Booked this cruise on short notice to accompany some friends. I had just returned from an extended cruise on Holland America and while on-board had heard numerous unkind remarks being made about Carnival and the type of people who cruised on it. Having done numerous cruises on Carnival I had never encountered the things I was hearing. So after booking this cruise I was determined to pay close attention and see if I could find examples of what I had been hearing. Below are my observations:

The embarkation in Galveston was handled well and much more efficiently than several years ago when it was a nightmare to get aboard in Galveston. We had wanted Spa Balconies but due to late booking only one was available and our friends took it. We were on Deck Eight in a balcony and found the cabin to be very roomy, well maintained, and well decorated. No complaints with the cabin and the steward did an excellent job for the entire seven days.

The Lido Buffet was open for lunch on boarding and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to get your lunch and find a table. The food wasn't anything spectacular but it was served hot and tables were easily available. The partitions between the tables were very nice and made it easy to hold a conversation while eating. Read more