I booked this cruise after the last minute itinerary change announcement and got an ocean view room for a STEAL!  I traveled with a friend who had never been on a cruise before.  We both ditched our husbands and kids and enjoyed a mom's getaway!I had previously sailed on both the Splendor and the Elation, and I knew the Paradise was in the same class as the Elation, so I was familiar with its layout and amenities. This is one of the smaller, older ships Carnival has, but I must say that it is surprisingly well-maintained and absolutely gorgeous!  But what made this such a great cruise was how wonderful the crew was! Every personfrom our room steward to the drink servers on the Lido, to our dining room servers to the Maitre D and all the way up to the Captain himselfall were always warm, friendly, and helpful!The cruise director, Felipe (Fi-lee-pay, not Fil-eep), was a lot of fun and very energetic!Our dining room servers, Sorin and Gordana, were the best I have ever encountered! Sorin is adorable and very friendly, always smiling, and he liked to tell jokes and stories. We were also never charged the corking fee for the bottles of wine we brought with us.Konstantin, the Maitre D was great too. On the first night, my friend and I were seated at a table with a bunch of other ladies (a ladies only table!) so it was me, my friend, two mother and daughter couples and another lady and her traveling companion. Everyone was a lot of fun, except for the last couple that I mentioned. The older lady did nothing but complained, and created quite a spectacle with her dinner, wiping barbecue sauce off her ribs with the tablecloth, and screaming to the waiters that she should be able to take her dinner to eat in her stateroom. Finally, she wrapped her food in a napkin, stuck it in her companion's purse, and they left. We asked the Maitre D if he could do something, and after that night, they were seated elsewhere. So we had a wonderful time with the rest of our tablemates for the remainder of the cruise.  We even went on to the shows together after dinner.The food on this cruise was excellent! My favorite was the turkey, stuffing, and gravy served at the buffet the day we went to Catalina. But everything I tried was really good.The shows were great too, and I was glad that they were all ones I had not previously seen on either of my two previous Carnival cruises.For Catalina, we went on the "Coastal Exploration Power Rafting Adventure". I highly recommend this one! I have been to Catalina several times over the years, and I have done the glass bottom boat, bus tour, submarine, and countless other tours. This one was up close and exhilarating! We saw a bald eagle, seals, blue herons, whales, and dolphins.  If you want to do something where you feel like you're getting more than a pre-packaged tour, this one is for you!Overall, I really enjoyed the Paradise. I wish it did the itinerary to Cabo, but I will certainly cruise this one again sometime. I don't think I could have asked for anything more!