Embarkation in San Diego went very smoothly and we went right to our cabins around 12:30pm. It took approximately a half hour to board the ship. The only drawback was the stairs we had to climb with our carry-on belongings. Our cabin was laid out well with plenty of storage. We had a category 8C with an extended balcony off the back of the ship directly facing aft. The kids had a regular balcony stateroom on the side of the ship a couple of doors down from our cabin. We did get them their own room keys made at the Purser's Desk so they wouldn't get their sign and sail cards misplaced.
The two at sea days were spent swimming and, of course, eating. The food was good and there was a wide selection to choose from. In Acapulco, we took Carnival's jeep tour. Although it wasn't available when I wanted to book it online prior to our cruise, it was available when we boarded the ship. It was a fun tour and the kids loved riding in the jeep. We went to two different beaches and had a nice buffet lunch. Acapulco is a busy city and it was quite hot. In Zihuatanejo, we took a panga from the tender pier to Las Gatas Beach for snorkeling. We were able to rent snorkeling gear right after getting off the panga. We got a table and chairs at one of the restaurants on the beach where we soaked up the sun and had lunch. It was a nice day. The banana boat ride was awesome! However, not for young children. My boys are 9 and 12 and they were fine.
In Manzanillo, we took Carnival's Colonial Tour. Although it started early and went for seven hours, it was our best day. The tour took us to the old colonial town of Colima. We explored a museum, church, government building, shops, ancient ruins and saw (from a distance) an active volcano. The restaurant, which was included in the tour, gave us two drinks each as well as all the food one could eat and it was authentic mexican food. The drinks could be soft drinks, water, or beer.