I knew what we were getting into. My wife and I wanted a short getaway out of Manhattan. Not too many choices.

We'd sailed on the Glory before which is a perfectly functional Carnival ship. I'm platinum, she's gold so there were no surprises on this ship. We sailed on her about 5 years ago. Two new additions are the Guy's Hamburger place and a burrito bar on 9. Didn't eat at either but passengers raised about the food there. Not sure what there is to be excited about when it comes to burgers and burritos, but people clearly enjoyed them.

Carnival is a great line on which to take your second or third cruise. The reason I say that is that Carnival does so many things well for a reasonable price. Try NCL or Royal Caribbean first and then come over to Carnival. You'll find the cabins are better, the service is excellent and the intineries are identical to everyone else. The price point is really reasonable, often well below the other guys, which may make some travelers suspicious. Read more