I returned today, July 16th, from my first cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines. In the past I was a guest on Norweigian (2 trips), and Royal Caribbean (1 trip). The trip was a Christmas present from my very generous sister and brother in law who took our entire family. It was our first vacation all together, although I've traveled with my sisters on a couple of occasions, It would be only natural to compare the lines I've cruised on, so here goes.....
Boarding the ship in NYC went very smoothly and I give Carnival a thumbs up. The lines were long, but all in charge did a fine job. The rooms were spacious, and very comfortable, although my neighbors were extremely noisy. I understand Carnival is the "funship", but some people go to extremes. Unfortunately, I can't hold Carnival responsible for parents who do not control their children, but I'm not sure who I would have called to address the issue. We traveled with kids, so I'm not inexperienced in that area. The entire wait staff and cabin staff were exceptional, and the policy of adding the $50.00 room charge per person was a great idea. I commend all on board who work serving the passengers, they deserve all they get and more. Unfortunately, I feel there was not enough staff to address smaller issues of cleanliness and overall service.
For instance, no wait staff in the pool area other than those selling those fruity drinks in the "collectible" glasses. Sometimes a regular beverage is desired, and there was difficulty finding someone. Addressing the cleanliness issues, I can understand how difficult it must be to feed 2500 guests around the clock, but dirty tables, and not enough wait staff to control it left me feeling a little disappointed.