We set sail from Baltimore, MD on August 19 for a 7 day cruise to the Bahamas. The cruise exceeded my expectations. Embarkation was a breeze. Parking, luggage, VIP check in -- all went on incident free. The pros: our ocean suite was large, quiet, and had a fantastic balcony. Entertainment-wise, there was plenty to do. We particularly enjoyed the Punchliner comedy club, which had 1 or 2 all- ages shows per night, as well as adult-only shows. My children didn't take advantage of all that Club Carnival had to offer, but the offerings were extensive. The ship's food was good. I worried, but for nothing; although, some meals were definitely misses. Our excursions were very good. We went to Magic Kingdom during the day in Port Canaveral, and we had a Dolphin Encounter during our day in Freeport. I would have liked a few extra hours in Freeport. I thought prices for drinks, coffee, items in the shops, were all very reasonable.

The cons: Although the food was very good, I didn't like that the choices during the evening for dinner on the Lido deck were limited. Room service was also limited to cold meals. (Room service also showed up very late the one morning we requested it). I thought the service in Normandie, the restaurant, was very slow, and it took a long time to get meals (initially. We spoke to the head waiter and he fixed this problem for us). I would have liked a different dining room one evening for a diverse experience. The coffee was terrible; the specialty coffee was not much better.

The decor is odd. I don't know why a contemporary ship would have such a dated theme (Italian Renaissance). Read more