First Cruise on Carnival Splendor since Covid, bit of step back from Celebrity Eclipse few weeks back, but hey the price difference says it all.
This was a transferred from a transfer etc from Covid so I was happy Carnival gave us spending money so we could sit back and have some drinks etc. yippie.
I think it is easier just to list what I thought was good and not so good.
Good - ...
This was our third cruise with carnival. The first two being prior to covid.
The boat is like a big floating RSL club. Super understaffed compared to last trips and way over crowded.
The line at buffet was 20 minutes , to get pizza or bar service was even worse due to minimal staff.
Tender boats have also been reduced to two boats for entire ship to get to the shore, so we waited 5 hours ...
The real stand out were the people, both staff and fellow passengers.
The staff were all really friendly and helpful. Also, after a couple of days the passengers had relaxed and it was really nice being amongst so many people who were their best selves. Everyone was chatting with strangers and that doesn’t generally happen in normal life.
The food was excellent. In the main dining room we ...
We were excited to take this smaller cruise ship in the French Polynesia Islands and had read many reviews indicating what a luxury cruise line this was with excellent cuisine and more intimate since the ship is smaller. The staff working onboard are terrific and attentive to every detail. The ship itself is beautiful with updated decor making this very appealing, especially since this is an ...
Carnival Spirit is old and has not updated for over 8 years. Even when updated lots of original items remain; bathrooms and carpets are outdated.
Food gets worse each year, especially for someone who prepares meals each day with fresh food.
Long lines everywhere.
Transportation from airport to ship is horrific! Not worth paying for this service, figure on waiting hours at the airport ...
The Crown Princess is an aging ship in need of some updating. Staterooms and public areas look past their prime. Some upholstery shabby, décor dated.
Dining room menu seems to be in rotation every few days. Nothing of interest or originality. Poorly prepared at times and often smothered with some gravy or sauce seemingly meant to cover up what lies beneath. One of the more common offerings ...
Pluses
+Very comfortable cabin with plenty of storage room
+Great service (except for IT)
+Food was excellent, even the buffets
+Despite the ship being 25 yrs old it was remodeled well
Negatives
-Extremely slow wi-fi. We were only using it for work related reasons (no streaming, gaming etc.) but it a took long time for emails to pull up or attachments to open.
-We had free ...
This is our third cruise with Oceania and they over-delivered again. Here is what went right:
1) Oceania shore excursions on Bora-Bora/Raietea were on point and cost effective. Recommend:
-Vanilla farm/Pearl Farm tour with meal "Tahaa Cultural Experience" (best prices in Tahiti for fresh vanilla beans @ 3800xpf/50grams). Fantastic hula show on same tour with great meal with free rum ...
We chose this cruise as my retirement cruise. My wife and I met in Pago Pago 37yrs ago and wanted to go back. After spending enough time there,we figured this was the best way to revisit where we met. We live in Honolulu and have been to Apia, and Tahiti. We hadn't been to Moorea or Bora Bora before and later Bora Bora was cancelled and a extended Papeete stay was scheduled.
We booked on ...
We embarked in the World Cruise Port in San Pedro, California. It was very fast and easy which was great. We had received our Medallions by mail, so it made it quick. I had bought 4 airtag wristbands online and they fit the Medallions perfectly.
The Crown is not one of the new Princess ships, but she is wonderful just the same. Everything was kept clean and polished, and I enjoyed the wood and ...