My wife and I went on this cruise with my daughter, son-in-law and our 8 year old triplet grandchildren. Although I have been on about 10 cruises this was my first on Carnival. I was leery about going on Carnival because of it's reputation as a line designed for a younger party loving crowd. I was very pleasantly surprised overall. Although some of the service was not as good as I have received on Celebrity and even on Princess and Royal Caribbean, much of the cruise more than made up for it and I would definitely go on carnival again. Now to some specifics.

The embarkation was done as efficiently as could be expected with more than 3000 passengers. It was especially nice that a ship map was handed to each passenger and since we arrived early, informed of a lunch buffet on the Lido Deck. The ship is very nice but in need of some refurbishing which is planned for later this year. The ship is kept clean considering the large number of people though I do believe the crew could do better in the commend areas (restrooms, pool area). The layout of the ship is good, but because of its size there is a good deal of walking required regardless of where your room is located.

Now some specifics about things which make the cruise fun. First the food. The food on this cruise was the best I have had on any of my previous cruises. The variety and quality is excellent without paying for alternative dining. We ate in the main dining room as well as on the Lido Deck buffet. In addition, there is 24 hour pizza, calzones and Caesar Salads available. Hamburgers and some of the best fries I have tasted are available almost anytime near the solarium pool. Soft serve frozen yogurt and ice cream are also available 24 hours and there are many locations on the Lido Deck where they can be obtained. There is no charge for any of this unlike several other cruise lines. My grandson counted a total of almost 60 cones he had over the 7 day cruise. I had my share as well. I was very happy with the food service. Read more