This was our second cruise, first time with Carnival. It was the 12/27 thru 12/31 sailing to the Bahamas from Jacksonville. It was a pretty good experience. I'm going to try to be as objective as possible given that much of the trip was marred for me by a bout of seasickness and the chilly, breezy weather -- both things that can't be counted against the cruise itself.
Our best days were our first day (daparture) and third day (in port at Nassau).
We were very impressed with embarkation. Carnival said not to arrive before noon, but we arrived around 10:45 and were on the ship in less than 45 minutes. That is definitely the way to go. We also stayed at a nearby Hampton Inn that allowed us to keep our car parked there and included cab fare to and from the port. Saved a lot of hassle.
Enough room for two people. Quiet. Felt a lot of vibration from the ship's engine, but I also felt it three decks up in the dining room, so I'm not sure if a different cabin would have avoided that.