This ship has been recently renovated and they added more balconies. We stayed in cabin U198. The ship is well kept, but sadly till a bit dated. The room was the smallest that we have ever had. The balcony was pretty standard. I really wish that they had added Dive-In movies because that's a cool feature that we have enjoyed on other Carnival ships. We paid for the Faster-to-the-Fun option, but honestly on this particular cruise I'm not sure that we gained much. The great news is that Embarkation was a dream in Puerto Rico. Easy and fast. I thought that this might be because of the FTTF option but I spoke with others that didn't have that option, they also said that it was the best embarkation process that they had had. This is an island-hopping cruise so we had stops every day. Part of FTTF is that you get priority if your ship has to be tendered, but none of these islands needed that. All had nice walk-off piers, so no tendering needed. Disembarkation was also nice, though the porters can get pushy. One porter (who we thought was a taxi driver by his questions) walked 2 of our 4 bags about 12 steps to a real taxi with a driver and demanded $5 for doing it. He didn't even help the actual taxi driver load the bags. Not cool. Island hopping was great though I didn't realize how much damage still remains from the hurricanes. That being said, I love Old San Juan and Barbados was heavenly. St.Thomas had the best port shopping. We were blessed by calm waters the whole trip. The staff is very nice and works hard to keep the ship quite tidy and clean. The trivia games near Bogart's coffee bar were a lot of fun and the host was a funny guy who seems to truly enjoy his job. It was fun. The Serenity area was terrific. You need to walk through one of the clubs to find it so it's more tucked away than usual and also more quiet for it. You will get a terrific view of St. Kitts from your Serenity lounge - not to be missed! Overall, we had a nice time. My only complaints are the room (not good) and the lack of Dive-In theater, otherwise, everything was great. I would not choose to travel on this ship again as there are other options with better rooms. Guy's Burgers and Swirls ice cream = absolute hit with the family. Best Breakfast = Blue Iguana's Huevos Rancheros = flavorful and terrific. The desserts look great, but many have a gummy-like in texture. That being said...Orange chocolate cake, Nutella Tiramisu, and Lemon Napoleons were AWESOME. Read Less

Just came back from a 7 day Caribbean cruise, and it was better than I expected. I purchased Faster to Fun package, so my stateroom was ready when me and my husband got onboard. Room was perfect E65 (Empress Deck) right by the elevators and stairs. Guest services were also on the same floor and the excursion desk. Our Steward Rudi was simply amazing always at our service and keeping the room nice. Food was very good, but recommend early dining or anytime dining. If you don't want to wait get to the dining room right at the time assigned don't go early you will be standing for a while. Breakfast is great!! you can have a formal sit down at the sensation dining room (deck 8) or go to the Lido Deck for great breakfast as well. Shows were good and the bingo was sooooo much fun ( and Im not a bingo player) Cruise Director Marcelo and Staff where great. Debarkation was simple JUST FOLLOW DIRECTIONS!!!!! and be patient. Overall was worth the cost. The only the that bothered me was the windows on ship were dirty and couldn't see clearly out to sea. Read Less

Poor customer service, horrible ship, staff not friendly, cruise director was not entertaining at all, terrible shows, slack security, staff not appreciative, average food, dinner food not good, excessive and aggressive begging to buy products at ports, comedy shows were awful, people smoking in non designated areas, not enough activities. I did enjoy guy's burger joint and the tacos. They allowed children to run up and down hallways all day. Zainul and libin were very nice it's ashame that they are stuck on this boat. We'll never sail on this ship again. Didn't entertain all people only a certain group. We had to listen to the same beat throughout cruise. Very outdated ship. Fruit were not sweet and desserts didn't have any taste. Spend alot more for less service. Didn't like layout of ship. I got sick on the second day due to ac in room went to guest services all I got was a sorry. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the itennarry. Althought we've been to St. Thomas during previous administration we wanted to share this together. We flew in from IAH via CLT to SJU the day of, not to bad since points paid the trip. All connections were on time. We arrived at SJU and took a taxi ($24)., twenty minutes later at the terminal. A porter met us, took our bags and off we went. Embarkation was a breeze, being priority helps I'm sure. Muster was at 9:00 pm, it is in English and Spanish. The drill was on time and surprisingly fast, 30 minutes or so, maybe we got lucky. It was pretty cool to sail that late at night seeing the lights of the harbor fade in distance. The ship was in fine shape, we're not overly picky people. The crew always seemed to be in a good mood. The only crew issue I had was in the pixel area but guest services took care of it immediately. We set at table 431 in the MDR, and our staff was great. Wished we'd been at a larger table but that is not staff's fault. Yes I could have asked for a new table assignment but was please with our waiters. The food in the MDR was Carnival, some better then others but never uneatable. Guys Hamburgers, visited it 4 times during the cruise, need I say more. We did eat breakfast in the MDR, and it was great. We are not deli people, so sorry can not comment on that. Alchemy bar-excellent, a daily visit prior to dinner. Casino bar- very attentive. Casino-well, as much as it likes to take money, this trip it was very generous to both me and my wife. I did craps and she loves video poker. Next cruise I'm sure it will take it back. Entertainment-good variation of music at the casino bar, comedy ok, did not go to any of the shows (sorry, not really Vegas quality). Ports of Call/Excursions St. Thomas: took the ferry to Cruz Bay, then to Truck Bay for beach relaxation. Had a chance to snorkel but opted out. Something about using other peoples snorkel gear. Barbados: Catamaran/TurtleSnorkel thing: cattle call type excursion but I knew that going in. Crew does a good job, they had two snorkelers they had to rescue, It amazes me, being a scuba instructor, how people have no sense of their own ability in an open water environment. St. Lucia: took a taxi from outside the gate (cheaper) and went to Rodney Bay for lunch and shopping. We liked this island the best. St. Kitts: Island tour, with included Samuel Jefferson's, 3rd Presidents great grandfather's plantation, and Brimstone Hill Fortress. Very informative tour. NOTE!, if you do this excursion wear walking shoes, the grade leading up the hill to the fortress is a stone and flip-flops or sandals does work to well. St. Maarten: Most devasted island that we visited from last summers hurricane. They are still under major repair, especially on the French side. Our tour guide on the Ultimate Island/boat ride Tour was excellant while on land. The 1 hour boat ride not so much. It's hard to get a party barge going with 19 people on it at noon. Would not do that one again. Would we do this again, absolutely. I will tell you this, with all the back to back ports, you will come back tired. Read Less

The Carnival cruise to the southern Caribbean was an amazing experience for our first cruise. The itinerary and ports were full of unique experiences and beautiful beaches! We got on the ship in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which is great in and of itself and I would recommend staying a few days before or after your cruise. The cruise stopped in St. Thomas where we had a relaxing day at the beach, we then had a free day at sea, next was a stop in Barbados were we went on a snorkeling tour and fed sea turtles and saw stingray, then we visited St. Lucia, St.Kitts was next and personally our favorite, we rented a scooter and drove the whole island making stops along the way, and lastly was St. Maarten before we headed back to San Juan. The boat exceeded our expectations. The food was great and there were many options (I am a vegetarian, but my boyfriend is not). The staff was also so friendly and helpful! I would highly recommend this cruise and this itinerary to anyone! Read Less

It was my 1st time on a cruise it was a couple family vacation we had the best time ever all the employees are very friendly very caring a hard working crew excellent the entertainment is great places to go dance places to go see a show or if you just want to take pictures or just relax i recommend this cruise to everyone you won't regret it. Very clean very neat Great breakfast great lunch Great dinner Great servers We went To beautiful places Beautiful beaches I would definitely go again I have no complaints at all I enjoyed every bit of it So did my brother-in-law my sister-in-law and my husband I would recommend this cruise to everyone couple singles families Trust me you won't regret it and marcello I won't forget about you you are very very funny Very professional Excellent director Keep up the good work And this is my review of our carnival Fascination cruise Read Less

We're from the UK so embarked at Barbados after flying direct from London. This is the only Carnival cruise which has two embarkations (Sunday is San Juan, Wednesday is Barbados). We flew in the previous day, one night in a hotel, then taxi to the port at 12 noon the next day. When we embarked there were only 160 getting on at Barbados and check in was really simple and quick. Our luggage didn't take long to arrive. We had anytime dining which worked well. The staff were great and greeted you by name each evening. If it was busy you were given a small handheld device which vibrates when they are ready for you - we never had to wait more than about 20 minutes. We chose a sharing table each evening because this is a brilliant way to meet other guests. Every evening we were sitting with different people which was great. The food in the dining room was good but the main courses could do with being changed more often, however the quality was good. We did have lunch in the buffet restaurant which had lots of choice and is open 24 hours a day. I liked the section where you could have a sandwich/wrap made up for you. You can get juice/water/coffee in the buffet at any time of day. We tried the burger place and found the burgers very tasty. Service was excellent 100% of the time throughout the whole ship. I liked the fact that when you passed a member of staff they all smiled, said hello and asked if you were having a good time. Nothing seemed like too much trouble. Our room steward was excellent - we did have a couple of small issues with our cabin which I reported and they were sorted out within a few hours. We loved the adults only serenity deck. It's right at the stern of the ship and had two hot tubs as well as loads of sunbeds. We met some lovely people here. Entertainment was varied and good. The cruise director (Marcelo) was lovely, as were all of his staff. We liked the piano bar and the shows in the Palace Theatre (especially the Love and Marriage show). The comedians were also excellent, although some of them need to slow down as they speak far too quickly and it's easy to miss the punchline! We both used the gym which was huge and had loads of equipment. There was also a studio with mats where you could do floor work. We also used the spa and my husband declared his full body massage the best he had ever had. The therapists were lovely. We had a balcony cabin on the main deck which was an excellent choice as we chose to have room service breakfast every morning on the balcony whilst watching the ship dock. There is no charge for room service (apart from within certain hours in the middle of the night). The debark process at Barbados a week later was also quick and simple. If you want to you can stay on the ship until 1pm, but you need to vacate your cabin by 9am. All the islands we visited were great. This was a lovely way to see so many places. This was the first time cruising for us, but will not be the last. We had a great time and will be back. Read Less

This particular cruise was a good value. I am always impressed with the amount of food/entertainment/amenities that are included in your fare. It was a relaxing week that allowed me to move at my own pace. I did not feel rushed in anyway and didn't have to do anything that I didn't want to. The "Your Time Dining" is the way to go in terms of not feeling rushed nor tied to a specific time frame. I took this cruise with some girlfriends and we all enjoyed ourselves. The only drawbacks were the fact that smoking was allowed basically all over the ship and made it hard for non-smokers to enjoy certain activities. Also, the disembarkation process was horrific! We were herded like cattle in particular parts of the ship and made to wait for hours before being able to leave the ship. This definitely need improving. Other than that, It was great! Read Less

I chose this cruise for the itinerary. Came into San Juan the day before so I had plenty of time to explore the beautiful Old Town area. Embarkation was very easy, but I was told cabins would be ready at 1:30. Mine was not, and when I returned at 2:30 I still questioned whether it had been vacuumed. For sure they did not pull the bed out to vacuum. Interior cabin R62 was small, but I travel solo, so not a big deal. What was weird was the configuration. TV was mounted on the same wall as the head of the bed. In order to watch it I had to sit or lie with my head at the foot of the bed and rig the chair behind me as a backrest. Dinner in Imagination Dining Room day 1 was not good. The remainder of the days it was much better. Buffet in Lido surprisingly good, & Guy's and Blue Iguana both good as well. I enjoyed the Motown Show. Comedian Lance Montalto was a snore (but the crowd was too, so that did not help), but Jorge Solano was hilarious. Also enjoyed Cherry Burton Band-incredibly versatile! Service was good but not spectacular. I had walked so much in San Juan that I had blisters, so I did not go ashore in St. Thomas, but it was nice to have the pool area so uncrowned. Took a cab to Pirate Cove in Barbados-windy but wonderful day. St. Lucia was my favorite with a Spencer Ambrose speedboat tour to breathtaking Sugar Beach. Walked around in St. Kitts, pretty little town. Bus tour of St. Maarten revealed the heartbreaking hurricane damage and lots of litter. Beaches are beautiful. Read Less

We wanted to take our children on a cruise experience that was both fun and affordable. We checked out the other cruise lines but we needed a place that would allow us to put 5 people in one room. We have three boys and they need space to move and be crazy. The ship was very clean. Our cabin was great but the thing that stuck out the most was the Stateroom steward and his team. They were fantastic. I never write reviews but I felt compelled to sing his praises. They came by to get to know us, ask us about our preferences and learn our names likes and dislikes. They were very thorough and prompt. Every time we passed them in the hallway they knew our names and were seemingly genuinely interested in what we did that was fun that day. On a little bit of a negative note, the food was not that great. I could tell that it was old or that they were trying to stretch what they had. I am a salad eater and noticed that the cauliflower had black marks on it. This usually indicates that it has been in the fridge too long and was about to go bad. I would not have minded so much if they would have a least cut it off but they did not. The lettuce was wilted and the other vegetables looked as though they had reached expiration. At the fancy dinner, while entertaining and nice, the food there was not that great either. On the last cruise we went to the portion sizes were great. I am a vegetarian so I ordered the vegetable pie. I am really glad I first ate a salad because the pie was so small it would have been nice for my 4 year old not an adult. There was no garnish on the plate at all to even make it look nice just this plain looking little pie. Entertainment was not as family friendly as I thought it would be. On the website they boast about their family friendly activities like the comedy clubs and fun activities. I found the comedy club activity but they were rated R. I saw the Cat and Hat on the first night but not again the rest of the time. Now I know they had a green eggs and ham breakfast but I did not see that on the information nor was it easy to find until later. Service in the dining room was fantastic. We talked with many of the workers and they were all so friendly and accommodating. On the ports though they were not so friendly. The taxi directors were very rude in St. Maarten in particular. The shore excursions were definitely a price gauge. We were being quoted hundreds of dollars on the ship but a quarter of the price in the actual port. We paid $80 USD for and excursion that would have cost us $500. I would definitely stick with inquiring with the locals for that kind of stuff. Overall, our children liked the cruise. They had such a good time that it helps us overlook many of the things that happened in the port that were too long of stories to tell here. We would definitely go again but probably not with this particular ship. Read Less