Despite some confusion in the departure port (first Miami, then Port Everglades and then back to Miami at the last minute) due to protests against a trade conference in Miami, the boarding process went very smoothly. We were traveling with a family group of about 25.

The Bad - One piece of luggage was not delivered to a member of our party by the morning after departure. In general, the cruise personnel were helpful and allowed a $100 credit against clothing purchases in the ship's store. On Thursday (after a Sunday sailing) the bag was delivered. It had been found in Miami and eventually flown to St. Thomas to meet the cruise. Nothing was missing. - There was some sort of utility room behind our cabin and on most nights, we heard noises through the wall. We like inside cabins because we seem to sleep better but the noise defeated the purpose. The noise didn't last all night but it did wake us on a couple nights. I spoke to the cruise staff but another cabin was not available. - As a general observation, the entertainment shows were inconsistent. One comedian was good, the other mediocre. One stage show was decent but the other was boring. - Maybe it was my imagination but the mixed cocktails seemed very weak to me.

The Good - NO SMOKE. It really was nice not to have to breath 2nd hand smoke. I wonder if other ships might go this way. - The food was better than we expected. We had taken another Carnival cruise in a ship of the same class last year and were disappointed in the food then so our expectations were not high but in general, I would rate the food a B to a B+ in both the dining room and in the Lido deck buffet. The pizza and Caesar salad station was great. The sushi bar was just average. - The service was very good both in the cabin and the dining room. - The gym was clean and had a good variety of machines. Read more