head open and it would have been very nasty. A waiter told them to stop but they didn't listen to him. Security came later but did nothing. There were people who wanted to go into the pool but couldn't because of the dangerous behavior of the young people. The weather was great all week and the excursions at each location were very well done and enjoyable.

The service was excellent. Ship was very clean and very good entertainment. My first night on board, I listened to a woman, (Tess) singing and a guitarist, bandleader and singer (Sonny). What a show they gave. They were asking for request and I requested "I'm In a New York State of Mine," which they did know and never heard of. Two days later we met on the elevator and they told me they had a surprise for me and to my delight they sang the song as if they had sang it for years, I was overwhelmed that they took the time to make me happy. Carnival ... cruises have 2 jewels in their midst. I would sail with Carnival on one condition, that Sonny and Tess is part of the entertainment. What ever ship they are performing on I want to sail with them. Our cabin stewart attend to all our needs and wants. It was a pleasure ending the day with a new animal on our beds.

I had a wonderful time on this cruise. The service was great and the staff was wonderful!! the food was good, the drinks were good the trip was amazing! Will love to cruise with Carnival again =]

This was my first cruise and will not be my last. You get so much for the price you pay. The staff is very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful on every level. All inclusive food and entertainment that keeps you busy all the time. The islands were beautiful, the cabin was roomy and cleaned every day by a very happy and friendly housekeeping staff that remembered our names and always greeted us whenever they passed us in the hallway. The color scheme was perfect with the beach theme in mind. Many elevators to accommodate the many guest. We were so impressed we are already planning another cruise for next year and forgetting about the resort vacations. They are done and over for my family. I highly recommend cruising as the best vacation experience anyone could enjoy! I have deemed myself the ambassador of cruising 101.

Only limited to what you can drink. Overcharged for gratuity and hidden fees. Being charged like almost 100.00 gratuity for my daughter and she is only 4yrs old plus what I was charge also. Not what I expected. Plus we had to do everything last but first. I can understand when there is life threatening medical reasons . It's just when I wanted to cancel my excursion they wouldn't give me back my full refund!

This was my first cruise and will not be my last. We book our cruise with cheap cruise.com. And got a good deal on a 7 day cruise out of New York to Bermuda . Being my first cruise I was a little worried if I would get bored on the ship.that was not a problem plenty to do, we went to shows and all were outstanding ,we went to the adult comedy club and laugh tell it hurt,we layed out by the pool and got some sun. We ate and then we ate some more,let me tell you something the food on the carnival splendor was some of the best food I have ever ate. I got prime rib one night and you didn't even need a knife to cut it and it was so tasty.the crew on the boat was so friendly they were always smiling ,learned our names fast and were very accommodating .bermuda was so beautiful ,clean and the people were so friendly we rode the local buses and ferries to get around and always felt safe,we went to horse shoe bay and it was so pretty that it will take your breath away,the sand Had a pink tint to it,the water was a light blue and so clear.we found a place called sea glass cove and was amazed of all the sea glass that was there ,we did so much and had so much fun it was just a wonderful vacation. We our already looking to book a cruise for next year. Thanks carnival splendor and the crew

Had a wonderful time on board very friendly employess... Wish we could have spent more time on the islands we visited... Shows where amazing! Days at see my daughter was so excited to go to camp carnival she loved it.

The cruise was wonderful, adventurous, lots to take in, lively, & fun. The service very good. Cleanliness great. Friendliness of staff-awesome, attentive, dutiful! Bar staff good, yet overly requested you to purchase drinks, sometimes annoyingly so, by some not by all. Cabin staff very attentive, friendly & courteous. Early morning announcements annoying. Speakers in room should be reserved for emergencies. Young children running down halls early in the morning, late evening, & riding up & down the elevators, pressing all buttons, should be discouraged & monitored by cruise personnel. Ultimately this is the parents responsiblity but cruiseline should have stricter control for safety reasons. Photographers were all over the place & were a bit much, especially closing off stairways. We had several wonderful photos which we purchased, took many others at dinner that were lost and never found, very disappointing. The adult section SERENITY area was a great idea, but the mini-golf was just above it on the next level, the noise & screams from children & parents, were not serene. Poor design. Excursions were good. The cruiseline staff for excursion info.seemed annoyed if you did not book thru them and used your travel agent for booking trips, so they limited information on accessing busses, taxi services etc. The days at sea were OK but we could have stayed in Bahamas, Freeport longer than leaving at 3:30pm, only to get back to NYC early and then go slow into port. That was odd. Drink packages could vary, such as: minimal-(3-5), modest-(4-8) or unlimited-(up to 15), both for soft drinks and alcohol and also include a combo. pkg soft & alcohol at each level. Embarkation and debarkation process very organized & secure. Meal lines at buffet were often excessive. I would book another Carnival cruise on a different ship, just for the change of scenary. Also would not do a spring break one again & I would leave from a warmer port, further south carribean. NYC departure was lovely but cold for end of March.

the service was horrible. all crew members were unpleasant to say the least. this was our 5th carnival cruise. this one was not up to par with the others. this will be our last for sure. with carnival that is. the food in the dining rooms were decent but the buffets were disgusting...my cabin smelled like oil base paint for the duration of the cruise. we went through a storm and the captain did not even come over the loud speaker to comfort all the guests onboard...in all I have been on 12 cruises , 7 were on different cruise lines...this was the worst by far

Myself and my 22 yr old daughter went on this cruise and we were very unhappy with most everything. The lines in the dining hall were horrible, then finding a place to sit and eat was even worse. There food was horrible. Powdered scramble eggs for breakfast was not our cup of tea. The activites on the ship were very boring. Was excited to see all of the exercise classes then to find out that there was an extra fee to attend. The comedians were pretty good but when we returned the next night for the comedians, they did the same show for both nights. Even had to pay to play bingo. Children running wild all hours of the night. No idea where their parents were. It sounded like a herd of elephants coming down the hall, when they would run wild up and down the hallways. Most of the parents hung at the bar and drank, while their kids had the run of the ship. Pools were closed almost the whole cruise due to horrible weather. Would not recommend this cruise to anyone that wants to relax and have some peace and quiet. Very unhappy!!!!!

Organization of events and everything involved with getting on and off the vessel was disorganized and poorly planned. Best example: Waited 4.5 hours in line outside in the sun just to get on board. That is totally unacceptable. Unfortunately this performance was repeatedly experienced for the 7 weeks we were on board for most of the ports of call. The ship was fine, performed well and the main line crew that serviced the guests were great. Officers were non existent, rarely saw one, gave the appearance of "not interested" and probably was the main reason for dis-array.

We have cruised Carnival many times and have enjoyed the experiences. However we feel that the service and food quality has deteriorated in the past two - three years. On this tour we had one late departure at about 11pm. Many of us had shore excursions that did not finish until 9:30. We are seniors and perhaps were slow in walking back to the ship. However we arrived back at about 9:45 and went to our room to drop off our coats etc. Then we went to Deck 9 to get something to eat. We found all both buffets closed at 10 and they were cleaning up. We were able to find the pizza stand open. The operator was swamped with all the returnees wanting to eat. He called for help but it didn't arrive while we were waiting. Pizza is not on our diet but we did in enjoy the slice of pizza that we were able to get after a wait. The cook was doing his best and it certainly wasn't his fault but many passengers were unhappy. The food in the regular dining room was very good on several nights. The veal was not good (tough and unseasoned) Salmon was good but side dishes were not very good. We did have excellent soups and deserts. Personnel were very attentive and did their job well. In comparing this dining with past cruises, we felt it was not as good. The last day when we departed the ship in Buenos aires was a bad example of organizing and planning. Our bags were picked up at 10 pm the previous night but after a long line waiting to get on a bus to take us to the terminal , we found that our bags were not there. This caused another 30 minute wait standing around with no place to sit down. No one seemed to know when they would arrive. They did arrive after a while and we were able to claim and carry them to our bus for the city tour, lunch. Tango show and delivery to the air line terminal. The tour was ok, the lunch was excellent and the show was very very good. We then were taken to the air terminal at about 3pm. We had about 8 hours waiting for our flights. I know you do not have any control over this wait but the tour should last a little longer, maybe till 5PM when the airlines open their ticket check in positions. Other than that, we enjoyed the trip and will look forward to another Carnival cruise in the future.

The ship was great, spotless, and easy to navigate. The food was very good. There was a good variety including lobster tail, filet mignon, sea bass, salmon, veal, escargot, etc. The crew was most helpful, pleasant, clean, and everyone spoke English. The entertainment was mostly poor. The dancers and singers and ship's band were excellent as were the costumes and themes. The individual entertainers were poor and in one case embarrassing in her ineptitude. There was too much comedy everywhere for all ages-----way too much! There was too great an emphasis on karaoke, trivia, and deck games. The music was mostly DJ's playing some weird rock music. The Latin Band played much too fast and no recognizable songs. The piano player was mediocre. The dance lessons centered on jiggling around. The cruise director was from the Bronx and had never been to any of the ports we visited. He was lost. The administration was very poor with one hand not knowing what the other had was doing and consequently we received many mixed messages or corrections to previous messages. The internet was almost unusable it was so slow. In one case it took 45 minutes to load the Carnival site! Finally they reset the satellite for the southern hemisphere and it was somewhat better but often had "too many users". Best time to use it was the middle of the night. There was one "naturalist", photographer, techno geek on board who saved the whole cruise! Mickey Live was awesome! He had been to all the ports and worked for other cruise lines more accustomed to this type of cruise. He organized all kinds of interesting things to do and see; that no one else from Carnival had any idea of doing. He was a star! Otherwise there were no lecturers, no historians, no one who knew anything about where we were going, no Argentinian tango instructors, no singing quartets, no knowledgable experts on anything. We will not sail with Carnival again as we are looking for something much more cultural and personally enriching.

ship was fine. clean and sparkling. crew couldn't have been better. food was not good! ports were great. shows okay. enjoyed the cruise, only complaint was the food which unfortunately is the biggest part of the cruise