A brief intro - this would be our 11th cruise, 6th with Carnival and have done the Mexican Rivera several times. We are a retired couple and in our mid 50's, and only cruise to enjoy the cruise experience, not necessarily the ports. We do not participate in all the ship activities, instead enjoy the ocean, a good dinner and show, then maybe some casino time and off to bed.

Because the Splendor is a new ship on the west coast, we were excited to try the new ship. Upon arrival in Long Beach, all went as expected. Boarding was as expected, about 45 minutes from start to finish. Lunch on the Lido by 2pm and we were sailing by 5:30pm. No glitches with luggage or dinner.

The Splendor is a beautiful ship. We had a balcony cabin and was the same as we have had on other Carnival ships. The public areas are very nice, but there didn't seem to be enough public areas. I say that because everywhere you went, there were an over abundance of guests. As many have said, the ship is broken up into many sections that don't allow you to "get there from here". You have to go up to go down, if you get my drift. If you want to walk the deck, you can't. I guess they took the extra public area space and used that space for cabin space to get more passengers on board. The food was average in the dining rooms, but the Burrito Bar and Deli was excellent. Even the buffet wasn't too bad. The entire cruise was as expected and very enjoyable, both on and off the ship. The decor of the Splendor is simple - pink circles! Read more