Embarkation: Overall, very smooth. We arrived around 12:45 and were onboard by 1:45. We were told that every single stateroom was ready. That was not the case. Ours was still being tended to by our steward. So, we went to the lido deck for lunch at Mermaids, the buffet.

Normandie (Main Dining Room): As a couple, we were disappointed to be seated at a table for six. But, we tolerated it. We tried to contact the maître d’ about changing our table, but he was “unavailable.” So we let it be. We were with one other couple and became quite friendly with them, but still would have preferred a table for two. The menu was fair, but basic...definitely not on par with Royal Caribbean or Norwegian or Celebrity. We aren’t picky eaters by any means, so we always found several selections to our liking for each course. That being said, some selections leave a lot to be desired. Fried chicken? Cheeseburgers? Really? And people ordered them! Our favorites: the basa filet, prime rib, penne pasta with seafood medley and tomato cream sauce, and braised short ribs with sesame eggplant and fried rice. The lobster and shrimp during the first formal night was tiny. Luckily, our waiter brought me a second plate. As other reviewers have mentioned, the lobster causes foodborne illness. My wife was sick for two days after eating the lobster. Her lobster looked different than mine. It was white; mine was light pink. She said hers tasted sour and stopped eating it after a few bites. Our head waiter made an appearance at our table each night. That was about it. Our assistant waiter took care of our table by himself. I don’t understand this. One thing that I did appreciate was that I was always able to order two starters. I like a soup plus an appetizer. That was never an issue. Desserts were very good. My wife loved the warm chocolate melting cake. I tried other menu items most nights. I thought the bitter and blanc was phenomenal. My favorite dessert, however, was the cinnamon and fig cake with rum raisin ice cream. That cinnamon cake was simply outstanding. We ate in Normandie every night. Overall, it was a pleasant experience. Now, for a note on guest attire in Normandie. How pathetic. We saw guests in football jerseys, gym shorts, sweatpants, t-shirts, sandals, swimsuit cover-ups, baseball caps, etc. Is it that difficult to put on a pair of khakis and a button-down shirt or polo? Come on, men. And ladies, do you really feel as if yoga pants or sweatpants are appropriate? On elegant nights, many were dressed appropriately. Others wore more casual outfits that I did on cruise casual nights. I saw several men denied admission to the restaurant because they were in shorts. Bravo, Carnival. I’ll touch on this later on when I mention a few more things regarding the passengers. Breakfast in Normandie was nice. I enjoyed the eggs benedict (wish they had it at the buffet…). The smoked salmon on a bagel with cream cheese was another favorite of mine. Service at breakfast was never as good as at dinner. And they always seated us with other guests at large tables.

Mermaids: The selection was great. I really enjoyed the international theme for lunch each day. Food overall was very good. I especially enjoyed the Caribbean food. The pizza line was usually manageable, but on occasion was over 20 minutes long. Pizzas are very thin (so that they can bake in Read more