Since it was the newest ship in the line, we were expecting much more. We have cruised on Carnival before on three occasions, the last being about 7 years ago. It will probably be at least that long before we sail on Carnival again. We took the Barcelona tour on the way to the ship which was a good value for the price, but did not offer any opportunity for lunch. We got on board about 3PM and went to the lido, they call it the marketplace, to eat. Since we ate lunch so late, we did not go to the dining room that evening. We placed the card provided outside the door to order morning coffee. We specified it be delivered between 7 and 7:30. When our coffee had not arrived at 7:30, I called room service, who told me it was on it's way. At 7:43, I called again and we finally got coffee at 7:57. I know it was 7:43 when I called room service the second time because that was the time on the bar receipt the waiter brought with the coffee. No idea where the original order went. I tried calling guest services using the button the phone marked as such and was only able to reach an automated system that provided no option to reach a real person. I later spoke to guest services in person and registered my complaint. The next morning, not only did my coffee arrive on time, it was followed by a call from room service asking if my order had arrived.

Each room has an interactive TV on which you can check your account balance, see what shore excursions are available, and, supposedly, view the menus for the various dining locations. The only menus available were for the Italian, Red Frog, and Steak locations which cost extra and the menu never changes. I asked guest services about the availability of a menu and was told it was only on the TV. I later asked the head waiter and was told they could post a printed copy of the menu outside the dining if they got permission from Carnival. This might seem like a trivial matter, but knowing what will be served in the main dining room allows choosing which days to explore the other dining possibilities.

We ate breakfast most mornings in "the marketplace". The offerings were reasonable, but everything was prepared in advance. Toast was barely toasted and always cold. They offered waffles and French toast,but again prepared in advance and lukewarm at best. Read more