First impressions are everything. I took this cruise to help complete a CLIA MCC requirement and to learn the Carinval brand from first hand experience. Checking in the rep Nicole with 21 years experience with Carnival could care less that I was an agent from a major franchise traveling. I inquired about anything I could do to upgrade my experience on-board aside from the chef table I pre-booked. I was met with a quick no because the ship was over sold. In fact this sailing had over 990 children on it!

Cabin: We were in balcony cabin 6263. When we walked into our cabin it looked like the steward had not finished cleaning it. The sofa was dirty with crumbs and stains. The sofa itself appeared in need of repair on the right side. The mirror was so dirty it look like a filter was on it. There was a sewer like smell that hit you upon entering the room. The smell decreased over the seven days. It was very obvious no one lifted up the items on the counter to dust under them. Pros - The bed was extremely comfortable which made it hard to get out of. The shower was the perfect temperature. The steward came in the cabin on day two and cleaned up the areas that were missed upon check in. Opportunity for improvement: Have a door hanger on the cabin doors if the rooms are not ready for clients. Maybe something like " We are still working to create a great impression. Check back soon." This will preserve that first impression clients get coming into their room.

Ship: The ship has a lot of rust and various areas appear very outdated. The hours of operation of the stores on board aren't very late during the times at sea when you expect them to be open they are closed. This may have been a staffing issue. Opportunity for improvements: Touch up the rust on the ship especially on deck four and on the balconies. Read more