Carnival Splendor Review
Vastly improved; but still at the bottom of my list
Rating by category
Additional details
Several years ago I sailed on the Glory up to Canada. It was a miserable cruise. I thought every aspect of Carnival's service and product was poor. I vowed to myself, "never again." This year my group of traveling companions were locked into a very narrow window of available dates. The only option was Carnival. Reluctantly, I agreed to go. I was repeatedly surprised and delighted by the experience. It was far better than my prior sailing. While I have sailed on Princess, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean, most of my cruises have been with NCL. Most of my comparisons here are in relation to NCL. Here are some of the high points.
The dining experience was excellent. This was the single greatest improvement over my prior Carnival cruise. We were in the Gold Pearl for the late seating. Our waitstaff were professional and personable. The quality of the food was consistently high and always served hot. There was a well balanced offering of entertainment (waiters singing and dancing). It was not over-the-top, but it definitely added some positive energy to the meal. The dinner experience could not have been better.
There are some very fine aspects to the ship design:
Cabin Review
Interior with Picture Window (obstructed views)
9202. It is considered an inside cabin with an obstructed view. It is located in the very front of the ship. The window faces forward onto a public deck space. The view was not obstructed. Aside from pulling into port passengers rarely gathered in that space. It is a handicap cabin. The bathroom is quite large with a roll-in shower. The unique drain system would occasionally make loud noise, twice it overflowed. The cabin itself is no larger, in fact it looked smaller than a standard inside cabin. A wheelchair would be really tight in there. Closet space is VERY limited. Two narrow cabinets; one contains a set of four drawers. There is no other drawer space or room to hang anything. Overall, a GREAT value if you can get by with minimal storage space.