We are frequent cruisers and global travelers, including quite a few Carnival cruises in the past, and while this cruise was OK, it was not one of our favorite vacations.

Overall, the ship is in good condition for its age, having been refurbished just a few years ago. Public spaces are generally clean, the pool is fairly large for a ship of this size and there were a good number of deck chairs around the pool area. Cabins were comfortable for 2 - we had a balcony cabin (U223) and the kids had an interior cabin across the hall (U225). This area of the ship was relatively quiet except for mornings around 7am when the crew was preparing dock at the various ports of call. Our cabin steward kept our cabins tidy and well stocked, and he was friendly and helpful.

Food Service...we noticed that dining servers were not very attentive (never refilling water/iced tea, rarely checking if the meal was OK) and it seemed that once the bar server knew our kids had the 'bubbles' cards for sodas, they disappeared - never asking about soda refills. Service in the 'Good Eats' buffet area was hit-or-miss - sometimes tables were clean and food trays were replenished, but not always. The ice cream machines rarely worked and service at the 24 hour pizza was SLOW (we skipped it because of the long line).Entertainment was also lacking and not up to par with other cruises we've been on. The main show, Motor City, features a couple of good singers performing old R&B hits, and it was a far cry from the Vegas or Broadway level productions we've seen, even on other Carnival ships. We tried to see their other show, The Brits, but they canceled the show because of monitor malfunctions. And rather than having entertainment for every night, these same 2 shows are recycled several times during the cruise. On a positive note, we think that the cruise director, Chris Roberts, is one of the hardest working cruise ship employees we've ever seen. In addition to the usual director duties, he hosted the Hasbro game show (a cute family entertainment option) and starred in a Blues Brothers tribute for a couple of shows (versatile, but maybe overworked?). Read more