My wife and I had been on this ship in September and it was one of our best cruises. We booked a balcony cabin on deck 10. Some are concerned about the noise from the LIdo deck when you book in this location, but we didn't find it to be a problem on this cruise or the last (on the same deck). Last cruise on the Valor in September, we never made it to the main dining room, but we made a point of going this time and we were very satisfied. The food was great and the service on the spot. We did get a free steak house selection as a thank you and we opted for the surf and turf (we actually paid for this through my wife's "donations" in the casino). The buffet was standard Carnival, nothing to write home about, but good. The fried chicken was the only negative but far outweighed by the Bar-B-Que. Our overall experience was excellent the first cruise on this vessel and got even better this time.. We specifically boarded this ship hoping the musical entertainment still included the band "Deep Blue Soul", and we were not disappointed. Lucca and Kiara, along with the band, remains the best entertainment I have ever seen on a Carnival ship. Not only did the band entertain every night in the Red Frog Pub, but they provided the musical support for the show in the big theater as well. Unfortunately, they are leaving the ship at the end of February and going their separate ways. Once again, this band made our trip what it was. The ship has some age, so if you are looking for defects, you will find them, but overall, the ship is clean throughout. The staff met our expectations. Courteous and responsive to our needs. Smiles seem to be the norm and somehow they remember our names. We had several members of the crew, admittedly bar staff and band members, who remembered us from the last cruise. We hope that was a good thing. We did not participate in shore excursions past shopping on our own. The ship is the destination for us any time we cruise. Read Less

My 4 day cruise to Morton islands leaving sydney the 6th Feb.The service in the restaurants was great and the food but that's where it stops, too many bogans swearing and drunken people. The dress code was poor and not much entertaiment during the day and found the staff not happy compared to the P& O staff. There was no control over handwashing at the buffet and before you enter the boarding on ship, the toilets are filthy and no paper towels and some hand dryers not working. I've taken 45 cruises and it's hard not to compare but this particular ship is poor compare to the carnival spirit. The cleaning of the inside lifts can be upgrade too many drinks dropped on the floor and tables not cleaned. The spa not always open at the spa & beauty place on deck 11 due to water spilling over to the corridor, the steam room dirty and some of the heat beds not working but on a good side they did refund my money. Thumbs down on this particular ship and will stick to Royal Caribbean & P&O , Princess Read Less

I think this carnival cruise is pretentious type. I was not really impressed with their buffet menu, especially their breakfast. They have app to check the program, where to eat and chat with other passengers. Unfortunately, for chatting feature was not working most of the time for us so it was a waste of time. The breakfast are flat and boring. Sometimes in their app showing that their buffet is open but when you get there, there was signs that the buffet is closed. In the rainy/wet weather, even worse. There was not enough good entertainment / activities that is fun. The water will in the slides are not heated so at the top deck, it was windy & cold. I also lost one of my AirPod and report it almost every day but no update was given. When we were leaving, we supposed to receive letter / memo to advised our checkout zone but many of us never received any. In the fine dining area, only on the last day they show us the kids menu. I think they have to train their staff much better in the customer service. Before we sailed, I had some inquiries over the phone but again the customer service agent hang up on me before I finish my inquiries. Read Less

We chose this cruise because the family took our mother-in-law who is 88 on a cruise. She did not want to be gone for more than 5 days. Rist was everywhere on the ship, this was a bit disconcerting. There was only one good entertainment, the violin players, Isabel and Juan. The Piano Bar singer was the worst. The dancers tried and did a good job with what they had to work with. The theatre had minimal props and entertainer support. The costumes were dull and looked like 2nd had store leftovers. The dining room food was flavorless and took a very long time to arrive. My favorite, the chocolate melting cake, was always room temperature and doughy. Overall, despite the above, it was a good cruise as my mother-in-law had a wonderful time. She had not been on a cruise before so she did not have anything to compare. Read Less

This is a ship that isn’t a big topic on the boards (unless there was something to complain about it seemed) so I am happy to add some information to future cruisers considering the Elation or some info for those of you already booked! To give some context for my review – on this cruise it was myself and husband (both 45) and our 16 yo daughter. This was our 6th Carnival and 7th cruise. We are big fans of travel – multiple All-Inclusive trips throughout Mexico, Cuba, VRBOs in Mexico and 20+ trips to Las Vegas filling our cold Canadian passports. We booked this trip to follow our 5 Day adventure in Disneyworld. The ship and itinerary were the only ones that worked into the schedule so that was the one and only reason we booked this ship. We booked directly with Carnival via the website – no PVP or other agent used for our planning. We travelled on our 5 Day from Port Canaveral to Amber Cove and Grand Turk. We stayed in cabin U243 – an extended Aft Balcony, our first in this category. We normally stay in a regular balcony. Over All Impressions (as it is pretty long below): • Staff were fantastic, super engaging, hard working and always had a “Good Morning” or “Good Evening” as we walked by • The ship is clean, sure its older and ready for dry dock to tighten up a few things but no complaints at all on the cleanliness or the state of the public areas or staterooms • Food and drink were awesome and plentiful – YTD worked great • Casino was fun but smoky • Didn’t attend any big shows – but everywhere we looked people seemed entertained and happy Read Less

Friends asked us to go with them on their first cruise. We went along to be with our friends or we probable would not have gone. We had no complaints about the food or house keeping they were great. The ship is worn out. Our closet door would not shut, the refrigerator was old not dirty but dingy. The couch was uncomfortable The ship is so small by current standards it looked like a pygmy in the port at Cozumel along side the other ships. During most of our trip the gulf was very rough and with this small of ship was bobbing around day and night. We were awakened at night by the deck chair on our balcony sliding up to the widow and banging it to it every time a wave hit. The ship was rocking so bad the toilet lid was banging also. They had to drain the pool because the water was going everywhere. Everyone the crew included was seasick the trip home from Cozumel. Read Less

We traveled as a couple, and can say from beginning to end this was an enjoyable cruise! I have been on more than 15 cruises and read not so good reviews on this ship, but I have to say this was this cruise was just like any of the "highly rated" ships that I have been on. Embarkation was so easy, we parked our car directly across the street from the ship and walked on within minutes. Our cabin was a balcony 8332 and it was a perfect location, and not above or below any common area. The cabin Steward was the best, EDZEL was respectful and always serviced our cabin at the perfect time, he was courteous, and had a great attitude, plenty of storage and a refrigerator. The food on this ship was very good, service in the dining room (Atlantic early seating) was at times slow, but we weren't in a rush. we once needed any time dining because our excursion got back too late for our regular seating and they accommodated us with a smile. Every meal we had was very good. I can't speak too much on the activities since we didn't participate that much, we watch a show and a comedian and they were both okay. Service all over the ship was very good, except for the excursion desk it was indifferent. We went to Key West and Cozumel and we loved Key West, just strolling the streets, shopping and having a few drinks at different bars. I do wish we had more time, we got off the ship at 8 am and nothing was really opened until 10 and we had to be back on the ship at 1. Cozumel, we did a last minute beach and shopping excursion through carnival. the hosts of this tour were fantastic Angel and Anna they were informative and fun. I would have preferred more beach time, but I knew what I signed up for. The day at sea was fun with plenty of activities, although we chose the serenity area and walked over to the main pool to watch what was going on at times. two flaws i saw on this ship was the serenity area was above a child play area (although never too loud, this is odd) and the Sushi bar was in the Casino which was very smokey so I would never purchase Sushi because of the smoke, this should definitely be moved to a new location. We ate at the buffet once for breakfast and the omelet station was great. The pizza was good and we loved the Mexican station at the pool where they do made to order tacos, burritos and salads. they had beautiful cakes out at lunch with an attendant slicing, which we liked so not everyone was touching everything. We would have liked this station opened after dinner because the cakes were that GOOD. Is the ship on the older side without the bells and whistles of the newer ship, did some of the booths have material that was faded or ripped a bit, yes, but again, we new what we were booking and the most important thing to us was GOOD service, GOOD food and a GOOD cabin and we had all of that on this ship! Read Less

Let me start by saying the best part of my cruise was my housekeeper Tony, he was awesome. The bad Had a handful of rude crew members, bars were way under staffed, slide shut down, 1 pool shut down ( the quiet kid free pool ), customer service stations seemed to be closed more then open, ask crew about something and get wrong answer or a I dont know, Your Time Dining restaurant wasnt what we expected. 2 hrs plus for dinner after sitting down, took forever just to get a beverage at dinner, portions were portions for children so we learned to double everything we ordered. Plates and food thrown out in hallway from room service I suspect, left there for long periods of time. If on Lido deck and you were drinking alcohol you were treated differently then if you ordered a soda. If you ordered a soda they seemed to take their sweet time, look of disgust by them and I assume because Gratuities were not put on them if you had the soda package like alcohol if you had the Cheers package. Before booking I was looking at Royal Caribbean cruise lines and even called about Alcohol Package, wife dont drink I told them and they were willing to just let me purchase Alcohol package, Carnival when I called after booking due to liking the Itinerary better was told, no, anyone in room over 21 has to purchase as well. Told them wife doesnt drink was told it didnt matter. I knew I wasnt gonna drink $500.00+ plus of beer so I had to buy beer by beer to the tune of almost $8.00 a beer. It was my 1st cruise and prolly the last with Carnival. Half Moon Cay was awesome tho. Read Less

Loud music everywhere even during dinner in the buffet. It wasn’t a quiet atmosphere for 2 people on their honeymoon. Food was horrible the only place that had good food was the burger joint. Fruit looked amazing but too hard wasn’t dress, Shows were repetitive and when you arrived at a show more than 40 minutes before it started they kicked you out and you had to stand outside the door for 40 minutes. Won a picture package at their Deal or no Deal was told it included all the pictures your photographer took. When they realized how many people won they said you picture package was an 8x10 pic of the cruise ship and a portfolio to put it in. On the morning we left the boat we were kicked out of our room at 8am and had to sit on the dirty steps for two and a half hours before we were allowed to leave. And that process of getting from the boat through customs and back to our truck was another hour or more. We will never take another cruise and sad we planned our honeymoon that way. Read Less

Carnival Dream is amazing ship, full of friendly staff First I will comment the person, who made my cruise so special, is Deborah from Peru, she is so awesome, friendly and know how to provide excellent customer service. Thank Java Blue..... Coffee shop is wow . Give Deborah 10 out of 10 . Best coffee ever The entertainment team was entertaining and fun The fun shop had a variety of things I could buy. My cabin was always neat and tidy Dinning room was so yummy and professional at all times Love the lido, especially the pizza is to die for. I will definitely come and cruise with Carnival Dream again Ports Cozumel always my favourite place Thank you once again all to the staff for their hard work and making my cruise so memorable It is worth every cent to come on a cruise I feel so happy and appreciated Read Less

We have done about 10 or so cruises, so not sure we are quite experts, but hopefully insightful. The short of it was, we really enjoyed this cruise, and Charleston is pretty easy to get in and out of if you live close by. We actually flew in from Chicago, but have family and friends in Charleston so we got dropped off and picked up by them, which definitely makes life easier. Arrival Again, I can not speak to any airport transportation, or anything of the sort, but just know parking and drop of areas are pretty simple. There is decent signage to both. We were dropped off and in doing so you basically enter the port authority, and wiggle around to a drop of staging area. Here you load your bags on luggage carts that will be taken to your cabin. Ensure to keep what you need immediately with you. You then walk around the corner to a check in (this is new, they use to just throw you on a bus to the terminal for security then check in). After check in, there is a bit of a waiting area to wait for your “zone” – when you check in online they should ask when you expect to arrive and will give you a “ arrival appointment”. We walked over and inquired where we should sit with a nice elderly gentleman, and he simply said, wanna go ahead and get on the ship, of course we said yes, and he sent us straight out to the buses. Got on a bus quite quickly, and once full, it set off to the terminal. Once at terminal you go through security. There is the priority line and non priority. Folks that cruise a lot or need extra time, seem to use priority – we didn’t. This worked for us, the non priority was shorter at this time (we were pretty early, around 11am). We then flew right through security, and then you walk down the hall, up some stairs and just before getting on the ramp to the boat, one last scan of your boarding pass. Note: Check in is very streamlined since most folks do all of the previous stuff (Credit card for sail and sign, etc) on line. Your room key/sail and sign is actually just outside your room, which typically you have to wait until 130 before they open up the halls to said rooms. Once you go up the ramp, you are on the boat. Funny story, for our particular cruise, we were Guest #1 and #2, really just because we were early, and dumb luck. First Day As stated, you cant get to your room until 130 (I think you can get some priority or early check in at extra cost or possibly your VIFP status). They do have a few options for lunch. 5th and 9th decks, toward back of boat. 5th I think had bbq (never went, just heard). We cruised through the lido (9th) deck, which will be your main buffet line all week. Most bars will be open, and this is where we signed up for the Cheers program (recommended if you are planning on having a handful of drinks each day, as it also includes water (bottle), Gatorade, and some other extras (think boozy and I assume non boozy milkshakes, etc). Reason we waited until we got on ship, when I booked my cabin, we got a 500 credit, and although you get a 10% discount by signing up pre cruise, I didn’t see me using that 500 otherwise, so we waited until on ship. Once 130 comes around, head to your cabin to check it out, bags take a bit longer (or can – ours were there since we were so darn early, lol). Ship The ship as you probably read on the main CruiseCritic review was the old Destiny. I did not know this at the time but learned it from fellow guests. Funny part of that, we took the Destiny out of Miami for our honeymoon, so it was cool to be back on the ship. Now, it did go through quite the renovation, so most things were not familiar to us. The ship is nice, layout can be a bit confusing in parts, but its fun to explore. There were always folks cleaning etc, which I don’t remember as much on previous cruises so it was refreshing to see. There is an adult area, which is the top 3 outside decks at the front of the ship. Real nice set up, plenty of chairs, and a bar up there. Otherwise, nothing out of the ordinary for the ship, easy to navigate, clean, but it is starting to show her age a bit. The waterworks/sports deck is pretty neat. Had basketball court, 2 ping pong, pretty sweet little mini golf set up, 2 pool tables (don’t think you will be playing for money on these outside tables, still fun), shuffleboard, twister, and I feel like I am forgetting something. (There is a jogging track around this area as well, 10 laps = 1 mile). In the very back is a little kids water park area and then 3 slides. As expected, since we didn’t get off at Nassau, there were very little to no kids back here on this day. It was adult take over, and it was a blast. They have 3 slides and they are all equally as fun, and pretty darn fast, especially if you sling your self up top at the start. In the end, pretty fun area on the ship. Cabin We opted for balcony room off the back (aft) of the ship. The room was a bit smaller than I was expecting, but it was plenty of room for the two of us and we enjoyed the balcony as well. The room was clean and as expected. Keep in mind here, they turn and burn these cruises fast, so keep that in mind. We had some friends buy us a Bon voyage package which had some little decorations, a bottle of champagne and 2 champagne flutes. (I thought the casino did this as I am a “member” of that as well, but it turns out it was friends, but the little card either didn’t make it to the room or I never noticed it to know where it came from). We met our steward pretty quickly, Suyanto (think he went by Suya). He was super nice, always said hello, and we just a lot of fun interacting with him. We got fun towel animals each day and that was a nice touch, and he did a great job of getting in and out of there unnoticed, and the room was always nice after he did his thing. On day four, they did balcony cleaning, kinda wish they did it day 1, but they just leave a hanger on the door so you know and they access from outside (they don’t need to come into your room). Overall we were pleased with the cabin. Food First, I read a review saying no lobster. Not true. On formal night, it is on the menu. Also know, it was a 20 dollar upcharge. Now, let it be known, we never ate in the restaurant, just by choice, not because it wasn’t any good. More so, we had the my time dining, but I was a bit taken back that you had to go to a hostess stand, on a totally different deck to “check in” for my time dining. I thought the whole time, doesn’t seem like my time if I have to wait in line (not always a line, just during busier times). What we did enjoy, the Burger bar (only open till 6), the Taco/Burrito bar – only open for breakfast and lunch, -- Pro Tip – hit this spot for a breakfast burrito, I will await your thank your upon your return. Also, during lunch, ask for the Taco salad (vs burrito) if you want it in one of those big taco bowls. We also liked the deli. Pro Tip – Try the spicy chix sandwich. The buffet is what you would expect when they are trying to feed 3k people all at once. One nice thing I did enjoy, their little salad bar. We didn’t do any of the specialty restaurants, but b/w overhearing and speaking with others (and seeing some reviews here), sounds like that they are all good. Steak house is suppose to be real good (flat fee of $38 I think it was), Sushi looked good, pay ala carte, then there was Italian and Asian behind the Lido Buffet which I believe was $15 flat. Pro Tip – you can get made to order pasta at lunch which is included at the Italian area. The Asian restaurant was one of those make your bowl and we will cook it and always had a line. In that area is also Bar Havanna and for all meals there is a mini buffet set up on the one side. For breakfast they had these little cheese Danish roll things that were out of this world. They of course have the 24 hour pizza bar which actually isn’t bad pizza, and after a evening out (or maybe night out), it can really hit the spot. Bars There are quite a few spots you can hang out and have a drink. I won’t go through all the details as you can read about them online, etc, and we enjoyed pretty much all of them. Again, the Havana bar was a nice place to escape the crowds from the lido buffet. One of our favorites for evening (didn’t open till then), was Alchemy bar. It had real nice craft cocktails. I don’t think they even have soda back there, and most likely not even beer, just craft cocktails. Edward and Ranauk are efficient, personable and make great drinks. The casino bar is just that, the bar by the casino, so think smoke. There is also a little Sports bar in this area which was fun, but we just went in there once. There are two bars on the lido deck by the action (pool, entertainment), but they stay pretty crowded, etc. The serenity bar is at the top of the Serenity section. That one can get crowded but it’s the adults area, so at least no kids loading up their soda cups. Near the Alchemy bar is the Frog Pub, they have a shuffle board table and foosball in there and is just a neat little spot. Just up deck 5 from this area is where you can get some fancy coffee drinks and the boozy milkshakes I mentioned early. (this is also same area where you can get the bbq lunch on day 1, and I suspect lunch on any day, and also the desk to check in for dinner). The drinks in each spot are good, (better than I remember), and with a decent selection. Entertainment We didn’t do much here but the wife enjoyed a few comedians she saw during the week, and I enjoyed the casino (minus all the smoke, but it is what it is). I typically play blackjack and noticed they only pay out blackjack and 6:5 so just know that going in. Otherwise, it was lively and most of the dealers are pretty fun. Good drink service in there as well, I rarely went without at least seeing somebody walking around asking. There are several lounges for different entertainment, including one at the lobby bar (Deck 3), one b/w Alchemy and Frog Bar on Deck 5, and another one on Deck 4 where I believe the comedians typically were. They also have the bigger auditorium dealio that spans 2 decks, we just never got to a show in there, but they are typically really nice and this one seemed so as well (we peeked in once or twice). Ports This was the 5 nighter and made two stops. Nassau and Carnival’s little private Cay. We had committed to staying on ship during Nassau and hopping off at the Cay. We ended up jumping off at Nassau to swing into Senor Frogs for a quick drink and shot (felt you had to do it, lol). Kinda glad we did, as the weather did not allow us to get on the smaller boats to get to the Cay. The secondary issue was we got held up in Nassau (we technically left but had to turn around) for a crew member that needed medical attention. Then, after they cancelled the tenders to the cay the next day, we got a bit held up for a guest that had to get medical attention, which was no big deal, we had nowhere to be. Lol The sun was out and warm for the cay day, the water was just a bit to choppy to run those tenders, so while it stinks we didn’t get beach time, its part of cruising. Getting off the ship This part confuses me every single time. Two main options, you carry your stuff, or they will. If you carry, it’s called express and they start calling you out by deck number. Seemed they started with 3, went to 1 then up (I am not so sure, we left when they called 1, lol). The non-express, check bags, were supposed to wait until express was over. Didn’t happen, I saw plenty of people grabbing their bags from the baggage pick up area in the terminal, so it just seems like organized chaos on who gets off when. More so, it seemed some folks met in the theater thingie and were allowed to go even before they started calling on decks. Not the worst, but boy, always a mystery to me on how to get out of that place. Summary All in all, we had a really good time. I really would give the trip a 4.5 but they only do whole numbers, lol. Bit of a wait at times at some of the bars, ship starting to show age a bit, buffet food just being ok were some of the things that would have made me swing to a 5 rating. Drinks were good, the burgers were good, and the service all around the boat is better than I remember. Read Less

My wife called this cruise the best vacation we have ever been on. Our goal was to relax. We ditched the kids and did just that. Where there snafu's? Absolutely. Weather was too bad to disembark at princess cays. That's life on a ship and those things happen. I can't believe how small people get when life happens. Some of the passengers lost their stuff about having their shore excursions canceled and not being refunded instantly. We had our money credited to our account the next day. The food was good at the buffet, main dining and great at the specialty restaurants. the ships cleanliness was good for a vessel with that many passengers in an environment that is not hospitable. Personally watched the decks scrubbed every evening and carpets steam cleaned in our cabin hallway. We enjoyed the 2 shows we caught, 70 & 80s rock review and latin night. The 2 comedians were fantastic. Our biggest complaint was the casino. It is the only interior location where smoking is allowed and we couldn't even walk through it, let alone gamble. We will definitely go again. One word about some of these negative reviews, people really need to relax. It is a ship that has roughly 3-4k people on it every day in an environment that is not friendly to any material, metal, plastic, cloth, etc. This is not a brand new ship. This ship is not in perfect condition. Negative people will say negative things on these reviews and to the customer service reps on board. I feel sorry for them. We went on board with a good carefree attitude, if you do the same, you'll enjoy your vacation. Being on the ocean means you have to be flexible and you may not get to do everything you want, but your attitude will make this a good or bad experience. Read Less

This was a family cruise with ages from 18 to 83. We booked the Jamaica and Grand Cayman as it was originally planned for grandsons graduation present. To start with, we booked this cruise over a year ago, and without notice our itinerary was changed from Jamaica to Cuba. Well we did not want to go to Cuba so we had to change our dates from January to Feb, which was the first disappointment, as there were two birthdays to be celebrated in January. We had 5 cabins, two inside, two balcony and 1 ocean suite. Everyone was happy with the redecoration of the cabins. The only complaint was about the balconies. There are really small and hard to even sit on at times. Even our ocean suite balcony was small and they had a huge lounge chair on it, so we could barely walk around on it. A lounger, two chairs and a table. In the suite the TV was on the side wall and was not able to be swung out so that if you wanted to watch it while in bed , it was almost impossible. TV selections were at a minimum. Only one news channel and it was CBSN, crap. Could not turn off the closed caption, it was on all the time and covered the middle of the screen. The sound was unpredictable, it would be so loud at times and then not loud enough to even hear when you stood in front of it. The closet doors kept banging back and forth, as the ocean was a little rough on this trip. They have updated the rooms with plenty of usb ports, so it was easy to keep phones charged. Our cabin steward was great, kept room clean and always kept our ice bucket full. Loved her. The chat app, was useful for all of us to keep in touch and find each other. The paid for internet was sparse in places and you would think if you paid for internet the chat app would be free,, but it was another $5. Food int he buffet was not good. Breakfast scrambled eggs were terrible. Bacon was good. There was always a long line and it closed at odd times. The deli and Guys burgers were great. Although the last day or so the fries were so spicy they were difficult to eat. The dining room service was good, food was mostly good. Elegant night surf and turf was offered for a $20 upcharge. I ordered it, very small but delicious filet and 1/2 of an undersized lobster tail. I couldn't believe it was a half instead of a whole tail. I will say the food was very good in dining room except for the 1/2 tail. I ordered a bloody mary for breakfast one morning in the DR, it came without a straw. I understand the big deal about saving the environment, and I do recycle everything possible, but I asked for a straw and was told no, I could not have one. I made reservations at the Italian restaurant for a special occasion dinner for 10 people, plus a baby that needed a highchair. The table they put us at was unacceptable as the high chair was sitting in the middle of the aisle when I asked to be moved to another table, that was in the back of the restaurant, the hostess said no. With no explanation as to why not. After I went back to her and explained that I was a travel agent and that I was not happy with the amount of no's I was receiving on this cruise every time I asked for something and that I would be writing a review when I got home. She told me to go to the other table and she was rude, but at least we got to move to the other table and enjoyed the great food. The appetizers were served family style and I think we got some of every one they had. The entrees were very good. It was worth the $155 that it costs. The wine list could have been better, but the wine we ordered was good. If you have priority boarding or disembarkation be aware they have changed the rules and only the ones in the suite or in your cabin are allowed to use it. No one else in your party is allowed. We had a 18 year old in our group. There were really no activities for him. We knew he could not drink, but the basketball court closed at like 5pm. The pool table was unusable as the ship was rocking so much the balls kept rolling all over the place. The small pools were always crowded and could never find a seat anyway. There were no nightclubs for planned activities for him. It was a little disappointing as Carnival boasts it has so many things for kids, but only if you are 17 and under. I felt the cruise staff was very pushy always trying to get you to buy a drink, jewelry, art or spa. The ship was very crowded and everything included a line and long wait. Would I cruise on this ship again. Probably not. As a travel agent it is hard to suggest this type of cruise unless you know for sure the person knows what it is really like. Read Less

We were told the ocean view cabin were big enough for 3 adults. What they did not tell us is you get 2 twin size beds and 1 sofa bed that is as hard as the floor and does not open to a full length twin bed. I am only 5.3 and I was not able to lay straight for 5 nights. This is my 10th carnival cruise. The 3rd bed has always been a pullout or a bunk bed. When I went to guest services she said the room measurements are listed in the cabin descriptions. Maybe they are, but know one expect an 3/4 size of a twin bed as a third bed. They did come and add extra padding to the mini bed. I just feel they should make it very clear the 3rd bed is for children or a person under 5 feet tall. Had I known I would have gotten a private room or not taken the trip. I have back issues already. My roommate are both tall and barely able to keep their feet on the twin beds will never take this cruise ship again. I loved all my other cruise with carnival, it was just this ship. Small cabins, only 1 dance club, bad internet throughout the ship. Read Less

Review of Carnival Imagination Sail date 2/2/20 Room type – Ocean View – Empress Deck – E135 My young adult daughter and my late 50-year-old self-took the Imagination to celebrate her bday and to just enjoy some time to ourselves. Why we chose this line and specific cruise: 1. We’ve always cruised Carnival (we’re gold) 2. Port is quick hour flight from our home 3. Very cost friendly and she was paying her own way 4. Just right amount of days (4) Embark was a breeze out of Port of Long Beach – we literally just walked on – we had 12 – 12:30 check in time but were earlier. Although we carried our luggage on flight – we decided to check at port – I might just keep my luggage with me next time although we did receive within 2 hours of embark. We didn’t realize at the time but you walk on the ship on the Empress deck which was where our room was. We headed to the Lido to wait out the 1:30 cabin access time and grabbed a quick bite at the well-appointed buffet; and noted the Guy’s Burgers for future enjoyment. Lido was booming the welcome music and Ben-your-cruise-director – was making periodic welcome announcements and updates. As this was my first Ocean view cabin vs balcony, I was a bit worried about the space however was pleasantly surprised at the room especially as we had our twin beds made into an L shape which left the middle of the room open. Nice, large (albeit could have used a wash) window and usual appointments in cabin and bathroom – as this wasn’t our first rodeo, I knew to bring a small usb hub for multi charging. Beds were very fluffy and comfy and as it was a bit chilly, we asked our steward for comfy blankets and he brought very soft, blue fleece ones for us to use. Was a bit dismayed to find a small pipe in one of the drawers and some used gum under one of the closets - but, I realized we were not on a luxury line and didn’t let this bother me too over much as I know how little time the stewards have to turn these rooms (and no – I was not tempted to keep either item). Room was midship and the deck was perfect – not noisy above and easy to get around from location. As day 1 was Super Bowl, Carnival had several tv screens on around ship and had set up the large Dynasty showroom with buffet and bar and had the game on the big screen. Muster was delayed accordingly until 8:30 and was very brief. We received sad news that due to high winds, we were not going to be able to visit Catalina the next day (it is a tender port and thus, small craft advisories prevent visiting – make a note for those going in Winter/Spring – and, in fact, were not going to leave Long Beach until morning – as this was the port we were most excited about, we were very sad however decided to make best of it and scheduled an excursion for Ensenada and I booked a “top to Toe” spa treatment for my daughter as she was gifted a $50.00 spa gift card via Carnival delivered to our cabin. We were refunded our port fees for Catalina but no other compensation – I did note one couple demanding their money back at Customer Service desk – luggage in hand - Other areas to note: • The excursion we booked was the Bufadora Adventure (?) – while a very nice tour and we had a very nice but beware – you must run the gauntlet of aggressive vendors to get to the blowhole and also are shown what is touted as a wildlife conservatory with baby tigers but is nothing of the sort and is just a sad use of animals as entertainment – and although the baby tigers looked healthy it was just sad. We alerted Carnival to this and as of now, we have not received a response to our request, onboard at the excursion desk, they indicated we were not supposed to have been taken to this or had to ensure the stores. Who knows if this is accurate? • Dining room – mediocre at best – food just isn’t good. Soups however are amazing – broccoli cheddar and steak/ale amazing • Ship overall – ship is older and it shows – but I wasn’t expecting much so wasn’t disappointed. I’m not sure I’d choose this for my first cruise but for our purposes of a short get-away – it was just fine. • We carried off our luggage and had early departure due to flight time – got in line at 7:00 and were off ship by 7:30 and at John Wayne by 8. Read Less

We have been on numerous Carnival ships as well as on several other cruise lines. Pride was the worst maintained I have seen. Extensive exterior rust even salt buildup inside the windows on the lido deck. The roof over the midships pool leaked like a sieve. My wife looked in the refrigerator the 4th night and found a plate of rancid food and several drinks. Don't know how long they had been there but it stunk. Took 2 trips to customer service to get it all removed. The at sea brunch menu was not as good as it used to be. The first day service was horrible but we saw the maitre d being very pro active after that and it got much better. Dinner service was very good. Food seemed to be ok but some items we have always enjoyed are greatly different and not as good. Two examples are appetizers stuffed mushrooms and escargot. The day we were in Freeport it rained quite heavily which is no ones fault. However, they only had the gangway exit/entrance able to handle one person at a time. So all of those waiting to go back aboard had to wait in the rain while people were getting off. The pier was about 2 inches deep in water we had to stand in it waiting to reboard. Everyone was drenched! The ship got to the Baltimore pier about 9AM on our return. We walked off the ship at 1230. The cruise director marty kept announcing there was a problem at the gangway and they would be calling people to leave soon. That went on for nearly an hour, meanwhile people were sitting in the buffet area on deck 9 watching people leaving and getting in their cars and drive away. I suggest they begin telling the truth unless they believe people are blind or stupid and a lot of us have lots of cruises under our belts. I thought it might have been customs/immigration issues but that part was one of the smoothest and well run we have experienced. All in all it wasn't a bad cruise however if we cruise again it will be about as cheap and more enjoyable to fly to Florida and visit some better ports. Read Less

We were excited to sail on one of Carnival's newest ships but the maintenance issues and poor guest service left us extremely disappointed. First, we paid the additional fee for priority boarding. When we arrived to the port we were informed that priority boarding is only for the first passengers to board the ship and that it had ended at 10am. When we purchased priority boarding we were not informed of a time stipulation. The embarkation process was slow but smooth. When we boarded the ship there was a stench in the hallway and in our room. We booked a junior suite, the booking agent told us that the balcony was larger, the balcony was standard size. The walk-in closet was very nice and we enjoyed the additional space that the junior suite allotted. Our cabin steward was amazing and attentive, he left us extra bottles of water because we were return cruisers and a little box of cookies for being suite guests. There was a jetted tub in the bathroom which was nice, but the jets didn't function properly. On day 3 of 6 we started have an issue with flooding in our room. For 2 days we had soaking wet carpet. The first 2 guest service representatives that we spoke with were dismissive and rude. They implied that the flooding issue was something we had done. We found out from our neighbor that they had been dealing with flooding issues since day 2 of the cruise, apparently some pipe in the wall had a leak and the 3 rooms on the hall with us were all dealing with flooding issues. The dining room service was slow, our service attributed it to the larger ship and more passengers. We paid for specialty dining at Bonsai Teppanyaki and 555 steak house. Bonsai was entertaining and tasty, the Steak restaurant was average at best. We enjoyed the comedy shows and movies, both on deck and in the imax theater. Because of the maintenance issues that were not properly addressed and dismissive and rude guest service interactions we will not be taking anymore Carnival cruises. Read Less

This was our 7th carnival cruise. Embarksion PRO: was smooth and quick. Headed up to the lido deck for lunch at Guys Burger until 1:30 when we had access to our cabin. CON: employees scanning were rude to folks not going quick enough and barking orders. Cabin PRO: typical layout of previous trips and room size with balcony. Liked the ability to control the thermostat! Beach towel were in room for excursion. Daily newsletter each day. CON: No conditioner in shower.....just shampoo and body wash.ended up spending $10 for conditioner from the shops. Steward asked if we preferred morning or evening room turndown/ cleanup. This surprised us as it was always both in the past. We requested both which was then granted. Watch the blue beach towel -we had to ask where they went as she removed from the room and didn’t return until we asked for them back (note: you will be charged for missing towels). APP PRO: loved the APP to see what’s going on tru out the ship. Able to make dinner reservations at specialty restaurants as well as “ your time dining in main restaurant” via app. Ability to purchase photos. Book shore excursions. This is a must to download! So easy to use. CON: times were off on a few events. Not able to see spa services or book a spa service thru the app. This would be a nice to have for cruisers. FOOD PRO: was okay...above average of a typical restaurant but not up to past cruises experience. Guys burger and fries GREAT. Deli food was pretty good. CON: Minimal fresh cut fruit. Missing the desert table of cakes, pies, cookies. Etc. They did have 5 types of cakes daily in the buffet area. Just not the past experience. Didn’t have the midnight buffet as past cruises had. Wasn’t excited at all about the lunch buffet selection of food. GAMES PRO: mini golf, pool, basketball, indoor clubhouse with kickball pool, ping pong and bean bag toss. Water park slides. DANCERS PRO: The shows were unique compared to past cruises. I’d say this was our top shows. They were great with kids and did a little wave to my 5yr old daugter who absolutely loved them. Took ohotos and had small props for the 20s show before the show started. MAIN THEATER: CON: Hate the name Liquid Lounge. Need something a bit more classy. Didn’t like the layout at all. With kids you must get there when doors open or they won’t be able to see. It’s tough for adults to see as it is. Order a drink and you end up holding it thru out the show as well. PRO: Dancers use not just the stage but main floor to try and have more audience see the show. ENTERTAINMENT PRO: variety of events. The lip sync event started on the lido deck and then last main show winner was selected. Loved that the ocean club kids got to participate in last main show. Learned how to salsa the downfall was all dance events had minimum space and felt to crowded. Had an 80s evening dance at 10:30 but would be more fun knowing this before going on the cruise so one could have a costume to make it more fun. Seaside movies as well as music always had something going on the lido deck. CON: a lot of people but not necarrily enough space for some events. LAYOUT - CON: It’s s bit all over. Took us until day 5 to find the theater which costs additional fees. Photos was day 3 to locate. The stores could have better options as other carnival shops have. Liquid lounge layout is horrible. This cruise ship has a modern feel and not the elegant feeling as other carnival ships. SHORE EXCURSION PRO: Do your research ahead of time, if there is a shore excursion that had 5 and unde are free go ahead and order tickets for everyone but them, they actually don’t need a ticket. Our cosmuzel excursion got cancelled due to winds and we were refunded. Pixel photos CON very expensive. First photo is $19.99 then additional are $5/ea. There were photos I’d love to get a 4x7 of an event but no way am I paying that much. I did spend $100 in photos. Dining Was disappointed at first not having either an early or late set time/table. However, I ended up loving the on your time dining. No rush and we still saw the waiters show, table location wasn’t to bad and getting a table was always within 5 mi utes. Only thing I miss is the personal touch of having the same waiters each day. I’m now a fan of dining when I want to! Read Less

The ship is nice and the staff very friendly and helpful. Loved the sky ride. There was a worker named Milos who made our cruise more enjoyable. The rooms are nice as well. However the food on the buffet was mediocre. The breakfast was better than the dinner. I was totally disappointed with the desserts. Thought I was getting cake but instead the texture was a mixture between jello and pudding and tasteless. We still don’t know what that was. I noticed there was a lot of cheesecake which is fine if you happen to like cheesecake which my husband and I don’t. This is our six cruise and we would like to see an improvement in the food. Why can’t there be normal desserts like the classic cake or pies? Would like to see a separate bar set up for serving cokes because when you pay to be able to have them, you have to go to the bar which takes forever because they are busy mixing alcoholic drinks and seemed to be more concerned with making them than messing with the cokes. Itjust seems like a hassle to just get a coke. If you want pictures taken they have plenty of photographers taking them and they look nice. But you have to have a big pocket book to be able to purchase them. They charged $20 for just one picture that you can download on your phone or you can buy packages but be prepared to pay a lot of money. They would probably make more money if they made the pictures more affordable so that people would buy more. Had fun on the excursions except for the Bamboo Beach in Jamaica. It was a 45 minute ride to and from. No place to get out of rain so we got soaked before even getting to swim. Beach was not as nice as I thought it would be. By the time you got back, there was no time for shopping. Would not recommend this excursion. Grand Cayman and Cozumel was very nice. 7 Mile Beach was beautiful. Swam with the dolphins in Cozumel and loved it. Would highly recommend this excursion. Read Less

Horizon was a lovely cruise ship overall PROBABLY my favorite so far as far as the carnival family.... We always choose Carnival bc we do family trips and CARNIVAL BRINGS THE FUN‼️ and Guys burgers... Hands down the BEST and on horizon Guys Barbecue Joint OMG good... Loved the new ship overall.. my only draw back would probably be I absolutely love the family dinning experience and on this cruise they were really slow and also love, love, love Latino music/atmosphere... We went to the Havana Bar and was never greeted or attended to at all. They clearly seen us, looked at us and we in fact had to walk over to the bar and order when we were at a table.. Overall we love Carnival. Our only disappointment was the Havana Bar bc we were treated like we wasn't there and dining was slower than usual but absolutely beautiful ship.. Read Less

Firstly it reeked. It smells of sewage. The water they serve smells like sewage. Out of the 5 days we were cruising I can tell you I only had 1-2 decent meals. Bread served at every meal was hard and old. Food was always served cold. The buffet and dinning were the worst and least edible. We literally ate out of necessity. I can't even recommend food. Bring your own snacks and mostly survive on those. The staff were extremely inconsistent with rules and with policies that were literally posted for guests to read. Multiple times policies were ignored or changed at the discretion of the employee. We provided feedback several times when asked by staff. They literally just want to shove alcohol down everyone's throat and sell you stuff every 5 seconds. Oh and they painted without any regard for any guests or notification to guests. The fumes from the paint were horrid. I would not recommend this ship to anyone. I can't say much about others but I'd never get on this one again. The Bahamas was nice. If I ever cruise here again I'd plan to visit other islands while in Nassau. You can't really get to much from Princess Cays because they shuttle you there and back. I am 99% sure the next time I come will not be on a cruise ship. Save yourself the stomach aches, frustration, and overall lack of good service and fly there. Read Less

We chose this cruise because it was cheap and were not expecting much, but we were blown away. The ship was so clean, the employees were the kindest people I have ever been helped by. Our three dinner servers were amazing people that made each night so special for my family and me. The food was delicious, we always found something yummy. Too many yummy things actually. :) The activities on board were fun and a plenty to choose from. We enjoyed crafting, games, singing performances and water slides the most. It was an incredible trip with memories to last a life time. My family consists of my husband and two elementary aged daughters. Our bedroom had a king bed and two Murphy-style twin beds that folded out from the wall, over our king size bed. The kids loved it, they thought they were bunk beds. :) There were three large closets to place our luggage and to hang our clothes. The bathroom could easily fit two people at a time which helped when getting ready for the day. The water got hot super fast which is a plus for me. Read Less

I booked this cruise as it was going to be in Grand Cayman on my wife's birthday (we love Grand Cayman's 7 mile beach). Overall...the ship is older but very well maintained...it is also smaller than most of the other ships we have cruised on. Luckily...the weather was great and the gulf was not rough...so it was pretty much smooth sailing. Our room was what we expected...nothing fancy but comfortable...loved the big TV...just wished there were more channels to choose from. We tried to stay away from the buffet but it looked edible. We pretty much ate in Elations Dining room...the food was good but nothing notable. The service was excellent and our servers were attentive. Our room steward...Lauro...was great...the room was always clean and we always had ice in the ice bucket. We don't drink so didn't have any comments on the bartenders service. The one pool was always crowded and loud so we hung on the Serenity deck. Only had a couple of shows and they were both good...especially Epic Rock. This will probably be our last cruise with Carnival as we enjoyed MSC a lot better. Read Less

There were 6 friends on this cruise and we chose it for 1 reason only. The piano bar with Gustavo. We've cruised 2 other times where we had the fun of seeing Gustavo. But this was the first time on Carnival. I was leery, it's an old ship and I was afraid it hadn't aged well. I was very pleasantly surprised. Embarkation was the easiest I've ever been through. I think it's because you don't get your cabin key until later when you cabin is ready. This made getting through the port terminal so quick. While old and a little dated the ship was spotless. Our cabins were aft balconies. The cabin was small but adequate. Bigger bathroom than on some other cruise lines. Our steward, Lary, was great. He asked us what time we wanted him to clean and it was spotless every day The food was very good, especially the dinner. We chose anytime and ate around 6 most nights. We requested Devy's table and she was really great. The casino is smoky. It has all the usual tables and slots. We didn't go to any of the shows. We listened to the great band in the bar near the casino and of course later the piano bar. We also attended both art auctions and a lot of new art was purchased! The crew is amazingly friendly and they all really went out of their way to make sure you are happy. Great bartenders. Don't be afraid to try an older Carnival ship. Read Less

Carnival conquest was quiet a bit cheaper then the other cruise lines I was looking at sk made the choice to give them a try worse mistake ever I will gladly pay more for Norwegian or royal Caribbean cruise line this boat is run down the food is absolutely terribly seriously lacking entertainment small layed out very inconvenient u gotta go up to get down and skip around to get to the next floor up or down the stateroom attendant seriously ask me our 1st day if I really needed our room cleaned daily never mind twice a day I've cruised many time prior just not with carnival unless u are going on a cruise to get totally wasted and stay in the casino this is not the cruise line for you i normally dont leave bad reviews but it truly needs to be told publicly how terrible this boat and cruise line is JUST SAY NO n go with some other line trust me it's worth the extra $$$ Read Less