Every time I cruise I check boards like this for an idea of what to expect, so i figured i would do the same. I read some bad reviews on this ship prior and I have to say either carnival reads these boards or Some peoples expectations are way higher than they should be for a carnival cruise. This was our fifth with carnival and it was exactly as we expected. The ship is older but seemed in fine shape, the waves were about 5-10' for a bit coming back from cayman and the ship was very stable. Embarkation:Miami is the best port I've been to for this. very quick and painless. For first time cruisers, get there early and bring a small travel bag with your suits and enjoy the first day before you set sail. The kids enjoyed the pool and we had lunch and cocktails. Day at sea:typical cruise ship stuff. Food, Booze, stupid deck games( i mean that in a good way), contests and stuff inside, or the pools and just enjoying the sun and pina calodas , basicaly there is something for everyone.Jamaica:We did dunns river falls and a beach thing with our 10 and 7 year old and it was very cool, a little more intense than i thought it would be, not much time for anything else so I cant say much about the rest of the island. The bad part is The vendors are very pushy and annoying and start pestering you you right off the boat.Cayman:I went diving and the family enjoyed the island. Its a more high class island and I didnt see any hustlers or vendors bothering anyone.2nd day at sea:Same as first day.Camp carnival:This is our third cruise with our kids and I have no complaints with the camp. They did seem a little overwhelmed with the amount of kids this week and messed up the talent show, but if that's the worst thing to go wrong I'll take it. They got over it and continued to have a great time.Debarkation:very smooth. Self assist is great when you are on a tight schedule. we were off the ship by 8:30.Overall a real good vacation, carnival may not the cruise for you if your looking for quiet and romance or hate kids. Carnival is a more relaxed family friendly cruise line.