Well I never thought I would ever have anything really bad to say about Carnival, but this cruise did it, we were amazed at the service and the crew. I had heard that they were training new staff but I think they should all go back and get a refresher course. We were 11 family members, 5 cabins.
We were 5 adults, 2 children. I am the maternal grandparent of the children, I went to sign the 8 year old and 14 year old up for Camp Carnival at the orientation. Was told only a parent has that right, but I could be listed as 2nd adult only to pick up the children after the events of the day, seems a little backwards to me, but I could not drop them off and sign them in, but could pick them up duh!!! Good thing my daughter was on the trip with me or the kids would be very disappointed, also they do not let you in on activities for the day unless you ask what's going on. There was a talent show and the two children that were 8 years old wanted to join, but did not know they had to sign up. We all got dressed and marched down to the club for the show. The 2 children were excited as they practiced their song on the lido stage all afternoon. When we got there, the counselor said they could not join the talent show as they did not sign up for it, nor had a rehearsal, which none of us knew about. There were only 3 children signed up and they would not let our kids do their song. Anyway, it was not like there were 50 kids in the talent show, there were about 16 people that were in the club watching. 3 of which were the talent show singers. More disappointment on the little ones.
I was sitting in the lido buffet, with the kids having breakfast when a little girl about 4 tables down dropped a chunk of cantaloupe in the middle of the buffet area, I watched as 4 crew service waiters walked over the melon, no one bent to pick it up. I stopped a supervisor, pointed it out and told her 4 of her people just walk by it, and someone would slip and fall on that marble/slate floor. Dirty dishes filled the tables out by the pool, no one was there to bus and pick up glasses. We were constantly clearing off tables of beer bottles, dishes, glasses, full ash trays, before we could sit and eat. Where were the service people? I seen them all over the place pushing drink specials but they never lifted any thing off the tables. We cleaned them or we had the beverage seller take everything away, whenever he walked by. That is, when we could get his or her attention.