The fact that Carnival took an older ship, added more rooms without increasing any common space should have been my first clue that this ship would be crowded. Almost every time we tried to enjoy a meal, we had to search hard for a table. The pool area was a joke. If you wanted to secure a chair, you needed to "towel it" by 7 in the morning. Only once during the entire cruise did I see any crew member monitor this situation, despite the "45 minute" rule.

When do you take a cruise and not gain weight ? Answer: on the Carnival Sunshine. I always enjoy the cruise breakfasts. Not so on this ship! Cold eggs are the norm and greasy clumped bacon, undercooked sausage, and cold rubber toast accompanied them. Could get an omelette...oh wait....another line! Dinner was awful too. Panko crusted jumbo shrimp were the size of my pinky-honestly. We did enjoy the comedy shows and the piano bar had an excellent entertainer. Still, that would not entice me to take another Carnival cruise.