The Cruise Critics are right - this ship should be avoided by people who want a classy style of cruising. Welcome to Carnival - the Wal-Mart of cruise lines, seeking the lowest common denominator for the masses.
I have mixed emotions about the dEcor. Our balcony cabin was lovely, as was the dining room, but the rest of the ship is downright hideous, and I speak from the experience of 25 cruises. Most public rooms are dark, and the ship seemed determined not to let you see the water unless you go to the top deck. There IS a promenade deck, but while the ship was at sea it was usually closed off because of cleaning, which may explain why there were no lounge chairs on that deck. Perhaps Carnival has an ulterior motive here to keep you inside so that you will $pend more time in the vast casino.
Other than the daily programs and a deluge of ads for jewelry, etc., dont look for a New York Times Digest to be delivered to your room. Also, if youre a bridge player, or like to play card games, forget it its unsupervised and rarely scheduled.. Like to read? Bring your own reading material, because the library is ridiculously small and only open one or two hours a day. There were three production shows on our 7-night cruise, and they were excellent, except possibly one that was too loud and brassy.