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Why Go?
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 Carnival Splendor Photos
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New to Carnival: spa cabins
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Terrific programming for kids
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Count them: 22 lounges and bars
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One of the best spas at sea
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Itineraries and Ports of Call: Mexican Riviera
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Carnival Splendor Review
Carnival Splendor is a big vessel with a huge personality -- and it has already set itself apart in grand style. For starters, Splendor has inaugurated a new cabin category, the spa cabin, which is as much about lifestyle as real estate. A retractable sky dome covers Splendor's pool deck, which is something new for Carnival; it means that passengers can swim when it's balmy -- and when it's not. And with Splendor, the line introduced its first-ever itineraries in the Baltic and South America, a notable expansion for the fleet.
Splendor is also Carnival's largest ship. Designed to accommodate up to 3,744 passengers, it deserves its own zip code. Remarkably, there is only an occasional sense of overcrowding, and there are plenty of quiet spaces -- like Serenity, the adults-only sun deck -- to seek respite.
The 113,300-ton Splendor marks a new class of vessel for Carnival. One of Splendor's most impressive features is its luxurious, 21,000-square-foot spa, the most elaborate in the fleet. Pan-Asian in design, the Cloud 9 Spa spans two decks and includes a state-of-the-art fitness center that easily rivals any at sea. And, with 22 lounges and bars, outdoor movies, a water slide and a singing maitre d', Splendor also delivers what Carnival passengers have come to expect: fun.
Splendor is designed around the theme of "splendid things," a celebration of the magnificent, lustrous and elegant. The center of it all is the atrium. I'm no architect, but when I first walked on board -- and I am not alone in reacting this way -- I felt under assault by a design that I can only describe as overwhelming. Carnival's longtime interiors designer Joe Farcus sees "whimsical" in the massive dining room chandeliers. I see a DNA helix. He sees "drama" and "excitement" in the squiggly pink and black image that appears on table tops, elevator panels and walls. I see an amoeba. And I've never stayed in a cabin that had bright pink crown molding and a pinkish couch before. Let's just say there is nothing understated about Splendor. Understandably, some passengers have nicknamed it "The Pink Ship."
Decor notwithstanding, Splendor has great bones and a festive spirit. I talked to a lot of passengers, many of them Carnival loyalists, and asked a single question: "Are you having fun?" In just about every case, the answer was an emphatic "yes."
Read Complete Carnival Splendor Review
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Carnival Ships: Carnival Conquest • Carnival Destiny • Carnival Dream • Carnival Ecstasy • Carnival Elation • Carnival Fantasy • Carnival Fascination • Carnival Freedom • Carnival Glory • Carnival Imagination • Carnival Inspiration • Carnival Legend • Carnival Liberty • Carnival Magic • Carnival Miracle • Carnival Paradise • Carnival Pride • Carnival Sensation • Carnival Spirit • Carnival Splendor • Carnival Triumph • Carnival Valor • Carnival Victory • Holiday
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