I chose this cruise because it was a great way of returning from Hawaii after exploring the "Big Island". Embarkation was swift with no hassles and we found our suite quite liveable. I had purchased a large suite (4273) as I knew that with my aches and pains I would e spending a lot of time in the cabin.My first impression when moving around the ship was the overall genuine friendliness of the crew. The staff that I had closet contact with were the cabin crew and restaurant crew and they were truely fantastic. Suite passengers get few privileges but this is reflected in the price with Carnival choosing to reward frequent cruisers.

The decor of the ship I found a little over the top, almost to the point of being tacky, but its the crew that "make" the cruise not the ship.

I dined at the late sitting and found the meals good, but not spectacular, reflecting the cost of the cruise. The only complaint was the poor quality/choice of pastry for a number of dishes, both sweet and savoury. I almost needed a sledge hammer with one pot pie despite it being described as puff-pastry. Their pies in the Lido restaurant were made of the same material and it resulted in very little room for a filling. (I love my Villi's pies). The speciality restaurant, Nouveau, was fantastic -great steaks and tremendous staff. Read more