Alaskan cruise departing from Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91 in Seattle, Washington.
June 14th-21st, 2022
Ports/Route/Excursions:
Tracy Arm Fjord: Glacier Boat Adventure
Icy Strait Point: ZipRider Adventure
Juneau: VIP Whale Watching
Ketchikan: Totem Bight Tour and Lumberjack Show
Victoria, B.C.
Cruise Director: Andy Mercer
Comedy Club Host/Comedians: Brandon, Joel Lindley
Fave Staff: Olena - waitress, Eddie Spaghetti - Fun Squad/Trivia Host
This was my second cruise with Carnival and it has blown my first cruise out of the water!
First off, cruise director Andy was phenomenal. He was personable, hilarious and showed great care for his staff and all cruisers. Plus, he even did his own comedy show, which was funnier than both of the comedians on board. Not to mention, he was everywhere. I mean, does this man rest? But seriously, if you ever get a chance to cruise with him, you'll never want anyone else.
Truth be told, the staff undoubtedly, stole the show. Without any of them, the cruise would have been a major bore. This is why I love Carnival, they hire the best staff from photographers, food staff, fun squad, housekeeping, just everyone. They're all so kind and upbeat.
For an Alaskan cruise, Carnival truly thought of everything. Who would've thought to hire a naturalist? Not me. Well, Carnival did, and her name was Emily. We went to a couple of her shows and I must say, she was awesome. It was great to see a young person, like myself, giving presentations and engaging older crowds with humor and knowledge of Alaska and its wildlife. I know I learned a lot from what she had to say.
The layout of The Splendor was well thought out and easy to get around. The Spectacular Main Show Lounge was beautiful with plenty of seating to go around. Don't miss the playlist cast performances or the fun stuff like deal or no deal, the love and marriage show, bingo, and tons more!
El Morocco Lounge. This was probably my favorite designed room on the ship. It's stunningly gorgeous and the perfect place for the punchliner comedy shows. Joel Lindley was funny, if not a little cringey, and seemed to be trying a little too hard for laughs. Now, I'm shooting myself in the foot, because I cannot remember the other guys name, but he really did steal the show. The guy was hilarious and he didn't even have to try, it flowed naturally and his material was relevant, personable and funny.
The Red Carpet Dance Club. A bit underwhelming. We attended a fast art auction here, which was in itself impressive, but every time we passed the place it seemed dead.
Now for dining. One of the new things they've created is an online check in tab on the carnival hub app for dinner dining. I found this to be helpful and more efficient as opposed to having people wait in line for who knows how long. Our dinners were in the Black Pearl Restaurant which was beautifully designed and comfortable. We also chose to dine for brunch a couple times, which was in the Gold Pearl Restaurant. Both have excellent service and food. Order whatever you want and however much you want, it's your cruise!
As for the ports, all were smooth sailing getting off and on, except in Victoria. It's not even worth getting off if you ask me. It was dark and nothing was open except the small giftshop right off the ship. If this is the only negative thing I have to say about a seven-day cruise, which wasn't even the cruise lines fault, I think that's pretty damn good.
If I could give The Splendor and its crew ten stars, I would! read more