Average for a couple of reasons.....

We selected this cruise because we got a fabulous rate, no one was going to be home for Christmas, and Carnival has been my cruise line of choice for a variety of reasons.

The ship is showing the need for some renovation, but it's in generally fine shape. The food is always enjoyable (I'm always amazed by people who complain about cruise food--how do they really eat at home? Who serves them? Who cleans up after them?) We do miss the table cloths on nights which are cruise casual. They helped you feel you weren't eating at a Denny's; that you were having a special time.

We appreciated the maître d' accommodating our request to be seated at a table of eight in the middle of the action. We had a delightful table of fellow cruisers.

Our major disappointment was the quality of the shows. In fact, we never stayed through any of them. We've become accustomed to fine performances of singing and dancing, and that didn't occur. We were not the only ones who held this opinion. There were minor hiccups, such as no soap in the room, and strawberries well past their prime in the treat for platinum cruisers, but nothing else of major concern.

We wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Splendor to other cruisers--just don't expect Las Vegas to show up in the theater some night.