Experienced cruisers are often hard to impress but we were impressed with the Carnival Spirit. My husband and I had cruised before but this was our first cruise with our 2 year old daughter.

THE SHIP OVERALL - I liked the decor, very 'Las Veags' but hey, that's cruising with Carnival for you! The theatre and dining rooms were lovely and the ship was large enough that I never felt overcrowded with fellow passengers. I loved the Punchline Comedy Lounge a very nice touch to have on board and the comedians were very good, a couple being quite famous already in Australia so I enjoyed seeing them.

THE POOLS - One pool/spa was under a permanently retracted glass ceiling so it was nice on the sunny days, the other pool/spa was kept under a permanently closed glass ceiling which was perfect for the cooler/windy days. But I LOVED the adults only Serenity Deck. The deckchairs were padded and if you were lucky enough you could get a hammock or a pod. The bar staff were extremely attentive and friendly. The music was always relaxing both in tone and volume and I loved that the pool temperature changed according to the outside temperature, on one cold windy day it was heated to almost the same temperature as the spa, a very nice touch which I really appreciated. Read more