Returned from a 5 day cruise on Carnival Paradise in an outside view room M-82. Main deck. Balcony space is limited on this ship due to its age.

Let me first say this cruise was a Bucket list completion. We have gone to the Gulf coast area for family vacations for many years driving over the sunshine bridge. During one of our drives over the bridge we saw the Paradise going under the bridge. Yep A good reason to go on this cruise. The trip from the port to the Gulf takes about 2 hours thru the waterway. During our departure speaking with others it was noted a lot of people on this particular cruise had the same Bucket list item to complete. It was amazing to see that many people on deck doing as us and taking pictures of us passing under the bridge. Yes it was an older ship but the service and attention to detail by those on board was impeccable. We have been on many cruises on some of the most recent ships on other lines and not received the personalized service these crew members provided. Upon arrival to our room our Room Steward greeted us and asked our names. Anytime we met him he always addressed us by name on both the First and Last days of our cruise. I think he was operating in Stealth mode. We would see him in passing in the hallway but never once were we inconvenienced with him cleaning our room.

So off to dinner we go (We all know food is one of the highlights of a cruise and can make or break the trip) On arrival to our dining room we were met and escorted to our table. I will say the service crew of our waiter WIN and assistant waiter ALEJANDRO was one of if not the BEST wait staff we have ever had. As I had said previously we have traveled on multiple cruise lines including some of the Higher level lines and these 2 gentlemen have set a standard of expectation for us. The food on this cruise was also another unexpected pleasure. On a couple of our previous cruises on other lines we noticed there a was a drop in quality and taste of the meals provided. It seemed as if you didn't want to pay for dinner at one of the specialty restaurant the quality was just HO-HUM, not on the Paradise every meal was always flavorful and high in quality in the main dining room. Our dining mates also made our meals an enjoyable time. They were first time cruisers and to be able to hear about all of their experiences of the day was an unexpected treat to be able to relive our first time through their stories. Read more