This was our 9th cruise, 5th with Carnival. As a Christmas present to each other we decided on a weekend cruise instead of buying gifts, and after a two year absence from Carnival, we decided to go with them again. In the interim period we have been a number of times with Royal Caribbean and Princess so inevitably there are going to be comparisons made. Let's be honest, every cruise line and every ship has their pros and cons. Before we get into the details, be assured that we had great fun and certainly had a most enjoyable time.
Embarkation: As most of you already know, Carnival now have their own place at Long Beach next to the Queen Mary. Unfortunately, it's still a bit disorganized there and although we didn't have to wait too long to get onboard, there were plenty of long lines. Since we only booked on Christmas eve, we took a guaranteed outside room on the Riviera deck and upon arrival at Long beach were upgraded to the same category of room on the forward Empress deck. Our room was easy to find with the gangway leading straight on to the Empress Deck.
The Ship: We dumped our carry-on stuff and started to explore the ship. It appeared to be identical to the Elation we had sailed on before but with a totally different dEcor. While the interior design of the Elation is certainly garish, it was still relatively easy on the eye, but I found most areas of this ship to be quite stark, and distinctly dated. The Panorama Bar & Grill lighting and dEcor was frightful with lighting that made me look like a Blue Man from the Las Vegas show of that name. It reminded me of a 50's Diner with the blue neon lighting and turquoise plastic seats! The blue theme did seem to permeate somewhat throughout the ship. Built in 1991, the ship is starting to show some signs of wear although it was clean. The main theater exhibits the same problem as the Elation with lots of view obstructing columns. There are plenty of bars, some with entertainment, and a lively Casino.