First off, I want to say that the ship was really beautiful & HUGE - I had read somewhere that it had really gaudy decor - OK, it was kind of gaudy but fun gaudy. It's ALL ABOUT F-U-N on this ship. I liked our very comfortable, large-enough cabin w/balcony & w/flatscreen TV - & lots of closet space. Girls - the hairdryer was fine & powerful, too. We sailed out of the Port of Miami & no problems - our hotel (near the airport) offered free shuttle from the airport to the hotel & free shuttle to the Port of Miami. (Days Inn - Miami Intl. - dumpy place but with the AAA card I think it was $56.00 with the shuttles included! I booked it online.) There was a nice pool but it faced a superhighway!!! We didn't care...) Next Morning we got to the port around 12 noon & for some reason (!) were given VIP passes to get onboard = GREAT! We were impressed with most of the staff onboard particularly our cabin steward & dinner waitstaff in the Golden Diningroom. They were super friendly & fun & seemed to be happy with their jobs there. The food in the dining room was good - not 4 star - but good. The waiters went out of their way to make you feel welcome - we loved our staff & tipped them well at the end. For me - having previously cruised on a fantastic 'Windjammer' cruise this was just way too big, way too many people for me (& ALL KINDS of people - like a floating mall). The amount of food was crazy - I realize that that is a big part of cruising for many people but it was too much to me - like a mall with free food. Yes, the fish upstairs in the fish & chips place in the Redsail restaurant was very good - loved the sushi tuna served on a cube of watermelon & the deli had great sandwiches. Pizza & salads stuffs were fine & stir-fry veggies good. Breakfasts were good as well either in the diningrooms or the buffets. I didn't like all the smoking. I didn't know until later in the cruise that anyone could use the Spa's hot tub & pool for free - My friend had a sore back & enjoyed a soak more than once. My main problem with this sort of cruise was the; Lido deck - loud music all day - I avoided this area - lots of drunks having FUN reminded me of Spring Break. Not my style...Very small saltwater pools. We didn't have enough time on the islands & felt the 'pressure' of getting back (usually landed around 11am & had to be back by 3pm-ish). Plus, Carnival adds an additional $30 to the cost of every excursion booked through them - some you can book yourself online but there were a few things you could ONLY book thru the cruiseline (like a monopoly - they practically OWN some of the ports & call all the shots). So that added $60 to everything we wanted to do. I would rather give the $$ to the locals - I understand that it is the ships that bring the business to the some of the islands but considering the cost of our trip sometimes I felt 'nickel & dimed' over small things. We did the "Dolphin Swim W/Lunch in Cozumel & it was a GREAT experience - very up close & personal & VERY professional - a beautiful place. That was FUN! My fav thing in the world is snorkeling & the snorkeling offered was OK - just OK. On the beautiful Roatan we met a great guide 'Kirby' from Ecological Tours who bussed our group to a 'free' beach - we didn't want or need a 'hotel experience' more $$. We chartered a boat at the beach & that was THE BEST day - AND least expensive day of all our stops, as we did what we wanted on our own. Great snorkeling, great locals,fun beach bars & beach shopping - it was fantastic. When Kirby came back for us we stopped at a great little shop for a bit more shopping. Bought some carved mahogany & Lenca pottery made by the local artisans. Sorry this cruise wasn't for me - I won't be doing a Carnival Cruise again as it doesn't suit my style. I think the most ridiculous part was the "safety" muster to find the lifeboats we would use in case of emergency - we were all called down to our group areas to hear the safety talk. This muster, mind you, was after most people were drinking pretty good & several people were lost & had no idea where to go. The ship was such that every floor off the elevator looked exactly the same & I never knew if I had to go left or right once off. In the case of a true emergency it would be total bedlam - it's a very scary thought. I would probably just jump off in my lifejacket in that case - you'd have a better chance.