Carnival Splendor is the newest ship Carnival has ever brought to the West Coast. Less than a year old, she represents state-of-the-art for Carnival. If you’re someone who already loves Carnival, you won’t be disappointed. The décor is bright and lively, somewhat reminiscent of Las Vegas in the 50’s and 60’s. My 85 year-old friend Ed, who went with me on a two night cruise welcoming Splendor to Southern California, said it was the most beautiful ship he had ever seen.
That was somewhat surprising to me, since he has gone on many gorgeous Princess ships and a few aboard Holland America and other lines, but Ed loved Las Vegas in its heyday, proudly showing everyone he met onboard a photo taken back then of him with Frank Sinatra. While it is far from the most beautiful ship I’ve ever seen, I will say it is built for pleasure and, of course, fun. There are lots of sparkling lights among the exciting colors in the décor.
For me, Carnival is all about fun and entertainment. Not surprisingly, they received high marks in this area. The production show we saw, which I believe is called “Vroom,” featured a truly outstanding cast led by two fantastic singers. The dancing girls came out dazzling in their black leather hotpants and jackets dancing to “Heart of Rock and Roll,” and they kept the energy up throughout the show. Like many Carnival production shows, this one rocks the house, which might be off-putting for some more mature people, but Eddie, a veteran of the Normandy Invasion in World War II, called it the best one he had ever seen. I would definitely put it in the Top 5 for me. This will be one of the shows featured on the Mexican Riviera cruise, so I don’t want to spoil it for you with too many details, but the musical selections include extended tributes to icons like Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Elton John and ZZ Top as they power through different decades at a breakneck pace. Carnival always keeps it fun, but this show takes that to a level I haven’t seen on a Carnival ship since my Southern Caribbean cruise on Destiny eight years ago.
Many people believe Carnival doesn’t have good food, but as I’ve said often, their casual dining might be the best in the industry, and many people never even try the dining room. On this short trip, the dining room also provided great service and delicious food. No, it is not Celebrity, but the escargot was succulent and seasoned to perfection, while the pan seared trout carried off a delicate, subtle recipe to perfection. I stuck with sugar free desserts, and they were all great.
This summer, we will have two terrific ships doing the Mexican Riviera from LA, Carnival Splendor and Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas. If you live in Southern California, don’t miss the opportunity to take a fantastic cruise departing just a short drive from home.
That was somewhat surprising to me, since he has gone on many gorgeous Princess ships and a few aboard Holland America and other lines, but Ed loved Las Vegas in its heyday, proudly showing everyone he met onboard a photo taken back then of him with Frank Sinatra. While it is far from the most beautiful ship I’ve ever seen, I will say it is built for pleasure and, of course, fun. There are lots of sparkling lights among the exciting colors in the décor.
For me, Carnival is all about fun and entertainment. Not surprisingly, they received high marks in this area. The production show we saw, which I believe is called “Vroom,” featured a truly outstanding cast led by two fantastic singers. The dancing girls came out dazzling in their black leather hotpants and jackets dancing to “Heart of Rock and Roll,” and they kept the energy up throughout the show. Like many Carnival production shows, this one rocks the house, which might be off-putting for some more mature people, but Eddie, a veteran of the Normandy Invasion in World War II, called it the best one he had ever seen. I would definitely put it in the Top 5 for me. This will be one of the shows featured on the Mexican Riviera cruise, so I don’t want to spoil it for you with too many details, but the musical selections include extended tributes to icons like Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Elton John and ZZ Top as they power through different decades at a breakneck pace. Carnival always keeps it fun, but this show takes that to a level I haven’t seen on a Carnival ship since my Southern Caribbean cruise on Destiny eight years ago.Many people believe Carnival doesn’t have good food, but as I’ve said often, their casual dining might be the best in the industry, and many people never even try the dining room. On this short trip, the dining room also provided great service and delicious food. No, it is not Celebrity, but the escargot was succulent and seasoned to perfection, while the pan seared trout carried off a delicate, subtle recipe to perfection. I stuck with sugar free desserts, and they were all great.
This summer, we will have two terrific ships doing the Mexican Riviera from LA, Carnival Splendor and Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas. If you live in Southern California, don’t miss the opportunity to take a fantastic cruise departing just a short drive from home.
