This was our second Carnival Cruise and one of more than a dozen we have taken in recent years. We've found that each ship and cruise has its pro's and con's related to dEcor, destinations and operation. That held true with the Splendor. We were pleased that our pre-cruise concerns regarding 'crowd control' and access on a 3,000-passenger ship the equivalent to a multi-storied floating hotel were unfounded.

The only 'squeeze' occurred during the morning breakfast buffet lines when shore excursions required large numbers of passengers to gather early and eat at the same time. Unlike RCL ships that offer 'islands' for food groups, the Splendor was designed for long-single-file access resulting in long lines at times. A virtual crush was created when the on-board shops had a special sale set up on tables in the hallway outside the shops, a ridiculously small area to convert into a shopping area.

Embarkation, debarkation: As others have noted, check-in was synchronized and efficient. Walking on and off the ship at ports of call was a snap. Read more