We've cruised Carnival many times before and enjoyed every trip. Having fun depends a lot on the company you keep, and I had a blast. If you want to get away from the depression of the recession and take your mind off of money, this ship makes it hard. It is very obvious that Carnival has been hit hard by the recession, dirty carpets, torn drapes in the dining room, ripped sheets, every sink is chipped, as every toilet stained, dirty flatware, slow drains, limited buffet. The hurried and overburdened staff is as friendly as they can possibly be in the brief moments you see them loaded down with their chores. Had I never been before, I may not have noticed, but the staff has been trimmed down considerably. We had two room and our one of our rooms was only cleaned twice. Now on to the food. The important thing to remember that in the formal dining room, you can customize your dinner, so if you like the appetizer, order more than one and you have a great dinner!! Pizza on the Lido deck is good and perfect every time. Breakfast is pretty dismal so stay away from the powdered eggs. Wish they had a microwave for public use, ocean air cools everything pretty quickly. The entertainment was 'entertaining' definitely catch the shows, the casino was crowded and I didn't win (but I never do).

My kids LOOOOVED the kids club, the staff is warm and friendly and it was loaded with kids!Lot's of spring breakers on board, they were cheery and goofy, but not too obnoxious. When we landed in Mexico, we didn't get off the ship, and neither did anyone else. The ship was packed for two days so check out the Serenity Deck, it's a quiet outdoor space for adults only and once they complete the construction that was underway when we were onboard, it will probably be pretty peaceful. Embarking and disembarking is fast and painless, even with kids. We paid a little over $900.00 for two cabins and I had a great time with my best friend of 17 years. If you pay more than that, you may expect more and get let down. Did I mention the weather, full yellow sun!