We just returned from a Carnival cruise over Thanksgiving. We normally go with Royal Caribbean but were unable to find a cruise itinery that served our needs, so we opted for a less expensive, Carnival option. It turned out to be a great choice!

The Cabins: We booked two ajoining cabins on deck seven: 7207 and 7211. These cabins were located at the very front of the ship. Our balconies had a great view and were in a very quiet location. The size is pretty standard...small, but served the purpose. We usually book a suite on Royal Caribbean because of all the perks but Carnival doesn't offer perks with their suites so we just went for the standard balcony room. The cabin steward was efficient and tended to all our needs. Cabin 7211 was quite warm for two nights and after several attempts, maintenence was able to correct the problem. Carnival gave us a room credit for our trouble.

The ship: Was the largest I've ever been on and was in beautiful shape. A little hard to navigate at times but exploring is part of the fun. There are plenty of places to hang out...our favorite was the casino. If you collect 1000 players points you can get free drinks while you're in the casino. By the 3rd day I had 1000 points and enjoyed free drinks for the rest of the cruise. And they were the full sized drinks that other people were paying for...nice. Read more