This was my first cruise and probably the last one. To start with when we arrived we were not told that the bags could be checked in and taken to the rooms when it was ready later. The room was not available until 2 pm. We had a check in time of 1130-1200. The service form the start was terrible. We were not informed of any of the events that were planned for the cruise. We missed the clue game, that ran for the entirety of the cruise. I am a disabled veteran and I was trying to get the priority boarding. I was not able to get this and even when I was there and talking to the Carnival representatives, the only answer is that we can get a wheel chair. This is not the issue. What i needed was time to be able to get on and off, not in the crush of people. A sign we should have recognized as the beginning of the worst vacation customer service we have ever had. The first 2 days the trip was miserable as you could not walk around without wobbling because the ship was so turbulent. There never was any announcement or mention as to what was going on, or saying that we apologize for the roughness and let us do something to make it better. The room was small and run down. The bed was supposed to be a king but would not pass for a queen. The remote would not work. The ship as a whole looked tire and rundown and in need of maintenance. The food was mediocre at best. The hot food was not hot and the cold food was not cold. The plates and silverware was often dirty. The tables were constantly dirty and we had to move the dishes and things so we could sit down. The tables when cleaned was with a cloth, no sanitation spray was used. The serves were touching their face with the gloves and not changing them before serving food. Even the Posh Restaurant was simply OK. All of the steak was choice steak not prime rib or otherwise stated. To find clean silverware you had to check at least 4 sets. Overall not memorable food, even Guy's Burger Bar was not that good or up to my food standards. The best meal of the trip ended up being the BBQ place. Even that was simply OK. The pool was very small and always packed with kids. The kids were in the hot tub constantly and getting them dirty with orbees and other items just thrown in the hot tubs. When this was brought to the stewards attention, there was nothing done about it. There were teenagers running around throughout the ship at all hours of the day. The shore excursions was another aspect of disappointment. The one had a snorkeling session. The session was less than 45 minutes and then they were worried about getting us back to the shops. The focus seemed to be about shopping and not the excursion and some shopping on the side. It seemed to be that the on-board shopper was getting some money back for getting us into the stores as that was the primary focus for 2 of the 3 excursions. That is truly not what we were vacationing for. Once back on the ship we talked to guest services. The excursion manager was quite rude and explained that all of the excursions with water activities was 15-45 minutes. This was not in the magazine description whatsoever. Cleanliness was also a disappointment. My children went to Camp Ocean once and only once. There was over 1500 kids there. There was 2 attendants for over 70 children 6-8 years old. There were several that threw up due to sea sickness. The way they cleaned it up was by placing a towel over the spots. There was limited activities, no drinks or snacks. It took us almost 2 hours in line to pick them up afterwards. Smoke was also an issue. There was smoking on level 5 of the ship. You could still smell it several decks above. All of the music and entertainment, pictures and so on was on this level. This was extremely disappointing as we like to play games and listen to music. Something you could not do without putting up with second hand smoke the entire time. We were also conned by the on-board shopper. The man could pass for a modern day snake oil salesman. All of the savings that he supposedly had lined up were lies. We never received them even with the coupons. Also after the shore excursions were completed he conveniently disappeared for the remainder of the cruise home. When addressed with guest services we were told that we would have to speak to corporate. They simply passed the buck and did not care. The final insult to this disappointing trip was the debarkation process. We were all kicked out or our rooms at 830 am. We were then told to stay on the 5th floor or the 9th floor. They also did not limit the smoking for this process. so the smokers were puffing away. I am sensitive to this and it causes my sinuses to become swollen and painful. I would not use carnival if you value your health, happiness, money, or time. They do not care and are only looking to make money and your need and desires comes dead last. Read Less

Ship needs refurbishment badly. Rips, tears and holes in furniture throughout. Stained, dirty upholstery. Ripped, stained, faded flooring throughout. Chipped and peeling paint throughout. Broken window in the Silver dining room. Decor is very old, odd colors, strange designs. Water shut off during lunch hours two days into the trip for floors 8&9. 9 is Lido, the buffet. Sewer problem 1st floor. Oceanview rooms are on floors 1 & 2. Staff party hard with loud, thumping music, yelling and cheering until the wee hours 1am, 2:30 am. Their game room is mid ship, floor zero. So if you have a midship Oceanview room, good luck getting any sleep. Had to complain several times. Customer service is poor and many of them are seen walking around doing nothing or cutting up. A select few staff tried really hard to correct what the others lacked. Breakfast service and evening dining service in the Silver dining room was enjoyable. Staff were efficient. They could do without showtime because it just interrupts the dinner experience. They could really do away with elegant night. Not many people dress up anymore because most people vacation to relax. Pool areas were relatively clean. Photographers are pushy especially in the walkway on the 5th floor next to the casino. I felt like we were in Nassau being harassed to take photos. We didn’t care to have a photographer walking around the dining room trying to take pictures while we were attempting to eat. Lido buffet was always organized and clean. Food was good. Except for the barbecue upstairs. It was terrible-dry, greasy, overcooked. Overall the ship is ok. The staff needs to be trained in customer service. She ship needs the 2.0 upgrade and dry dock overhall. Read Less

Just back from a week on the Panorama plus a bonus day on the ship when a passenger got sick and needed medical testing to ensure it wasn’t corona. It wasn’t, thank goodness. The ship is clean and modern. It follows the Carnival layout for the most part. However, for those of us who need accessibility features, Panorama is vastly better than its predecessors. There are handicapped restrooms everywhere now. Huge help for me as I use a wheelchair and cannot stand or walk. We had a fully accessible balcony cabin and it was pretty easy to manage. The balcony was not easy; the depth was narrow and I would not have been able to turn around to go back in the cabin. Our cabin held a lot of mobility equipment with ease. We managed with my husband’s large scooter, his large walker, and my large power chair. Then my wheelchair frame snapped (steel!) and I had to borrow one of the ship’s small scooters. It fit too! The ramp to access the balcony is too close to the side of the bed, making getting in and out of bed even more difficult due to the angled floor. A grab bar near the bed would have been smart. Dining was terrific and we enjoyed all the options. We did the anytime. Never had to wait. The steakhouse was amazing. We loved Guy Fieri’s burgers last year on the Magic. Not so much on Panorama. The cheese seemed different. It was equally unpleasant in Pig and Anchor’s macaroni and cheese. Not a crisis as there is plenty to feast on and it’s all tasty. Crew was fabulous and warm and showed such hospitality when disembarkation shut down due to the health crisis. They were wonderful. Our room steward Ade was a peach. The big shows were great. We saw Broadway Beats and Rock Revolution. Excellent! We also hit the comedy club and several smaller live performances and loved all. The violin trio wasn’t quite as good as the trio on Magic. No worries. Overall, a wonderful cruise. I can’t speak to the ports as I wasn’t permitted to take the borrowed scooter I the ship. My husband had fun in all three. Cruise director Emma is so bubbly and sweet. Other senior staff were also relaxed and pleasant. Embarkation took forever and we waited in endless lines to board. The first attempt at disembarking was chaotic and confusing. The second time was better. That said, I am a large woman and when we reached the dome in Long Beach I got stuck because so many wheelchair pushers refused to take me. I get it; I’m not easy. But they were openly nasty about it. One of the porters suggested we take a Carnival bus to LAX. We had planned to use Access Paratransit but the bus team escorted us to a big bus with a lift and said it was free because we were ADA. Nice surprise! Read Less

Booked this cruise because we could drive to the port and do a "Snooze and Cruise" at the local Best Western. Hotel provided parking and shuttle to and from the port. Embarkation was delayed an hour due to the ship entering port late because of bad weather. Initially a little confusing because the shuttle dropped you off at a building where you went through and then boarded another shuttle to go to the actual terminal. Go figure. Carnival very accommodating due to wife needing a wheelchair. Embarkation went pretty smooth and were on board in about an hour. We had cabin #1603 aft, an ocean view on the 01 Deck. Can be set up for 3 with a fold out couch but it was just the two of us. Cabin was roomy with lots of storage and no complaints. Antonio and Nina Lyn were our cabin stewards and were efficient and caring. Both of them smiling and nice. Dining was in the MDR with anytime option for dinner. Dinners were for the most part, very good. Must have the Carnival chocolate melting cake! Breakfast try Ji Ji's for superb omelettes and lunch with oriental bowls with chicken, shrimp and beef with your choices of veggies. Lido for a quick breakfast or lunch. Entertainment was high energy with engaging performances with the exception of one night. Young performers danced like they were on fire. Loved the shows. Service was hit or miss. Bartenders were too few for the amount of people they were serving. They were overworked and it showed. We are not big drinkers, but what we had was good and powerful. Only did one shore excursion at Nassau. The Dolphin experience was something both of us wanted to do and it met our expectations. A word of caution: NO CAMERAS, CELL PHONES, GO PROS, ETC. ALLOWED. Why? They take their own photos of you when you are engaged with your Dolphin. Afterwards you see about 30 photos on a computer and they are available for purchase on a flash drive. For a total price of $117.00. No other option. So be prepared. We bought the package as it was a once in a lifetime experience for us. Printed them out at Walmart when we got home. Just a word to the wise. They do take credit cards. Went to the private island via tender. It was OK but the free food was a hike and the wife was out of gas. Spent 2 hours there and tendered back to the ship. If you have done the island gig before, having the ship to yourself while everyone is on the island can be a plus. No kids with us but there was plenty to go around on the ship. We would take this cruise again to kick the winter doldrums. Note: The cruisers were a diverse group, lots of screeching toddlers to senior scooter drivers. be prepared. Read Less

I’m a player. I usually cruise for free on RCL and Norwegian; however, I paid to be on this Carnival Horizon because I like where they go, and Carnival is a fun ship. But I am so disappointed with casino. FREE DRINKS only when you are sitting at the slots or table. You can’t go to the bar and order. You must wait forever for a waiter to take and then get you drink. There is a 15 drink limit per day, and you must wait at least 5 minutes between drinks. You need 2,500 points to get the free drinks. PREMIER PLAYER CLUB only works on past cruises. You must reach at least 7,500 points to get into the club for some nice free perks. The points must be earned in one cruise. However, you don’t get any of those perks during that cruise if it is your first time into the “club. For example, by day 3 I reached the 7,500 goal. I’m on a 8 day cruise. I don’t get any of the perks on this cruise. The casino staff did not make this clear to me until AFTER I made the goal. Then they were rude to me about it saying they had told me it would be on a future cruise. I didn’t book a cruise to be treated rudely or like a child. NON SMOKING IS ALMOST NON EXISTENT. The Horizon has a very small non-smoking section. And people smoke all around the non-smoking section so it’s like smoking anyway. The ventilation is only okay. This is TERRIBLE for anyone with COPD or asthma. SKIP THE CASINO. 1 out of 5 Lungs. 1/5.....Don’t cruise on this ship if you gamble and have COPD or asthma. The ship itself is nice. It has a good spa, and nice cabins. The food is good. I’m just very, very disappointed with the casino. Read Less

We chose this cruise because it was a brand new ship and thought it would be exciting. It was not, and was a rather bland experience compared to other cruise ships we have been on. I don't think there is anything exciting about this ship. The ambience was very lacking. Lots of advertising for this ship about many things to do on the ship, yet many are just a small area stuck in a corner somewhere. We travel as handicapped and don't believe the Long Beach port is very handicap friendly. They offer scooter rentals for pickup at the port terminal whereas other cruise lines offer scooter delivery to the room and pick up there. The pick up in the terminal was fine for boarding as you didn't have to wait for a wheelchair. But if you wanted to debark and take your own luggage, it became too much baggage to handle along with scooter. Won't do that again. Our accessible room was very nice with a nice layout, nice bathroom layout EXCEPT there were no chairs at all in the room. We had to sit on either the scooter or the bed. We had room service and had to put the tray on the bed. Not a comfortable scenario and there was plenty of room to put a chair. My curling iron quit two days after sailing in a plug where as other things worked fine in. After much frustration and paying for one hairstyle for $ 80; found out there was nothing wrong with my curling iron, but rather something wrong with it working properly in their plug. They brought up a box they called a transformer and I had to plug into that which took up most of the only desk space we had. Not a good experience on a brand new ship. The food on board was mediocre at best. Many things missing that would be readily available on another cruise line. Very little fruit and always the same fruit, mainly melon. Couldn't find a banana or orange to save your life. Many strange dishes everyday. Cutting board items so, so and were sliced to the bare minimum. There were two sides to the buffet and at 10:30 AM, one was shut down, including the orange juice machine!!! One day we couldn't get lunch if we wanted it. Was told we could have pizza or a sandwich, REALLY!! Never been on a ship where the included meals were not available. Very bad. Every tomato we had the whole trip was either green to pink and the center so hard you couldn't eat it. Portions served were small, glasses were small, cups were small necessitating many trips for refill. I really felt the cruise line was trying to pinch pennies with all these type of tactics and push people to go to the pay restaurants. One other note, one of the public rest rooms we stopped at near one of the lounges smelled so bad, it would gag you. There was a cleaning person in there scrubbing the toilets, but THAT WAS IT and she left after brushing all 3 and left the smell to remain. Not good. I will most likely cruise with anyone but Carnival in the future. We have cruised on 12+ cruises on all various cruise lines so lots to compare to. Read Less

This ship can NOT. Handle rough seas. Very frightening. Loud banging ceiling falling down. Scary and unpleasant. Mild seas were fine but we hit a significant storm with winds hitting between 43 and 66 kts. And a very roiling sea. This ship felt as though it was going to break apart. Heat and air stopped working. We had ambulatory assessable room. Plenty of room for ecv. But has step to very small balcony. Room has no chair to sit in. Just two step stool type blocks to sit on. Great for ambulatory handicapped but not for completely wheel chair dependent. Many hallway and corridors too narrow for wheelchairs. Very few handicapped bathrooms. Better to go back to your cabin bathroom. The layout of the ship is odd. Having to go through Lounges or smoky casino to get to restaurants is weird Quality of food awful. Even the pay restaurants were sub par. Buffet meh and always crowded. Or cabin was 6017. Not a bad size but a wheelchair would be very tight. Sturdy pull down shower seat. This is most definitely a party cruise. You do not walk into a beautiful atrium you step right into a tacky huge loud bar with tons of drunk people even though they had only just boarded a few hours earlier Entertainment was very subpar. In every way I loved having this being a younger crowd and lots of families and children. But the amount of drunkenness was disappointing. Also unsupervised kids in the 13-14 range were loud roaming and running in the hallways and running into people and small children Their are many reasons for not cruising with carnival sunshine but for me the mist disturbing thing was the very poor way the ship handled a serious storm. I must say though that EVERY crew member I encountered was pleasant and very helpful. Some went way out of their way to help me. And since I am handicapped and was traveling alone this trip that was was greatly appreciated. Lol I wish I could have many of the crew members on a better ship. Read Less

Ship felt loud noisy during a bad storm part of ceiling came down. Stateroom 6017. On the bow. Not a good place during a severe storm Ambulatory assessable cabin was decent sized and easily fit my ecv. But not in the bathroom step out to the balcony. Food average entertainment meh. Definitely a partiers Cruise. Lots of very drunk people. Passing out drunks Nothing to do of value education or interest. Just beer pong and hairy chest contests. Etc. meh But the worst was feeling that the ship was not safe in a severe storm. The loud banging and whistling wind and part of the ceiling coming down during a thirty hour storm. Very scary and miserable. I tried to call about the piece of ceiling that fell down but never had the phone answered. So I ventured down to the cruise desk and they were very nonchalant they just said to tell the cabin steward and he would contact the electrician. Well I did and nothing ever happened. So I told them again in the morning and same answer so I just disembarked. Nothing else I could do. Carnival is a crummy company. It’s cheap but not worth the feeling of the ship not being safe in high seas. So I guess you get what you pay for. Lol. Never again Read Less

Because I'm at Disney twice a year and because I don't like to fly just to get on my cruise, I booked this as a short trip for me and my adult children between days at Disney. I have some pretty severe back issues, and had reserved a scooter on embarkation. I also advised CCL that I had a CPAP unit. The price I paid was excellent for 3 people in an Ocean Suite.We are veteran cruisers of several Mass market lines, RCCL, NCL and Carnival. My thinking has always been that Carnival puts out a decent product at a fair price, tho one needs to be mindful of school schedules, spring breaks and shorter trips as your cruisemates change! Embarkation was amazingly quick and accommodating, as we were in a suite - NOT due to scooter/disability, etc. Carnival really has their act together at Port Canaveral! I will say I was asked 3x before boarding about my CPAP machine and my need for an extension cord, tho I never even requested one! This was followed by a call from Guest Services and a visit from the Supervisor of Stewards!!LOL - And I had brought my own! The ship was clean, yes, a bit worn here and there, but always crewmembers to be seen fixing and freshening, wiping and tidying. We made our way to Happy Hour at the Casino Bar and enjoyed champagne with some new friends. I also was told I had "Drinks on Us" but only when seated in the casino, not at the bar. I would enjoy 3 strawberry daquiris over the 4 days, paper straws only included upon request. In retrospect, it may have been a mistake to book the Specialty dining at Diamond Steakhouse for the 1st night. By far, it was the best meal I had during my entire vacation, including Disney's signature dining restaurants! I had French Onion Soup, mushroom risotto, Filet Mignon and baked potato and, finally, we shared Art on a Plate. My daughter is a vegetarian and they accommodated her through every course. The service was impeccable. Some people ask on the boards about the wine offer on the 1st night. The deal was one free bottle of house choice or 50% off any other bottle. They gave us the free bottle but had to open it first and recork for us to take back to our cabin and drink later. By far, an excellent meal all the way. What a wonderful surprise! EXCEPT!!! MDR calling for the next three nights. Our tablemates were lovely, and I love conversing with new folks when I cruise. And we all pretty much approached dinner the same way, which got rather comical at times. First of all, portions are miniscule, so almost all of us ordered two appetizers and often, two entrees each. Service is rushed and servers are stressed, overwhelmed and impatient. Desserts have to be ordered with the appetizers and entrees, a practice I detest. And then, there was the food.... palatable, tasty I guess, but often cold, raw (prime rib, and I am fine with medium rare - blue, no!) or barely visible. Mashed potatoes? literally maybe 2 Tablespoons. Broccoli? 2 tiny trees. Sad. A highlight was my daughter's Indian vegetarian dish, which she enjoyed for 2 nights, one taken to go and very hot temp-wise. Go figure. Other food venues were more satisfactory. Plates were cleared quickly, servers at the buffet were very accommodating, serving, re-stocking and cleaning with a smile.Blue Iguana staff could use some burrito rolling lessons, but tasty nonetheless. I had one Guy's burger mid-afternoon - always popular and crowded and there was a break to enjoy it. No breakfast on this ship at my time of sailing. Pepsi products, however, on the menus. I'm a DP fan so I appreciated not having to carry onboard. Shows and entertainment in the theatre were enjoyable, a little cheesy but expected. Love and Marriage show is always fun. Activities seemed limited, but I enjoyed participating in several trivia games, meeting shipmates and trying to help the adorable woman running it whose English was less than stellar. My kids noted repeatedly that the crowd on this trip was older - MUCH older - than their previous cruisers so that they felt bored at times. They enjoyed movies outside, tho, as well as the late night comedy. I can't say too much about ports and excursions, as I've "been there, done that" years ago. My daughter and I roamed around Nassau a bit to shop. My son booked an excursion to Atlantis because he loves checking out new casinos, and although he could have hopped on a water taxi for $8 RT, he is mildly disabled (ASD), so we both felt more secure with the ship's "tour". He enjoyed it. Overall, better than expected. I's book more specialty dining next time, some feel strongly that it's like paying twice, but I don't think that way. At $38 a person plus tip, it was a steal in my book. Just my opinion. I regularly drop that for just an entrée at Disney and this was far superior! Don't be afraid to book this older ship. Yes, it's missing the glitz of the newer ships, but it was a fine short trip. A bad day at sea is better than a good day at work, right?? Read Less

I choose this cruise since it is closer to home. had surgery in September and had to cancel my Bermuda cruise, took this one to replace it.. took a while to get well. I read that people complain about the Sunshine being rocky.. I've never been on any boat that didn't rock a little. trip was great , food in all areas that I ate was excellent. Cabins were clean as expected. Service was great.. The Charleston port needs a lot of work but I guess Carnival can't help that. Not very handicapped oriented. All in all it was a good trip ,especially for the price. I will go again... The only problem I see is that it has too many passengers for the aminities.. enough eating area that we didn't have to wait but The Lido area was a total mess.. First time to Princess cay, about the same as half moon cay.. Go early for lunch or you will long lines, really not worth the wait, I didn't use Carnival for any excursion. been to Nassau many times and usually just get the taxi tour at the port.. Read Less

Although this was cruise #50 for me, we have only done a few Carnival weekend cruises. When I saw a new ship from our home port (1/2 hr drive!) we booked immediately (3/18) for our Jan 2020 Family cruise. DH was a bit afraid of such a large ship, as he has mobility issues, but did fine with the new elevator system. Grandaughters ages 5 & 9 loved the water park. Embarkation went really fast, and boarded "special assistance" with our boarding zone to be on board before noon! We booked adjoining cabins, and with the balcony divider down loved it! Cabins were new, comfortable, bur a bit smaller than other balcony cabins. However, family fit 4 in fine with a sofa bed & a bunk bed over it. Kids loved it1 Can't compliment staff enough! Everyone seemed to know my name by the second day, and went out of their way to say "hi". Everyone loved being on the ship, and you could feel the vibe. Our server, Jenny, in particular, was outstanding. Every day when we sat down had shrimp cocktails waiting for us! kids meals were served with our appetizer course, and kept the drinks coming on Cheers! Only other comment- DH had salt-free diet, but was very bland. I changed to regular menu, which I thought was better than any other cruise, including Celebrity & Oceania! Cruise Director Emma was energizer bunny- she was everywhere, keeping things going. I am collecting social security, but don't like a ship where everyone is in bed by 9pm! The live music was exceptional- the musicians knew all requests, keep the mood going for the most part, and had some crazy-fun jams! Rock show was my favorite- lots of classic rock. Other shows were ok- too loud for DH, even with his hearing aids off! Although we usually do our own excursions or through cruise critic, this time we did ship excursions for DH. Prices were fair, and we had done both before. In Cabo we took the Pirate Ship for the kids. Loved it, food was great. Best to do it as a snorkel, but we did not snorkel. There was a bit of a mix-up at first about alcohol- as we weren't snorkeling they at first weren't going to serve us, but got sorted out & we had plenty to drink! Also, boat left late as was a bit oversold. But crew more than made up for these. i made a comment at shore excursion desk, and they refunded 30%, although i didn't ask for anything and didn't really complain, just commented. Would definitely recommend Cabo Pirate ship, especially for price. if you do it is PV it is alot more expensive. In Puerto Vallerta we did the Mexican Fiesta for the girls. Beginning of tour was shipping & downtown, which we really didn't want. Fiesta and tequila tasting was good. Tour leader, Hugo, was a bit curt, but i guess needed to do that to keep the group together. Bus was late due to ADA problem I was told, so they gave us free margaritas. Would not recommend this tour. I know alot of people put down Carnival as being a "booze cruise" and lesser quality than other lines, but I disagree. They are really stepping up their game by catering to families, excellent food, etc. My family is ready to book their next cruise! Read Less

We chose this particular cruise because it left out of a port we could all access fairly easily by car AND seemed like a good fit for the children and teenagers in our group. Also, a couple of the adults in our party very much wanted to do some gambling as well. The "Dream" seemed to have it all. We were not disappointed. The ship was lively and full of fun activities and different dining choices. The staff was always ready to help us and were super friendly. Our cabin steward (Marco) was sweet and so hardworking. We felt pampered and were genuinely sad to say goodbye to him when it was time to go. In general the service overall was great. We dined every night in the 'Crimson' restaurant. There were 11 of us so we were not easy to seat but one group of servers did such a good job that we asked for them again and again (THANK YOU Amy, Ervin and Ni Kadek!). After our first night they knew us all by name and what we liked to drink. Amy and her crew were that great combination of friendly and personal without being intrusive. The food was a bit hit and miss (sometimes great but sometimes a bit bland; never awful) but for the price point this cruise hit, I was happy with it and there was plenty to choose from on-board with all the different restaurants and buffets. Our kids and teenagers could all find food they enjoyed and that was what was most important to us. We had a fantastic time and we can't wait to do it again. Read Less

I have been on the Vista before with just my husband and we stayed in a Havana Vista balcony. That experience was amazing. This one was not as good. We opted for a Havana aft view extended balcony. My children, parents and brother were in interior rooms around the corner. I loved the room... probably even more than our Vista balcony as it had a coach andore usable space. (Opt for one of the four inner most aft view balconies for the most space). Our room steward Rob was nothing short of AMAZING. Best steward I have ever had bar none. This guy MADE the trip!!!! So helpful. My family's interior rooms were nice as well and roomier than I anticipated. The food was decent (ranging from very good to mediocre) but service in the dining room was also excellent. We all had anytime dining but I was able to schedule us a table for 8 on the first night and we were able to keep the same table (looking out over the ocean) for the rest of the cruise with a standing reservation for 5:30 every evening. Burgers were great. My biggest knock on the food was that I ended up with food poisoning on the third day of the cruise (and I knew it was from the ship because I had been on there for two full days and not off) which resulted in me being violently ill and throwing up and having explosive diarrhea for about 36 hours straight. Pretty sure I got it either from the lasagna or the Cesar salad at the Italian restaurant as that was the only thing I ate that no one else in my party ate. I met another woman later on the ship who had the same problem and there were several times I smelled vomit in the hallway so I know I wasn't the only one affected. But I suppose on a cruise ship with 6,000 people, it is almost bound to happen. Entertainment was great and getting on and off the ship at all the ports was a breeze. Disembarking was rough, but it wasn't helped by the fact that we were fogged out of the Galveston port until 3 pm so I guess the staff handled it well all things considered. The drinks were extremely watered down. I would NOT buy the cheers package on this ship. In fact, after I had 8 mixed drinks in a a few hours and did not even get a buzz, I switched to wine. I question if they put any alcohol in them at all. My kids went to kids club the first day and a child became violent. After that, they were scared to go. So that was disappointing and I was quite put out because even though my 5 year old was attacked by a violent child throwing toys at him, I was not called or informed until I picked him up. My child has been going to gym daycares since he was 6 months and is in a private school. He is always excited to go to the gym daycare and school so the fact that he was crying and literally shaking when we mentioned Camp Ocean tells me this was truly a bad situation. He said the kid was 9 and tried to kill him. This is completely unacceptable, Carnival! If your staff can't keep 5 year olds protected from behaviorally disturbed 9 year olds, then they don't need to be taking the kids with behavior problems in Camp Ocean at all! Read Less

We are an older couple. We did not go on any of the ships' shore excursions. The ship is beautiful. There are many dining venues, swimming pools and a variety of entertainment. A great ship for families traveling with kids. There are special cabins for families and many activities of interest for both kids and adults. The assigned table restaurants' food was excellent and the service was great, but it felt rushed. They served a 4-5 course meal in an hour. In the middle of dinner they would stop everything to do the Macarena... No matter if you took early or late seating in the restaurant, you will not be on a time schedule which will allow you to see a whole show in the theater. Food in other venues was good also, but there seemed to be a problem every day with the ice machines. The print on the paper deck plans and the daily activities list is so small that you need a magnifying glass. Be sure to get the app for the ship on your phone. The room and the balcony were both extremely small for the money. There was plenty of closet room, storage under the bed for suitcases and a safe. All cabins doors look about the same except some are large than others. It's good to have some decorations to hang on yours to distinguish it from others. Read Less

1. The crew were fantastic, Rai looked after our cabin really well and kept it nice and clean, Deck 9 Marian and Sukra were awesome, Marian was always flat out cleaning up and Sukra was very attentive in brining me drinks. 2. Cabin was a bit squishy in 1132 and hard for my mother to access with a disability and the wheel chair didn't fit. 3. The ship was beautiful. 4. The food on deck 9 was not the greatest, dry for the best over cooked and not hot. Emporer dinning was restaurant quality food and the staff were awesome. 5. The Island's were beautiful, I really loved Isle of Pines and Mystery Island, Villa was great shopping and even better duty free. 6. Alcohol was far to expansive, didn't really impress me much and internet well over priced. 7. Overall not to bad and I did have a ball Read Less

I chose this cruise to go to Komodo Island. On boarding I found my cabin (no one giving directions at all) upon entering what was supposed to be a wheelchair cabin I found I could not access the toliet as the beds blocked the way. Contacted room steward and was told someone would come sort it out it took 7 hours before someone arrived not to sort it out but to ask if I wanted my room done morning or evening (he said he would rearrange the beds for me when he came in later which he did). I had no hot water for the first 7 days of the cruise. Only half the lifts worked which resulted in having to wait half hour to enter a lift some days and at times only 1 lift worked and last full day there was 2 hours that no aft lifts where working. The set out of the ship is really not wheelchair friendly and I did not find one push button opening door on any disabled toilet which made it very difficult to get in and out of without help. Tried to book some tours on board but was told there was no tours available to people in wheelchairs. Was very angry to be told I could not get to Komodo as I would not be able to get around in a wheelchair. Even after booking a private tour they tried to stop me going. Yes I got there and yes I got around and yes I saw dragons. I found it disgraceful that staff judged what I could and could not do by the fact I use a wheelchair. Most of the staff where very good. I had the misfortune to be within a meter of a man who physically assulted a woman in a mobility scooter because she was swearing. Security did not want to know what happened and tried to sweep it under the rug, they took statements from people who either did not see what happened or where not even there but had no interest in getting one off the only witness to it. I had to insist that I made a statement about it even after waiting 8 hours for security to contact me as they said they would. Read Less

Nothing better to me than Carnival and Freedom is my all time favorite,. I've sailed 4 times this last year. Once on Carnival Vista, however nice, Freedom is my choice how the crew remembers me and always makes you feel so welcomed.. The food is worth every cent, the entertanment is always amazing. Would like to sail to different places, but can only leave out of Galveston. When we had a power outage, the Captain and the crew made us feel at ease. We were dining at the time, instead of a panic we were enjoying entertainment. Finished our meal with the back-up lights and still had an amazing evening. We sailed on the July 4th Cruise, that was done that made my heart so full of pride to be an American. The respect that they showed our veterans and the way we got to show them how much we appreciate what they have done for our Country. Thank you so much Carnival Cruise line,I will always be your cruiser. Read Less

We use this cruise line when we take my mother inlaw on a yearly get away. In the past have had no major problems or issues. This cruise however was the Worst experience I have ever had in 20 years of cruises. I will never go back, I'll stick with Princess or Royal Caribbean. The food on this cruise was awful, the buffet was tasteless, and they have no variety, same thing over and over, and just a few selections, no pineapple or watermelon until last day, Unripe (green) canteloupe, Desserts were tasteless, and all you could choose from was cake and hard cookies. Fine dining not much better, after screwing up our dinner time, we were informed we would have to check in every evening to fine us a table. Guys Burgers was the only thing worth eating, however they closed at 6pm. Not enough crew, and crew members had bad attitudes. On crew member in deck 12 was asked to get me a Coke, and he replied no it was not his job, instead he stood there with his finger up his butt looking over balcony and picking up trash ever now and then. Not enough help at bars 1 to 2 bartenders at busy bars on sea days. So many more complaints, I've just touched on a few. Like I said worst cruise in 20 years, but never again, they should sink the sunshine. Read Less

We were in Aft #6483 with the wrap around deck and it was great! Don't worry about engine noise, club noise, or vibration...all a minimum if not non-existent. Crew was great, food real good, thought there were too many 'additional' items being sold like cocktails at every turn, we had to sign for each and every cocktail with our drink package, which we thought was ridiculous having sailed on Viking cruise line where the 15 day package is $280 & the Carnival 4 night package is $250! Really no complaints about on board options except the additional charges for just about anything,(we had the drink package which included sodas, however, you have to wait in line with the bar people just to get a dang coke and then they ran out of coke for crying out loud! The ship itself needs huge updates like the deck railing glass is so clouded that it can't be washed off cuz it's between the glass...carpet is yuk but everything is clean...for the $$, it's worth it tho! Enjoy! Read Less

This was a cruise with my elderly mother, teen daughter, and her friend. I've been on about 12 cruises including NCL, HAL, Carnival, RC, and Celebrity. Embarkation was great, we walked on around 11:00 almost without stopping. Thanks Carnival! Our inside room for three on U122 was fine. Smallish but no major issues. Everything was clean and in good working order. Food overall was just OK, definitely not up to our recent cruises on HAL and Celebrity. Lido buffet was below average, Guys burger joint was great, deli was a nice option. Main dining room food was hit or miss. Some choices were very good, like the tomato soup and prime rib. Custom steaks were all overcooked. Calamari was luke warm. Food choices were plain, nothing fancy like I enjoy on a cruise. Food service was mixed. We had to wait 40 minutes for a table on the elegant night. Once seated, we waited 10 minutes for water, another 5 for menus, another 3 for bread, another 5 for bread plates, and so on. We arrived at the dining room at 7:40 planning to make the 9:30 show but we did not make it. MDR was unprepared for the crowd that night - indicating poor dining room management. Service in the room also below average. They made up our room just once a day. Cheerios spilled on day 3 were not cleaned from ujnder the bed when we left on day 5. Music was good which included a six piece band, guitar soloist, and duo. I did not see the shows but our teens (who like Broadway) enjoyed them. Pool deck was fun as always - the highlight of our Carnival cruise. All in all - it was fine for what it was. A four day getaway while the kids were on fall break. This was the only ship that matched our dates. Read Less

This was my first cruise in over 5 years, this cruise was awesome... The theming is good, many people kinda get a bit turned off by the American nature, but this is an American cruise catering towards Americans, each restaurant has a theme, the Lido one is themed to "Rosie the Riveter", while the any time dining is themed to Abraham Lincoln and the reservation one is themed to George Washington, other American events are portrayed as well, The Apollo 11 landing is in a nightclub, and the wild west is in a casino. Anyways, the slide is outdated, i rode it 100 times and it scraped my back so hard, it needs the new slides that are on the Sister ships. The Cheese Pizza at Pizza Pirate kinda tasted disgusting, the Cruise Director Kevin was mostly good, except he wakes people up, and the Cruise Sub-Director Georgia (not the state/country) was awesome as well. The cabin i chose was an interior bunk bed, it was better than expected, the dining staff were awesome, extra props to Mr. Norman for having great service, it is one of the cheaper, but awesome. Overall, it's a 9/10 cruise, good but needs fixes. Read Less

This was a fantastic package deal for Australian cruises! Embarkation was an absolute disaster standing in the sun for well over 2 and a half hours with no shade or water or explanation given. The first point of contact was from a carnival employee in tears as we entered the igloo building As it was so late, there was no embarkation photographers to be found which was disappointing. Our cabin was on Deck 2 ( 2441) we loved this cabin plenty of room, well set out very close to the lifts. We had early dining which I am undecided about 5 30pm is a little early and I feel we missed a lot of the sail away's because of this. Dining was a little hit and miss with food sometimes cold. The staff were fantastic from cabin attendants to wait staff, in the dining room they were only too happy to help. We went to the buffet a few times, we much preferred the dining room for breakfast and lunch. It seems if you are disabled in anyway you are seated before anyone else so our tip is to carry a walking stick like a lot of our fellow cruises did! All the ports, we did our own thing and had a great time, disembarking in Guam was another disaster, sending way too many people off the ship at the same time with people pushing in, was not fun and needed to be handled better from Carnival. We were led to believe police had to be called. We hated the smoking in the casino, the comedy shows were great I think they had over 70 comedy shows on this cruise. Production shows were good. Some of the headline acts were a bit hit and miss. Overall I think Carnival did a good job for the most part, they were behind the eight ball from the start with many many unhappy cruises who were left out in the heat for so long at the start of this long cruise. Read Less

We are getting close to the end of an 8 day adventure on Carnival Magic and have a few negatives to report . The entertainment in the evening was not what we expected compared to our previous 2 cruises with Carnival. The only night we half enjoyed was the last night with the rock and roll of the 80's being played by the cast in costume. The entertainment on the main floor was much better with several different groups. The trio of female violinists from the Ukrane were the best. Some of the Pixel staff needs a lesson on customer courtesy as their new way of ordering pictures was very confusing and they were all 11x7 pictures but they didnt have one 11 x 7 frame to purchase and some of the help didnt even know how to order your pictures and didnt seem to care if you bought or not. We found most of the food ok but the dinner at night was great. We really need to put a shout out to our head waiter Joseph and his staff of Maryna and Cabata for the friendship they showed us every evening in the Northern Lights Restaurant. We hope to someday take another cruise and luck out to have them again. Also we would like to thank our housekeeping for the nice job of keeping our room clean and ice bucket filled. We did feel the carpet needed a good cleaning though. We will cherish all the fond memories we did have on this cruise though. We have previously been to Grand Turks but took the Rainbow Tour Bus for a tour of the island. My sister-in-law enjoyed it so that's what we had hoped for. A special thanks to Jaunita for her guide service on Bermuda. Very informative. My sister-in-law who took her first cruise with us at 83 years young got plenty of souvenirs to take back with her and we truly hope she decides to take another cruise in a couple years. My wife and I are planning an Alaska Cruise and Land tour in the next couple of years when she retires from her work. Once again, thank you Carnival for another great experience. Read Less

Special needs son request mocked by employee and corporate not making it right If you have a child with a disability do not cruise carnival. The ship itself was average, the same you will find on all cruise lines for its age/class. The splash pad is in a horrible location where it is super loud (ship engine,thrusters,smoke stacks)and windy. Most other cruise lines have the splash area on the main lido deck where it is not as loud and more accessible. The kids club would did not have an igloo slide like pictured and will combine all age groups when not a lot of kids were there, which is tough on a child with special needs. They would be in one room one time then the other the next and then not being allowed over at other times which for kids can be frustrating “why can’t I go over there and play the video games?” “Why can’t my sister be in my room now, she was yesterday?” Just be consistent, either keep them separated the whole cruise or keep them combined. Consistency is key. Other cruise lines offer the same/or better kids areas and accommodations for special needs kids specifically Royal and Norwegian. Food is average with cruise line industry, but if you have dietary needs consider another line. We put in our concerns when booking and then after paid in full checking to make sure my son would be accommodated. On the ship, they had no note of it and then took 4 days to be correct and multiple trips to maitre d, chef, & guest service. Other cruise lines it takes 1 meal and then everything is usually correct by the next one. Here is a specific incident where an employee did not take my child’s disability seriously & corporates response as well... On 9/30 I went to the unicorn cafe to get a straw for my disabled son, who can’t drink without one.(I had brought 2 reusable cups for him to use on the trip, but unfortunately one was lost and the other broke right before this incident) The employee told me they didn’t have one, but I could go to the Serenity Bar to get one. I went to the bar and asked for a straw. Another guest said “turtle killer” and laughed. The bar server laughed and called me a “murder”. I told my mom what happened and she immediately went to guest services. While talking to guest services she was overwhelmed and had to lay on the stairs. She text me and told me I had to come down there, because whenever she spoke about the incident her head hurt and felt like it would explode. I walked my mom over and talked to the bar manager who apologized for taking so long, but he was speaking with the server who said he did not say anything to me. He told the bar manager the guest called me that and he said nothing. I told him to check the tapes because you will see he said it to me after the guest. He said he would have a meeting with all the staff and make sure no one says anything to guests. My mom then bought medicine and laid in her room. I contacted guest care when we were in port and told them what happened and that my mom was not getting better and I felt unsafe on the ship. The lady apologized and asked if I and all my party had our passports and belongings and if we were ready to leave now. I said yes and she then said she just had to verify for protocol that I informed guest services on the ship and then she would refund our money and send us home from Hawaii. She put me on hold to verify with guest services, when she got back she said guest service on the ship had no record of the incident and said I did not come down so unfortunately she could not help me until I went to the ship. If they do not resolve it I could then contact them once I was off the ship to help, which I assumed would honor the refund. On 10/11 I went to guest services to get a copy of incident-in case when I called they said there was no record like on 10/6 and was told they could not share it with me. I asked to see a security officer and was denied saying my safety was not a concern. I told them I had to return my “serenity pool towel” to guest services because I did not feel safe going in that area or any area that employee could be. I was then told that the employee was reprimanded and only told me to “save planet earth” when I said that was incorrect and sounds nothing like “murder” they changed it to “save Mother Earth”. I then felt like they were trying to cover up the issue instead of taking responsibility and insisted on seeing security who took a full statement, but would not allow my mother who had medical issues from the incident to give a statement. The officer told me he would investigate. I was then contacted and the officer said the bar manager told him it was carnival policy to tell all guests who request a straw to “save the environment” I asked why this was not mentioned 11days earlier and why the server lied saying he said nothing when initially asked. I also said it sounds nothing like “murder” so then after talking with the manager again I was told I just didn’t understand the servers accent. Then the manager tried to convince security by saying "save Mother Earth" as fast as he could to show it sounded similar, but it did not and I stated this was insulting and not what the server said. Also, no other servers the entire cruise mentioned “saving the environment or planet or Mother Earth” I also said that telling me that would be inappropriate since it is for my disabled son who can’t drink without a straw, but the server crossed the line and made me feel unsafe by calling me a “murder”. The servers put straws without any request into alcoholic drinks continuously without mentioning the environment. When I got home I contacted customer care again. I shared the information and was told by Ingrid that I misunderstood the employee and they would give me $50 credit to a future cruise. I said I don’t feel safe especially since everyone is covering up for the employee and that $50 didn’t even cover the cups I had to buy in port because I felt unsafe asking for straws and guest service on the ship lied to her colleague. My mom then contacted Sergio and was told it would go under manager review and we would be contacted. Three weeks later I called again since no one contacted us. I spoke to Ariadne who first said my booking was cancelled and then found it. She insisted I misunderstood and that the case was closed. She also denied my request to speak to a supervisor and said I could contact BBB or whoever else I felt since they never give refunds. I contacted BBB and corporate insisted I misunderstood the server, even though the employee's story changed and was documented in my statement to security that they said one thing and changed to another and the bar manager admitted this in front of the security officer. I pleaded with corporate to just view the videos and deal accordingly with its employees so this would not happen to anyone else, but they maintain that I misunderstood. The video would show the server laughing at me and if someone could read lips he stated one word “murder” in no scenario is that appropriate wether for myself or my disabled child-either would telling me to save the Earth especially after acknowledging another guest just called me a “turtle killer” why an employee would laugh and say anything is beyond comprehension, but for a company to cover it up is unimaginable. I have cruised carnival in the past and recommended them over Norwegian, Royal, Holland, Princess, and Disney, but not anymore. I do not feel safe and at the end of the day no one deserves to be treated like that with or without a disability. Please consider carefully on your next cruise to choose a company with integrity and find the truth not just what suits there bottom dollar. Read Less

Have travelled with carnival in the past and it has been generally good and the dates of this trip worked for me. Let me say quickly that the ship was not up to the usual standard. Food not as varied as previous cruises and the ship looked wore and tired. However the main reason for writing was the fight that broke out in the Tiffany dining room on the 4th night. After a small period of rasied voices one person raised a chair above his head and smashed it into another person's head. This wasn't the end of it. The same person was going to hit the person again had he not been stopped by other guests. Security was called. And it took them some time to arrive at the scene by which time the culprit had left the scene. I did speak to security as i was a witnes to the crime and they showed no interest in me giving a statement and description of the assailant. Therefore for me as a guest, sercurity, passenger safety, and the risk this posses to vunerable peoples safty (a child was in the area and several disabled perople were in the area) leaves me with great concern about carnival attitude to the crimes committed on board. The passenger was taken to the hospital part of the ship and there didnt appear to be any police presence whe we arrived back at dock at the end of the cruise. With that being said i will never book with carnival again and advise others not to do it. I await carnivals response to this. If there is one. Also on a final note about security, let me not dwell to much on the issue with marijuana being smoked on board. Especially previlant on deck 11 the family area. After explicitly being told not to, what was sechrity doing about this. Again await carnivals response to this. Read Less