This was my third Carnival cruise, of a total of nine. I had stopped cruising with them because of out control children, and poor food. There have been improvements in both categories, but still room for more as far as the children are concerned. An October cruising date was chosen to avoid many children, so I was surprised at the numbers of them. Carnival is doing a better job of keeping them out of adult areas. Parents need to keep better control of them. Embarkation was the worse I ever experienced, there are not enough Carnival personnel at the entrance to give direction about luggage, so we were forced to carry it longer than we needed to. A worker at the Sail and Sign desk only wanted to deal with entering credit card data, and would not answer other questions, such as one about upgrading my room (my Carnival travel agent advised me to inquire there for it). Other travelers need to be aware that since this a a Puerto Rican port, there will be a large number of them as passengers and the cruise line tends to cater to them. The food has improved in freshness and quality since my last Carnival cruise several years ago. There are more choices, such as a Deli, Chinese Food, and a grill for hot dogs and hamburgers. Dining room staff are acceptable, but the casual Lido deck area staff could use some customer service training. No one helps you find a clean empty table, and are in such a hurry to clean the table, they take your plate without checking if you are done. The ship was very clean, and the staterooms are cleaned and restocked with clean towels twice per day. The only complaint I have is with the Casino. The smell of smoke is very heavy and disturbing. The shows, two of which were supposedly award winning, were only so so. The second comedian and juggler were good, as well as Destiny Idol, the best show of the entire cruise. The cruise director was only seen during main events, and not all over the ship, as I was accustomed. Ship staff were not as friendly as I was used to, especially in the Lido dining area. Bingo players need to avoid Bingo on this ship, it is a rip off. They charge $10-20 for one game. A nice touch in the staterooms were terry robes for everyone, and toiletry samples in the bathroom. The room was also larger, with a convertible sofa for the third guest. This cruise is better suited for the under 50 crowd. I choose it for the price and itinerary. It was an excellent value, and I applaud Carnival for it.