This is my second cruise and we had 3 gals sharing a balcony suite for a 5 day Bahama cruise to celebrate my friend's 40th bday (her first cruise). This is an older boat that is showing its age. Right out of the 80s, but despite the odd decor and outdated amenities, I thought the size was just right. Completely walkable. Overall I rate this a 2.5-3 out of 5 - completely average with the positives and negatives balanced - somewhat.

First, the positives. The staff (the hard working laborers not the overpaid show ponies like the cruise director and his crew) are amazing. They are the ones that work hard to shape your experience. Our waiter in the Imagination dining room was Lesther and he and Tosin and Christian made every evening enjoyable. The food - from the formal dining rooms to the outdoor grill - is incredibly flavorful. You can make good choices here and don't have to eat yourself into the shape of the ship you're on! Our balcony suite was incredibly roomy and perfect for 3 adults. We enjoyed the Serenity Deck to escape from the families. Turning 1 of the 2 hot tubs into a cold plunge would be easy and would improve the deck by 150%. Also adding misters would be delightful. Priority boarding made embarkation and disembarkation a breeze. Lastly, Half Moon Cay was the best excursion. We just did the tram tour that gave us a great feel for all the other excursions and how the island works. In retro, I would have spent the money on the Ray Experience which we got to observe and it looked incredible. Also very impressed with Shannon the Shore Excursion manager who made a big "wrong" right for us. More on her below.

On to the not so positive... DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY on the Balmoral Private Island excursion. Half of the island is private use by Sandals, and that's the nice side. The other side is run by what seems like a staff of 3 clueless and powerless people who were shipped in like us and had to endure this poorly managed facility. There was NO RUNNING WATER on the island. So that meant no flushing toilets, nowhere to fill up a water bottle or wash your hands. And if there's nowhere for us to wash our hands, what exactly was going on in the kitchen? I've tried to block that out from my memory. We paid $70 for access, a sandwich and a non-alcoholic drink package. Not worth it. Save your money and enjoy an empty boat or brave the merchant stalls in Nassau. I shared our experience with Shannon and she did what was right - full refund for all 3 of us. Thank you, Shannon. I also recommend you part ways with the vendor managing this excursion as it does not represent Carnival. Read more