Embarkation: We had priority embarkation and it was a breeze, as usual. I had feared it might take awhile since this was a holiday cruise, but it went very smoothly. Everyone else in our party went through the regular embarkation process and they were also onboard in minutes.

Cabins: We were able to get into our cabins about 1:30. The three oldest couples had balcony cabins on the Empress Deck. The rooms were decent sized and clean with nice amenities. The rest of our group had ocean view rooms and they were quite roomy. The only problem we had was that our shower overflowed and flooded the bathroom; however, I left a note for our room steward and the problem was rectified by that evening. My daughter had a similar problem with her shower on the next to the last day. Unfortunately, despite contacting maintenance, theirs was never fixed. The Carnival bedding was wonderful as always!

Dining: This was my first (and last) time with the early seating. We prefer not rush to get to dinner and like to eat later. Our waiters were fine, but we were not at all impressed with the quality of the food in the dining room. I don't expect 5 star cuisine, but I didn't feel the food was up to the normal Carnival standards. The buffets weren't bad and I especially enjoyed the pizza and oriental stations. Room service was very efficient. Read more