Carnival Splendor: the Undisputed Glory of a Spa Cabin

I'm afraid of massages. They're... touchy. And my skin is annoyingly sensitive, so I'm wary of peels and scrubs and even new lotions. Teeth whitening? Not as long as I have this Shattered Wisdom Tooth Situation. Saunas? I live in the desert. Acupuncture? Why?

If anything, my biggest reason for wanting a spa cabin (on the Spa deck, as opposed to the Panorama, which I'd still take in a heartbeat if you're buying) was because these cabins are isolated yet close to the action. The other "spa staterom privileges" weren't so interesting. Special robes? Meh - we're too big for them anyway. Slippers? Never wear them. A different colour of beach towel than the other passengers? Um, isn't that for (choke, spittle, wheeze) sunbathing?

The special whirlpool and the aroma steam room sounded good but, you know, so did bingo and mini golf on the last cruise, and we didn't bother with either of them.

Still, I was keeping an open mind as we walked past the spa on the way to our room.

The spa balconies are on the other side of these elevators. The four glass elevators are right behind the shot, which was really overwhelming at first, eyeballing 10 different elevators to see which one would land first. By midweek we were placing bets, and by the end of the week we were near-masters of psychic elevator prediction. Waiting for one elevator now seems so boring. What do you do - just stand there?

The room was immediately pleasing. Apparently the Asianish decor is an exclusive to the spa cabins, so I'd be curious to see if the regular cabins match the pinkness of the rest of the ship.

We didn't have the (pretty but useless) barware cabinet as on Elation, and the flatscreen television seemed smaller, but we preferred the longer vanity area. I didn't even notice the upper bunk stored in the ceiling for days (then forgot to take a photo of it).

Having the safe in a cupboard instead of the wardrobe was less convenient, but at least it was just as spacious. Splendor's room safes let you program your own code, instead of the "swipe any card with a magnetic strip" method on Elation. This is probably better, although a second or two slower.

Also seen in the photo: refrigerator cabinet to the left (had to be unlocked by the steward, and we ended up not using it), spa slippers in little tote bags, Mike's souvenir cup at far left, and the packet of ginger gum we have yet to use at far right.

Balconies are a little larger (five square feet?) than on Elation, which meant it was easy to face forward and stretch legs a bit. I got used to looking directly out at the sea, but not until I locked my wedding band in the safe for the rest of the voyage. (Except for when in port - mostly because it's just that much more armor against men trying to be my best friend and sell me crap.) I just kept feeling nervous that the ring was going to sprout wings, lift itself off my finger (with a few stylish stunt turns), and go flying over the side.

After that, it was much more fun to lean over and look for fish, land, other ships. (We thought we saw Elation on the last night - we had to pass her at some point - but who knows?) One of the chairs reclined, which I realized on about Day Four.

One of Mike's very first balcony activities was to detail the window. There was a smudge bothering him. Poor guy. He's been living with me for too long.

(Just a general shot. Puerto Vallarta is outside, and Mike is putting on his shoes to go walk over to Sam's Club across the street. I wish I was kidding. There is a whole long story that goes here, but I will give you the abbreviated version: binoculars, 400 pesos, receipt doesn't say pesos, debit card - are you shitting me?, and no chocolate? Don't worry. It all worked out in the end. There is some talk of a sequel, though, tenatively titled, "Can you return sucky Sam's Club binoculars to any Sam's Club, even if you don't have the packaging?" I'll let you know if the script gets approved.)

Thankfully, the view down to our balcony was not as good as the view from our balcony, although we did have an incident one night involving teens up on the adult-only deck right above us, throwing down candy and taunting us to buy them beers, be their friends, etc. Bullied on a cruise. Nice. Being used to asshat teens, though, the real story is Carnival's mismanagement of the situation. They were "too busy" when I called the desk, even though I was reporting a security situation. They said they understood, but there was no one to handle it right then, and they'd call me later to "discuss it." Um? I opted to stay on hold. Ten minutes later, they said they were still too busy and would call me back, absolutely, positively. Meanwhile, we've got a hailstorm of mini-jawbreakers looming above. They never called back, and we ended up in no mood to try to enjoy the balcony. Yes, I'm going to detail this corporate later. Right now, though, I prefer not to think about this bad patch.)

On a positive note, the bathroom in this cabin was great - practically arena-sized compared to the demi-suite's bathroom on Elation.

I liked that the toilet was on an angle. We didn't use the shower gel or shampoo in the bath, though, because we had our own "special" spa toiletries.

Special toiletries that you can't see here because I'd already packed them away. Ha! I wish I'd put more thought into this photo, though, because you can't really get a feel for the nice glass shelves or the towel racks. Guess I better cruise again. Right?

Our shower had a neat feature that's kind of hard to see here. A clothesline for wet swimsuits and such. Handy!

Of course, every night there were towel animals.

We were pleased when the dinosaur was undisturbed, and we moved the reclining bunny-thing to be by it. Alas, it morphed!

That's not a monkey-like creature. That is something cute in a snowsuit. Maybe a kitten. I hate monkeys.

Just for grins, a rare shot of me on the balcony. Apparently I have red hair. I did not know this. That "color protecting" shampoo I bought after the dye job didn't quite work as intended. Or maybe that's just Cruise Ship Magic, because here I am back in town, and finding nothing but that faded dirt look I've come to embrace. Or maybe I'm just back to being a wise vampire, avoiding both sun and mirrors.

(Except I really have to do something about the "stubborn grey" patch up front. It's like a widow's peak in reverse. Hey, maybe I should book a cruise and then get my hair done at their beauty salon? After all, it's just good grooming.)

I took this while we sailed away from Mazatlan. It was so windy, my hair and the sea are a blur. If I'd known there'd be that cool "hey, not my fault my hair is messy" effect, I would've taken more. (This will be my new excuse: "What's wrong with my hair? Phantom sea breeze. Once upon a time I was in this terrible accident where I was forced to separate from my cruise ship...")

On our bed when we arrived was a letter welcoming us to our spa cabin. In addition to the special toiletries, on the mantle was an aroma mister for the linens (smelled lightly of coconut) and a reminder that all spa cabins are non-smoking. (On the Puerto Vallarta morning, we were horrified to wake to the smell of acrid smoke, and we couldn't figure out where it was coming from. To me, the odor was as bad as a cigarette and very similar, but I wasn't sure it was the same. The smell dissipated pretty quickly, and Mike's eventual theory was that when the ship maneuvered into the dock, we traversed back across the wake of the ship's smokestack. Maybe. We never smelled it again, but that morning it was so strong we were scared they might charge us the $250 cleaning fee for smoking in a spa cabin.)

The letter told us to go to the spa cabin for a tour, and there we would receive our wristbands. We walked past the six or seven lab-coated girls to the front desk. The woman in front of me was booking her pre-elegant dinner ministrations, so I watched a man on the sofa get fitted with an orange wristband, the kind you get at conventions or certain concerts, with the holes and the plastic knob closure. It was bright orange.

I blanched. Mike took a step backward. "I am not wearing that all week."

The woman in front was apparently booking three or four treatments per day, so we decided to go back to the squad out front, who looked just like the people that kept us from visiting the spa on Elation. (I don't mean literally; its just that on Elation, they hovered there ready to hard-sell you into booking a session. Here? Meh.)

The spa-person (attendant? consultant? therapist?) was surprised that the bands weren't in our room, but without any fuss - not even asking to see our Sail & Sign cards - she went behind the counter to get a pair of white Livestrong-style bands. Nothing orange or temporary. Whew! (That guy must've been getting a day pass. Those run about $35, or $250 for the week. We paid around $20 more for our spa cabin than for a regular balcony, which gave us access and amenities and location, so just picture a lot of high-fiving on embarkation day when everything lived up to the hype.)

We took the tour (more details coming up), ending with an unfortunate visit to the gym. "Do you want to see the fitness center?" Mike, full of fresh cruise buzz, said "Why not?" Inside were two track-suited instructors. "Do you care about health?" Mike: "Should, but no." "But you do care about your health?" Me: "Not really." I mean, we were just being honest. We should, and maybe we do, but little has come of it.

This stumped them, causing all kinds of faltering as they tried to psych us up for their FREE FREE FREE seminars and we just sort of politely nodded while peering around them, looking at the fancy equipment. Despite both being fatties, we do like gadgety treadmills and bikes, and these looked like they had cool screens with interesting distractions (TV? games?), and then there was the panoramic ocean view.

We never did step into the gym again. I wish they kept it (and the spa) open all night. Every time we went to the spa, the gym was packed. Not that I could've even gone in, having only brought sandals, but the machines did look swell. That's all that's holding me back, you know. The right machine. Maybe we should book another cruise, just in the name of fitness. Health is important. I should call the insurance company tomorrow and see if they cover it.

The spa closes at 10 p.m., and by the time we were ready for it after dinner that night, it was too late. But we made it the next day, and that was one of the best decisions on the cruise. One, we discovered how wonderful the facilities were early on, and visited almost every day after. Two, we went again later during the elegant dinner, so it was nice and empty. Three, it was pretty much always nice and empty for those first few days, while everyone else was acclimating to the ship or staying out late in Puerto Vallarta. The last two days, the spa ran specials for treatments that included spa access, so we had to put up with actual other people getting into our pool - huff! - waving their "daywalker" bands on their undeserving wrists.

Grumble. Don't they know that pool is ours? After all, we peed in it. That's the universal symbol for marked territory, for pity's sake!

(I am totally kidding about the peeing thing. But I'm not saying I'm above it. If I really thought it would keep the dreaded Other People out...)

On our tour, we saw the couples massage room upstairs. The private whirlpool, for after the massage, could have come straight from the Poconos, if you know what I mean. Next to this room is the famed "couples mud lounge," aka "Rasul." We were going to do this (the plural pronoun may be ambitious here - let's just say that sometimes I'm a bully), but we were never up to making an appointment. (Spontaneity is key.) What they do is leave you alone in this three-chambered room for an hour. At the first part, you stand before a table with a pot of mud, a pot of scrub (I think?), and at least a dozen bottles of spa products. They close the door, you disrobe and play with the goods. Then you proceed to the "rainforest room." I think? Okay, I stopped paying attention to the spiel after seeing all of the fun goo - SOLD! - but I think it's a special steam bath, followed by showers.

So, we had the $240 in promotional onboard credit, which was terrific. Later I'll show photos of what it bought. And we were down to about $120 left, so I thought, yay, mud lounge! And I think Mike was thinking, yay, casino! And I was saying, um, we live in Las Vegas? And Mike tried using the "we can just play a little then take the rest of the credit out as cash," which apparently you can do, although maybe not with promotional credit? I don't know. Neither one of our Plan A's came to fruition, thanks to a little thing I call Bingo, Where Have You Been All My Life? But more on that later.

Maybe a nice travel or spa or health (because now I totally care about health) magazine would like to send me on a cruise to write an article about the mud lounge? Inside stateroom would be fine? I promise to proofread and everything? And write it in the third person? And not frame my thoughts in conjunction-headed uptalk lingo?

One thing I didn't know about the spa beforehand is that it has this beautiful resting area. The beds look "Tudor Indian" to me. Is that a real decorating style? It should be. If a nice design magazine or mogul wants to send me back to the Splendor to investigate further, I'm available during all school holidays. I will even sit at a table for ten. Look, let's make this interesting, I'll even get a massage. And everyone knows I'm scared of massages! Say, if there's psychology magazine out there looking for an enthusiastic article on rubbedbyastrangerphobia...?

The relaxation area is stocked with tea, ice water, and fresh fruit.

See the light on the bed? That's from the wide ocean view. The beds were far more comfortable than they looked. Even picky Mike flopped out on one, calling it "pleasant."

Check out the nice little details. My foot is in this picture because, thanks to a goofy moment when I was 12 and on a Jamaican vacation, keeping a travel diary for English class, it is my thing. My thing which I have forgotten to do for the past couple of years, but I'm bring it back.

Also, if any pedicurists are having a convention on the Splendor soon and need some very raw material to work with, I can probably find the time to volunteer. Just saying.

There are no photos of the Thermal Suite because it is a thermal suite, hot and wet. The first room is the best, the aromatic steam room. It was so good, that I'm crying a little as I type, looking at Mike's powdery arm on the other end of the sofa. That steam room made us young again! Like someone turned our dials from "Rawhide" to "Calfskin." You can't do that to a person then send them back to the desert. This is just like Flowers for Algernon.

In each room of the Thermal Suite are heated, tiled sitting areas. Benches in the first steam room, lounges - yes, tiled and yet so comfortable - in the sauna, and chairs in the "other steam room and sauna," two rooms that differed in some way that I'll have to look up, because I couldn't tell how at the time, other than they're both small, and the other steam room doesn't smell like Beauty and Happiness.

(Taking a time-out here to grieve audibly, thinking of every stupid thing I ever bought that took money away from future cruises. Like... any food that isn't rice and beans.)

One thing we, strangely - since they're the first rooms on the right, didn't see on the tour were the changing rooms. We thought we'd have to just carry our Sail & Sign cards, or leave them by the side of the pool with our shoes. Carnival's ships are known for having people stagger through the buffet in their bathrobes (although I only saw this once, on Elation), so I assumed we just changed to swim/spa gear in our room and walked (the fifteen steps) over.

There are not only changing rooms, but lockers with key codes that you set yourself. There are also plenty of towels at every stage of the experience. Funny how we were careful to re-use our towels in the room, doing our bit for the environment, but we'd go through three or four or more towels during a spa session, slinging the used ones into the woven wood hampers and grabbing a dainty white one from the stack. You don't have to bring your special spa beach towel (tan, not blue like the others - photos to come later) at all.

Now we come to the crown jewel. The thalassotherapy pool.

It's just through those doors and up the steps. Oh, wait, the sign says MEMBERS ONLY. That's okay, I still have my wristband. I can get you in.

I don't know what "thalassotherapy" means in this case, as the Wikipedia definition is vague and Google results are slim, but apparently they've added special minerals added to the water? I never smelled anything unusual, but it was nice to be in a non-chlorinated pool.

Keep in mind that is a whirlpool, NOT a hot tub. Remember how I said there came a day at the end of the cruise when the spa tourists were allowed to use our pool? Apparently those people complained that the pool wasn't warm enough. Apparently they kept complaining. Apparently the spa people were cross/intimidated/something, because the attendants got Engineering to make the pool warmer.

Later that evening, we went to the pool. It was empty. Yay! It was also boiling hot. Huh?

A lot of people say "boiling" to mean "really hot." Me, I'm pretty close to meaning exactly what I said.

You know how sometimes you run a hot bath, and it's unbearable to stick your foot in? But eventually, toe by toe, you manage to get in a foot, an ankle, a calf, and eventually a knee? Then later you make it past the thighs and it's so toasty and comfortable?

Yeah. We never made it past the fourth toe or so. I kept trying for that pinky while Mike went to get an attendant. Another guy came in. "It's really hot," I warned. He stepped in. He sprung out. "Jesus Christ!!"

Mike finally returned, attendant in tow, having convinced her to touch the water even though supposedly Engineering was keeping it a constant temp.

"Wow!" she exclaimed, finally breaking the mannequin reserve of her species.

Out she went, and a minute later another attendant came in to try. "It's HOT!"

They both told us about the complaints they'd had all day about it not being warm enough. I, in my Verucian campaign against uninvited (by me) people using the pool, have chosen to blame these people who only stopped in for the day and, being unaccustomed to the classy wonders of the thalassotherapian life, didn't understand that it's not a hot tub. I waggle my accusing finger - they broke it! Oh sure, I could blame the people who caved to their whining, or to Engineering for allowing it to get too hot, or I could even be compassionate and allow that maybe there was a temperature problem. But that would diminish my case for not letting other people into my pool.

(Anyone who books another Splendor cruise for me is, however, invited to use my pool. I will even return the gesture by buying you a lime and ginger facial. See, I am as generous as I am appreciative.)

So, no pool for us that night. They couldn't fix it before the next day. Disappointing, but we had the steam room, so it was still worth dropping by.

I should point out that it's not just a whirlpool. There are refreshing streams of water from faucets on one end, and a "grill recliner" (my term) on the other. You know how, in most whirlpools/hot tubs/etc., there is that concrete bench going around the edge for sitting? The thalassotherapy pool has, instead, a sort of lounger-shaped bench running along one side. It's not concrete, either, but row after row of metal poles, similar to the ones you use to get into a pool. This sounds uncomfortable, but not only is it extremely restful (you can lie back, or sit up on the hump that otherwise goes under the knees, or hang onto the poles and float around), it allows the throbbing, bubbling water to circulate all around your body. If it was an ultralounge, they'd call it "Immersion."

There being nothing else to say about the spa (lest this become a three-hankie post), here is another self-shot of me. (This is what I get up to when Mike naps).

See, I am very sad. It's black and white, so you know I'm sad. With great joy comes great despair... and very dry skin. You can have your Jergens, I know of only one cure. Bring back, bring back, bring back my bonnie Splendor cruise ship to me, to meeee...

(Previous Post in This Cruise Report: Carnival Splendor - The Food.)

Comments

[Scott]

Very informative. Thank you.

[Gayle, Phoenix, AZ]

I am so glad I found your blog! Roger (husband) and I are booked for a spa stateroom on the Spa deck 11/1/09 and I have been searching for some good news about the ship and the spa. There are a lot of complaints on the Carnival forums and it gets pretty disheartening to read. But your site...well it has raised my hopes and I am so ready to sail.

This is our first ever cruise. I'm hoping for no seasickness and good weather headed to Mexico. And now, I'm looking forward to the lime and ginger facial too! Do they serve a lime, ginger beverage as well? :-)

[Bill]

Shari...thanks very much for the detailed, informative and entertaining review of your cruise on the Splendor. My wife and I are considering traveling early next year onboard (we'll be first time cruisers!) and had one quick question for your regarding your stateroom.

Would you pick a Spa Balcony on the Spa level over a Spa Balcony on the Panorama level one deck below? It seems from the Spa deck balconies are open and can be looked down upon from the level above. Was the lack of shade a problem for you guys? Or did you prefer having the open space?

Also, does it matter whether you are on the left or right side of the ship (while looking forwared)?

Thanks again for the helps, hints and advice. All the best from San Jose, CA...Bill

[Shari]

Hey Bill! I don't think sides matter on this ship. (They did matter to us on Elation - port side meant no smoking on the public deck right below, but there is no public deck below on Splendor.) I'd say pick port (left when facing forward) side cabins if you want a land view as you travel to the first stop, or pick starboard if you prefer a land view while traveling back. :)

We liked the Spa deck because there are a smaller number of cabins there, so it was very cozy and "exclusive," and you can immediately step out onto the steps going down to the Lido deck. Plus, we just liked being on the topmost deck. "Kings of the world!" and all that.

BUT! I would have no qualms about a Panorama deck spa cabin whatsoever, and might even prefer it next time. We had an incident where some teens were on the Serenity deck above (which is not allowed in the first place) one night. Anyone there can see you when you are standing by the rail, and they were yelling down remarks and pelting hard candies at our balcony... it was really unpleasant.

Isolated incident, but the crew was "too busy" to deal with it, and it pretty much drove us off the balcony for the night. There was enough cover for shade, but next time I think I might prefer to be completely out of view as opposed to *mostly* out of view to the people on the deck above. The Panorama deck still doesn't have as many cabins as a regular deck, so that is nice. But, on the other hand, people weren't often above us on the Serenity deck, so it was pretty much a non-issue (but not completely, so...)

Anyway, hope you get a chance to go and have a wonderful time - be careful, though. We became addicted to cruising very quickly, and now pine to go ALL THE TIME!

[kathy]

Shari,
Thank you for the wonderful writeup about the spa rooms. We will be going on this ship Jan 24 (my bday). this is our first shot at cruising carnival. Normally we go RCCL. Got a great price on a spa inside room (deck 10). We are going for relaxation this time. no dressier clothes, so i guess just the buffet for us. I am looking forward to the relaxation and hanging out in the spa areas. Hope I don't feel too out of place (being on the larger size myself). We are also coming to Las Vegas after our cruise for 4 nights. Staying at Southpoint Hotel. Never knew there was a Serendipity in LV, so may have to try the hot chocolate there once. I just about choked at the prices you quoted though. Holy crap! Do you have recommendations for good food, but not expensive?
Anyhow, just wanted to say I loved your blog (found it researching carnival splendour spa room reviews!) :) I felt that your blog was more truthful, and more to our speed (we are also dinkish) and 40ish YIKES! :)
Thanks,
Kathy from Northern BC

[Shari]

Hey Kathy! Don't even think for a second about feeling out of place at the spa. Not only do you see every type of person there, you will (I hope) enjoy it too much to be self-conscious. (Says Little Miss Overanalyzing Paranoia here, so if I was confident, even as squelched around the spa in the squeakiest spa sandals ever, you should be, too!)

Yes, Serendipity's price tags still make me a little ill! As for good deals for good food, impossible to say. When we want to do some "everyday" dining out, we usually go for Indian lunch buffet (Tamba on the Strip, Mt. Everest elsewhere) or Mexican (Coyote's off-Strip, Guadalajara's at Sunset Station), but since I'm a vegetarian and my husband has what I think is the pickiest taste in meat plus he hates fish/seafood (I'm almost tempted to return to my carnivorous roots, just to torture him by eating rare steaks and crab legs), we are the worst people to ask about food.

We have a coupon for Don Vito's at South Point to use this month, though, so I'll write a review about that after we go. I thought Baja Miguel's at SP was too bland the one time we went (just after they opened), but I like spicy food, so... Had a very decent omelette at the SP cafe there once. The buffet is hit and miss, depending on what you like. Pop into the bingo hall for free doughnuts every morning!

Speaking of South Point, sort of, last night we ate at Bootlegger's Bistro, which I thought was very good with reasonable prices. It is halfway between South Point and the south end of the Strip, by the Outlet Center. You might want to keep the place in mind because they're open 24/7, and a nice alternative if you're up late and don't want IHOP-style food. (Yet they're a real restaurant, not a grimy video poker joint.)

Oh, and I know this is a huge point of contention on the cruise boards, but don't miss the non-elegant nights in the dining room just because you're not bringing dressier clothes. I haven't been on Royal Caribbean, but I keep reading that dress code is more lax on Carnival. Mike wore dark jeans and a (plain) colored t-shirt in the dining room most nights, and - believe me - I would have nagged him if I thought he needed an upgrade. (I wore cotton capri pants and simple cotton blouses with sandals - nothing fancy at all.) We fit right in with the majority of diners (and several people were *much* more casual).

This was also the cruise where the maitre d' announced to everyone on the intercom that they could wear nice jeans to elegant night, and when the waiters heard that we weren't coming to elegant night, they really tried to persuade us, reassuring Mike that he didn't even need a tie. (We would have felt *very* self-conscious, though.)

ANYWAY - thanks very much for your comment, and have a wonderful birthday cruise! I'm excited for you, even if terribly jealous. I pine for my thalassotherapy pool and aromatic steam room almost every day... oh, the horrors of not being a trillionairess who can cruise around the world for the rest of my days... SIGH!

[kathy]

A trillionairess eh? Why not dream big? :) I could go for that.

We may have to give the dining room a shot. See how we're feeling. This will be our 5th cruise, and I was getting a little tired of the 2 hour dinners, and not feeling up to par with the other diners! So I don't spend my money on trendy clothes... But this time we want to completely relax and not be on any time clock at all.

I love reading about your dining experiences. But a picky meateater with a vegetarian. How different can you get? I do LOVE the seafood! When we were in Vegas last January, the rental car shuttle driver told us about Lucille's BBQ, so we went there. LOVED it. The service we had was so awesome, and where we are from, we don't have many food choices, so we loved the BBQ. We even went back there again, just because we loved it, and we got the same waiter. Awesome. Heard from someone else, that there is this great Italian place just off the strip somewhere. Although I don't know if he liked it because the food was good, or because it came with a free bottle of wine (I don't drink wine, so it would be a waste on me)...

Anyhow, in the spa, we are looking forward to the heated tiled loungers the most. (I hope there are lots of them there.) When we went on a back-to-back cruise to Alaska (on Holland -- never again), we bought that pass on the 2nd week, wished we bought it the first... Fell aslseep with a book every day. :)

We were living in -29c weather for a while now, although it has warmed up to -22c right now... You can say we are counting down the days to the warmer climate!

take care,
kathy

[Greg]

Shari,
What is on the end of the deck towards the main pool? We are looking at room 1117 because it looks a little bigger, but cautious because the deck plan schematics really don't tell the tale and it's on the end. Is there a big door that opens and closes ALL the time with traffic coming and going? Is it just deck with some deck chairs?
Thanks,
Greg

[Shari]

Hey Greg, if my husband and I remember correctly, there is a door that leads to the rest of the spa deck (where people sunbathe) and steps to the Panorama deck. I dimly remember nipping out that door a few times late at night to make a semi-beeline to the pizza, but otherwise we usually took the elevators or stairs closer to the spa.

I can't say what the traffic is like, but I'm guessing it would only come from the other cabins on that side of the spa deck. Nobody else has any reason to use that door, unless they want to go directly from the sunbathing area to the spa. (Which I'm sure some people do, but how many?)

Sorry I can't be of more help. Have you tried the boards at CruiseCritic.com? Someone there may also be able to verify if 1117 is larger - it certainly looks it. If you find out anything, let me know!

[Ericka]

Shari,
Thanks for your great blog. I found it when searching for info about Carnival Splendor spa cabins. I have a question as I pack for my upcoming cruise - do you recall what the special upgraded spa toiletries were? With all the baggage fees the airlines impose now, I want to pack as lightly as possible and it would help to know what those include and if they're big enough to accommodate 2 people for a week.

Thanks in advance!

[Shari]

Hello Ericka - thanks for your kind comments!

We received Elemis-brand shampoo, conditioner, lotion, shower gel, and linen spray. The size of each bottle was about 1.7 fl. ounces (50 ml).

I only know this because when we ran out, we asked for more and ended up bringing home what was left of the second (or was it third?) set, which of course is now sitting in its holy spot on the bathroom counter and can't EVER be used. :)

I assume that getting replacements is the norm, although who knows now, with the ever-changing economy and cutbacks? (Still, I haven't heard anything on the boards about people being denied.) Regular shampoo and shower gel are also still available inside the shower in the huge dispensers, so there's that, if you're not fussy.

Hope this helps a bit, and I hope you have a wonderful, wonderful time in your spa stateroom!

[ALEX ANGEL]

Great stuff. We're going on the splendor and were thinking about staying on the spa level, my only worry was noise and foot traffic. I noticed on the map that that kiddie slide pool is right outside the rooms and that there would be a lot of foot traffic heading to the spa. Did you find that to be the case?

[Shari]

Hi Alex, nope, it was as quiet as could be, at least on our end of the spa deck (closest to the spa, starboard side). The traffic to the spa is all on the other side of a dividing wall, but there never seemed to be much traffic in that area when we waited for elevators or went to the spa, except for embarkation day when they had the tours. Of course, every cruise is different...

If I remember correctly, the steps to the water slides don't require that you actually enter the spa deck corridors. (I *think* I'm remembering it correctly. Gosh, I need to go back - haha!) If I had a cabin at the end of the hall, though, I might worry about noise from people passing by, though, as well as Lido noise drifting up, although for all I know it isn't bad at all.

Hope this helps a bit. Enjoy Splendor! Since John Heald will be the CD from August to December, we've been verrrrry tempted to go back! (I keep checking the weather to see if it's going to rain extra vacation budget money, but no luck yet!)

[ALEX ANGEL]

Thanks Shari,
By the way, did you do any planned activities when the ship ported? Were any worth it and not worth it? Also how much time did you have on land? Any tips you can give to first time cruisers?

[Shari]

We only had one planned excursion, and it was completely fun (if you're into historical/cultural sightseeing). It was in Mazatlan - the post is here: http://www.shari.com/2009/09/mazatlan-earth-and-diamonds.html

I think we had about 8 hours in Puerto Vallarta, the same or a bit more in Mazatlan, and only about 5ish hours in Cabo. (When you look at an itinerary on Carnival.com, it should show the arrival and departure times... but I haven't looked closely since they redid the site.)

Oooo - advice.. well, don't overpack. (Everyone says that, but "overpacking" is in the eye of the packer!) Leave room in your bags for souvenirs. Try the dining room even if it seems inconvenient at the time. (In fact, try lots of new things - you may be surprised!)

Get "Your Time" dining if you aren't social or want to keep your eating schedule loose. See the maitre d' on embarkation day if you have any special requests. If you're getting a soda card, wait until you're in international waters if you don't want to pay sales tax. (You can also get one on the second day for a pro-rated cost.)

Mostly, though, just relax and keep an open mind. There are soooo many ways to have fun on a cruise. Mike and I are the minority - we don't really drink, we hate sunshine, we're not social... the opposite of most cruisers, it seems, and yet we still have a blast!

Also, there is a wealth of knowledge at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=215 - lots of griping and flame wars and all the usual internet discourse stuff, too, but overall too much wisdom from nice people to ignore. I can't read those forums right now or my itchy cruise-booking finger will act up!

[sarah horne]

Hi Shari,
My husband and I booked this cruise for this coming July. Unfortunately, we weren't able to book a spa room. We are interested in the thalassotherapy pool, steam rooms and muds. My one question I haven't found an answer for is, if we buy a day pass to the spa does this include the steam rooms and mud?
I enjoyed this journal so much. You are great!!
Sarah.

[Shari]

Hi Sarah - thanks! The day pass includes the pool and "thermal suite" - the three types of sauna and the aromatic steam room - plus access to the resting area with fruit and water and whatnot upstairs.

The mud lounge (rasul) is an extra cost (even if you have a spa room), and you have to make an appointment. I think the cost was around $100 per couple?

If you do the mud stuff, come back and let me know how it was... I *swear* we will be doing this next time! :)

[Kristina]

Hi,
I'm thinking about booking a cruise on the Glory with My husband. Its our first cruise. I'm thinking of the 4 night from NY to Canada. I'm not looking for a "party" ship at all...we are in our mid 40's.
I do not have any idea what to expect or the best room location. I def. want a balcony! any reccomendations??
kristina

[Shari]

Alas, I know absolutely nothing about the Conquest-class ships like Glory. (Other than I've read that many people love them.) You might try asking around on Cruise Critic's Carnival forum:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=215

A cruise to Canada sounds so magical. If you're going when the leaves change colour then ahhhh, I'm jealous!