I cruised on the Carnival Splendor over Christmas this year, and overall had an excellent experience. This was my second cruise with Carnival, but I have previously sailed with Celebrity, Princess, and Holland America. I was not disappointed in this cruise at all and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Embarkation: Departing from New York was a new experience for me, but I am pleased to report that it was one of the fastest embarkations I have experienced. We arrived at the terminal at around 11:30 and were on the ship in under half an hour. It was much more organized than our embarkation on the Valor out of Miami last year.

Staff: Overall, the crew was excellent. Our cabin steward, Putu, was great. He was very friendly and efficient. Our head waiter Nenad and his team provided us with great service in the Gold Pearl dining room. Also, our cruise director, Eli, was probably the first cruise director that hasn't irritated me to no end. He was very pleasant and personable. We talked to him once during the cruise and he still remembered us on the final day of the cruise. Read more