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Nadi

My husband and I boarded the Carnival Splendor on May 31st to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. This was our second Carnival Cruise, but our 10th cruise together. In the past we have usually sailed with our four teenagers. 

I thought the boarding process went quickly and within fifteen minutes we had our sail and sign cards and went about to sight see in San jaun. I loved the cruise director Malcolm and his staff. we went to a lot of trivia and some other activities. these were all held in the lobby and you needed to get there early to find a seat. 

The musicians on the ship were great,but did not love the shows in the lounge.

Singer Andy in the lobby playing the guitar was awesome looked forward to hearing him each night . The comedians were the highlight each night. It was tiresome to clear the lounge after each act and line up again. 

Service on the ship was great we sat at table 330 in the golden pearl restaurant.

The servers work so hard and it was nice to enter the dining room each night and hear" good evening Miss Rena" they are understaffed and sometimes it took around two hours with only three couples at our table. we did also eat in the steak house which was wonderful.

Happy Splendor 25th Anniversary

My husband and I take a nice cruise yearly, typically over 7 days.  When I choose, I choose warm weather.  I selected this cruise due to the Ports we would be visiting.  We like repositioning cruised and thought that this was one when we booked it.  It was not.

The pink and black color scheme was outdated and did not make the first impression that I was hoping for.   (I thought that the 80's group Poison might come out at any time). However, when we got to our room it was roomy and comfortable.  We selected the Spa Cloud 9 cabin with a  balcony.  They could upgrade the mattress for this Cloud 9 cabin but it was not worse than any other twin turned into queen bed.  We were thrilled that we could board early and that the cabin was ready for us.  It was in the PERFECT spot onboard. The Cabin Steward, Putu (probably misspelled) was wonderful and attentive.  

We walked around the ship and ended up in the Spa for the tour.  During the tour we met Milos, the hair dresser/ Barber.  He was very welcoming and engaged my husband in converation and invited him to get a shave.  My husband and I both scheduled appointments for later that day.  I must say that I received the BEST cut, color and scalp massage EVER.  Now I'm dying knowing that I won't get it cut and color like this again.  I scheduled a follow up for conditioning.  I don't fall for lots of tricks to get you to come back but I could tell such a difference in my hair, I was sold.  My husband's shave was amazing...he was a fan. My husband is bald with a goatee, so he knows a good shave when he got one Since that first interaction, my husband spent more money in the Spa than I did.  I've never had my hair done in the spa because I wouldn't trust someone that I did not know...Milos was so knowledgeable that you were immediately comfortable.  With the Spa Cabins there are good discounts along with the daily specials.  We did have a miscommunication about a mud bath type special (mostly on my behalf) but Marina, the lady at the front desk quickly took care of it and called us to let us know.  I was very appreciative.  Everyone was nice and all of our service were good.

The ship was a bit difficult to navigate but EXTREMELY clean and cared for.  I am not sure if I've ever been on a cleaner ship.  We had a hard time finding breakfast and dinner...even though it was the same place daily.  LOL  Everyone onboard did a great job making you feel welcome.  Even the Drill prior to disembarking was pretty painless and seemed organized better than some.  

We really did not participate in too many onboard activities.  There were plenty of children onboard that we just did not feel like dealing with so we stayed in the quiet areas. We did not mind.  The shows were GREAT!  The dancers and singers were Great.  The costumes did not look like they'd been worn a million times.  We did not go to the comedy club.  The other clubs were good and played a good mix.  We enjoyed the lobby trivia and Andy (the guitarist).  My husband is a musician and was Wow'd.  That says a lot about Andy.  

The ports of call were great.  We took a cab type tour and got our money's worth.  Since we'd never been to any of the ports...it was a great way too see a lot in a short amount of time.  If and when we go back, we can zero in on some of our interests.  

Now let's get to the Food......it could not have been better!!!  Arnold, Bragus and Reynoldo were taking care of us nightly.  The service was really good and we enjoyed their upbeat personalities.  Arnold has worked for Carnival for 10 years and was very proud of that.  You could tell that his job is fullfilling.  We looked forward to seeing him nightly.  The quality and taste of the food was FABULOUS!!!!!  I can't say enought about it.  That was just in the dining room.  The Pinnacle restaurant was outstanding.  We have not had better food on any other cruise...even Holland America.  The surcharge for that restuarant was not bad either and well worth it for one night.  Don't do the Pinnacle on the first formal night or you will miss the lobster and steak dinner in the main dining area.  You don't want to miss it....  I don't eat a lot of pizza a home but  the pizza aboard was really tasty and I ate plenty of it while onboard.  

Overall...the ship could use some updating.  Other than that it was a great trip.  The ports of call were awesome!  We met a lot of nice people.  I predict that next year (since my husband picks) we will go where it is cold...and take Holland America....but I will look for a reason to take this cruise again.  Ending in NYC was awesome!  Good memories!

PS.  There was another passenger that was needing critical care, not sure what, but that was handled very well considering the Coast Guard had to fly in and remove the passenger.

Great cruise!  FAB itinerary

I have never been a fan of Carnival but booked this cruise because I needed to use this year's Marriott Vacation Club points and San Juan and NYC are two of my favorite ports. So I booked two balcony staterooms (one for my bro/sis-in-law).  The population on this cruise was one of the most diverse I have ever seen. I like that. The embarkation process was smooth and hassle free. The stateroom was spacious but the balcony was a lot smaller than some of the newer ships. I was shocked at the size of the shower (tiny).  I liked the fact that there was an ironing room on every deck. Very important to me since Carnival found and confiscated my travel iron. I have been on 14 cruises and this is the first time any cruise line has taken my little iron.

Pleasantly Surprised

This is the third time we were on the Splendor.   We "splurged" by booking this cruise last year when we had some credits to use.    When we saw that our favorite cabin was available (Vista wrap), and the itinerary, we jumped at the chance and booked.    We had never been to St.Kitts or Antigua, so that was a bonus.  San Juan is one of our favorite ports, so we were able to enjoy it before the cruise.  

We had Faster to the Fun for the first time and loved it.  We were on board first behind the B2B people and in our cabin before noon.    We were able to get off and see San Juan before dinner and muster.

We did the Railway in St.Kitts and enjoyed very much.  In Antigua we took a cab to Dickenson Beach and it was great.     

The staff on the ship was wonderful; in the MDR (late seating), all wait staff were attentive and very much fun; our cabin steward was excellent and answered our every request promptly.  The bar staff was excellent everywhere as were the Guest services people.  Only once did we have a less than perfect encounter with staff -- and that was at the Excursion desk.

The food on ship was as we have had before.  Some meals were perfect, some not, but there was always sufficient choice.   Our opinion is that the food on Carnival is better than on the other cruise lines we have taken (RCL, NCL, HAL).  We still feel that way.   The Sea Day brunch offerings were excellent each day we went - we didn't expect that!  

We have booked a Vista cruise for next year.   We are trusting Carnival to do it again!

Another Splendid Splendor Splurge

Took the reposition on Splendor from San Juan to Miami 1st to 9th Nov. Amazing cruise, with 5 new ports for me. St. Croix - Martinique - Grenada - Dominica - Grand Turk.
The price was incredible. Was solo in a balcony cabin. Including taxes/fees the price was 550.00. I booked 17 days before sailing. Seems like repositioning cruises often have the best rates. And I didn't have to go from US to Europe with all those tiresome sea days. Only 2 sea days on this one.
My 1st solo cruise. I had concerns if I would like it. Within a couple of hours all my concerns were gone. Had a wonderful time and met so many new friends who I have kept in touch with. Carnival does a great job placing solo travelers together in the dining room.
The cabin was spacious, as I have always found on my other 4 Carnival cruises. Clean and stylish. Location was near the aft elevators, my favorite location in order to get to a lot of places easily.
Cabin stewards were awesome. Consistent on Carnival. Prompt and friendly.
Food almost without exception was great, whether the buffet or main dining room. Dining room staff was marvelous too.
Layout of the ship was easy to navigate, even being quite large. Very stable too. I liked Cool, a smoking bar near the aft of the ship. They had live entertainment in there sometimes, and not the screaming night club type either. Nice music and quite enjoyable.
Did the cheers program. A bit pricey at 50.00 per day, but got better drinks and made use of the plan. Carnival offered double bloody marys for the same price from 8A to 12N each day on the last 2 cruises I have taken. Nice touch especially if you don't do the cheers program. Bartenders and waiters were all friendly and for the most part prompt.
Pizza Pirate was a place I frequented almost every night. Delicious.
Great cruise director, informative and funny, with a lot of energy.
Not much to do in St. Croix, like the cruise books say. The regular size cruise ships cannot go to
Christiansted but dock in Fredricksted. Fredicksted is like going back in time. No duty free and just the regular mom and pop establishments, but I enjoyed it. I like a cultural experience. You can get land transport to Christiansted, where all the action etc is, but after an hour just got back on the ship. Why not, afterall I had the cheers program. Just sayin'.
Martinique was not my cup of tea. Establishments and the people in general were snooty. Other folks I talked to on the ship felt the same. The shore excursions there were quite expensive. After an hour, back to the ship.
Grenada was good, but didn't venture out of the port area. I liked the mini-mall they had there. Nice place to buy stamps, post cards and gifts. Friendly folks. I think it was the Esplanade mall. Right there near the ship.
Dominica is where I did my only shore excursion. Nice tour quides and the driver was a hoot. Funny guy. Very informative guides. Toured part of the island and went to a great waterfall. They served rum punch as part of the excursion at the waterfall stop. I stayed up at the top of the waterfall. There were 57 very steep steps down to the bottom were it emptied, so I decided to stay at the top and have rum punches, 4.
Grand Turk was wonderful, just like all the cruise books say. Within 10 minutes you are from ship to a great pavillion with shops, bars and restaurants. And better yet, a beach with tons and tons of chairs and loungers. Very convenient and inviting. Nice view of the ship from the beach.
Embarkation in San Juan and dis-embarkation in Miami was quick.
I did the Carnival airport/ship transfer on both ends. That's the way for me. Convenient.
Thanks Carnival for always showing me a wonderful time.

Splendor on the Splendor

This was a repositioning cruise from San Juan to Miami. We had back to back getting off the new Getaway onto the Splendor The itinerary on Carnival was excellent visiting 6 ports. The ship was nice but could use some updating. We got a suite with jacuzzi tub,worth the extra after a long day of shore excursions.Entertainment on board is lacking. Nothing to do and the shows they did have were not very good.Service at the buffet was slow and the tables were not bussed often enough making it difficult to find a table. The casino was small and smoky with no rhyme or reason as to smoking and non smoking areas. The days at sea were limited which is what we like. We usually choose by itinerary not The food was just ok. cruise line. The choices of excursions were varied with many to choose from,if you like snorkeling this a great cruise to go on.

OK, But a Little Tacky

I was very scared to go on a cruise but was encouraged by my daughter and co-workers to do so. On July 2014, I embarked from New York to go to Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and Grand Turk on the Carnival Splendor. I was travelling with three of my children and my nieces and nephew (8 people). I was truly amazed at the ship and the size. It was a huge ship clean and well kept. I was assigned to the first floor Room 182. I was very pleased with the room and it was an Ocean view room. Embarkation was not too bad and after about one hour I was actually on the ship. Everyone was kind and smiled throughout the journey. The food was good and there were a lot of choices. I had read all of the reviews and I was 50/50 about the whole situation. I am writing this review from my heart and anyone who wishes to begin cruising should definitely begin with this cruise. For the beginning of the cruise I believe I was in total shock and did not really enjoyed myself until the next two days. Although the ship was called the "Pink Ship" it was not bad. I was pleased with what I was seeing. I enjoyed the food and the entertainment. My family were blown away by the staff who for most of the time were very kind and helpful. We ate at the Black Pearl Restaurant and became very attached to the waiters and waitresses. I cried on the last night when they sang to the guest. I felt connected to the crew members, and although Eric the cruise Director use to annoy me at times, I grew to love him. The hidden costs surprised me for example the water that they leave in your cabin (way too expensive). Generally we enjoyed ourselves, and we would be cruising again.

GREAT TIME

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