I tried carnival cruise line again after a 10 years of sailing Royal Caribbean. I was attracted to the lower price and curious if the lower price was worth a "potentially" lower level offering.
This ship is old...even fresh out of dry dock...the ship is worn out...no other way to describe it. Having said that, it is clean for the most part but there are some sore spots. Also a lingering sewage smell that creeps up from time to time. I noticed this in the stairwells the most. Also, this ship sways....ALOT! With mild chop the sway left to right was oddly much. Having been home for 3 days, my wife and I both can still feel it and the sea conditions were by no means 'rough'. The ship also has some kind of propeller cavitation issue that vibrates the mid and back end of the ship 24/7...noticeable in the dining room.
The food was ok, but hands down and without a doubt a downgrade from Royal. The buffet options where about 1/2 of a similar size Royal ship and and 1/3 of the bigger ships. The dining room options were better then the buffet, but again a noticeable downgrade from most Royal cruises I have been on in quality, choices and presentation.
I thought the room was small for a JS....after visiting a 'regular' room that a friend was staying in...I was wrong. The regular rooms are very very small and the JS is more like average Royal Caribbean cabin. When picking a JS on V deck....select a cabin in the middle. Too far forward and people can see in your room and too far back...is obstructed.