Carnival Splendor Review

Carnival Splendor, Again!

Review for British Columbia Cruise on Carnival Splendor
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daveco58
First Time Cruiser • Age 60s

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Sail Date: May 2009
Cabin: Interior

Just back from my second trip on the Carnival Splendor.  I was on a two day Cruise to Nowhere in March.She is still beautiful.  I have reviewed her before, and gave in-depth information on the ship itself, so this review is just going to be some random impressions of things I didn't get to on the previous trip.There will also be several other reviews of this sailing, which will probably give more detail on the itinerary.I finally had the chance to try all the buffet options, which was impossible in just two days, and they were all from good to excellent.  Choices on the Splendor go from the Deli, to Tandoori, Mongolian BBQ, the Rotisserie, the Burrito Bar and of course Pizza and Burgers.This sailing was not quite full.  I heard 2400 passengers, which meant there was never a line for anything, whether the omelette stations or the stage shows, which was great. And also never a problem finding a lounger around the pool.The weather was less than optimal.  On the other hand they left the magrodome in place all week and the Lido Deck pool area was great.  This was my first time sailing under glass, and I liked it.  No wind, warm, and still bright and airy.  I also watched a concert movie (the Beach Boys), on the big screen, which was a pleasant way to kill an hour.We got off in San Francisco and wandered around the Embarcadero for a couple of hours, which is always fun.  That was also, amazingly, the warmest and sunniest stop.  Sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge was interesting as well.  I have been under the bridge from tour boats and dinner cruises, but never quite so close.  As we approached the bridge, it seemed the funnel only missed by a couple feet.  and as we passed under you could make out the faces of the folks standing on the bridge watching the ship.In Victoria it was just too cold and drizzly to want to do anything, so we stayed on board and played games and hung out by the pool.Seattle was a mess, transportation wise.  We docked at Pier 66, and Carnival provided shuttles to Seattle Center only.  People wanting to go towards Pike Place Market had to wait a long time for cabs to show up.  I am still not clear whether that was a Carnival screw up, or if the blame belongs to the Port Authority, but somebody is guilty of some really poor planning....but after waiting almost two hours, we finally got transportation to go meet my niece who lives there, and had a nice lunch.  Our final two days were At Sea, and I had a lot of fun engaging in various Trivia Contests, and the Digital Scavenger Hunts.  I teamed up with some ladies from Utah, and we actually won a medallion!!!WooHoo!!! Besides that, I spent most of my time either in the Casino (which was beautiful, but deadly), and the Piano Bar.  Mr. Ron Pass is, in my opinion, the finest Piano Guy in the Carnival fleet.  The week started off kind of slow, with the ship being less than full, but as the evenings went on, the crowd got bigger, and rowdier, and by the last night it was a full on party and Ron kept going well after the usual quitting time.  By the end there were more people in the Grand Piano than in the Dance Club across the hall.  It was obvious Ron was ready to stop and losing his voice, but like the Showman he is, he just kept going.  Really was a great ending to a great overall cruise.

Cabin Review

Interior

Cabin 4g

Cabin 6205 a Cat 4g is sold as "inside" but has a window, overlooking the walkway, below the bridge. While the view is obstructed by the rail, from a standing position you can see just what the Captain sees. This is a wheelchair accessible stateroom. It is upside-down "L" shaped, with the bathroom on the left as you walk in, closets, vanity, and mini-bar to the right, and the twin beds in an alcove past the bathroom. The bathroom is barrier free, and well set up, and the whole room works quite well for a wheelchair

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