Cruising on Carnival Splendor

Carnival Splendor is an evolutionary ship. Nautically, she is a refinement on a design that has been developed in a series of ships from Carnival Destiny (1996) to the Costa Serena (2007). Over this period the ships have grown larger, with more decks and more features. At the moment, Splendor is the largest of this series but will be surpassed by the Carnival Dream in September of this year.

Splendor also reflects the evolution of Carnival Cruise Lines. With the development of the cruise industry, the cruising public has become more demanding. Consequently, in order to remain competitive, Carnival has striven to improve the food quality, the variety of activities and the level of service. In addition, the ships have had more and more features. Splendor, for example, has an expanded spa complex incorporating new amenities and with associated spa staterooms. The midsection of the ship has a retractable glass dome so that the main pool can be used and movies shown on the giant LED screen no matter what the weather. The children’s play area has been expanded and an outdoor water park added.

The feature that impressed me the most on my recent cruise on Splendor was the alternative specialty restaurant, the Pinnacle Steakhouse. Having one or more alternative specialty restaurants on new ships has become standard throughout the industry. However, the level of service and the quality of the food at the Pinnacle was outstanding. In addition, a very pleasant ambiance is created by the live music and large dance floor. It was comparable, if not better, than the equivalent venues on some of the premium lines.

My profile of Carnival Splendor is at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalSplendor-Profile.html and the photo tour and commentary begins at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalSplendor-Tour-1.html.

Ventura - - Designed to be British

For ten years, ships of the Grand Princess-class have been the mainstay of the Princess Cruises fleet. There are now eight Princess ships based on this design in service and another one will join the fleet in the fall. They have proved very popular and conducive to Princess’ objective of providing passengers with “American-style luxury.”

This year, for the first time, a ship built on the Grand Princess design went into service for a line other than Princess Cruises. The other line was Princess’ one time parent company and now sister company under the Carnival Corporation umbrella, P&O Cruises. Moreover, while the previous ships have been used to provide American style cruising, Ventura was built specifically for the British market.

What exactly does designing a ship for Britain mean? Is it posting a picture of the Queen in the atrium and having everything else remain the same as on the Princess ships? Is it decorating the public rooms in British cliches like an English gentleman’s club or a Cockney pub? Neither.

Instead, it means creating an atmosphere that appeals to British tastes. The interior design is done in a contemporary style but there is no neon or theme park-type decoration. Some seven thousand works of art done by British artists or artists living and working in Britain adorn the ship. Thus, the atmosphere is more restrained and intellectual.

The themes of the public rooms reflect places British people like to go. For example, many U.K. residents like to holiday in Spain. Accordingly, there is a large Spanish-style restaurant and bar. British cruisers are not as interested in casinos as their American cousins, so the casino is smaller and more low-key.

Differences in the climate are also taken into account. It is normally cooler and rainier in Britain than in America. Therefore, it makes sense for a cruise ship operating in British waters to have a retractable glass dome over one of the swimming pools. For the same reason, a large movies-under-the-stars screen is not as attractive for such a ship as for a ship operating in American waters.

Walking around Ventura, I was continually struck by the differences between this ship and her American sisters. Yes, the floor plan is much the same. However, P&O have successfully taken that floor plan and geared it toward the market it serves, i.e., the British cruise market. Thus, while Ventura is a sister to the other Grand class ships, she is not a mere clone. Rather, she is a ship with a distinct personality.

My photo tour of Ventura is at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Ventura-Tour-1.html and the ship profile is at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Ventura-Profile.html