I have cruised extensively and this was my first and last time with Carnival. Sadly, at no point did I experience acceptable customer service other than at embarkation. I booked gifts prior to leaving Australia to celebrate a 21st birthday, however, Carnival's online function proved useless. A number of unanswered emails and on arrival Los Angeles I called Carnival Guest Services to be told that no gifts had been ordered. Whilst ordering them again, the original booking was miraculously found! Even after so many attempts to contact Carnival, I was advised on board that they would serve the gifts in the dining room as they had no time on the booking to deliver to the cabin. It took three visits to Guest Services to sort out what should have been a simple transaction. When the French Champagne and Birthday Cake for three arrived, there were only two plates, two glasses and a cheap, ugly, plastic ice bucket. Real class! More calls to room service just to be able to consume the $100 plus items I had ordered.
This ship is old, stinks of nicotine and is badly in need of refurbishment. Sadly, a large proportion of the clientele on this cruise were very drunk before we sailed and remained so for the entire cruise. Clearly, Responsible Service of Alcohol is not high on Carnival's priority and the staffs' attitude is one of total disregard. Fill'em up with booze and fleece them at the tables seems to be the Carnival motto. There was some effort in the Dining Room to segregate the drunks from the few normal passengers.Food was OK not good and not bad just very average and the dining room service was pretty minimal. The Brasserie food and service was pretty atrocious.
On Sunday, as we did not leave the cabin at a time that suited the steward, our room was not made up until we went to dinner around 8pm. At around 2pm, when we asked if it could be made up we were told no as they did not come on duty until 6pm.Even the comedian made many disparaging remarks about the drunken sports groups on board. I suppose with the disgraceful behaviour of so many passengers, one cannot blame the crew for their complete apathy.
Cabin quite nice with a well appointed and relatively new bathroom. Other appointments of average standard. Walls very thin and no match for the large number of drunks who yelled up and down the hallway on all three nights of the trip.
Nice fitness centre - no crowds!