Carnival Splendor Review

4.0 / 5.0
1,476 reviews

Another bucklist check

Review for South America Cruise on Carnival Splendor
User Avatar
wack001
10+ Cruises • Age 20s

Rating by category

Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service
Cabin

Additional details

Sail Date: Feb 2013
Cabin: Interior

My 27th cruise and the 6th on a Carnival ship: My group comprised 7 adults: 3 married couples (55-62 yrs) and an active single 60+ lady. I selected this ship because I loved the itinerary and it was a trip I have always wanted to do. Embarkation: I was boarding (in Valparaiso) on the second leg of a 40+ day voyage so it was not the normal mass confusion -- even with the computers down, processing moved quickly. Now the UGLY: once you finish the check-in, you board a bus to take you to the ship - the bus had NO A/C and it was hot. Once we arrived at the ship pier, the lines were very long due to both embarkation and returning ship passengers, and we were standing in the hot sun. Carnival had one security machine going which made the boarding of passengers a snail's pace; what I could not understand is why we went through a security check before boarding the bus and then repeated the security check boarding the ship. Cabins: Booked an inside cabin and was happy with the space. The room was nicely decorated and through the TV you can order pay per view TV movies, check your ship charges, view different dining menus, plus order room service. The bathroom had nice soap and shampoo stocked dispensers as well as some nice complimentary toiletries.

Dining/Food: Superb; I am not a big breakfast person so I used room service, stopped at the Lido buffet and went to the dining room for a brunch. All were good but it now gets better: I am not crazy about buffet lunch but the Lido offerings for lunch were nice; besides the usual normal fare there is an Indian buffet station that was yummy and an excellent made to order sandwich (corned beef/specialties) station on the opposite side. These two stations were my hangouts. The pizza station was also good but it even gets better. I was sailing on a 13Night cruise and was planning on eating at the steakhouse a few nights, but I saved my money - dinner in the main dining room was superb! Every night it featured a different menu (one side is the daily fare), and the choices were excellent to superb; I think I was only disappointed on one occasion. The appetizers were yummy to include 3 nights of different escargot offerings; in addition, our service was outstanding. I chose "Anytime Dining" and it worked well but could use a few improvements.

Public Rooms: Very nicely done! The ship features a lot of pink but is not overdone, the 4th and 5th decks serve as the main hub of activity; i.e. with shops, casino, lounges, photo, and library -- main traffic area. A HUGE TV screen is on deck #10 overlooking the pool. This screen displayed various scenes of aquatic life during the day, but evening showings included movies with popcorn if you could eat another bite. Entertainment: You will find music playing at several locations throughout the ship. There is a piano bar, variety music in the lounges, and Karaoke is featured nightly. The Atrium features music (different bands on the ship rotate) and plays till midnight. During the afternoon the Atrium is alive with live music and I noticed many folks dancing away in the afternoon. The disco played a good selection but was empty on most evenings and the casino Texas Holdem table always had a wait list. I was disappointed in the shows offered which consisted mainly of dancing. A fun night was the final "Legends Night" where some 'wannabee' Karaoke passengers performed and had a ball. There were numerous comedy shows which I did not attend.

Cabin Review

Interior

Cabin 4F

Small but nice no issues.

previous reviewnext review

Find a Carnival Splendor Cruise

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.