We just returned from a very nice trip on the Carnival Splendor. We sailed the 7 day Mexican Riviera itinerary out of Long Beach. Overall, I would rate the experience as an A. The ship was very clean and well kept. The cabin steward crew, although ghostlike, were good at keeping the cabin spotless. On board music was about what I expected and remembered from my last Carnival trip. The comedy club performers changed mid trip and all four gave good shows. They would offer a family show early and an R rated show later in the night.

We took the Catamaran tour to the see the rocks and some beach time on the first Cabo day. The views of the arch, lovers beach and the the area are amazing. The beach is another thing all together. The biggest issue was the vendors and the jet ski exhaust. I have seen beach vendors all over the Caribbean and these guys take the cake. The food and drink service was very good at this location. On the Puerta Vallarta day, we took a tequilla distillery tour which was well done. The tour guide was personable and well versed in local history.

One not so positive observations involved in main dining room staff. We ate most of our meals in the MDR. The staff in the Gold Pearl dining room appeared exhausted the entire trip. Our head waiter who was professional but mostly disengaged. Read more