Carnival Splendor Review
Rating by category
Additional details
This was the trip that brought the Splendor to Australia so my fist comments will be on the ships suitability to that market. I am a fan of Carnival being a Platinum Cruiser (I am for Princess as well) but not a fan of this ship for the new home, its just a poor fit. We are used to the Spirit and Legend so I compare on that basis,
Lido is to small, every cruise to and from Sydney generally starts and ends with 1to 3 sea days, this ship has one lido area and pool plus Serenity where as the Spirit and Legend have two. Unlike most ships it has an extra level above the lido which makes it very hot. As there is only one area, it will be full of kids most trips and there just is not enough room for events up there for the number of passengers, remember this ship has 60% more passengers.
Bars all the regulars are there that we are used to the piano bar, Alchemy the Red Frog etc and after the refurb it looks very familiar there are a few other areas on the ship like a jazz bar that are just not used. The issue is, there is no more space or very little more space to cater for the extra 1600 passengers.
Cabin Review
Ocean Suite
Our Suite was booked so the family and grand kids had a central meeting area and it served this purpose well, a large room with seating for us all and the floor area for the kids and toys, a safe balcony the kids could enjoy with us looking through the glass panels.
A decent bathroom with bath (spa) which was great for bathing the kids. It even has a nice dressing area and heaps of storage.
Port Reviews
Singapore
Did our own thing for 4 days prior to the cruise, love Singapore its a foodies dream with plenty of activities however this trip for the first time ever I was disappointed in the Zoo and Sentosa seems to have been ruined by putting Universal on it as everything else has died or is run down.
Gardens by the bay are amazing
Bali
We booked a car and driver but as it took so long to get off the ship our time ashore was short and having young kids we went to a butterfly farm and temple. It was a nice day and driving about we enjoyed the sights
Komodo Island
We did a tour walking with guides, we had to book private as the ship would not take anyone under 2 years of age. We saw 4 large and one baby dragons plus wild boar and a dear. Was fun but very hot and a number of people had heat stroke on the trail.
Well worth the visit
Darwin
We booked a car and head to Crocodilla park, had lunch near the ship and did some sight seeing and shopping
Moreton Island
I like Moreton Island, nice beach for kids to paddle and swim but plenty of activities for the more adventurous, we had a great day but returning to the ship was difficult for some of the last tenders with one hitting the ship hard due to a wave.