Timing is everything and if you have a choice, I would advise you to avoid school spring break. Not the fun-loving college spring break, but the "we're on a ship, just let our kids run around" spring break.

If Carnival is expecting a bunch of kids, do they ratchet down the food choices a bit? Fresh fruit (other than cantaloupe and honeydew) was very hard to find, and the salad bar was sparse. The grill had good burgers and dogs even if the buns were a little stale. Service in the restaurant was top notch, we only wished the food matched the service. Steak should taste like steak, the sides on the plate should be edible and how hard is it to make an edible baked potato? Omelets at the grill were much better than in the restaurant. Did I mention that the meat should taste like meat? I think the pork link sausage was a little old. The chocolate bar on the last day was a meal in its own and the pizza and sandwich bar was always good.

The ship was completely full and the Serenity deck was not quite so serene. It was crowded both of the sea days and you could wait more than an hour without getting a chair because the pool deck was full of kids. Carnival could set aside more space for adults even if it meant doing something a little different with the putt putt deck. Read more