We booked with Carnival knowing their reputation for catering to families with young kids and the partying college age crowd. We wanted a quiet and relaxing vacation and that's what we got, for the most part, with this cruise. We booked a suite so we could relax on our private balcony. Because we had a suite, priority checking was a breeze (as was disembarkation). We packed our swimsuits in our carry on and headed straight for the Serenity (over 21) area. There are 2 hot tubs and 40-50 chaise lounges. There were 4 other people in Serenity all afternoon. Spent all day there on Catalina day and on Ensenada day and had the place almost to ourselves.

The food at dinner was very good, but it wasn't Morton's Steakhouse. But we didn't expect Morton's so we were not disappointed at all. Do NOT go to the dining room for breakfast. The service is awful and the food is not good. Cold, hard pancakes. My breakfast was served and I finished eating it before my husbands breakfast arrived. Breakfast in the Lido deck is much better, with made to order omelets, good coffee, lots of fresh fruit and good seating. Lunch on the Lido deck is also very good and the pizza is excellent! Salad bar was very fresh.

The gym was nice, and we took a few spin classes. The spa treatments were also okay, but not excellent. The comedy shows were actually very funny, for both kids and adults. Read more