My husband and I are "frequent cruisers" and since we live in the Houston area we thought this cruise w/2 other couples during the off-season would be fun! We booked this trip 6 months ago, and unfortunately Hurricane Ike paid a visit 2 weeks before we were to set sail. None of us in our group received power until the Friday before our departure that Sunday. We had no idea when we would get it, and we all contacted Carnival to see if we could postpone or cancel our cruise due to the devastation in our area, the loss of power, the mass amount of clean up we still faced, etc. etc. Carnival essentially said, "Nope - tough luck. We're sailing anyway and you either need to take this cruise as scheduled or forfeit your entire amount". Gee - thanks for the understanding. Ok - so we find out We're departing from Bayport Terminal - a new facility which is not quite completed but was pressed into service early. Parking is a problem as not all areas are paved so we had to park in the dirt. The ship was re-positioned to this port after it docked in New Orleans the previous week to disembark the passengers who rode out the hurricane on the high seas. Consequently the ship was in Bayport for a couple of days prior to our sailing and should have been completely cleaned, stocked and ready to go. It wasn't the case. The disorganization at the terminal was chaotic and the cruise personnel seemed perplexed. As we were past Carnival cruisers and our stateroom status was high, we were listed as VIP's according to our Fun Pass and we were instructed to go to the VIP desk for check-in. We were ushered into a VERY small room where we stood in line while 2 people attempted to coordinate the check-in and 2 others were running back and forth to the main desk to find missing Sign and Sail cards/keys. The computers were down (only in the VIP area) and it took us nearly twice as long to get on the ship as if we'd gone thru the regular check-in process. Once on the ship we found our room very clean, well appointed and quite comfortable. There is more than ample closet space in this category and the bathroom is quite large. The ship however is very dated, thread bare in places and the decor is reminiscent of an old Parisian disco. Our luggage was delivered rather quickly but we could never find our cabin steward to get our mini-bar unlocked, change out our pillows and get ice. It wasn't until after dinner that night that she materialized and she was quite frazzled and less than cordial. Our dining room assignment was Renoir which is mid-ship lobby level,but you have to traverse thru the the HUGE crowds and all the photographer stations to reach it. The room always had a slight rancid smell to it - like spilled food that was never properly cleaned up. We had decent wait staff but the food was average and never hot enough. The mass production for serving in a dining room this size also made it very loud, especially during clean up. The on-board shows were good when the Carnival dancers performed but the others were sorta lame. Bingo is expensive. If you're not into the "Men's Hairy Chest Contest" or "Big Fat Belly Flop Contest" or the constant pounding of the reggae steel drums with the occasional Bean Bag Toss, this cruise isn't for you. That's pretty much what goes on each day at the main pool. There is an Adult Only Pool (which is quieter) located on the aft end of the ship, but of course that is where the Pizza Bar is, so expect a continual stream of kids. The Cruise Director is a goofy Scottish guy that is less than inspiring. The workout room is ample in size and there are plenty of treadmills and EFX machines but the ceiling is very low and somewhat claustrophobic feeling. The other machines are very old technology. Hot tub, sauna and steam are free. The Buffet is something that defies explanation. It is massive, crowded, and nearly tasteless. But there is plenty of it and there is ALWAYS a line (mainly of people that don't need to be there). We ate breakfast a couple of times in The Renoir Dining Room (the only main dining room open for breakfast) and one of it's drawback is the location. It is in the very AFT of the ship on Atlantic Deck and very difficult to get to. The food quality is spotty - some things very good and some things too greasy or undercooked to eat. Again, usually not hot enough and the Eggs Benedict are made, plated and sauce poured on them and left under a warming lamp until needed. This is perhaps the draw back of a large ship - the kitchen is required to pre-cook too many things in advance to accommodate the number of passengers. By far the BEST thing about this ship is The Point Restaurant. It is an alternative restaurant that charges an additional $30 per person (open for dinner only - reservations a must) but MORE than worth it! The atmosphere is charming, the staff is delightful and knowledgeable, the food quality superb and the entire experience unhurried and enjoyable. The menu includes 4 courses but the chef will send out a "surprise sample" of something first. The main entrees range from a 24 oz. Porterhouse Steak to Surf and Turf (or just the Surf) to Double Lamb Chops. The Wine List is extensive and relatively inexpensive. We ate there 3 nights because it was quiet, delicious and we felt valued as customers. As typical, there are photographer venues set up each night all over the lobby area. don't expect quality shots as it is unlikely the photographers have any training. All our shots had horrible shadows or top of heads cut off. And they are expensive to purchase! Shore excursions are extremely expensive and not worth the money for the most part unless it is something you are dying to do. When you reach Montego Bay you can get a cab or bus for $5.00 per person to take you to Doc's Cove (a great public beach) and rent an umbrella and lounge chair for $3.00 each. There are multiple waiters around to serve you chair side cocktails and food and you are steps from the ocean. There are huge trampoline floats anchored out in the water that are open to swim to and showers to rinse off with before you leave. There was a guy who had a Glass Bottom Boat on the pier and we had him take all 6 of us directly back to the ship for a total of $30. He motored us around a bit, tossed bait for the fish to grab (and us to see) and it was the perfect way to return. In The Cayman Islands we wandered the city in search of bargains of which there are NONE! You can find some cheap t-shirt places but don't expect a deal on much else. We ate lunch at Hard Rock Cafe and it was noisy and average. One couple did the Snuba excursion and said there were about 80 people in a very small area looking at the pretend ship wreck. Not worth it. Cozumel has a great beach which is again about a $5 cab ride. Just ask the driver to take you to "the best beach". Some have all free non-motorized water sports but you can also bargain better yourself for para-sailing etc. Cozumel also has the best bargains for liquor. So wait until you get there to buy your Duty Free stuff that might not be available on the ship. And don't buy any liquor on the ship until the last day at sea as that is when they put it on sale and you get some things free with others. Also don't be suckered into the Diamond International stores UNLESS you truly are in the market to buy a diamond and know a good deal about them! Skip the Ladies Night event (it's hokey and not organized) but see the R- rated Spouse game. The Casino is smokey but lively and the band there is good. The two wine/cheese tastings are worth the $10 per person. Our biggest complaint was returning to Bayport. We have never encountered such a high amount of confusion and the cruise line personnel were clueless! After the ship was cleared they had not a single idea how to get us off. We disembarked from ONE SINGLE DOOR and even thou we received bag tags and were told we'd get off by color and number, the only group we ever heard called was those who carried off their own bags (no checked luggage). We had to vacate our rooms so the staff could clean them for the next group but were told we could NOT come down to the lobby (point of disembarkation). It was crazy! There were 3,400 people trying to find a place to sit while waiting with their carry-on bags to be called to get off. Even as VIP's we waited over 3 1/2 HOURS before one of our party members finally cornered the Purser and demanded an explanation. During this 3 1/2 hours the ONLY information we were given was that if we came down to disembark and our color/number had not been called we would be turned around and sent back, and the 5 or 6 really bad bad jokes by this goofy cruise director. Now - keep in mind we couldn't go ANYWHERE on this ship but the public areas, and since the elevators were all being used by the staff we had to hike to those areas up and down stairwells that were already crowded with people waiting. There were kids in strollers crying, people in wheelchairs miserable and it was hot and uncomfortable. As we left the ship w/the Purser in tow, she told us that there was a lot of congestion in the customs area and that they were trying to keep the crowd down to a minimum inside the terminal. When we finally got into the customs area there were only approximately 10 people in each line, the luggage was well laid out and readily accessible, and the agents were scratching their heads as to why we didn't get off sooner. Carnival really missed the boat here! Whether they were trying to keep us from having to stand around inside the airconditioned terminal or be crowded into the common areas of the ship, they only alienated a bunch of people! If they had let us all get off and go to the terminal then we would have been Custom's problem. By keeping us on the ship we were THEIR problem, and none too happy! So the final memories of the cruise were those of confinement and no understanding of the situation. If you are looking for a cheap vacation, this ship is it. If you don't expect it to be more than it is, you won't be disappointed. Because it is a cheap vacation you will encounter hundreds of people who ALSO were looking for a cheap vacation (and 10,000 calories a day). Just be aware.