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Carnival Splendor by
A Traveler from Minnesota Sailing date: Dec 2008Pros: Ports of call Cons: The cabin My wife and I recently took a cruise on the Carnival Splendor on December 6th and stayed in cabin 6428. We have been cruising for over 20 years and this was definitely the worst cabin we have ever stayed in. It is directly over the Cool lounge and whenever the sound system was being operated, our floor and walls vibrated with the music and vocals. Based on the comments from the Carnival staff this is a cabin with a serious noise issue. If Carnival is really concerned about the passengers cruising experience, cabin 6428 should be left vacant until this issue can be resolved. Ship QualityShip decor was average. Nothing stood out as exceptional. Dining/FoodThe ships specialty restaurant, The Pinnacle, was excellent. Stateroom QualityUntil the sound issue can be resolved, we would not recommend cabing 6428. Ship Staff QualityStaff was extremely friendly and helpful. Entertainment & Activities
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La Romana, Dominican Republic
Nassau, Bahamas
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.
 45 out of 53 people found this review helpful.
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  Carnival Cruise by
Anthony M from Williamsport, PA Sailing date: Jan 2009Pros: Sandwhich Shop, Piano Bar, Comedians Cons: Unfriendly Bartenders, Terrible Music. Food availability. The overall cleanliness of the ship was excellent. The design/decor was a bit tacky. I heard more than one guest comment on the decor. The main pool area was small and quiet. It wasn't lively at all. The main pool area had a retractable cover above that is used in the event of poor weather, but it was a terrible feature when it was nice. It made it difficult to view the main pool area. Fortunately there wasn't anything to view, so no big deal. We stayed mainly at the rear, adults only pool. I have to commend the management for enforcing this. Wish they would enforce the no reservation of pool chairs. The reason for my poor rating was mostly due to the lack of food accessibility and the unfriendly bartenders. The food served at the main evening session was very good. The food served in the buffets was average. The pizza and sandwhich quality was very good, but the lines were unreasonable. The grilled chicken shop was open a whopping three hours a day or less. Ship QualityClean. Average Design. Dining/FoodQuality of food at main seating was very good. Quality of pizza and sanwhiches was very good. Buffets were poor. Long lines!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't have this problem on Royal Caribbean. Stateroom QualityExcellent stateroom attendent. Best service on the ship. The bartenders need to see the stateroom attendents for training on customer service. Ship Staff QualityStateroom attendents were awesome. Bartenders were beyond terrible. I'm not a racist!!! I don't care where you're from or what your color is, but it appears someone at Carnival has made a decision to hire 98% of their bartenders from one particular country. Interestingly enough Royal Caribbean does the same. The big difference is Royal Caribbean has figured out the culture from the country from which they seek their bartenders is warm, friendly, outgoing and very service oriented. The country in which Carnival seeks their bartenders results in poor service, stale personalities and just an overall feeling of.....ahhh....let's say they were just terrible. Entertainment & ActivitiesComedy was great. Cruise director was very good. I hate to give it a poor rating because I really liked the comedy shows, but the daily entertainment at the pools was basically non existent and they tortured us with very weird, crappy music.
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La Romana, Dominican Republic
Nassau, Bahamas
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.
27 out of 36 people found this review helpful.
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Great Ship, Rough Seas by
E and Z B. from Washington, DC Sailing date: Dec 2008Pros: Balcony, Balcony, Balcony! Cons: La Romana, Dominican Republic :-( Overall, the Splendor is marvelous (except who thought pink and charcoal grey go together, really?)! Ship QualityThe Splendor is ridiculously large, but laid out well, so it doesn't feel overwhelming. You get multiple pools, hot tubs, clubs, live music, the works. When I say ridiculously large, I mean, way too much to do. A week just gets you exploring, especially if you have no agenda, just louging and relaxing. Dining/FoodWe really like the amenities, the food, of course, was delicious. We tried to eat at every venue, but didn't make them all due to timing, ports of call or just plain laziness. Thge Gold Pearl was exceptional, period! Stateroom QualityRough seas made our trip a little less than perfect, but the rooms kept us cozy and warm against the sea. Great stateroom! Ship Staff QualityNice staff, need more time together. Entertainment & ActivitiesWe really lived it up. If we wanted to dance, they had it, from ballroom, to disco, to salsa. It was just all there. If we wanted live jazz, they had it, live classical (a trio!), they had it, live duet (Vegas cheesy, but nice), they had it. Children's ProgramsYou can't really complain about the amount and number of things to do for the kids either. They had programs age specific, though our 11 year old alternately felt like a giant among the 9 year olds and a midget among the teens. Still, if he wanted to play, they had the venue for him, video games, kid games, arts/crafts. Amazing opportunity. Our 13 year old was better off, but she didn't take advantage of everything. She did the spa day and a couple of other activities. The kids were really content to hang out and relax, they were just as tired as we were (school's hard nowadays).
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La Romana, Dominican Republic
Don't waste your money or time, go to Santo Domingo and leave this made up city to the factory that bought it. La Romana, Dominican Republic, was our LEAST favorite. If we had to do it all over again, we'd simply, jump a cab straight to Santo Domingo, the oldest European city in the western hemisphere. Rather than belabor the point, we'll say this: La Romana is not ready for prime time tourism, the people do not know how to make you welcome and secure, they don't know how to accommodate your needs and they don't present the best face (unless you go to a resort). Altos de Chavon is NOT a place we recommend at all. It is like a very sorry Disneyland--only worse. There was nothing there that really said, "you're in the Dominican Republic." Even the locals were scarce.
Nassau, Bahamas
Beautiful people and beaches. Just enjoy the day, it is too nice to hate! That place is gorgeous and restored our faith in ports of call. We took a local tour (vs. the ship arranged) and got the flavor of the island and people. We really enjoyed that tour, to say the least.
San Juan, Puerto RicoWalk through old San Juan and enjoy history! We had too short a time in San Juan, PR (only about 6 hours in the evening), but we made the most of it by walking through the old city near the governor's mansion. With more time/foresight, a Segway tour would have really hit the spot.
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.Learn about real pirates, like Blackbeard! We took an excursion that picked us up near the ship and dropped us off about a mile and a half away (!). They said, "Just pick up a cab to get back to ship." That was a weak end to a great tour of the island. We swam in Magen's Bay (an absolute must, great beach), saw Blackbeard's Castle and lots of history. We decided to eat at a local restaurant for authentic food and got it. Gladys' Cafe is the real deal if you want West Indian eats! We decided to walk and shop our way back to the ship. Though not for the fainthearted, we ended up having a great self-guided tour of the neighborhoods and people. Nice mix of tourism and local flavor.
17 out of 19 people found this review helpful.
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a very crowded cruise by
A Traveler from providence,ri Sailing date: Apr 2009Pros: sports bar Cons: the dinning room food was of poor quality,the first night was served grilled fish with macaroni and cheese ,the vegetable was peas with cheese The ship decoration is in poor taste.,the cabins were ok.The TV chanels were few and every other channel was from Carnival selling things or services.The Serenity area( adults only) was right below the miniature golf area,lets say that it was poor planning.Entertainement relyed too much on Carnival dancers.Library was open one hour a day.Some cruise lines publish a 2 page newspaper with news in english,spanish etc,this one had none. Ship QualityLayout was designed to maximize the number of cabins which led to overcrowding in every public acess area. Dining/Food
Stateroom QualitySmall but well designed. Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & ActivitiesThe in house dancers were good but did not provide enough variety. 13 out of 14 people found this review helpful.
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The "Splendor" cruise was Splendid! by
Priscilla D from Rough Ready, Ca. Sailing date: Mar 2010Pros: The cuisine was wonderful! Atmosphere from laid back to formal. Your choice! Cons: Long lines embarking and debarking. We loved the variety of activities offered. The pools were wonderful and the hot tubs just what the "doctor" ordered. The sun decks were spacious and there was not a lack of sun chairs. Buffets were easily accessible with no long waiting lines and the variety of ethnic foods left us wondering if we would have enough time to sample everything. Our cabin was spacious with plenty of room to store our belongings. The bed was comfortable and the lighting, mirrors, carpeting, and acoustics were superb. The bathroom was roomy with plenty of storage space and the shower provided ample space to bathe. Everything was clean, clean, clean and we loved that! Ship Quality
Dining/FoodThe variety and quality of foods offered was amazing. Would only find these menus in the best of restaurants. Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff QualityAll staff were cheerful, helpful, and dedicated to making our trip the best one ever. Entertainment & ActivitiesThe shows were of Vegas quality. Such talent! Children's Programs
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Firs time cruiser by
Richard M from Aspen CO Sailing date: Sep 2009Pros: the atmosphere was great Cons: the necessary security I was a bit apprehensive because I was going to be a newbie. Then from the arrival at the cruise center everyone was helpful, friendly and kind. We had a set of waiters that were ideal. Again very helpful and great to be with. Now I am an old hand and would highly reccomend both your service and the cruise line. Ship Quality
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Children's ProgramsI did not need to take advantage of these programs but met people who did use them and all of them are pleased 5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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An enjoyable cruise by
A Traveler from Paonia, CO Sailing date: Aug 2009Pros: Staff was courteous and helpful. Cons: Pools too small. Not the food estavagance that we expected. This was our first cruise, but two different family members had taken this same cruise on another ship. It was not as good as they had described. We had brought formal wear for all ocasions, but they only had three formal dress nights and no special Capains Dinner requiring black attire. There was very little dancing available for older adults, and no midnight buffets we had heard aboult. We stood in the swimming pool once because it was standing room only. The staff was very good. The rooms were always in top shape. Ship QualityThere should have been larger pools for adults. There was no large dancing areas, and it was all for kids and young adults. Dining/FoodWe enjoyed the few nights when proper attire was required. The food was very good but not as good as we had been told by others taking this cruise Stateroom Quality
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Entertainment & ActivitiesEntertainment was good but not enough shows and variety.
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Mazatlan, MexicoWe went to Rock Island, which is really just an area acroos from the ship. We went horseback walking, because you were not allowed to make them go faster. The lunch was good and open bar. They may make their ice cubes from local water, because we all had a little stomach problem in the following days.
Puerto Vallarta, MexicoWe took the Safari jeep trip. It was good and if you like taquilla don't be the driver, you are not allowed to sample at the factory.
Cabo San Lucas, MexicoWe have been here several times and enjoy it every time.
Don't Miss: If you have time fish. Snorkeling is good. Lots of shops. 5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Splendor in Mexico by
A Traveler from Orange County, California Sailing date: Dec 2009Pros: Friendly staff, good food Cons: Accident caused us to miss Mazatlan The ship was well maintained and clean. Major disappointment when an accident caused us to miss our port 'o call at Mazatlan. The cruise line only refunded $20 per person for port charges they did not have to pay and no other compensations were made to the guests. Missed 1 out of 3 port stops should have warranted at least $100 per person refund and additional activities or incentives on the ship. Guests only received an apology. Dining/Food
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6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Fabulous for our first time cruising! by
Miranda T from Sacramento, CA Sailing date: Jan 2010Pros: The ice cream machine and spa; and the service was outstanding. Cons: Some of the buffet food was mediocre. Everything was clean, sharp, and new looking. Service was impeccable. Ship QualityEasy access to everthing. Loved how most dining areas were located on one floor. Everything was spotless. The ship was huge, and we loved it. Dining/FoodMost of the sit-down dinners were very nice. The breakfast buffet and the omelets were our favorites. Also the Indian food, sandwich line, dessert, and pizza bar were excellent. However, the Mongolian, sushi, and lunch lines were mediocre. Stateroom QualityWe had a stateroom with a window view. Excellent location. Couldn't hear anyone around us. Furnishings were beautiful and it was more spacious than we thought it would be. Very, very clean! Very close to stairs and elevator. Ship Staff QualityWe have absolutely nothing negative to say about the staff. Never once saw housekeeping. They kept our room fresh three times a day. The dining service staff was phenomenal. Always smiling, always entertaining. Entertainment & ActivitiesScheduling of events was very smooth and coordinated. Unfortunately, the pools were quite small and the ping pong tables were not placed in a good area. They were placed right on a walkway that blocked a door, and we had to keep pausing to let people through. 5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Above expectations on a cruise! by
A Traveler from Los Angeles ,CA Sailing date: Sep 2009Pros: Dining room service and the Shows. Exellent cleanliness.Dining room food and service above expectation for exellent!.Exellent attractions i.e. Pools,Shows,Activities both on and off shore!.Will defenetly cruise again.Wife says "it was ans unforgettable experience! Ship QualityVery Big and diverse ship. Dining/FoodIncredible service!! above all expectations and the food was exellent!. Stateroom QualitySpacious enough and service was so good that i almost never got to see the room Dirty as they kept coming to clean and service on a constant basis, Ship Staff QualityDepends on the area as we had staff that went above and beyon yet one person was very unwelcoming,i have to say i didn't retract from my coment of exeelent service but they still have some people that need some extra time to get their service experience. Entertainment & ActivitiesAll shows,bars,clubs,pools Exellent. Children's ProgramsI WIsh i was a yunger those kids looked like they had a blast.They even have seperate areas set up for children and yung adults by age wich to me seems above thier need but i never heard a single complaint from other parents in the ship. 4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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