I wasn't sure what to expect on this cruise after reading the reviews. This is our 14th cruise, 9 of which have been on Carnival. I was skeptical because of the size of the ship...I imagined long lines and lots of pushing and shoving. IT WAS NEVER EVER AN ISSUE! Always plenty of deck chairs, lines in the lunch and breakfast buffet were no more than a few minutes long. Everyone goes on a cruise for a different reason. My wife and I live in the northeast, and for us, sunshine and relaxation is the most important thing. We didn't do any excursions, as we've done all the ones we wanted to do over the years. We enjoyed walking around the different ports we visited, browsing, and maybe stopping for a cold glass of the local beer. I could see that no matter what cruise line you were on, if you had inclement weather all week, that could cloud your view. Our weather was 80 degrees and sunny every day, so we were quite content. In the words of Abe Lincoln..."Most people are as happy as they choose to be"

We started our trip by staying at the Residence Inn in Cape Coral. The morning of our cruise, we boarded a bus to the port ($3 ea.) for a short ride that dropped us off within 100 yds of the terminal doors. The bus left from the hotel at 10:30, and we were on board the ship at 11:45. Luggage arrived by 3 pm.

The food was overall good, but I never go on a cruise expecting a five star experience regarding food. Cabin steward provided excellent service as did our dining staff. The comedy club was good, but the musical entertainment was lacking. The one bright spot was the piano bar which was a hoot....holy ship-come on in!!! We only attended one evening show due to the fact that we had late seating for dinner. This is a ship that I wouldn't hesitate to cruise on again...as a matter of fact, it is our favorite of the Carnival fleet....was everything perfect? No....is anything ever perfect?....