Background Information: This is my fifth cruise overall and my second on a Carnival ship. I (31) am traveling with a friend (34), my sister (39) and her friend (48), my mom (72) and dad (71). We bought the cruise within two weeks of the departure date, as we decided last minute to take a vacation together. I was able to book two rooms on an online cruise company's website, but couldn't book the third room (because their system was not working properly). My experience dealing with the agents from this online company was so terrible that I would never book with an agent again. If I need to book with anyone, I would go direct with a PVP from the cruise line.

We live in NYC, so no need to stay in a hotel prior to the cruise. We live very close to the pier, so it was only a short taxi ride and we were ready to begin our vacation. We arrived at the pier around 12:30, after dropping off our luggage, we stood on the line for about half an hour before getting the keys to our three cabins. The embarkation process wasn't too bad. After eating lunch on lido deck, it was time for the lifeboat drill. Well, if there was really an emergency, I am not sure we can all survive, because it was so chaotic and crowded, you really didn't get a chance to learn how to make it out alive with the life vest and equipment on the ship. We were all packed in a small area, with people basically next to each other, and they just briefly talked about how the life vest should be worn (without checking to make sure you understand and that you actually follow their instructions), and then they tell you it's over. It's probably better to stay in the stateroom and watch the TV for demonstration.

Stateroom: The inside stateroom is a decent size and have sufficient closet space. The only thing I found lacking is a refrigerator. We brought a few sodas to drink while on the ship, but without a refrigerator, they were basically useless. The bed was very comfortable, but the shower was a little too weak. Dining: The buffet was pretty standard, it was nice to have an Asian counter, a place for deli sandwiches, a special place for "food of the world", a pizza station, and a grill. But overall, the food lacks variety, and when you really want to get something to eat, they are all closed (except for ice-cream and pizza). If they can provide food during odd times, I think that would have been perfect. We ordered room services twice, and had to wait over an hour on both occasions. The sandwiches that they brought were actually quite good, but the wait was a bit too excessive. Either too many people are ordering at the same time, or not enough people are working for that department. The food in the main dining room was better, but they could have been even better. The only dish that stood out was the lobster with jumbo shrimps. Mine was pretty good, but the lobster that my mother got was not fresh. We did have a great waiter and assistant waitress, but the desert (chocolate melting cake) on the last night of the cruise was as hard as a rock. Read more