We are experienced cruisers. We chose this cruise as a family so our grandkids could experience cruising for the first time. It was a choice of economy, as we have only done Carnival one other time. There were some good and some not so good experiences, but it is important to keep your expectations in check. For us, it was being with family and watching our grandkids have many first-time experiences! CHECK!

I must say that I felt sorry for the staff as the boat was oversold and understaffed. It was hard to move about the boat and one small pool on the Lido deck is not enough. They have the pool in the adult only area, but many of the adults with no kids chose to sit around the pool on the main deck. We ended up at the back of the ship by the slides which was quieter and allowed us to get wet when we were too hot. JUST TOO MANY PEOPLE! Though this was Spring Break time, we heard there were even more people on the boat the week before. Not sure if this is standard numbers, or just because it was Spring Break time, but nonetheless, it isn't fair to the staff or the travelers.

It was hard to get a drink of any sort, even if you went up to the bar. My grandson stood in line behind 3 people with his Bubbles card and he was completely ignored by the wait staff and other guests. Our daughter and family purchased beverage packages for the kids and it was nearly impossible to get drinks, even at dinner time. They also purchased the adult beverage package and same problem. It seemed once they knew you had the package, they waited on other passengers first. My daughter complained and they refunded her package prices. Interestingly enough, that evening after they took their stickers off their cards, the sodas were waiting for the kids in their places when we arrived for dinner and such was the case each night. Not sure what their internal policies are for those that purchase the package, but unless you drink ALOT, it does not pay for itself and you will receive substandard service. Read more