I am a 3rd-timer with Carnival. Last trip was a while back, but my husband and I had the privilege of cruising on the Freedom in 2009, just 2 years after it's inaugural sail in 2007. Negative: The Conquest (built in 2002 or 2003) by stark contrast, was in average condition, despite claiming a "full update" in 2012. The glass around the ship, in our stateroom, and on our balcony was really dirty. Our balcony floor was in need of a thorough washing. If you looked around the Lido/main dining area/buffet (where you'll likely eat 65% of your meals/snacks), it was easy to notice the area was just downright grimy with tables with worn finishes that were barely wiped down in-between diners. If you looked at ledges and table bases, it was bad. The ship was "updated" fine, but felt dirty, balconies needed attention, windows EVERYWHERE needed to be washed and the Lido deck and dining area needed the MOST work.

Positive: Naturally, EVERY employee on the ship is friendly and Carnival has the main dining room weight staff and room stewards trained to remember your name, to greet you at every possible chance and to make your experience lovely. I 100% appreciated the staff and have NOTHING negative to say about anyone that works on the ship (I'd rather be shot than be an employee, after paying close attention to how cruise guests treat the staff - some of our fellow cruisers embarrassed me by treating these people like lower-class servants).

Negative: The food. The food was just bad. On a 1-10, my husband and I gave it a 3. My overall rating of "poor" is mostly due to what we ate for 6 days straight. There was plenty of food and it all looked appealing, but I felt a little sick every time I ate anything off the Lido buffet. I DON'T think food temps/food safety were considered at all. Nothing that was suppose to be cold was kept cold and everything that was suppose to be hot was lukewarm. In fact, EVERYTHING was lukewarm. There also appears to be lots of oil, cornstarch and gelatin used in EVERYTHING - to make it go further. Even in the main formal dining room, the portions were smaller (I appreciated this), and everything was presented beautifully, but it all tasted like nothing, was bland and "warm" at best. I yearned for a hot meal once I got home, having not had one in over a week. The desserts all over the ship looked gorgeous, but tasted like nothing but gelatin and oil. If Carnival has been looking to save money since my last cruise in 2009, I'd say they've done so in the kitchen. Just like another reviewer said, my husband also ate like 5 hamburgers. The Guy's Burgers were good, but also super greasy and made me sick. The Mexican cantina was good, but still seemed very "processed." The salsa verde off the salsa bar was like slime (more cornstarch or gelatin). It was just not good. Read more