This was my 5th cruise(1 RC/4 Carnival) and my bfriends very 1st! We both had a great time!
Embarkation: It is what it is3000 people trying to get on a ship by lunch time. I think they handled it well. A few people were not handed their boarding #. You need to pay attention.
Public Rooms: I did notice a few rusty spots on the outside of the ship, however the inside was always clean and spotless. You can smell the new carpeting that had been installed.The casino was a bit too smokey for me, but was contained there and in the Cigar lounge-the Onyx room.