This was our third cruise and the first one with Carnival. Our previous experiences have all been outstanding, 1 with Norwegian, 1 with Royal Caribbean. This was the exception.
The ship itself was beautiful. There were plenty of activities to keep you busy. The ship was at full capacity but there were not many times we had problems with a crowd. My worries began prior to sailing. I had purchased a category 4a cabin to be assigned at boarding. I called Carnival 3 times to request an upgrade. I was willing to pay extra for an outside room. I was told to wait, then again wait, then the last time not to worry that the ship had many empty rooms and I would be assured of an upgrade at no cost. I had my doubts but trusted the staff.
When we boarded we went to find our cabin. 2450 level 2 at the back of the ship. This is the worst cabin we have ever had. The vibration, engine noise and rocking was unbelievable for such a large and new ship and the seas were never rough. 4-6 feet were the worst we had. When we docked the noise awoke us and kept us awake the entire time with hydraulic noised, clanging and what sounded like equipment being moved. Upon leaving port it all began again. Sleep was very poor during this trip. Not to mention the beds were as hard as sleeping on the floor, not exaggerating either. I was quite upset that we were not allowed to change cabins even after several attempts. The ship now was full and had no available cabins. The staff were not very helpful with this matter. The major complaint we have with the ship was the lack of attentiveness by the staff.