To begin, I have been on about 20 cruises, so my comments may be more critical than the average passenger. Pre-cruise, our group stayed at the Hampton Inn at Orlando airport. This was an excellent choice, with free shuttle service from the airport and easy walking distance to nearby restaurants and basic shopping. The hotel provides comfortable rooms and an excellent complimentary breakfast that includes hot items beyond the typical "continental" selection.
We arranged our own transfers to the ship with a company recommended by the hotel. Our savings were significant, although there were a number of problems with this company and I would not use them again. The vehicles were in poor condition, and it was clear these guys were operating on a shoestring. Upon our return to the airport, our bus was even delayed due to some sort of dispute with the airport authority.
Embarkation was reasonably quick, although all the computers were down and our sign and sail charge information could not be confirmed (more on this later). The lady who checked us in said she had worked for Carnival for several years (probably part-time), but it was clear she did not have a thorough understanding of the check-in procedures. She waved us through with a promise to "post everything later, when the computers are back up". Once on board, we proceeded to the Lido Deck and the Red Sail cafe, for a delicious lunch buffet. Then, back to our stateroom, and on this ship you can actually call it that. The term "cabin" does not adequately describe. The rooms are spacious by cruise-ship standards and are well-appointed, with plenty of storage space. The balcony (over 40% of the rooms have them on this ship) is adequate for two, but if you know your neighbors, the steward can open the partition to the adjoining balconies for you. It is a real treat to have your room-service coffee on your balcony as the sea passes by. All of our luggage showed up promptly, and our walk-around confirmed that the ship was very well maintained and while it is possibly the gaudiest, tackiest decor of any ship I have ever seen, the materials are first-rate. One thing we quickly discovered was that the elevators do not clearly indicate visually they are available. There is a small LED display above the door that changes from a deck number to an up-or-down arrow, but can only be seen if you are standing almost in front of the door. There are plenty of elevators, but they are often commandeered by roving bands of screaming pre-teens, with no parents in sight (more on that later, too). Dinner in the Platinum dining room (second seating, 8 pm) was the highlight of each evening. I have seen many posters say they avoided the dining room in favor of the Red Sail, but to me, the formal dining is one of the reasons to be on a cruise. Our table (339) was right in front of huge windows looking aft at the sea and our waiter Kwame from Guyana was very friendly and attentive. The food was uniformly excellent for a popular-priced cruise line, probably the best I have experienced from Carnival. One thing I felt in this dining room as well as in most other public areas, is that crowd control design is non-existent. If you bruise easily, find another ship. To accommodate the number of passengers on board, Carnival has decided to squeeze out almost every square inch of free space, so passages are narrow and tables are close together. Good if you like to share conversation with your neighbors, not good if you are claustrophobic. By the way, this is true of almost every public space on the ship as well, including the promenade deck (Kaleidoscope) and pool decks. Be very careful negotiating your way around the decks and your fellow passengers.