Upgrades Detailed After Carnival Splendor Completes Dry Dock

Carnival Splendor is the latest ship in the Carnival fleet to complete an extensive dry dock upgrade, and she’s showing off in full style as she returns to Sydney, Australia.

The ship spent August 5-23, 2024 in dry dock in Singapore, but is now en route back to her Down Under homeport with all the latest bells and whistles.

The very first glance of the updated ship revealed her new hull livery colors and special hull art paying tribute to the Southern Cross.

Carnival Splendor is – for now – the only ship in the fleet with the new design, though when the two P&O Cruises Australia ships become Carnival ships in March 2025, they will sport similar designs.

The interior upgrades to Carnival Splendor are even more impressive, however, with new restaurants, stateroom updates, refreshed venues, and new entertainment.

“From her beautiful new look outside to the upgraded amenities and new entertainment on board, Carnival Splendor has more fun to offer our guests sailing from Sydney than ever before,” said Kara Glamore, Carnival Cruise Line Australia vice president.

Brand new dining options are sure to be popular, including Mad Sizzle that has been added on Deck 9, Lido Deck, on the aft starboard side. The quick-serve venue offers a selection of richly flavorful kebabs, satays, and spit-roasted meats.

Masala Tiger has been relocated to a new, larger location on Deck 10, Panorama Deck. There, guests will find the already-popular lunch menu as well as a new a la carte dinner menu.

Other restaurants onboard, including the Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse aft on Deck 11, Spa Deck, now have enhanced menus featuring more variety and an emphasis on fresh, local cuisine whenever possible. For example, try the fresh New Zealand pink snapper!

Of course, guests will still enjoy top Carnival favorites, including Guy’s Burger Joint, the Lido Marketplace, Pizzeria del Capitano, and the classic deli.

Read Also: Free Carnival Cruise Dining Options You’ll Want to Know (With Menus!)

For resting up and relaxing, guests onboard Carnival Splendor will enjoy updated staterooms with fully refurbished balconies and new whirlpool tubs in every suite, plus the general housekeeping refreshment that is common with any extended dry dock. The ship can welcome 3,012 guests on every sailing.

Many of the ship’s other public areas have likewise been updated, including the casino, retail shops, and the spa facilities. Travelers wanting to keep fit and active during their sailing will also enjoy the updated basketball court, jogging track, and refreshed thalassotherapy pool.

The youngest cruisers, and those young-at-heart, will love the refreshed mini-golf course and the updates to the Carnival WaterWorks waterpark with the Splashy Cove children’s play area. Furthermore, both Camp Ocean and Club O2 have new video game areas to engage the most tech-savvy young cruisers.

The whole family will then enjoy a variety of popular Playlist Production shows onboard, including “Dear Future Husband” – an interactive pop sensation with an interactive onboard wedding.

The new, exclusive Carnival Cruise Line show first debuted on Carnival Jubilee and is now a highlight of the entertainment schedule for Carnival Splendor.

To capture all the memories of a great cruise vacation, guests will want to try out the newly enhanced Dreams Photo Studio, which is now located on Deck 3, Lobby Deck, portside near the Splendor Lobby.

These private photo sessions can help preserve all the special moments that make a cruise vacation truly memorable (pink dots and all – if you’ve sailed on Carnival Splendor, you KNOW!).

Ship En Route to Sydney

Carnival Splendor is now on her way to Sydney via a 16-night sailing. She left Singapore on Saturday, August 24, and is calling on various ports in Indonesia and Australia before her big arrival in Sydney on Monday, September 9. She is homeported there year-round, offering a mix of Australian, South Pacific, New Zealand, and Tasmania itineraries.

The ship will be one of the cornerstones of Carnival’s fleet Down Under, along with Carnival Luminosa that sails seasonally from Brisbane and moves each northern summer season to visit Alaska.

“Carnival is set to be Australia’s largest cruise brand from early next year and we’re proud to continue to provide new ways to bring more fun to our guests,” said Glamore.

With the dissolution of P&O Cruises Australia, two vessels – Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter – will also be joining the Carnival fleet in the Australian market in March 2025 as Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter. Both ships will undoubtedly undergo similar refreshment and some Carnival rebranding before joining the Fun Ship fleet.