Frankly, I am not sure where to begin and how to remain civil writing this review. I wish I could give a 0 stars rating. After cruising previously on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Disney, we were truly disappointed with our experience. Had not it been for beautiful Alaska, it would have been a complete waist of time and money.

PROS: Embarkation and debarkation in Seattle were very smooth and quick. And, of course, Alaska! We booked all our excursions with third-party companies, they were cheaper and provided excellent experience. As an example, a whale watching 5 hour excursion was $60/ per person cheaper that the one booked on Carnival. For a family of four, it's over $200 savings on one excursion only! Don't fall for the price guarantee Carnival promotes - if you are lucky, you would get back on-board credit, no cash refunds. Also, if you have kids, Camp Carnival seems to appeal to them which another pro, at least our kids spent there a lot of time.

CONS: In no particular order, I will start with cost cutting by Carnival and give just one example. As return Carnival guests, we used to get a free drink, an invitation to a captain's party, etc. This time Carnival surprised us with real "generosity" - they gave each of us a "welcome back" bottle of drinking water (!???). I wonder what kind of freebie they would throw at us next time, a roll of toilet paper?? Oh sorry, I forgot there will not be a next time on Carnival. At the same time, they will nickle and dime you for everything: want a steak in the main dining room - pay $20 surcharge, a cup of espresso will cost you $3 US. Read more