Be prepared to cough up a lot of extra money! Everything’s got an extra price on it. Photos are an unbelievable price! Average $20-30 each printed picture of about 5x7 or 8x10. And there are ALOT of pictures being taken- photographers are everywhere trying to pump this money making machine... whilst also talking you that you can’t take photos with your own phone of your family/child with the characters/port set up. Dr seuss breakfast- extra cost PLUS find yourself again paying $20 each picture taken with different characters. Food is ok in the dinning room, but you will find generally below average and luke warm in most places. Bingo- $35 for 5 games! Port stops in the Great Barrier Reef are very poor and EXTREMELY rushed. Expect to get about one hour to snorkel on most shore tours due to the very limited time spent at the ports of Airlie beach, Yorkeys Knob and port Douglas (meanwhile again coughing up on average $200+ pp for a snorkel tour of the reef) Oh and be aware your account will be held for all purchases while your sailing and will not be released when you get back BUT carnival will charge you the entire amount on top. Essentially double dipping into you account until the “holds” of amounts are released which they attempt to put back on to you own bank being the problem not them. I have sailed in the past and enjoyed but this time I will not come back the this company. Read Less

We booked this cruise because it seemed an amazing deal, after booking I was really tentative about whether we'd enjoy it or not (our first time cruising) but I didnt need to worry too much! Everything was just so easy, we knew not to expect 5 stars but it was a pretty solid 3. Having a balcony made all the difference and we loved sitting out watching the waves (and dolphins!). The kids enjoyed the kids clubs (ages 6 & 9) especially the planned activities. Which was brilliant because we got to enjoy the adults only area - settling in on a daybed with a mocktail and a book was bliss - really appreciated having no internet, made it much easier to just zone out totally. Food was fine, the mexican was great and the sushi was well worth afew dollars. They poached eggs to perfection every breakfast. Everything else was just fine, even Nouveau was just ok. We didnt really do any of the activities onboard as they were all either on while we were eating or really late but doing nothing in a pleasant room was perfect for what we needed. Would cruise again based on this trip but might look at higher end cruise lines (although love that Carnival has so many balcony rooms) Read Less

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We need a break from work and everyday life. It's a nice ship staff very polite room service was great we had haur as are room attendance left beautiful towel animals on our bed everyday.Was very disgusted that there was no tea or coffee in room. When asked just got told we don't do that. Well as l said to the lady at the service desk ever other cruise ship we have been on has tea and coffee in and all l got well we don't. So many rude people on the ship couldn't wait in line at the buffet had to push in its not as if there wasn't plenty of food to go round. Shows was fantastic, comedy club great . I do think this ship is just for family's and children. Over all went on this cruise to relax but never again .O and the seriedty for audlts only when you couldn't get a chair as people would come up early put there towels on them and be there all day Read Less

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This was a six night cruise to Tasmania from Sydney. Compared to the other 10 + cruises we have been on: Buffet food was very poor. The food choice seemed to include a lot of sloppy stuff with little variety. Not even any roast meat carvery. Luckily the salad bar was OK. Long lines at buffet and poorly organised food serving made it very frustrating. Dining room food was hit and miss. No encouraged hand sanitising like on other ships. It seemed like they were into cost cutting. There seemed to be less staff than any other ship we had been on doing things like cleaning tables in the buffet and serving drinks at the venues etc. Staff were very good though and entertainment was still OK. Overall we still had a good time. We traveled on this ship about five years ago and that was the best cruise we have ever been on. Chalk and cheese compared to what this ship provides now. Read Less

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This was our 3rd cruise. Once on Carnival Magic and once on Celebrity Reflection. Travelled with 2 adults and 3 teenagers in two balcony cabins. Also went with my sister's family and my parents (10 people in all). THIS IS THE BEST SHIP IF YOU HAVE KIDS! Embarking and disembarking was smooth and easy. The Ship The ship décor reminded me of Medieval Times. Not to everyone's taste but I liked it and it was an escape from reality - just what I wanted. The ship is looking a bit tired with peeling paint due to rust around balconies and furniture looking worn in the common areas although generally is was clean and satisfactory. There were plenty of deck chairs available although the trivia events got crowded on wet days with people having to sit on the floor. The overall layout was good. Cabin The cabin was fine. A good size but dated - box tv with poor picture, fridge didn't work (we did complain twice - never fixed) and no hot water for the first day and a half - they did fix that after three visits to the service desk! Sink was worn. They only clean once a day, not twice like other ships we've been on. They never replaced the soap. We had the sofa bed used in one room and they never turned it back into a sofa the whole cruise - celebrity would always pack it up each morning and remake it in the evening! Beds were comfortable and room was very quiet (deck 6 aft balcony). Dining The food was fine. Nothing exciting but not bad either. Not as much selection in the buffet as other cruises but how much food can you really eat! The buffet was actually better than I expected. Dining room food was always well presented but never hot - always luke warm. All desserts we poor except for the ice cream. We did eat in the nouveau steak house once ($45 pp) which was very tasty but it seems that they have taken the steaks from the dining room to the pay restaurant as the steaks in the dining room are now terrible - and I'm not sure if I was even eating real meat! Entertainment More activities organised than any other cruises we've been on. They had every minute of the day filled with things to do and sometimes we even had to choose between them. Lots of great trivia - not too hard and with topics like harry potter and friends as well as general knowledge gave lots of variety. Comedy shows where the best! So funny with two comics on each night! The stage shows were the typical singing dancing routine - not my cup of tea. There was no hard sell to do shore excursions, shop or play bingo! Well done to the entertainment crew! Ports All NZ ports were good. Didn't book any shore excursions with Carnival and glad we didn't. There was plenty to do just off the ship. Although this cruise only had 3 ports in 10 days. Other Good size gym with decent equipment. Lots of activities for Kids and very active kids club programs. No tipping and all Australian dollars. Generous with alcohol in cocktails. Kids liked putt putt. Bottom Line We all enjoyed the cruise! The crew were pleasant and friendly and worked hard to please. Avoid school holidays as prices double and I think $100 pp per night is a fair price. Only consider Carnival if you have kids - otherwise I'd aim more upmarket. Read Less

We choose this cruise as it appeared that it would have enough options to keep us and our teenagers (15 & 16) entertained. We were right. The teenagers immediately became part of the O2 Club and we barely saw them, other than for dinner, for the entire 8 days. The fabulous thing about the cruise is we were able to give them their freedom without the usual worries that come with them going to parties etc. As for us we took advantage of nearly all of the activities offered on board which meant we had plenty to do during the day and night as well as time to spend relaxing - mainly in the adults only Serenity Bar. The 3 island stops were ok, Isle de Pines being the highlight, with a beautiful spot to swim just a few minutes walk from the jetty. Without exception all of the staff we interacted with were professional, polite, accommodating and friendly which really added to our enjoyment of the trip. My advice would be to pack lightly, there are easily accessible laundries on board which cost $7.50 per load (powder, wash, dry). Embrace the themed nights, it makes for a lot of fun. Go with the anytime dining option if your kids are teenagers or older (the early session has a lot of little kids). Another great thing to know is if you buy a bottle of wine you can take it with you as you move around the ship to different activities, you don't have to drink it all at dinner for example. You can even take it back to your cabin and bring it back to dinner etc the next day. Read Less

We chose this cruise on recommendation by friends. The checking in process was easy and flowed very well. We were quickly settled in and the fun began. The staff were just excellent. The entertainment on board was super and we hardly saw our three boys except at breakfast and dinner. That's saying a lot cos without wifi they would always be generally bored and complain as all teenagers do! So not having ANY connectivity was good for us all. - We always dined at the Truffles restaurant and enjoyed the different food and entertainment each night. The general dining area where we had breakfast and lunch were also pretty good with a variety of food to choose from. The staff were well trained in every aspect and a pleasure to be around. - Our favorite ports were Isle of Pines and Mystery Island. They were just unbelievably gorgeous. We spent almost all day in the clear blue water, swimming and snorkeling. - We loved the onboard shows, specially the comedy club and theater. I feel the shows are of a very high standard and very professional. Hats off to those dancers and singers. - Another activity we enjoyed together as a family was the Trivia. So much fun! Oh I almost forgot to mention the absolutely yummy cocktails! I had a different one each time I had one!!! - RE: Shore Excursions - What an absolute waste of money!!!! - The Glass bottom boat ride in Santo was a waste of time and money. We didn't see a thing! and its $80pp for 45mins! - We booked a (4.5hour) tour to canoe down the Riri River (which according to the cruise director was a Not to missed activity) DO NOT DO THIS!! At $110pp, all we got was a long hot ride in a local bus with nothing to see, then got on a canoe with a local canoeing (which was all of 7 minutes), we were then given approx 45 mins at the blue hole (a lovely hideaway to swim in, but the water is not very clean) and then packed off back to the ship after another long, hot journey back in the bus! Every single person on that excursion complained about the cost for something that was worth next to nothing! We were not given a refund for this nor was this acknowledged. We were told that an email would be sent with a survey and we could write our concerns on that!!! For a family of 5, this was an absolute rip off!!! Very disappointed! In all we spent almost $1500 on excursions and ONLY the zip lining was worth it. The boys enjoyed it very much. We canceled our remaining snorkling tour after this experience. In Noumea, our last port of call, we decided to just take the hop on hop off bus. The cruise line charged $20pp while the locals charged $8pp. Buses were exactly the same! While we are still waiting to hear back from the cruise line re: the refund, the rest was a great experience. - As we traveled during the days leading up to christmas, the whole ship was decorated and it looked just amazing. - Make sure you get on board credit when purchasing your ticket. Trust me, you will need it. We didnt and it was a very costly onboard experience for us. - Disembarkation process too went very smoothly. Great experience in every sense ...and yes, I would Cruise again Read Less

If anything, this is definitely a fun boat. Lots of activities for everyone and a great energy. While the service is inconsistent it's generally positive. The process of getting on board was particularly patchy. The number of times I was ordered to produce my passport and green card prior to actually needing to was completely fun busting. Service at the bars vary. Some of the staff don't seem to want to be here. On the other hand, Mr G, our waiter in the restaurant, is a sensation. If they cloned him and put him in every position on the ship, this would be the happiest and most fun place on the high seas. Or, anywhere for that matter. If you like fun towel animals, you'll love this ship. The monkey hanging from the ceiling a favourite. If you're after a massage, wait till the second half of the trip, or plan for the ashore days. Prices halve. But they need to. $250 for a massage is piracy. They should have a Jolly Roger flying over the spa. Speaking of piracy, don't let your wife anywhere near the detox class. This is a family cruise ship. Heaps of stuff for kids and they are yelling and screaming everywhere. Luckily, the Serenity Bar at the back of the ship gives sanctuary from the kaos. The movie programming is questionable, to say the least. On one night, Suicide Squad and Finding Dory were scheduled. What do you think came on earlier? You guessed it. The kids left Suicide Squad at 7.15pm distressed. Claims for PTSD against Carnival submitted. The Casino is great, lost my Christmas present money on the first day. The Texas Holdem comp is a bit of a mystery though. 10 players, $60 entry, 1st prize $300, 2nd prize $150. Where did the other $150 go?? Maybe to the free drinks for players. Hang on, you pay there too! The performers are hit and miss. The two solo acoustic dudes on our trip were serviceable, while the duos not so. The girl playing piano late at night and nailing Sia a highlight. Carnival makes about $2b profit a year, they could invest in some better harmonies. Highlight of the time ashore is Isle of Pines, named after Captain Cooks wife. He was really missing her when he visited here. Pining for her. Absolutely stunning beaches but be prepared to be skinned by the local beer prices. $11 for a can of local beer? Come on! Rooms are very spacious and very well serviced. Not sure about paying $5 for the in house movies though, just another way to bleed you really. On ship wifi? You betcha. Hang that Jolly Roger over the modems as well. Best to come prepared to be off grid. If you didn't drink alcohol, use the Spa, or go ashore, you could do this for no extra charge. Otherwise, add about $800 pp to your bill. Overall, fantastic 9 days. Thanks Mr G! Read Less

This Cruise was booked so we could tick one off our Bucket List the "Melbourne Cup Carnival". What better way to travel in style to the Cup than by a Beautiful Big Luxurious Ship. My husband generally drives to our holiday destination, this time he was able to sit back and travel in style. We travelled to the port via a train journey and exited the train at Circular Quay where we were greeted by our Ship which had a gigantic spider on her bow. A short walk to the port terminal allowed us to drop our bags off at the terminal and proceed to board. We had booked a Vista Cabin Suite which gave us priority boarding tickets. We did not need to wait in line and we were escorted up to the terminal check in stations within a few minutes. There we were checked in and assigned our sail and sign cards and told to proceed through the port security before boarding. The whole boarding experience would not have lasted more than ten minutes. The cabins were not ready until 1:30pm, but we walked down to see were our cabin was positioned and our cabin steward allowed us to deposit our hand luggage into our rooms. The whole ship experience was perfect. All family members had a ball and we would highly recommend Carnival to anyone that asked. Our Vista Cabin 8273 was magnificent. The balcony had plenty of room to stretch out and relax. We grabbed a bottle of wine, some beers, soft drinks and some nibbles and sat out on deck watching our Cruise depart and sail out of Sydney Harbour. Just magic. We had booked Anytime Dining, this option comes highly recommended. Between the hours of 6:00pm - 9:00pm you can turn up with your part and be assigned a seat for dinner. It meant we didn't need to plan our day around our dining time. The food in the main dining room was delicious, the food in La Player Grill, was delicious and plentiful. If you couldn't find something tasty to eat you a certainly a hard person to please. The fact I didnt have to cook, wash up or clean our room was a bonus in my book. The cruise line organised our return transport to the Melbourne Cup. The Cup experience was a thrill, the horses were fantastic to watch, but the people watching was the best entertainment. The thrill to listen to the crowd erupt when the race starts and watching the horses thunder down the straight to the finish line is heart thumping excitement at its best. The salon staff worked hard that day with a 3:30am start, our hair appointment was booked in at 5:30am. They had many appointments to accomodate the hundreds of cruise travellers who wanted to look their best for the fashion displays. I compliment them all they had a hard cruise, three consecutive days of early starts to attend to our hair needs. Carnival also supplied tickets to Oaks Day, but not as many people took them up on this offer. After the Cup we had booked a cycling tour around Melbourne with another company, as Carnival did not provide this type of tour activity to us. We had the best time, our guide was so informative and our legs were feeling a bit tired after 3 1/2 hours of cycling around the sights. We also booked a tour from the Old Melbourne Goal "Hangmans Tour" which was informative, historical and a tad bit scary..... Well worth it. The last day at port, we spent our day doing a bit of shopping in Melbourne which was lovely. I expected my daughter to go on the slides, what I didn't expect was to go on the Green Thunder and the yellow slide myself. That was heart stopping, my daughter laughed as I didn't open my eyes until I reached the bottom. If you want a holiday that gives you a variety of activities and food choices. Carnival Cruises are the way to go. Read Less

Thought a short cruise to Tassie and back might be a nice break for 3 fun loving cruisers. How wrong. The ship was full of grog swilling bogans. Dress codes in the dining areas meant nothing to them. The fault is the lack of control by the crew. Why, on formal nights, are people permitted in the dining areas wearing shorts, sleeveless shirts, thongs and baseball caps? Even in the casino you could watch idiots wearing dressing gowns and no-one said a word. The cabins have no tea/coffee facilities or robes. (although you can request a robe). Not even a bottle of wine can you take onto the ship. The bar prices start at $9 for spirits and $7.50 for beer. WORSE, YOU GET CHARGED 60c EXTRA IF YOU HAVE WATER IN YOUR DRINKS. That's right, 60c for water in your scotch. And what happened with the entertainment? Other than a good female escape artist all other entertainment was done by the ship dancers and singers. Another choice was to listen to a second rate comedian spouting sexually filled innuendo rubbish to a PG audience including dozens of small children. "Ask your Dad to explain it later". Never again for us Read Less

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We were 1st time cruisers,2 adults and boys 19 and 15, easy to board as all crew were helpful , luggage delivered 1 hrs after. dinner at Norveau rest 1st night, food was so delicious and the desserts were delicious but had chocolate sampler that was heaven, We had breakfast some days at empire rest or lido deck, but coffee I paid for as I prefer good coffee, Tried burritos, bbq area, burgers for lunch yum, night we had empire restaurant food was ok but you did not have to stick to entree ,main and dessert, my 19 year old had two main meals and dessert on last night, by the way the desserts are very good Did cooking demo at Norveau and absolutely loved this as we sampled Loved trivia, did the shows, boys went to comedy show and magic show My only thing is that my 2 boys found entertaining themselves during day was limited as 1st days waterslide not working and arcade was not their thing, Disembarked and only took 5 mins Read Less

We chose this cruise as we only wanted to do a short cruise this time, and as we had been on the Spirit before and enjoyed it so much. This time was very disappointing as far as the food and service in the dining room was very disappointing compared to other cruises we have been on. For this reason we feel it will be some time before we choose the Spirit again. The entertainment on board was ok, drink prices were good value. We feel this ship has dropped its standards as far as encouraging people to use the hand wash before entering eating areas, most other ships are very pro-active at the entry to dining areas. Boarding and disembarking was excellent, tender operation for shore tour was well organised. Cabin was clean and well serviced, you could choose if you wanted once a day or twice daily, we chose once a day and had no problems. Read Less

Wonderful service friendly staff with a smile always. plenty of things to See and do. Food was great plenty to have. A lot of different entertainment for young and old. The shows were amazing to watch. The band playing in the red frog bar were fantastic spent nights listening to their music. Plenty of seating around ship to lay in the sun or sit and enjoy a drink whilst looking out into the ocean. We saw Dolphins, whales on the way ,beautiful sunsets. Great value for money ,never been on a cruise before , will definitly be going again . The whole family enjoyed every moment . We meet many other people on board to have a chat.The ship was absoultly beautiful inside , very easy to get lost as it is so big with so many different decks. Thank you to all staff for a fantastic holiday . See you again on our next trip. Read Less

Just come back from a 3 night taster cruise leaving Sydney. I was a bit worried that my daughter aged 5 would not be able to use the pools as would be too cold since its winter. I did not need to worry as the 2 main pools were heated so we were able to use the pools each day. The kids splash park is cold but would be great in summer or on a cruise to somewhere hotter. The cabin was excellent, balcony cabin 5137 with a king size bed and a single sofa bed for our daughter. Appeared close to the show lounge area and right off a stairwell, but there was no noise problem. Lots of food choices and the dining room was excellent and the waiting staff did a mini show in the middle of the dinner service. All the staff were very friendly and my daughter has a great time at the kids club. They did not hold the green eggs and ham themed breakfast which was a shame, they said it was because it was a short cruise. The fountain cafe was always busy and they could do with a a better area to hold the quizzes as it got quite noisy with the coffee machines and people milling around, plus not enough seating. We could not hear all the questions. There was a long line up to get the coffee from here which you have to pay for so they could do with more people working there to keep the line down. The entertainment was brilliant, singing and dancing shows on 2 nights and also comedy each night. A lot was child friendly early in the night, saw lots of families there. Our daughter prefered to go to the kids club while we went to watch the shows. There was also plenty of other entertainment going on all the time so plenty to do. We used the mini golf course too. We were very impressed and hope to cruise with carnival again for a longer cruise next time, Read Less

As it was my first cruise I did not know what to expect. I found the whole experience a joy. The ship is well set out with everything easy to locate. The cabin was quite roomy & well maintained with friendly & courteous staff. The main dining room was a bit crowded at times but with over 2,300 guests it was still great. The Matre'd and wait staff were great, friendly fun it was a pleasure to dine there the food was great. We also dined at the neuvou restaurant where once again the service was fantastic the menu was varied & the food first class, portion sizes perfect for $45.00 great value. Entertainment was generally good. One particular band "The Band of Shipsie's" was fantastic with a great & varied playlist. Other activities were good. I could not fault the service provided by all levels of staff. The ports & shore excursions were good with local guides very knowledgeable & humorous. We did not travel with children but they seem well catered for. As this was my first cruise I would not hesitate in going again. Once again a great experience! Read Less

Short break. As expected, crew was friendly and efficient. Use of passenger name in conversation is a nice touch that pervades interactions. The refresher intent of the cruise was marred by unsupervised children in the Lido dining areas,running the corridors and stairs. Additionally, the location of this cabin adjacent to one with a double plus bunk layout that makes children next door an inevitability. This has implications for the use of the balcony as a restful spot. Normal, active kids generate noise. The outside aluminium furniture on the balcony deck are impossible to move without a fair bit of clanking. Something I'll put wariness of being next to a bunk lay-out cabin in the same category as elevators and laundries when I next choose a cabin. The dining room experience is typically enjoyable, especially the staff entertainment involving children. It would be good to see a change in menus, though. They've become predictable. Entertainment this time ranged from excellent (stage shows) to mediocre (solo guitarist). Use of a larger catamaran from the resort made ferrying passengers to and from Moreton Island faster. I'll cruise with Carnival Spirit and its crew again: but it would be great if it had a makeover beforehand. Read Less

We went on this cruise mainly to see if our first impressions of the Carnival Spirit from last year were the same and I'm pleased to say that,if anything, we loved the cruise, the ship, even better this time. The only criticism we have is smoking on the same deck as the walking track. We all want to get fit and healthy and it seemed odd to us why they chose this deck to put all the ashtrays. Could they move it to, say deck 3 instead. Carnival Cruise line have got embarkation and disembarkation down to a fine art. We boarded in Sydney just after 11.30am and were seated on Lido deck eating a most delicious lunch by 12 noon. We had an extended balcony cabin and it was great and we found we were entertained continuously throughout the cruise. The tender boats taking us to the Moreton Island port were quick and easy as well. We got straight off the boat and on the return trip didn't have to wait at all. As for Moreton Island itself, we chose not to do a shore excursion as we had been there before and opted for a walk along the beach to the ship wreck followed by some down time having a drink, listening to a great trio entertain the crowd and watching the world go by, very relaxing. We opted to take our luggage off the ship ourselves and found that most convenient. We will certainly be cruising with Carnival again and particularly Carnival Spirit. Read Less

Hi, Just some word of advice, you need to be very careful before you decide to cruise with Carnival. The Spirit is in poor shape, in cabin furniture falling apart, gym equipment not working, mini golf course in tatters, broken doors and glass. Be careful if your intending to bring a bottle of Alcohol along, it was my Wife's birthday and we intended to celebrate on board with a bottle of liquor, this was confiscated and was promised to be given back at the end of the cruise, instead they so called disposed of the bottle. Food is deplorable and un hygienic especially in the buffet areas. Unused food is recycled from day to day. We experienced food that was well passed its use by date, unfit for consumption, we also found foreign objects in our food which the staff found amusing. Food is poorly designed, lacks flavour and is based on quantity rather than quality. Vegetarians will be extremely disappointed, every day the same, tinned vegetables and heavy unhealthy dressings, food is out of refrigeration for far too long. There is not a great deal of entertainment available, very predictable, nothing spectacular, this is very boring especially when you sale at sea for a number of days. Alcohol prices are extremely high, considering they purchase alcohol at duty free prices. Sneaky unethical up selling is rampant, customer care staff don't care. Spa staff are rude and entrap you to buy longer periods or products. Sorry, but you need to know. Read Less

This was our 3rd Carnival cruise, with the first 2 cruises on the Spirit. The Legend was the same ship as the Spirit, so we knew what to expect. Again, the ship was in fantastic condition, great food and lovely staff. In previous cruises we sailed with family and friends, but this time it was just our family of 5, which was a lovely time together. We had an interconnecting balcony staterooms, which are always brilliant for a family. My husband and I had our own room and 3 kids in the adjoining cabin. Cabins are quite spacious and modern. Our room steward was very friendly, helpful and maintained our rooms very well. All staff in the restaurant were very friendly and professional. Wait staff were enthusiastic, helpful and engaged with their diners well. Fantastic choice of food from the Dining room to the buffet which had lots of choice. If you were ever hungry, the ship offers 24 hour pizza, which are made to order and extremely tasty. Night entertainment was fantastic. We went to all the shows which were brilliant. Also enjoyed going to a Pizza masterclass with a celebrity chef on board which was a lot of fun. Other activities we enjoyed was watching karaoke, ice carving on the lido deck, and listening to the many live singers around the ship. The shops on board are also fun to explore with handbags, jewellery, clothes, perfume and a lolly shop for the kids. Loved our cruise to Tasmania and would book with Carnival again in the future. Great value for money, very family friendly, great layout, tasty food and very relaxing. Read Less

Recently my girlfriend and I went for a trip on the Ship - "Carnival Spirit" - my experience on the boat was for the most part excellent. Entertainment was very similar with the three acoustic style acts - rather bland whilst all reasonable/good players - Band in the main bar was also playing some good tunes whilst they looked like they had only been together for this cruise - very tentative and especially the lady who seemed uneasy every night they played - overall they did their best with the unrehearsed band. Captians Plate was " out of this world " - world class cuisine and the whole boat was a five star experience... service to match - brilliant ! My only criticism was the area for over 18 was a smallish area at the back of the boat small pool and you really had to get up very early to get a "Cabana" .. I also found it really off putting that there was no piano bar pre dinner - with Jazz and music to suit older age groups and with a packed boat there is seriously not enough areas for child free restful time without being cramped and in a tiny pool ... summing it up - lovely boat - not enough room for adults - music was too similar - great food - great service .. probably wouldn't choose this boat again way to many kids and not anywhere for adults to speak of to get away from them .. Read Less

What a great cruise we had to New Zealand on the Carival Spirit. I was travelling with 3 other adults & 2 kids. The staff on this ship are amazing!! giggles Emma the cruise director was very welcoming as was Desi the Matried in the Empire restaurant. Our stewards & dinner waiters were exceptionally great, we sure will miss their friendly & professional & prompt service....oh & the guys at the burger joint always made sure I got my vegetarian burger! We loved Desi's 'showtime' at dinner & the kids looked forward to a dance with the waiters every night. The staff really get to know you by name & you leave feeling like you are part of the Carnival family. Nothing was ever too much trouble for anyone. Just like to mention some exceptional Customer Seevice: Our team head waiter Goran in the Empire Restaurant was very professional, friendly and nothing was ever too much trouble. From the moment I mentioned I was vegetarian he was straight on to it and always looked after me & my fellow travellers... We asked to be seated at his table every night and were pretty sad when we didn't have him as our waiter if our usual table was occupied. Our stateroom steward, Glorioso ("Mr G") was very polite, friendly and professional. Our rooms were always kept beautifully clean and tidy and we loved getting a nice surprise every day - a animal made from a towel. The little surprise really brightens up your day and is so clever & the kids loved it. Thanks all for everything you did for us! I will definatley be cruising on Carnival again! Hope to cruise with you all again!!!! Read Less