This was my ninth Carnival cruise and I thought I knew what to expect. Some of the surprises were good ones but others were disappointments. Embarkation was quick and easy but possibly because we arrived almost an hour earlier than we were told to be at the port. Why did we receive an e mail begging us not to arrive until 1:30 when we were so warmly welcomed at 12:45?

This was the newest Carnival ship that we've been on but I wasn't that much more impressed than I've been with the older ships. Still, food and entertainment were fine. We've sailed with all the major cruise lines and haven't experienced the huge differences among them that others report. We chose this sailing for the low price and great ports, especially Tortola and Antigua.

The BIG problem was our cabin, 2240. Granted, it was an inside cabin on a lower deck, but we frequently sail in similar locations on other ships. This one, though, was directly below the theatre and had virtually no sound insulation. We heard all rehearsals and shows as if we were sitting in the orchestra pit, which we believed was directly above. When we called guest services to complain we were told to call back during the sound problem so that someone could visit our cabin to confirm the disturbance. Really? One would think that our description of the noise, together with the exact times it was experienced, would be enough to research the cause. One mysterious aspect included something that sounded like a VERY LOUD blender, in retrospect, might have been the sound of the orchestra pit rising and dropping. Read more