We just returned from the March 9th sailing out of Baltimore....it was a real treat for us northerners to be able to drive to our cruise port!!.. This was a great cruise....there were quite a few college students on board as it was during Spring break....which actually was no problem....it kept the hot tubs tied up but other than that they were fun and added to the experience.....First of all....the staff were all excellent....I had purchased a soda card and never had to wait for service...and always pleasant....our cabin steward on deck 7 did an excellent job....Second....the food was very good at all the venues.....as a matter of fact we cancelled reservations for the steak house because we had such delicious beef for lunch that day in the buffet that we decided it wasn't necessary to go there....we went to brunch on two of the sea days in the Main Dining room....the steak and eggs were the best! We actually ate most of our meals in the buffet as we felt they had good food choices and the quality was very good....the late night Mexican buffet was really excellent and the deserts were often the same as the dining room and most times actually better....we didn't participate in excursions in Nassau or Freeport....just enjoyed strolling and shopping.....we took the shuttle in Port Canaveral to Cocoa Beach and Cocoa Village....the weather was a nice break from a harsh winter and it was one of the smoothest sailings we've been on ....overall we had a great time and felt the Carnival did an outstanding job at an affordable price.