Carnival Splendor Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We chose this Carnival cruise for the price and ports. Although our overall cruise experience wasn't our favorite, the price was excellent and the ports were amazing.
Price: We live in Florida, so we have a lot of cruise options, but we flew to Los Angeles to meet family flying in from New Zealand. We booked about a year in advance with a deal that offered some onboard credit. We also decided to upgrade to a balcony room (we’ve never had a balcony on a cruise before) and all of those features made the value for money pretty good.
Ports: Before I talk about our experiences at the actual ports, I need to say that you should definitely invest in some Pesos BEFORE or on your first port day. Although they take USD in all the ports, there is a slight upcharge to every non-peso transaction.
Cabin Review
Balcony
We were right under the Lido deck and heard footsteps, as well as furniture moving every night/early morning. Not the best room for kids trying to sleep while other passengers were partying. Also, other passengers ruined the balcony experience by smoking (which isn't allowed). The layout was fine, just not a room designed for families.
Port Reviews
Mazatlan
Walked around historic Mazatlan and caught a cheap taxi to Stone Island (as well as the ferry). Loved the beach and enjoyed our time there!
Cabo San Lucas
Drove out to San Jose Del Cabo and loved the town. It's a straight shot out there and a quaint town!
Los Angeles
Long Beach is not a bad port. The drop-off is a little crazy, but make sure you have the right address in your GPS. We had an Uber get lost dropping us off from Long Beach Airport.
Puerto Vallarta
Loved the resort! The pools were awesome and the food/drinks were fantastic! We loved Puerto Vallarta!