Since we are a family of five we booked two staterooms - a good move. We didn't feel cramped and it gave us two bathrooms instead of trying to share one. Both were inside staterooms - something I thought we'd regret but we spent so little time in our rooms that it was a non issue. There was plenty of room and the bathrooms were a good size. We flew to Orlando and rented a car to Port Canaveral. There was a free shuttle to the port. We arrived at the port at noon. Our luggage was taken by the staff for delivery to our cabin. Embarkation was smooth and we were through the line in 15 minutes and on the ship. What a sight! The ship is huge from the dock and even more impressive from inside. We made our way to the Red Sail for lunch. After lunch, we dropped our carry-on luggage in our rooms and went up to the Lido deck for a look around. The muster drill went smoothly and the instructions easily followed. The sail away was anti-climactic - no announcement or horns. The ship is amazing: we were impressed by the cleanliness of it - everything was spotless. We explored the different levels, front to back. The Amber Palace was open for viewing - what an impressive room! We were amazed at the size and dEcor of the dining rooms bars etc. Level 5 allows you to travel from front to back and is also where the casino is. There is plenty of seating beside huge windows giving a nice view of the ocean. We had seating in the Platinum Dining room at 8 pm and we were at a large table with another family. The waiter and assistant worked non-stop each night and were very pleasant. It was fine dining each and every night. The food was so good that we ate there every night. I can't recall a mediocre meal - the steaks, seafood, chicken were all outstanding- and they will always bring more if asked to. There were two formal nights - Sunday and Thursday - and everyone looked great. There are lots of photographers on board with a variety of background screens, so you are able to select one that you like. The photos are posted the next day for you to see but they are a bit expensive. By the end of the week we did end up buying three of our favorite photos. There was always plenty to do at sea - the Carnival Capers is delivered to your room each night and outlines the next days' activities. The action is poolside on the Lido deck mid-ship. The deck loungers are always 'taken' in spite of Carnival's policy of not reserving the chairs. But we were usually able to find some on the next level up and watch all the activities below. Carnival offers great instructional talks about the ports of call - info about shopping and excursions. I recommend sending someone from the group to listen, especially if you have never been to that particular destination. The cruise director, Ryan, was from the States and did a great job all week. He would give an update each morning of things to plan for and each evening he hosted the shows in the Amber Palace. Our room steward was amazing: although we met him on the first day he was almost invisible the rest of the week. Yet our room was always made up and fresh towels appeared magically. He did an outstanding job in both of our rooms - and I'm sure he worked especially hard in my kids' room! Since our cruise missed Costa Maya as a port-of call, due to hurricane damage to their port, we received a credit of $25 each on our account. We knew about not visiting Costa Maya when we made our reservation yet we still received the credit. Nice! Our teens visited the Club O2 on board but found it a bit lame. The lady in charge there was a bit too much like having a parent there, which defeats the purpose of a teen club, so our kids didn't go there very much. To her credit, she is responsible to make sure the kids are the correct age and that they are not sneaking in any booze but... The ports were well organized. We had no problems getting on/off. The tender in Belize went smoothly. Excursions booked through Carnival are given preference, however, we were able to get to our excursion easily and on time as well. When getting back on board, they scan your backpack and if you are bringing any booze back on board they will take it from you and give it back to you on Friday. If you don't want to wrestle with your luggage as you debark, simply place your bags outside your room between 9-11 pm on Friday night. Luggage tags are all the same color and have a number on them for debarkation. The debarkation process has been updated. Rather that being given a color, you now receive luggage tags with a number (1-40). Debarkation is in numerical order. We were number 16 and we had time for a leisurely breakfast. We were off the ship by 9:15 a.m. and went straight to the luggage carousel and gathered our bags. As we were getting off the ship we observed mattresses from the rooms being exchanged. It's nice to know that the mattresses are cleaned/replaced on a rotating basis. The beds sure were comfortable! We were extremely happy with our cruise. The ship is spectacular and exceptionally clean; the staff is constantly at work serving and cleaning; the food was outstanding. We didn't have to lift a finger: our rooms were made up twice daily and the food was always hot and ready. We will definitely be sailing with Carnival again!