We took this cruise because we always wanted to go to Catalina island. We are platinum with carnival. We know what to expect. Embarkation was easy as we were escorted on early really not much wait. We chose cabin M172 which was outside and very quiet. We ate all meals in the main dining room. We had early seating but we had a table for 2. The cruise line is cutting back in many ways. The portions are much smaller than on other cruises but that's ok. Gone are the basket of goodies in the bathroom. The chocolates on the pillow are sadly no more. The shore excursions were very good we took the Hummer tour of Catalina. Great fun. In Mexico we took the Blow Hole tour also good just remember that to reach the blow hole you must walk through the gauntlet of vendors. They are very aggressive and annoying. We enjoyed the cruise and are taking Celebrity in Feb.