We booked this cruise 18 months ago as a celebration of our 20th anniversary. Overall, we were satisfied with the ship and crew but were disappointed with the weather. This is obviously not something that Carnival could do anything about and can happen anytime you go on a vacation. Most of our disappointments were due to this and had nothing to do with the ship or crew. Our stateroom was nice with lots of room for storage. Our balcony was not very deep however and it was difficult for a second person to get out onto the balcony when someone was already out there since the doors open outwards and don't slide. However, it was great to have the great big window since the cool, rainy weather kept us indoors. We could still see outside and enjoy what view there was. Only complaint with the stateroom was a lack of cold water. Water eventually became so scalding (even at lowest setting) that we had to have a plumber come. after that, the water would swing from cold as ice to scalding hot without touching the dial. We did report it so hoping they were able to get fixed before the next people moved in. Absolutely loved the deli and grill on Lido. Was nice to have options other than the buffet. Never tried the mongolian or tandoor. BBQ was good. Main dining was great. 10 of the 14 nights we were alone at a table for 10 so received awesome service. Staff was attentive without hovering. Lido staff was great. We only saw a few of the shows since our times were the 10:15 shows. Many nights we went to the comedians instead who were hysterical. Loved all of them. Gorgeous George does a great job bringing in talented comedians. The cruise director Lee and his staff were really great. There were a lot of activities available for the days that we were stuck inside. Although we did not catch any of them, there was a speaker there talking about Polynesia, animals, sea life etc. and she seemed to get a pretty good crowd for her informational talks. The ship was clean. Staff was friendly. Our shore excursions were good. We did a private one at Honolulu since the ship sanctioned ones sold out so fast. Wish we could have had more time in Kona and less in Maui due to the weather but obviously they have no way to know that in advance. Read Less

This was our first time on a Carnival cruise ship. We had the opportunity of a great fare that was too hard to turn down. Despite the initial shock of the dowdy dark mixed themes interior, we thoroughly enjoyed this cruise mostly due to the happy staff and crew. We additionally loved the fact that Carnival generously provides FREE FRESH bean coffee which none of the other cruise lines we've travelled on have done. There was a happy vibe from all staff and crew. We particularly loved the crew being involved in the fun dancing during our dining. The Carnival Legend band - CIA were a knock-out highly talented band that were very interactive with the audience and provided a lineup of great songs. They were very down to earth and blew us all away with their professional talent. This band could fill venues outside of a Carnival ship. The buffet had lots of variety. The icecream and pizza was available 24 hours and we were very thankful at times when we had been dancing for hours and wanted something late after the buffet had closed. We loved our Carnival cruise. Read Less

The dining room was amazing we had wonderful service and great waiters the stuff were amazing very kind and caring they always encourage others. The waiter were the best people on the ship they were ning, kadek and edgardo I would totally do it again and the 18 days seem long but it went very quick. There is so much things to do on the ship. Definitely go/go again. I got a bit windy but you can’t help that. The entertainment was astonishing they were amazing the shows were the best I have seen and great people to talk to the senses in the shows were great you just can’t describe how good it was to watch with the dancers and singers all the other shows were great for kids although the comedy could be a little better I beginning comedy people for kids were good but it got worst from then on they have great food on the ship. Read Less

Embarkation went well, ship looks spectacular from the outside, and owing to it advertising it had had a recent refurb, our expectations were high. Assisted boarding was easy and pleasant. Cabin 8218 was lovely apart from the fact you need 2 arms to open the door and also the door leading to balcony. My bed was very uncomfortable, pillows were good. Bathroom was well set out and the shower great. As we're our cabin staff. Disappointed in the lack of amenities for disabled passengers. The only electric operated doors I found was on deck 2. And then you had to hobble back to the door to lock. We saw many people at least in the over 70's age bracket. No grab rail in the bathroom, doors extremely heavy to open, grab rail in most toilets around the ship, low chairs everywhere. We spoke to senior passengers who had fallen, in their bathroom, in lounges, allegedly slipping on something. The decor was oppressive. So glitzy and dark, obviously dated. Maybe the refurb was eluding to the near new carpets in some areas. Entertainment was generally of a good standard. It was pleading to see that they had meet up groups for differing categories of people, including people from LGBTIQ groups. Good to know. I could not comment on the shore excursions but I can say I was very disappointed with the use of tender boats on Moorea. If we had been able to stay one more day in port at Papeete people with a disability could easily have used the ferry from Papeete. That would have been awesome. The distance between islands is miniscule! On the last 5 days at sea we were advised that sav blanc was running out and passengers had to now buy by the bottle and carry that around with you. When lodging a complaint with Guest Services we were informed there was no complaints forms. We would receive a survey to fill in and complain there. Over these last 5 days we also found out they had run out of red wine, apple cider and coke zero. Crazy! On board purchases were hugely expensive. 5 photos cost over $100, WiFi social media only, 208, if you wanted unlimited it was another 100 plus! If you wanted higher speeds it was another 200. We heard from entertainers they paid 5! Service was hit and miss with the dining experience the worst. We had dine at anytime allocated to us, deck 3, Truffles Restaurant. There were long lines to wait in, then you were given a pager and waited a minimum of 30 mins, then allocated a table, waited a further 20 mins to be served. Food was generally nice, but not hot. Often no drinks were offered so they lost money there. Yes all drinks except ordinary tea, cost you! Drinks packages were very expensive, except for bottomless bubbles, which was out of a tap, never a can. Laundries were on most floors but all machines except x1 were out of order. Laundering of clothes through the ship was well priced at around $25 per bag. The buffet dining, generally was OK. Many of the staff were not efficient however, instead ignoring customers and chatting among themselves behind the baine Marie's. Food generally was hot. Similar to washing machines, there were many breakdowns causing very long lines at tea and coffee machines. Toast was not ready, and then there was no butter. If there was butter there was no little jars to put it in! Wait wait wait, making the lines longer. Fine dining at their Nouveau Restaurant was fantastic and I can highly recommend, as was the high tea we attended. Beautiful. Any business in this day and age, who does not want customers feedback, in my mind, says they disrespect and discount legitimate concerns. Surely any business wants to know and respond to concerns. Not so Carnival Legend apparently. That is really sad. The running out of sakes of wine by the glass is a good case in point. If it was that popular they would know that opening a bottle and selling by the glass, would recoup more money for their trouble and satisfy customers. Crazy stuff. I for one will never sail with Carnival again. Sick of the lines, sick of warm dinners, sick of tea obviously made from water from a hot water service rather than heated cold water - tasted terrible. And no quality system in place to handle complaints in this day and age is ludicrous. Lifts were speedy and reliable, tv service was OK, WiFi depended on access to satellite so if cloudy it was super slow, an outbreak of the cold hit the ship and first there were around 400 passengers affected, then 1000, then at least 1500. Many visited the ships doctor. Some contracted pneumonia, collapsed lung etc. It was an epidemic. I do not know what they were advised but it would have been ideal if they had all been advised to stay in their cabins! It spread like wildfire. I might add that one of our wait staff the second night dining in Truffles, had a heavy cold and was sniffing and coughing while serving dinner! Why isn't this sort of thing supervised? In summary no more Carnival. Read Less

Overall, 14 day Hawaii from Long Beach was a great time. We thought the 8 full days would be too long at sea, but it was nice to see the full ship and experience things that we hadn't before due to time restrictions. The ship's design is not very good. The decor is very garish and worn down. There was what looked like mold on the roof of one deck. The main pool was closed more days than it was open. This is due to all the activities on the Lido deck. Why would ballroom dance lessons be conducted beside the pool? There were quite a few other areas that were never used at all. The food was blah. Not a great selection. If you didn't like the dish offered, there was only pizza as an alternative, as all the dining areas offered the same menu for that night. The burger/hotdogs stand was only open a few hours a day, so that wasn't an option either. Overall a good vacation. Read Less

We picked this cruise for its itinerary. We wanted to go to Hawaii and had never tried a longer cruise. However, the Splendor is old and tired. Since this was a Pacific cruise it was cold and windy. There were no nice public areas. Sit in the smoke filled casino and the crowded lobby. We got a spa balcony cabin and were glad we got a balcony- spa part was not worth it. Spa old and tired looking - could not use the Thallasotherapy pool on most sea days because it was rough at sea and like a tidal wave in the pool. Around the pool on,y one small bench for robe and belongings- not enough if more than two people using. Food we found fine. We didn’t use the buffet much. Had room service breakfast. Enjoyed nice sea views for lunch in dining room. Enjoyed tea. Our regular dining room staff was great for dinner. Seemed more problematic at lunch. All staff very friendly and welcoming. Ample storage in our room. Read Less

We experienced very rough seas. We’ve never gotten seasick before but certainly experienced it on this cruise. Not enough to do with 8 sea days. The marine biologist was very informative and funny. They needed to find additional things to fill the sea days since people couldn’t go outside to sun bath. Comedians could have done afternoon shows. Also movies could have been shown during the day especially since we didn’t have any tv service. Why doesn’t Carnivyonvest in better satellite service. We were entirely cut off from any news or current events. Way too smoky. Service in the restaurants was mediocre at best. The young hostesses were very helpful and engaging. Food overall was good and we especially liked the Captain’s Gala cocktail party and the midnight buffet that was a throwback to cruising years ago. Being a loyalty cruiser with Carnival, we enjoyed many extra perks such as cocktail parties and laundry services. Read Less

We are going to be on the Carnival Splendor for 24 days on a Transpacific cruise from Long Beach, California, to Singapore starting October 5, 2019. We wanted to check out this ship before committing to be on this ship for 24 days, plus we expected to enjoy our 14 day Hawaiian cruise. The ship and the cruise were great, except for the very poor access to the internet. We were extremely surprised and very happy with the live music on the cruise. All of the live performers were very talented. Live music is a big aspect of our cruises. Eden Parker was the Piano Man on this cruise. Eden is extremely talented both in singing, playing the piano, and comic entertainment. We had him on our Transatlantic cruise and were pleasantly surprised to find him on this cruise. We like the size of the ship. Though not as big as the new mega ships, it was big enough to offer many live music lounges, bars and other venues. At no time did any area of the ship feel crowded despite the large number of passengers. We loved our balcony cabin. There was plenty of closet space. We were happy with the main dining room service, food quality and food quantity as well as the number of offerings. We were also happy with the number and types of food offerings at the Lido Buffet. However, the dinner options at the Lido Buffet were the most limited that I have ever found on any cruise. Usually only the Carvery was open as well as the 24 Pizza Pirate. But all the other Buffet Food Stations that were open for lunch were closed for dinner. This ship only has one specialty dining option, the Steakhouse. It is not like the brand new mega ships that have a multitude of specialty dining options. The service was excellent but I don't think we've ever been on any cruise where the service was less than excellent. We did purchase a port excursion from Carnival for every port and were very happy with all of them. The tour guides were fluent in English and many of them were quite entertaining as well as informative. It was just my wife and I on this cruise. We did not travel with children. We would definitely do this cruise again. As mentioned above, we will be going on this exact same Carnival Splendor cruise ship for a 24 Day Transpacific Cruise in October 2019 and will be making 2 port stops in Hawaii again. The biggest disappointment was the internet. I've taken many cruises over the past 3 years and the internet was fine. But the internet on this cruise was next to useless. They say they are going to upgrade it when the ship goes into dry dock on October 2019 but I hope they fix it before that as I'll be on a 24 day Transpacific cruise on this ship before it goes into dry dock. I did like this cruise and this ship enough to keep with my future 24 day cruise on it from Long Beach, California, to Singapore, in October 2019. However, I really do hope they fix the internet before that cruise. Read Less

The ship is "old" but don't let that stop you. We didn't mind the pink decor. The crew was great. The people that served food in the MDR were great and once they got to know you, they would make suggestions on what they think you would like. The hostess who seated you in most part were very nice. There was plenty to eat; as this was a "journey" cruise. On sea days they either served breakfast, lunch and dinner in MDR or brunch and dinner in the MDR. The food on the lido was pretty good and there was a larger selection including Mongolian Wok and Indian everyday for lunch. The cruise had a mid-night buffet and a chocolate buffet bot at night and during lunch. They were special. The entertainment was hit and miss. The ports were fine except we didn't go to Kona as "the waves" were too strong. Read Less

Overall everything was as expected. Long Beach terminal does a really good job at embarkation, so that is a good way to start out. There were storms coming into California, so the first few days at sea were a little bit rocky, but I just took my Ginger Root and never had any problems with getting sick. My husband never has to take anything and never got sick either. I loved the sea days as it was a chance for me to just relax. There was plenty to do from Trivia, games, shows, comedy or just watching some movies in your room or on deck at night. I loved the amount of movies they had available in the rooms now. It was a little cool some of the days up on deck, so those who like to lay out in the sun were probably disappointed. There are plenty of food choices as with any Carnival ship and the service is always fantastic. It doesn't have some of the newer upgrades yet, but that doesn't matter to me. Even with the little bit of rocky seas the Captain got us into the ports early. The Islands were beautiful and nice and warm with just a little bit of light rain here and there. We missed out on Kona because there was a storm heading that way that was going to make it unsafe to tender over so we stayed in Honolulu for the night and the next day. Things can happen and it wasn't a big deal to me. It was a fantastic vacation and I would recommend it to anyone who loves sea days. Our 27 year old daughter was with us also and she loved the cruise also, but there wasn't very many people around her age Read Less

We had been to Los Angeles before but did go to the Reagan Library. Embarkation was pretty quick but cabins were not ready ( for anyone) until 1:30pm. No worries, go to Lido for buffet. WOW, so crowded , no table available, long lines! Cabin was great! Plenty of room, two windows, sofa, two tables, two chairs and a stool. Plenty of closet space for ALL the clothes we brought for our 14 day cruise. This was our third time to be on the Splendor. We enjoy this ship but it usually cruises a little different. Not always rough but different. We always get a cabin on the main level and aft. Because it’s aft , which is over the engine (maybe), anchor (most likely) and anything else that could cause vibrations or noise while docking and departing a port. The waters were very rough during the 4 sea days before arriving in the Hawaiian waters. We missed the port of Kona because of rough water which made it unsafe to tender to the port. As a result, we stayed the night in Honolulu. Then on to Hilo, our last port before 4 more sea days to reach Ensenada, Mexico. Ensenada was a surprise. It was clean and an interesting port. We didn’t have much time there, arrived at 3pm, back on ship by 7:30pm. We went to the main dinning room every night we could. Choices were good but of monotonous night after night. The last night there so many great choices which could have been spread out on other nights. We enjoyed the food in the dinning room and especially enjoyed TEA TIME on sea days. There was a assortment of entertainment. Cruise Director Lee was fantastic. He didn’t give any announcements until about 10am. This was great, especially if you decided to sleep in one morning. He emceed the newlywed game with class. Since this was not a usual cruise, we thought we’d be unusual and participate in some activities but volunteering. The guys participated in the VIP show, while I volunteered to help the illusionist ( magician). But I have to say the VIP party was bust. Nothing but a gathering of those who participated in the VIP show sitting around waiting for cast members to come around. Which they never did come around to us. We sought them out for a picture. Thank you Marc. The variety of entertainment was refreshing. We also enjoyed the Dive in movies. Our room stewards, Belle and John Michael, were very good. We always had clean towels, a towel animal and a bucket of fresh ice in our room daily. We could not have asked for more. From day one, anything we needed they provide with a smile. Disembarkation was a little different. We needed to self assist to be sure we would make our 12:35pm flight to San Francisco. It was hectic and the staff tried to get it organized as much as they could but there is always somebody who will disembark whenever they want to, whether their Zone has been called or not. Anyway, we were able to debarked and make our flight without a hitch. This Journey Cruise was very enjoyable. But as I always say, “ A DAY CRUISING, EVEN WITH A FEW GLITCHES, IS BETTER THAN BEING AT WORK”. Or sitting at home if your retired. So cruise as often as you can and have a blessed cruise! Read Less

The seas were a bit rough but the Captain tried his best to navigate around really rough storms and he got us to our ports early so we got more time off of the ship which I really appreciated. The ship is a little outdated compared to the others but still a fairly nice ship. The cabins are nice but the showers are definitely pretty small. All of the waiters and waitresses were very kind and our Head Waiter Shailesh was absolutely amazing. The entertainment was pretty good though there were some days where the activities got a little sparse on the 14 day cruise. I missed Mar-Q but Lee was a great cruise director. The ports were all beautiful and the one excursion that we booked went really well. Unfortunately we missed Kona but we did get at least another day in Honolulu since Kona was having too bad of weather to be able to have been able to get on the shuttles if we had gone over there. I would like it if Carnival did update some things on their Hub app like the account summary that we had a bit of a hard time with. We do already have our next cruise booked with the newest and one of the most updated ships, the Panorama, so looking forward to that. Read Less

The ship is what i expected for a mid size ship. All areas of the ship i visited were all as clean as can be.We can start from the top down. the Mini Golf on deck 14 was always to windy to play when at sea. Serenity area was clean and normally with space available. Lido buffet was just average like any buffet at home area.the Pizza was ok. Non guys burger joint was also only average.The deli where there were huge long lines everyday. I thought was below average on the 2 things i tried. (falafel & hummus actually terrible). now in lido buffet they had linch one time "middle eastern" that was much better falafel and hummus. Tandoor grill was the best choice in the outter four choices. we had 8 comedians and 6 were really good. production shows were very entertaining. Room steward /staff excellent. MDR Staff very good, terrible decor. old and tired Read Less

I chose this cruise because I had an interest in cruising longer than a week, and it was an economical way to see Hawaii. I personally have come to expect the Carnival way of decorating so found nothing wrong with the decor. As always, the dinning staff was friendly and accommodating, as was the room steward. While I’ve enjoyed past cruises cuisine, the exact same choices day in and day out for breakfast and lunch became monotonous. While they never repeated the dinner menu, it became dull and boring, especially since this was my 5th cruise in 15 months span. The good news about this is that watching my weight was easier, lol. What could stand some improvements were schedules. With so many sea days, it would have been nice to have better day time entertainment than was provided. I partly lay the blame on the “Fun Squad” as they even made playing the daytime games and challenges no fun by going through the motions. One staffer gave the excuse that it would take too long to play scattagories with the players calling out the items, and chose to instead have the guests try to match her answers! It never occurred to the staffer to request the guests play in teams. It went from a game of vocabulary skill to a game of luck. I would have preferred the family friendly entertainment mid afternoon, allowing the adult entertainment a little earlier in the evening. Also, if the cruise line has the ability to record and play on loops on the closed circuit TV things like their shopping talks etc, why can’t they do the same with the live entertainment? Anyway, while the cruise did rock more than many folks liked, it really never got any worse than your typical Caribbean cruise. I saw several folks who claimed to be sea sick who may have possibly simply been nauseated by their over dose it of combined remedies - one person had on a Scopolamine patch, a wristband, and stated she’d been taking Dramamine! Scopolamine is so strong, it can make you nauseous when you are standing still on land. And finally, we were on deck 6 and had the water in the shower drain come shooting up about a foot high and flooding our bathroom at 1AM two different nights disturbing our sleep, and while it was reported to maintenance and the cabin steward cane and cleaned our bathroom in the middle of the night, nothing was done about it (as apparent by the second issue) and when we complained to customer service about the loss of sleep, we were told that the issue had never been reported! They did not have another room to move us to, but did give us 1 spa massage and a bottle of wine. My advice to anyone, don’t just call maintanence and housekeeping, complain to guest services in person and demand something be done, otherwise the issue is just swept under the rug. Read Less

We were celebrating our 30th wedding aniversary & my 60th birthday. I was completely frustrated & disgusted by the complete lack of a useable internet service on this ship and the horific cost of the Whale Watching Tour at Ma'alaea,compared with the price on-line from the same tour operator I run an internet based business & I need constant access to a wifi service so that I can answer my customers speedily. With this in mind,I investigated the internet service before we booked & based on the availability of the Carnival premium internet plan I went ahead with the booking for this vacation.I pre-paid for the premium internet plan,which is advertised on the Carnival website & around the ship to be capable of handling Skype & be 3 times faster than other Carnival wifi plans.This should be more than capable of handling my needs. On day 2 of our cruise,I spent over 7 hours trying to answer basic emails from my customers that should have taken no more than 30 minutes. On day 3,a similar amount of time was spent trying to use the wifi service. It was a major task to maintain the integrity of my business ,when I should be enjoying my cruise. The wifi either won't connect at all,saying "No internet". OR takes an unbelievably long time to load a site,up to 1 hour to load a simple email site. OR takes an unbelievably long time to load then drops out just when you go to use it. OR just won't load at all. Having spoken to the Carnival guest services agents & supervisor on the ship, it is especially annoying to hear them tell me that the wifi service on this ship doesn't work when at sea & there's nothing that can be done about it,although they did, at least refund my $208 pre-payment fee for the wifi premium plan.This didn't solve my problem in providing a usable wifi service that I relied on,as advertised. They told me that Carnival head office is well aware of the situation regarding the wifi on this vessel but has not corrected it. It was suggested that I could try between 4am and 5 am in the morning as it might work then,which is completely unbelivable. This matter caused me immense frustration,as I either cannot respond to my customers or am having to spend a ridiculous amount of time persevering with a wifi service that is not fit for purpose. Also,we wanted to see the whales during our special cruise.The Carnival price is $129 each for a 2 hour boat trip & transport for the 9 miles from the port to Ma'alaea harbour. I searched on line and found the same tour from the same tour operator priced at $39 each but excluding the transport.I tried making a claim via the Carnival price guarantee,but they refused to price match the tour as my option didn't include transport to Ma'alaea.Apparently,Carnival can justify charging an additional $90 per person for an 9 mile return journey! We cancelle our Carnival whale watch tour & booked direct with the tour operator on-line prior to sailing. There were loads of taxis at the port when we arrived,the cost of the taxi was $30 for the 2 of us each way.I'm sure we could have saved on that price had we used Uber. My total expense for the trip was $138 for the 2 of us,including the tour and transport compared with $258 if booked via Carnival. A saving of $120! When we got to the tour,all the rest of the guests on board the whale watch boat were on the Carnival shore excursion,priced at $129 each.What a nice earner! Read Less

We knew the weather on sea days in December was iffy, and it was. Rough seas, high winds and clouds don’t make for great days at sea. It’s nice that they have a retractable roof on the Lido pool area. The Splendor is ready for a rehab. She’s showing some wear and tear. The crew was great! Carnival provided lots of activities for sea days with a nice variety. The food was good- if you like fish, you will be very happy. The days of execellent food are days gone by, but it’s still good. The entertainment was good, but the shows are the same as on other Carnival ships so we had seen the main entertainment before. I was surprised at the number of kids, given that it was during school. We had great table mates at dinner and enjoyed meeting and making some new friends. The Hawaiian ports were great. We used Roberts Shore excursions for several ports and they were great- less expensive than Carnival and better. Going to Oahu on Pearl Harbor day wasn’t a good idea, but we made it work. Pearl Harbor doesn’t allow excursions on Dec 7. Ensanada is a nothing port and arriving so late in the afternoon (on schedule) made it difficult for some excursions. Read Less

This was a bucket list item to cruise to Hawaii. Had a fantastic time, Splendor is a great ship and although older, was very well maintained. Great variety of food options. MDR food was outstanding, yes, outstanding. Only had 1 bad experience, didn't like their lasagna, but staff was quick to provide another meal item. MDR service was great, with Leyton, Ping, and Adan doing a wonderful job of learning about us and our preferences. Room Steward Ana was fantastic, and always remembered my name when we passed in the hallway. Wasn't impressed by the Deli but there was usually a line, so others were. Grill was ok and quick. Lido Buffett was hard to figure out sometimes, couldn't tell what side was open and what was closing, but selection was good. Loved the omelet station, and the wait wasn't too bad each morning. Do try the Seaday Brunch. Lots of Karaoke, I didn't sing, but enjoyed those who did, very entertaining. Missed the comedy shows, usually timed poorly for my schedule, but did hear great things about the comedians. I caught the 88 Keys and Epic Rock shows, loved the 88 Keys, thought the Epic Rock was weak in singing. I enjoyed how the bartenders learned my name and preferences, I enjoyed the different atmosphers of each bar. Bartenders Sherwin, Yulia, Jai Sai were very friendly and attentive. Casino Servers Milan and Aleksandra were great, knew my drink choice and were always available to promptly fill my request. Shore excursion choices were varried, if a bit pricy. I highly recommend the Volcano Winery tasting tour in Hilo. I had an inside cabin and the room was very good, spacious enough with plenty of closet space. The shower actually felt larger than on previous cruises on another cruise line. Cruise Terminal in Long Beach is very well designed and the process of embarkation went very smoothly. I'm sure I am leaving things out, so much good to say about the cruise, the ship and Carnival in general. Overall, the service was Outstanding and polite and friendly. I would definitely take this cruise again, the sea days were very relaxing and fun. I will also be looking for my next cruise on Carnival. If I've missed anything, ask, I will gladly answer. Read Less

Cruise to Hawaii 2018 Journey began at Heathrow on the 29th Nov arrived at 830am for a 1130 flight to LAX. We had booked Special Assistance as my wife has a artificial knee and finds long walks and standing in queues troublesome. On entering the airport we could not see a desk anywhere, we ask a member of staff who said we would have to check in our bags first (we have used this facility a few times before and have never had to do this). Anyway a few minutes later another member of staff came over to us and said to go with her which we did and was taken to a checking desk for special assistance, our bags were all checked and then we were told we had to go to the SA deck on the next floor up which involved walking almost the length of the departure hall up the lift and then a further walk to the SA area, which considering we had booked SA because of not being able to walk far was a bit much. All other airports we have been to put the SA desk Just inside the doors to the departure hall. Anyway once there thinks moved well. We had to go though the normal security which again is not the case at other airports where they have separate security lines so as not to slow up other passengers. After this we were taken to a waiting area, but as we had booked in to one of the airport lounge we went there and luckily for us it was just across the corridor from SA. We were collected from there and taken to the boarding gate by golf buggy which made things simple. However on reaching the gate I was pulled out for a random security check, no problem but it meant my wife had to wait and they had already started boarding by the time I got back to her, normally if you are on SA you are allowed on first so you don’t slow up the boarding, also they usually take you by wheel chair to the end of the airbridge but not this time, she had to walk down a fairly long corridor and airbridge and then stand in line. The main reason for booking assistance in the first place was to stop this. We were now on to the plane and off to LAX and then Hawaii. On arriving in LAX we were met at the door of the plane by someone with a wheelchair and take though the airport to passport control and luggage claim and out to the taxis. The US Custom and Border Control have certainly speeded things up seen we were last in the US, if you have a new Bio Passport that’s the ones with the small gold box on the front cover, you go to a terminal and have your passport scanned, fingerprints scanned and photo taken. A slip of paper is then produced with your photo and other info on it which you then take to the normal passport desk where they check the slip and stamp your passport, this operation was far quicker than last time when everything was checked at the desk. There were plenty of terminals to go round. We had booked a ride with Prime Time Shuttles to Long Beach. Just after we booked this we started to see a few bad reviews on trip advisor for this company so we’re a little worried but on arriving at LAX we rang the number given and were told where the driver was waiting, on being told my wife had come through with SA and was in airport wheelchair and could not get to where she was waiting she said to stay where we were and she would come to us which she did in just a few minutes. She help us load everything up and got us to Long Beach with no problems even though it was raining heavily. We have them booked to return us to the airport after our cruise. We had treated our selfs to a couple of nights on the old Queen Mary which is now a floating hotel and is literally a couple of minutes walk from the Carnival Cruise Terminal. If you have not cruised out of Long Beach the Terminal is the old dome shaped hanger built by Howard Hughes for the Spuce Goose,a large airplane a had built. BOARDING We chose our boarding time for between 1230 and 1300 but because check out from the Queen Mary was 1100am we walked over to the terminal and offloaded our luggage and made our way in to the terminal around 1130. There were 3 lines at the entrance: 1 for diamond and platinum and faster to the fun. 1 for those on time for their boarding choice. 1 for those who were early. As we were early thats where we went. The person there check our paper work, gave us a board zone card and because we were from the UK and had ESTA’s were told to go over to the deck and have it checked, we were then told to take a seat and wait to be called to board. We had card 10 but once they began boarding we were soon called to board and in fact we were sitting having lunch onboard well before our chosen boarding time. Our cabin was ready for us by 1330 as promised and our luggage arrived well before dinner so we were able to unpack and then go and enjoy the ship. Our only down side was that we had asked for a large table for dinner as we enjoy meeting people and getting to know new friends, but they had put us on a table for two, we asked if this could be changed for the following evening which it was. However the large table for ten we moved to was empty and apart from another couple joined us later the table remained this way. Although we were at a table for ten for some reason there were only the four of us on this table, and remained that way for the rest of the cruise the following night we were the only ones who came down. Looking around the restaurant itself it seemed half empty and we are now wondering if this is because of Your Time Dining. We had a couple of other issues after the first couple of nights and spoke to the Maitre’d. These were things like the fact that my wife had finished eating but I hadn’t, her plates were cleared away and she was given the dessert menu and one was put in front of me even though I had not finished. But the main complaint was the clearing of the rest of the table and it being laid out for Breakfast when we were still finishing our dinner. The Maitre’d did agree that this was not right and something would be said. We also mentioned the table allocation again as we were now the only people on a table for ten again (The other couple were on their honeymoon so could well have been in the Steakhouse.) We were later told that the table next to ours was not full and we could move over to that one which we did. The other venues for meals were the usual Lido buffet with its usual different offerings and it has to be said that this area seemed to flow well without any real queues although being British we did tend to eat lunch a little later than our American friends who seemed to be eating from around 1145/1200 when we didn’t go in until around 1300 so the first mad rush had died down. Other venues for lunch included the Tandoori and deli on the rear deck with Deli proving very popular and the grill serving burgers by the main pool. Entertainment around the ship was the usual fare of travelling duos setting up at various locations around the ship throughout the day and evenings. Being a Journey Cruise we also had lectures on the Hawaiian Islands and lessons in both Hulu dancing and playing the Ukulele. If you wanted to learn how to trip the light fantastic this was also catered for by Tom and Jo the ballroom dance teachers who gave two lessons a day whilst we were at sea going over to and back from the Islands. All the crew onboard are as usual first class and are now it seems addressing you by your first names and not as Mr Bryan has as be the case in the past, now for me this is not a problem but I can see some people are not happy with this from comments seen on some social media pages in the past. Another thing that as been commented on, on social media is about the room steward only doing the room once a day. Well we were asked how we wanted things to be and we asked for twice a day as things always were and there was no problem with this at all and things ran as smoothly as ever. Our first stop was the island of Maui. We had booked a hire car for this island and had met a couple of sisters who were happy to share the cost and come with us, so we saw the mains sights this way. Our second stop was the island of Oahu and the city of Honolulu, the home to Hawaii five O. We had decided to used the open top hop on hop off bus called the Waikiki Trolley. We lifted the ship and walked along the mIn street until we found the trolley stop, however there were know times at the stop so no of knowing when the bus was coming. We went on line and discovered that the best way was to book on line which we did and on receiving a confirmation email were told to go to their terminal where tickets would be issued, however this was over 1 hours walk from where we were so we took taxi. On arriving we showed our confirmation email and were given our tickets. There were a number of routes to choose from. On choosing which one you wanted you were given a card with a number and where the trolley arrived you were called forward and allowed to board by card number so there was pushing to get the best seats. We managed to do 3 different routes so saw all the mains sights and the last trip took us back to the port and dropped us right by the ship as this was the last bus of the day. Our third port of call was Kona on Hawaii or the Big Island. This was also the port where we had to use the water shuttles as they are now being called. A couple of days earlier they announced they were giving out boarding cards for the shuttles at a location on the ship and it was first come first served, we got card 9 which meant we were on the ninth shuttle over, we assumed that Platinum and Diamond and FTTF passages were given the first shuttles as were those with excursions booked with Carnival. At first we all thought this was going to take a long time to get everyone ashore however for us it was not to bad, but we would not have liked to be holding cards 30 and above as I say they had a long wait. Once ashore we found a small hop on hop off bus service which for $20 took you out long the coast pointing out places of interest and then dropping you off at any of them on the way back in and you then got the next bus when you were ready. You could do this as many times as you liked. Getting back to the ship was just a case of waiting a the quayside for the next shuttle going back. Our last stop in Hawaii was the town of Hilo which was a usual dock side disembark. Again there was a hop on hop off bus outside the gates which took you to all the sights again for $20. We saw a few a the ship excursion coaches at the various stops and they were paying a lot more for the same thing. After a good day seeing the sights it was back to the ship and make ready to leave the Hawaiian Islands and head for our last stop in Mexico. Arrived in Ensenada Mexico 30 minutes early, ready for our last port. Only approximately 4 hours here. Went off ship and was back on in around an hour to be honest it was not worth getting off in the first place. Have been told that the only reason they go there is because of a federal law which says the ship can not go out of a US port and return to that port without visiting a non US port, hence the call into Ensenada. Now ready to leave the ship in Long Beach. Embarkation is always a tiresome affair but now the system has been changed a little, now you are assigned a time but are given the choice of what time you want to get off by going and getting your own luggage tags with zone number for the time you want to get off, so if you have a late flight and don’t need to be at the airport until later you can go for a later number and relax on the ship that bit longer which we did. They still want the ship cleared by 1030, which they did. There were a lot of people choosing to take all their own bags off instead of having the ships staff do this and then collecting them when ashore. Yes you do get off in the first groups but there were so many doing this not sure it was any quicker unless you got to the front of the queue. Once again we had booked a shuttle to get us to the airport and after a little confusion as to where he was parked we had a comfortable ride to LAX with no problems. Overall this as been a good cruise, the sea could have been a bit smoother in places but it has not spoiled our time on the ship it has just made it a bit rocky or was that the trips to the bar. Talking about bars the bar staff have been brilliant as usually, we bought the cheers package, not that we drink lots but when on holiday we both like a drink both soda and alcoholic so the idea of not having to worry about now much we are spending at the bar is nice. Over all we have more than broken even on what it cost and how much it would have cost. Please remember this includes soda and specialty teas and coffees, which we made use of in the morning. This was also my 65th birthday cruise so we went to the steakhouse for dinner that night and it was well worth it, would recommend this for any celebration. Also it soon got around that it was my birthday and little touches by the crew made it even better. Our cruise Director was Lee Mason a fellow Brit. We don’t usually worry about who our Cruise Director is and would certainly not let it spoil our time on board as I have read on some social media pages it has for others cruisers. But I really have to say that LEE as been the best CD we have sailed with and that includes Matt Mitcham andJohn Heald. This as nothing to do with him being a fellow Brit. He was always ready to have chat and a laugh and a joke with everybody,it didn’t matter who you were he would stay if he could and always asked if you were having a good time and if not for some reason, he was ready to try and help. As I mentioned this was my 65th birthday cruise and the day after, Lee came to say Happy Birthday and I jokingly said what took you so long and with a genuine hurt look on his face he said he had been looking out for me but had not seen me. Now the other thing that is sometime levelled at cruising is that it is elitist and only for the well off. Well after seeing some of the passengers on this cruise that is definitely not the case. What some people wear around the ship at times was, well off putting. I know some people fight with their weight and I know. because both me and my wife are like that, but looking at some people on this cruise, well we did not know where to look. On elegant night people did dress up but no where near as many as on other cruises, as for the wearing of baseball hats at the dinner table we only saw two from where sat but there could have been others in the other restaurant . There was certainly a notice out side the restaurant door saying no baseball hats allowed, one particular gentleman sat in work shorts, braces (suspenders)and T-shirt and baseball hat every night and when something was said to the head waiter by our table we got the impression that they would not say anything to him to avoid a confrontation. This was also the only cruise where the headwaiter had a open collared shirt and no tie for the whole cruise. Would we sail Carnival again? Well this was our 6th cruise with them and our 12th overall, so yes if the itinerary was right. We tend to cruise by itinerary these days so we chose the cruise lines according to where we want to go and see. Read Less

Overall, the cruise was nice, for those things that Carnival had control of. This is the second time I have left from Long Beach, and they have definitely improved the embarkment process. We were in and processed, and then directly boarded the boat, unlike a few years ago where we waited for a few hours, prior to boarding. The ocean was rough going to Hawaii, but a lot smoother coming back. I, personally, was not thrilled over the comedians, but they were good. I was in room 6-483, I actually liked the set up of that room, and would not mind having that room again, in other cruises. It was towards the aft, next to the corner room. The one thing I really enjoyed about this room, was that the bed faced the window, and I could see the ocean constantly It was just above the El Morocco Room, but I never heard any noise from there. The food in both the buffet, and the dining room was fair. All the servers (and staff) were great. The only 24 hour food, is the pizza and ice cream machine, limited times on the buffet, and for the deli in the aft (visited there several times). Most of the food in the buffet is served by the servers, reducing the chances of Norovirus. I would have appreciated an additional day in each of the ports, as 6-8 hours just is not that much time to see a whole lot. The excursions booked through Carnival, although a little pricey (expected) were conducted professionally. The only port we did not exit, and choose not to exit even on our own was Ensenada. The gut feeling was that this area is not as safe as it may have once been. It was suggested that in this port one take only excursions, or stay in groups of people. It still may have been safer then any US street, but that would be a point of discussion. Read Less

First cruise on Carnival. Twelve other cruises on different lines. We purchased a suite for this adventure. Just a joke that afternoon food was basically only served from 12 to 2:30. Really enjoyed standing in lines because Carnival is too cheap to keep dining choices open, while not having various eating establishments open for their patrons. It was great coming back from a shore excursion and just a pizza joint and a grill available. The buffet was total garbage. The Tandora, on the Lido was enjoyable, at least. The decor must have been created by people on acid. Pink and copper colors everywhere. It needs a makeover. My time dining was generally a joke. You had to line up before five, or you were given a buzzer to be called to dinner. Usually a 30 to 40 minute wait. Dining room food wasn't too bad most of the time. It was hit or miss. The ship is not clean. In 15 days, we never saw an employee cleaning the handrails. What few sanitary dispensers there were, weren't filled. No one was in front on the eating establishments offering to spray your hands. Same for when you come back from a shore excursion. They don't seem to care about germs. Of course, we both got sick during the end of the cruise. Suite was nothing to get excited about. Our steward was good. Entertainment was ok. Liked the theater. Enjoyed the lectures. Tom Parks and Nancy Caruso were great with their lectures. Read Less

ALOHA. First let me start by saying I LOVED this Cruise! I have been on almost 20 cruises and this one was one of the best. What made it one of the best for me was of course the destination (HAWAII) and it was even better going during the Christmas holiday and of course the ship was decorated for the holidays. Carnival Splendor had a Christmas show on one of the last nights and three formal dinner nights, although we were told before the cruise there would only be two so this was an added bonus. I have been to Honolulu, Hawaii, by flight, before for a one week stay years ago and loved it but have always wanted to see the other major islands so when I saw this cruise I just had to book it. Also, another one of the sailing points for me was the 4 sea days going and coming from and to LA. I love being on the ocean, I believe it’s the Cancer in me. My first cruise was 4 days just to see if I liked it, and to see if I would get sea sick. Since then I have been increasing the days with this one being 14 days, the longest I have ever been on. I realize that I am lucky because not matter how rough the seas I have never been sea sick. So my advice for those who have never been on a cruise but is curiosity is to take a short 2, 3, or 4 day cruise to see if they like it first, and/or don’t get sea sick. Now back to this cruise. I have always enjoyed reading reviews of those who have taken a cruise I am interested in or one I have gone on myself. With this cruise there were a number of negatives reviews that I read that I disagreed with but I will only focus on only a few. First, was the color of the décor on the ship. Pink. People actually complained about the color of the ship having a lot of pink in it. I didn’t find this to be a problem at all and thought it was a nice touch which didn’t upset my eyes at all. I even waited until the 3rd day to bring up to my friend if the color bothered her which she said until I mentioned it she never really notice. Next, was the complain of the 8 total sea days which really caught me by surprise because unless someone kidnapped you and took you on a cruise without telling you how long and how many days it would take you to sail from LA to Hawaii didn’t you know how long and how many sea days there were before you booked it. They complained that there were not enough things to do on the 8 sea days which is crazy because anyone who’s been on a cruise know that there are a lot of things to do on a cruise. I believe that some people feel the needs to have someone else entertain them 24/7 and if they are not then they get bored. Me on the other hand, I can entertain myself. Give me a good book and the view of the ocean and I’m good to go. There are plenty of activities every hour, the pool, a gym, shows, comedy, gambling, shopping, meeting new people, etc, and of course there’s the none stop food. And as for the food complainers, if you order or get something you don’t like just get something else until you find something you like, it’s all included in the price. Two of the highlights of the ship were the Punchline Comedy Club and the Dive in Movies under the stars. There were 4 comedians who were all very funny and had a standing room only crowd every night. Word got around pretty fast that if you wanted a seat to get there very early. At night if the weather was cool or raining they would close the roof on the 9th floor pool deck when showing a movie, which also was a big hit with the guest. So I never understood how people say that sea days are boring especially on this ship. You are on vacation so just relax because many people can’t take a nice vacation such as this and enjoy a nice slow cruise around the holidays to and around the Hawaiian Islands. Finally, the short stay on the four Hawaiian Islands. Once again, didn’t you read the itinerary when you booked the cruise? A cruise is like a nice buffet where you get to taste a little of everything and see what it is that you love the most. That’s what this cruise was. A little taste of Maui, Honolulu, Kona, Hilo and Ensenada, Mexico and if you like one you can always come back to stay longer. The only problem I had with the ship or the cruise was 1) the placement of the casino and 2) our last island stop in Ensenada, Mexico. I never understood why many cruises place the casino in the middle of the ship where to get from one end to another you have to walk through the smoke filled casino or go a level up or down just to get around the smoke. Also, there should be a second smoke free casino on the opposite side of the ship for those who don’t smoke and want to gamble. Smoke free sections in a casino fill with smokers don’t work because smoke travels. As for Ensenada, Mexico I read the itinerary as to why they have to stop there on the way back to CA but just wish the stop was longer because we didn’t get there till 3pm and had to be back on the ship by 7pm. It would be nice if there was a way to get us there earlier without taking any time away from the last Hawaiian island. It didn’t leave much time to enjoy the island but we were on vacation so we made the best of it. I realize that people are different and that there is “Different Stokes for Different Folks” but I do believe that some people are just complainers, no offense, but you are on vacation on a nice cruise relax and enjoy. My motto is if I didn’t get sea sick, food poisoning, my room was kept clean; the weather was decent most of the time (which this one was), the showers work, the toilets didn’t over flow and the ship didn’t sink, then it was a great cruise. Everything else is icing on the cake. I would definitely recommend this cruise if you don’t have a problem with the 8 sea days, which I loved. Carnival Splendor is smaller than some of the newer bigger ships but it was well kept and the crew did a great job of keeping it up and taking care of the passengers. The staff was great and I even noticed that the crew director (Lee) gave extra attention to a special needs child though out the cruise. Also, they had a Naturalist onboard that gave a few lectures on the culture, history and nature that makes Hawaii unique who was very good and hula dancing lessons. Finally, for anyone who thinks I must work for Carnival cruise line because of the rave review you would be wrong because although I love Carnival it is not my favorite cruise line, it’s my second favorite, but I have to be honest and say I Loved this Hawaiian cruise and can’t wait until I can do it again. But I have other places to check off my Bucket List first so the destination sometimes decides which cruise line I chose, and right now I have to change my Cuba cruise due to American cruise ships being banned from visiting there last month. But that’s a whole different story for another time… Mahalo Maui: Our first stop was Maui, which was great, a dream come true but my advice is to have a excursions planned with a pick up at the dock before you leave the ship because many of us, I guess to save money or to just to do something on our own, just decided to walk to a public bus stop (about a mile away) and take a bus ride around the city and find some place to go and do. There were hundreds of us storming off the ship with little knowledge of where we were going just happy to be on land after 4 days at sea. Once at the bus stop we learned that the buses ran every half an hour or hour and were small. We all must have made a strange sight to the Maui residents. The look on the face of the first bus driver when he stop to pick us up was priceless, LOL, and to make matters worse he had to write every bus ticket by hand. Of course the bus couldn’t take all of us so many had to wait for other buses. After four full buses we took the bus to the Kaahumanu Mall which was only about 2 miles away. We walked around the mall and did some shopping for a couple hours then made it back to the ship to have lunch before our Carnival excursion later that evening. The Drums of the Pacific Luau excursion picked us up at the ship for about a 45 minute ride to Hyatt Regency Hotel. The drive gave us a nice view of the island while the sunset on our way to the luau. For about $150 we saw a great Luau which included an all you could eat Polynesian cuisine with unlimited drinks, which is why I chose this one over the one the next day in Honolulu. Our group from the cruise ship wasn’t near the front, which was for the hotel guest, but we could still see and enjoy the show because our area and the stage was elevated. I believe the price was well worth it. Honolulu: As luck would have it we arrived in Honolulu on December 7 which is the worst day to try to visit Pearl Harbor and the Arizona to pay our respects to those who died there if you are on a tight schedule, 9 am until 10 pm, in Oahu that day. Plus we found out the inside was close for remodeling. Traffic in Honolulu was awful and from the docks to Pearl Harbor it was really horrible which is too bad because I wanted to show my friend the historic monuments. But we promised to come back one day and spend more time seeing more of Oahu. So we decided to just go in the opposite direction towards downtown, walk around, shop and spend the afternoon on Waikiki beach which was only a few mile away from the docks. On leaving the ship Maui Diver Jewelry was offering a a free ride into the city if we just take a visit to their store and watch a presentation on how they make their jewelry. They are famous for their pearls. We took the ride to the store which was nice but we were not in the market for pearl jewelry that day so we finish the ride to downtown Honolulu and took the short walk to the beach. It was a perfect day to be on the beach, work on our tan, and take some great pictures of the ocean, Diamond Head and shop. For lunch we ate at Duke’s Barefoot Bar and Restaurant on the beach and just had a wonderful day. Once the sun set we took the public bus back to the ship which took awhile because rush hour traffic was still bad leaving downtown in that direction. Kona: In Kona we had to take a tender (small boat) from the ship to the island because the ship was too big to dock there. It was quick and well organized and the great thing about it was as soon as we got off we were at Niumalu Beach, Kailua Bay which had a nice shopping area. So we just walked around sightseeing and shopping. Kona is famous for their coffee, something about the soil, so there were a number of stores offering it and a few giving free readymade samples to taste. I’ve never been a coffee drinker but my friend loved it and brought a few bags. There was a flea market, a number of stores and restaurants that we visited which was about a one mile walk but once again it was a beautiful day to walk. We stopped and had lunch, lobster, shrimp, and crab legs at the Waterfront Row’s Captain Jack’s restaurant which was good right on the ocean. There was a long line at the docks to catch a tender back to the ship but once again it was well organized and went fast. Hilo: At Hilo once again there was a few private companies offering excursions as soon as we got off the ship so we took one that offered a tour of the town with a few stops. The first was a black sand beach then the Big Island Candy Company which is famous for their gourmet candies which gave us free samples. Next we went to Mauna Loa Macadamia Company where once again we had free samples and bought a few bags. It was the first day where although it was still warm it was cloudy and rain a little. But still a nice day. Ensenada, Mexico: I read the reasoning as to why the ship had to stop at Ensenada on the way back to CA and had no problem with it because I saw it as visiting another island before arriving back in LA. My only complaint like many others on the ship was we wished the stop was longer because we didn’t get there till 3pm and had to be back on the ship by 7pm. It didn’t leave much time to enjoy the island. It would be nice if there was a way to get us there earlier without taking any time away from the last Hawaiian island. Still we took a cruise arranged excursion to the top of a mountain at La Bufadora to see Ensenada’s Blowhole which was nice but by the time we got there the sun was setting so we wasn’t able to enjoy it or take any good pictures. The guide and driver was going to stop at a famous Margarita bar on the way back but because of the traffic and a couple arriving late back to the bus, even though the guide gave us the time when to be back to the bus, at the blowhole we were late leaving. There was a shopping area at the dock and at the blowhole so we all were able to do a little shopping before boarding the ship for the continental U.S. Mahalo Read Less

This is my 1st Carnival cruise but my 7th cruise. I won’t sail Carnival again. Feel like I’m on budget holiday. The food is ordinary, cold when it’s supposed to be hot and visa versa. 5 days until we get home can’t come quickly enough. Everything is a money grab you even have to pay for fish and chips. Bingo is a joke. Same entertainment for 18 days. No dancing for older people unless you want to go to the nightclub at 10pm. We danced every night on Princess. The interior of the ship can only be described as ugly, it’s hard to look at. I’m normally a very optimistic person but this is a challenging cruise to say the least. The day trips are expensive and not really worth the money. Room staff are lovely but some of the kitchen staff don’t understand when you ask questions which is very frustrating. Worst buffet layout ever. Read Less

We joined a group and wanted to visit Hawaii. Overall its been an OK cruise mostly because of entertainment and tender ports. The ship isn't big with 2000 passengers but it still took over an hour to disembark. The worst performance in over 15 cruises. Service in cabins and at dinner is excellent. Music entertainment is repetitive and when asked about introducing dance music... we were told the music is what it is and we will not change a thing. The ship feels run down with rust appearing on a lot of iron railing, the wood siding is also in bad shape. The cabin steward is as good as it gets, making personal contact enjoyable. The dinner service with the head waiter and help is some of the best we ever had. The decor can be overwhelming with a lot adsrk brown panel. You feel a little crowded in. We are planning other cruises and it will not be with Carnival. Read Less

We chose this cruise because we wanted to visit the Hawaiian Islands, and start in Vancouver so we could see the sites there. To the positive of Carnival, we went on a cruise with them last November, and loved the Splendor! We are not complainers, and usually only take reviews of ships with a grain of salt, because a lot of reviewers seem to expect so much!! However! This ship and cruise was honestly from hell I must say! Embarking in Vancouver was the biggest screwed up situation I have ever encountered! Lines upon lines to get on the ship! We were in line I think for well over an hour. Carnival workers said they were working with a new system, ok..well set a really bad precedent to begin with. We get on the ship and went to have lunch... Tried to go to our room around 115-130 and the elevator area is filled with tons of luggage with a communication that the elevators were not available because they were dispersing luggage..I mean stacks upon stacks of luggage on huge carts looking really unorganized!. We finally get to our room, and start to try and settle in...We notice the room is warm, so we tried to turn the dial of the thermostat? Down..it is not a thermostat, only some sort of dial for hotter or colder .It didn’t get cooler...but a fan from the system came on in the middle of the night... Now cold in the morning, no warm air when we turned the stupid dial to warm the cabin. We called the room steward beginning at 7am, finally showed up around 830 am. We complained to him about the heat, and that the fridge didn’t work. His name was Paul, and he was a gem the whole time. He even had to carry a replacement fridge on his own back to get that fixed the same day. He was one of the few bright spots on this cruise. After this, things become a blur. The heat was not fixed, then we were sailing into warmer waters the day after emarking. The room was of course heating up, and low and behold the air conditioning didn’t work. At the same time that afternoon around 4pm we started hearing the children next door jumping, hopping, screaming and yelling running back and forth. We tried to go out to the balcony for some quiet.. well, their balcony door opened, and now they were yelling out the balcony door, still chasing each other back and forth yelling. The issues with no air conditioning and screaming, children running around the ship, (their parents with them) continued the whole time during the cruise, children doing that in many cabins...I had to leave my balcony because of screaming children, usually starting about 6pm to 9pm. The dining room was also another huge dissappointment. I had put in my reservation last February we wanted a table for 2. My husband has some health issues that require him to sometime use an inhaler during a meal when he is having trouble breathing. We were seated the first night with a table with 4 other people, extremely difficult for my husband to respond to verbal communication while trying to eat and breath all at the same time. We left message for the maitre d twice, no response at all. When we tried to address it with other staff at the dining room, they said we had to speak with the maitre d. Then we had debarking at ports; my god what another horror show!! Each one was late, the tendering port, we couldn’t get to the port until 1130 am.. By that time, no reason to try and get the rental car we had already paid for.. We did go to the Guest Services desk I think the 19th am and spoke to a pinch faced younger light brown haired girl that did not offer to help, even after we voiced our concerrns. We asked when automatic gratuities would be added as we wanted to only tip the people we felt should be tipped. She told us Friday after next. She was very dismissive and very unhelpful. We also stopped by the excursion desk at the time to ask questions and the young gentleman there with light, possibly reddish hair was also very unhelpful and dismissive like we were just a pain in his ass. Suffice to say, by the 9th day, we got off the ship in Kauai and had a drink in a very quiet bar and decided we would just get off the ship 2 days early, stay in Kauai and fly to Honolulu (ships destination) where we had reservations at another hotel for 2 days to enjoy Honolulu. We made this decision to try and salvage any vacation time we had left, at great expense I might add. We had to of course let guest services know, and the lovely lady who helped us was quite apologetic, vowed to fix things, and tried very hard to get us to change our minds, but we were just done. The head of Guest Services came to hear our concerns as well, but like I said, we were just done with the Legend...It was only in dry dock in April, I don’t understand why air conditioning, heat, refrigerators etc don’t work, many hand railings loose, sometimes not attached at all, then some staff members just don’t seem to care. We have another cruise booked with Carnival in May 2019 on the Conquest, with several family member going as well...we are thinking of maybe cancelling and just getting a vacation rental in Miami.. Read Less

I chose this cruise as a way to get to Hawaii and see all the different islands. It served that purpose, and I enjoyed the trip overall. The naturalist on board was very personable and knowledgeable. As others have mentioned, the cabin was cold most of the time and there was no way to turn on the heat. I had a sweater, so it wasn't too big a problem. My main complaint is that they interrupted dinner with a lot of raucous singing and dancing by the waiters, all, I suppose, in the name of fun. I hated it. I also hated the high volume of music in the fitness center. Even with earphones I could not hear the TV I tried to watch while working out. The entertainment was so-so. As on my previous Carnival cruise, the dancers pretended to sing by lip-syncking into phoney microphones. This, too, was at high decibels. Since I knew noise was the way on Carnival, I would have chosen a different line if the itinerary had been as good. Read Less