Gymbrat333

Thanks for a great review. With Splendor scheduled for another refurb in 2019, the ship is really going to be great! 
I recently did a combined turtle farm and "Hell" tour with Captain Marvin. I don't know what the turtle farm looked like years ago, but here are some photos from December 2017.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/FUQKWpVAEtf3kyKs1
I never had the desire to see Hell but had to go see what the fuss was all about. The most exciting thing about Hell was the Rooster in the photos. The turtle farm was nice, though, and I thought it was very clean and the turtles well cared for. I do wonder about the effect on the turtles with all the people handling them, but they do require you to wash your hands first, at least. There's an education center and gift shop on site for those who want to learn more about the raising and conservation of turtles. They've added a twisty waterslide to the lagoon portion, I guess in an attempt to make the place more attractive to tourists. 

Hey @Gymbrat333, thanks for the review.  Can't say I've experienced the Seafood Shack yet, glad it was a great time.  I need to get back onto a Carnival ship ASAP!

Glad you had such a great cruise despite the somewhat rocky beginning!  I have not done a holiday cruise yet but it sounds wonderful.  Thanks for the great review.

Hi Gymbrat...so nice to hear from you. I love the Christmas cruises...I actually only did one, and it lead up to one week before Christmas, that was on Celebrity......I did want to be home before Christmas.   The ship was decorated for our cruise which was a few weeks before Christmas, and so beautiful.  The Seafood Shack on the Victory sounds really good...is that just on the newer ships?  So nice that you had a great time.  Sounds like a few issues on the embarkation, but great cruise otherwise.  Thanks so much for sharing your cruise with us.

"Newly Remodeled Cabins"
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"Excellent Cruise"
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TRX and Zumba - love them both!! Hmmm, might need to add these as considerations on selecting a ship!

Definitely a good way to burn off those calories from all of the good food. I haven't even looked in a gym on a ship yet since I get so much exercise with all the walking. I should definitely look into all of these extras on my next cruise. Maybe I could come home having lost weight. {smile}

Fitness centers have come a long way on cruise ships, and with all the opportunities for exercise, there are some great ways to burn off all the calories from the delicious food on board. Unfortunately, on my last several cruises, even simple workouts nearly grounded me due to arthritis in my knees, and I watched with envy all those folks doing their Zumba moves!

When I am on a cruise ship and in their exercise classes, I have to remember that I am surrounded by a lot of folks who normally don't take classes but want to give it a try. I applaud these folks. I think what gets me the most is that most of the ships are now charging for classes. I do realize that the spa, the gym, the beauty shop are all out there to make money. But if you advertise that your am stretch class is 30 min and it is only 5 min in length because 2 people are in the room -- come on!
If Zumba or TRX is offered (and the price is affordable), I will give it the college try. You can bet that if I'm paying for a class and it is not up to par, I will speak up.

We couldn’t agree more about the cove balconies – our favorite big-ship accommodations! From dolphins swimming alongside the ship to passengers running on the dock as the ship prepares to pull away there’s always something fun to see and you’re right up close to it!

Nice review Olga – thanks for sharing!

I don't doubt that in the least! Although I'm a HUGE fan of Joe Farcus I have to admit that I'm really enjoying the more subdued, elegant look the ships have taken on since his semi-retirement.

Yes,the food in Cucina del Capitano was delicious! You will love the Breeze!

Thanks for the review! Great job! I've sailed on the Dream and the Magic and can't wait to sail on the Breeze. I LOVE the Cove balcony cabins... my favorite on any ship. They're so close to the water that you really feel the sea.
Cucina del Capitano is fabulous, isn't it? Great food at a fabulous price.
Fortunately, I've not seen the decline in the quality of the entertainment you referred to and I've been thrilled with the addition of the Comedy Club.
Thanks again!!!
Mach

I thought you would like this!

Once when Sue, me Jay and his GF were going on a cruise the TSA agent at the airport gave her a hard time at inspection. I could see her getting ticked off big time and its lucky for the agent, an obese way out of shape female, that this was not outside. She would have cleaned her clock! Once Jay told me that one night in a bar as she was walking to her table some guy got too frisky. From what I hear he's still trying to catch his breath from the shot to the solar plexus. To add insult to injury, literally, his friends told him he got what he deserved! Luv that gal.

Sounds like an amazing cruise ship. Sorry about the custom's experience. Not really the cruise line's fault, though, right?

Booked a cruise of course! I looked at the sailings out of Tampa for that time and found that the Carnival Legend leaves the day after for 7 nights and goes to places that either we've never been or were at so long ago that it will seem like new.
We've never been to Roatan or Belize so that's cool. The cruise also goes to Cozumel which we went to for a few hrs. from PDC in the mid or late 90's. It also goes to Grand Cayman which we went to for 1 week in 1991 so that will be new too. Actually as a huge Chicago Bulls fan GC I will always remember as while we were there I watched them win the NBA championship vs. the Lakers. Our hotel did not get the satellite signal for the game but fortunately across the street was a little place called DJ 's bar and grill which did. I wonder if its still there?
Anyway all this is contingent on us getting the vacation time so wishes this way please!
Thanks, Larry

Olga, thanks for the review. It sounds like you had a very good cruise. The entertainment on ships anymore seems to be hit or miss with more miss than hit. There is no excuse for a custom agent to be rude. Some of them do act like they answer to no one.

Hi Olga! I'm so glad you had a great cruise, and it's good to hear you liked "the Breeze." I am a little disappointed to hear the entertainment is less than it used to be...I do look forward to the shows. I will be on this ship in late September. Thanks for the great review. Sorry you had to deal with a rude custom agent.

Amazing story. I make it easy for anyone who should find my camera. I have a return address label on the back and the first picture on every card I use has my name, address, and all contact information, including the ship I am sailing on should it be lost on board.

If you're looking for some cruise-related books to read, here's a few I've found and reviewed... enjoy!
http://addictedtocruises.com/blog/category/cruise-fun/

We've been on cruises where you check out tapes from the purser's desk; order movies off the t.v.; watch movies in the theater and watch movies under the stars! Loved all of the options.
The last theater movie that we went to, I had brought along all kinds of "theater candy". INSTANT friends. We passed those boxes along to everyone in the theater. Movie was terrible, but the candy and friendship were top notch.
Carnival added movies under the stars and serves popcorn! Not sure about the other ships. We did watch movies under the stars on Princess, but I don't remember any treats.
Thanks for the tip about the adult films!

When my son was a teenager, his favorite thing to do on cruise ships was watch movies – especially in the cabin, while ordering room service. Apparently he is not alone.
Cruisers have proven to be big movie fans, and the cruise lines have responded with movie-related offerings.
Princess Cruises just debuted on Royal Princess a new, proprietary, on-demand system that allows passengers to choose from a library of 100 movies, both new and classic, as well as TV shows – all for free. That's in addition to the line's signature Movies Under the Stars outdoor movie screenings.
Silversea has also added a new movie experience on its Silver Cloud (other ships to follow) – complimentary streaming movies that guests can watch on their smartphones, tablets or e-Book readers. The extensive library includes classic and recent Academy Award-winning films.
Some other lines have free and for-a-fee movie offerings.
On the newer Royal Caribbean ships, including Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, you can watch first-run movies in a 3-D theater or at a poolside outdoor movie screen that's part of the ship's regular programming that include DreamWorks' films. The line also has in-cabin movie showings as well as pay-per-view ($11.95) selections.
Movie trivia: The red carpet premier of DreamWorks Animation's Puss in Boots in 3-D was held on the Allure in 2011. Stars Salma Hayek and Antonio Banderas were in attendance (they did voiceovers for the flick).
Disney Cruise Lines screens first-run and digital 3-D Disney movies on its four ships in specially equipped theaters complete with popcorn and candy stands. Cabins have two movie channels, one featuring animated classics.
But not all shipboard selections are kid-oriented. Windstar Cruises, which caters mostly to adult couples on its sailing yachts, stocks on each ship about 400 movie titles in the DVD library. Passengers borrow the movies to take back to their cabins.
Little known fact: Those who want, ahem, real adult movies can inquire what's available via the reception desk.
By Fran Golden, Special to USA TODAY ("Movies on Cruise Ships" - July 3, 2013)
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