This was an annual family vacation. My husband and I have 4 children and we are always looking for a good time with good value. This seemed like a great option for us. There was a lot for the kids to do. My husband and I are a middle income family and I have to admit, for what we spent we felt like we got what we paid for. We got a good price; got a nice room and our last name isn't trump, so we didn't expect to get the kind of service that goes along with that. I think people need to set their expectations relative to what they are paying for.
Here are my thoughts overall: I read A LOT of reviews before I went. I booked 2 connecting balcony rooms and the lady that helped me book was so knowledgeable about tips and tricks to maximize the value. For example, she told me to keep an eye on the prices. If I caught a price drop, Carnival would issue a credit; and they did (twice). She also advised me to get connecting balcony's instead of rooms because where the door is open between rooms it can be tough since the rooms are relatively small. That worked out great for us.
Ship: Nice ship you can tell its a little dated, but again I did a lot of research so I knew that going in...It was everything I expected it to be. No more no less. Getting on was super easy (when people follow the instructions.....its always the people that screw up the process because they are trying to beat the system.....just let the system work guys everyone eventually will get on the boat).