I chose this cruise because it was a good deal for a balcony cabin. We had always wondered about those huge balconies aft of some cruise ships and we were able to book the aft most starboard cabin. We had a balcony with 3 lounge chairs and 4 chairs with a starboard and aft view. We had plenty of storage space. Unfortunately we had ring around the toilet a first for a cruise.

In the dining room there seemed to be a shortage of staff. We did not receive the attention normally rendered on a cruise. For example some night we had to pour our own water. Portions were extremely small with one night being served the thinnest prime rib ever. Another night my mother-in-law received an average portion of roast duck while my wife's portion was tiny.

If all Carnival's ships have the same quality desserts then people who have cruised only Carnival don't realize what they have been missing. By the third day I had given up on desserts because of the horrible quality. The first night I thought I was in for a treat with apple pie ala-mode. The pie quality was so poor, I only took two bites. And it was not served hot. They made sorry attempts at muffins and danish pastries and cakes also. Read more