Cruised on the Carnival Splendor from Miami to the Western Caribbean with me (39yo) and six family members. Room 8293 was nice as it was close to the elevators. Never had an issue with noise. The outdoor movie screen by the pool was a hit with my family. This ship didn't have the Blue Iguana by the pool, or the nice Splash Zone that newer Carnival ships have. Overall the ship seemed to be a good size, it only seemed crowded during prime lunch and dinner hours. We were always able to get tables/chairs by the pool.
The wait staff was very attentive and always around when you wanted them to be. I was watching a movie with my Father and the waiter called me by my name, asking if I wanted Bud Light again :) The only complaint was in the dining room on formal night, it took about an hour and a half to get our main entrees. But I'm sure that was because of how crowded it was. We docked at all four ports - Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; St. Thomas; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Grand Turk.
My 6 year old niece loved the Kid's club. She opted to eat dinner with them (instead of us)twice.
Very nice location, getting to the elevator was very easy. The room itself was very ordinary, nothing extraordinary or horrible. Our room was cleaned very regularly, our coffee and breakfast was always delivered when requested.
We drove into Miami and went straight to the ship. Lines were as expected. Don't bring bottled water, it will be confiscated.
We went to Ocean World. It was a cute little Sea World type attraction. My 6 year old niece loved it. It was fun to watch people swimming with the dolphins.
Two Island Snorkel & Beach Safari by FastCat - EXCELLENT excursion! Stopped and snorkeled, saw a turtle and plenty of colorful fish. Then they brought us to a very nice secluded beach. Wonderful trip, would love to do it again!
We took the trolley around San Juan. It was free and nice.
Beautiful beach right off the port. We were too late to get a floatie, but were able to grab some chairs.